The Battle for Number 10 secures 2.3m and tops Twitter
Thursday night delivered an epic political ‘battle’ to the TV nation, as Channel 4 and Sky News joined forces to bring together the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition for a bit of a sit down and a gentle natter.
Instead of an actual head-to-head US-style debate that the media seem to be clamouring for, Cameron & Milliband: The Battle for Number 10 (9pm) saw Channel 4’s official election anchor Jeremy Paxman separately grill the two statesmen before tagging Sky’s Kay Burley who compèred some questions from a filtered studio audience.
In his first appointment outside of his lengthy and celebrated BBC career, Paxman seemed to relish the opportunity to pull apart the party leaders stance on perpetually hot topics such as immigration and zero-hours contracts, forcing Miliband to grow a backbone while the Prime Minister looked a little anxious.
In the end only 2.3 million viewers took the time to investigate the possible future head of Government, the second biggest audience in the 9pm slot. Naturally, the whole ‘discussion’ topped the Twitter TV chart by generating over half a million tweets and bringing in a 12% share for Channel 4.
If the viewing figures seemed kind of low, that’s because the BBC’s flagship channel tempted the TV audience with something truly spectacular and significant.
After last week’s nail-biting look into the world of hidden sugars, The Truth About… was back on BBC One at 9pm, with the second episode following Dr Chris van Tulleken who played it stupid and pretended to get his head around calories.
The light magazine-style health show once again managed to secure the 9pm slot for BBC One, bringing in 4 million viewers and a 19% share.
Over on BBC Two, those randy colonists on Banished (9pm) were at it again as Major Dick fixated and pursued prostitute Kitty before deciding to give her a public flogging instead. Things were as cheerful as ever in Jimmy McGovern’s gritty historical epic, with the forth episode of the Australian drama netting 2.1 million viewers and a 10% share.
On ITV, the second half of documentary The Triplets Are Coming! Brought in 1.7 million viewers and an 8% share, while Channel 5 aired the grand finale of the enthralling Holiday Love Rats Exposed (9pm).
761,000 viewers and a 4% share watched as bitter middle aged women lamented about their doomed love affairs with foreign men in the thinly veiled xenophobic exercise.
Earlier at 8pm MasterChef brought in 5.1 million viewers and a 24% audience share while 1.2 million viewers and a 6% share tuned in for all the cute baby animals on Natural World on BBC Two.
Meanwhile, Channel 4 was busy with its unusual and latest reality TV stunt – it only went and buried a king of the realm from the olden days. After lots and lots of build-up, last night finally brought 600 years of closure to those still paying attention to the monarchy with Richard III: The King Laid to Rest (8pm).
Distant relatives, historians and even Benedict Cumberbatch came out of the woodwork to see Dickon finally get reburied, netting 964,000 viewers and a 4% share.
At the same time Channel 5 was cracking out another tacky look at a real life tragedy in Countdown to Murder. 880,000 viewers watched as Joanna Yeates got the awful docusoap treatment, resulting in a 4% share.
Earlier Emmerdale had varying degrees of success with 6 million viewers and a 32% share watching at 7pm, falling to 5.3 million viewers and a 25% share at 8pm.
But it was the latest developments in Albert Square that captured Thursday’s biggest audience. EastEnders (7:30pm) won the top spot with 6.6 million viewers watching as after 30 years the penny finally dropped for Sharon Mitchell.
Scenes of Ian Beale and Shazza slowly realising they may be brother and sister secured a 34% share for 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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