C4’s latest ob doc brings 2.3m to Four Year Olds’ nursery
After turning real-life medical emergencies, police interrogations, benefit claimants, classroom ructions and drunken chicken shop visits into reasonably performing prime time TV, last night Channel 4 launched a new fixed rig camera set-up, this time inviting the nation to gawp at a bunch of four year olds in a nursery.
Of course, there’s more to The Secret Life of Four Years Olds‘ (8pm) pitch than that, with terms like ‘social development’ being thrown about as child-watching neuroscience experts monitor every spat, giggle and tear on offer, much like a children ogling at animals in a zoo.
It’s a worn-out observation that Channel 4 could literally point a camera at any aspect of modern life, throw the word ‘contemporary’, ‘British’ or ‘social’ into its PR blurb and have yet another (moderate) schedule-filling hit on its hands.
Well, it’s been working a treat for the past few years so why let a little notion like keeping some things sacred get in the way of an extremely cost-effective way of filling up the airwaves?
Kind of like watching Big Brother when everybody in the house is absolutely smashed, an audience of 2.3 million viewers tuned in for the one-off ‘insight’ into the mind of toddlers’ social interactions, resulting in an 11% share.
That kind of figure almost guarantees a full series order from Channel 4, throw on top of that the amount of tweets generated and it won’t be long before the broadcaster’s latest inarticulate superstars return to our screens.
Despite Channel 4’s draw, Holby City (8pm) still managed to perform to its usual standards on BBC One, netting 4.7 million viewers and a 22% share.
On BBC Two, the Queen of mean was back being antagonistic to strangers in the latest episode of Alex Polizzi – The Fixer (8pm), bringing in 1.9 million viewers and a 9% share.
Over on ITV, there was some pandering outrage in the form of Bad Builders – Bang to Rights (8pm) in which tabloidy tough bloke Dominic Littlewood got angry on viewers’ behalf. 1.9 million viewers saw Dominic shout at the latest dodgy builders, resulting in a 9% share.
At 9pm, BBC One attempted to warm the viewing nation’s cockles with a slice of do-goodery better suited to some horrible, manipulative and cynical ITV sponsorship opportunity show. The first episode of The Gift (9pm) brought together presenters Matt Baker and Mel Giedroyc to help people track down someone from their past they’d like to thank.
3.6 million viewers tuned in to get that warm feeling spread throughout their body as a victim of an IRA bomb wanted to find the man that saved his life while a lady wanted to apologise for breaking a man’s heart 50 years previously.
The blurry-eyed, lip-quivering emotions secured a 17% share and secured the biggest audience in the 9pm slot.
At the same time, BBC Two was still trying to educate the masses, bless ’em, with the second instalment of the thrilling guided tour Inside the Commons (9pm). 1.6m viewers caught up with all the exciting developments affecting the strenuous working days of the ruling class, resulting in an 8% share.
Things got serious over on ITV, with a poignant look at the devastating effects of combat in Young War Widows (9pm). The tale of three women getting on with their lives pulled in just 985,000 viewers and a 9% share for the broadcaster.
The final episode of 24 Hours in Police Custody‘s (Channel 4, 9pm) second series focused on those pesky serial offenders, with one particular 38 year old trouble maker celebrating his 89th arrest. The equally depressing/fascinating show, which has recently started dubiously giving the offenders a platform in which to enjoy their moment in the spotlight, secured 1.4 million viewers and 7% share.
At the same time, Channel 5 kicked off a brand new show which was subtly titled Killer Psychopaths (9pm), a show in which criminologist, David Wilson randomly threw around psychiatric terms to remind us he’s slightly too smart for his own show.
1.1 million watched as the tale of Joanna Dennehy’s 2013 killing spree unfolded, featuring the most unfortunate comically reenactments in TV history , netting a 5% share.
As usual, the soaps took Tuesday’s top spots with Emmerdale (ITV) bagging second place at 7pm, as 6.2 million viewers tuned in to see Andy attempt to deal with Katie’s death.
But it was EastEnders (7:30pm) that secured yesterday’s top spot, with scenes of Fatboy catching Dot Cotton red handed, buying some moreish heroin in a block of dodgy flats. 7.5 million viewers tuned in for the confrontation, securing a 36% share for the BBC One.
Overnight data is available each morning in mediatel.co.uk’s TV Database, with all BARB registered subscribers able to view reports for terrestrial networks and key multi-channel stations. Overnight data supplied by TRP are based on 15 minute slot averages. This may differ from tape checked figures, which are based on a programme’s actual start and end time.
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