ITV’s BGT dominates while BBC One’s Poldark falls further
This weekend’s TV offerings saw ITV’s freshly returned variety show Britain’s Got Talent (8pm) defeat the competition to win over the biggest audience for a second week running.
An average audience of 9.5 million viewers tuned in to see the usual array of dancing doggies, sleazy magicians, bizarre pensioners, dangerous acrobatics and stage school children attempting to come across as ‘street’.
The second episode of the constantly successful show’s ninth series saw Simon, David, Amanda and Alesha cast their judgement over guitar-playing tots and the psychologically fragile, netting a healthy 44% share in the process.
The episode peaked at 10.4 million viewers towards the end of the 75 minute episode, ensuring that the current run will not be the last.
Around the same time, BBC One attempted to win over the family audience with silly adventure show Atlantis (8:25pm). Like Game of Thrones but with slightly less violence and a lot more clothes, the latest Mark Addy-starring escapade took in 2.6 million viewers and a 12% share.
Straight up afterwards, long-running accident drama Casualty (9:20pm) was watched by 4.2 million and a 22% share.
Sunday brought a fresh day of content, with BBC One’s double whammy of subdued end-of-week Valium programming securing a solid audience.
Countryfile at 7pm saw the famous five once again rollick about the rural ideal, giving special attention to the British woodlands. 6.3 million viewers watched as Ellie climbed a tree and released a hedgehog back into the wild, netting a 32% share.
Afterwards, Fiona Bruce and her team of dusty treasure hunters were in Cumbria to chat to little old ladies and desperate debt-ridden relatives in the latest Antiques Roadshow (8pm).
5.6 million viewers tuned in to see a stuffed dog (who was already on the show in 2011) radiate more charisma than most of the non-stuffed humans, netting a 25% share.
At the same time, ITV’s current regional detective, Vera, was back for the third episode of the fifth series at 8pm. The two hour case saw the straight-talking Northumberland copper deal with a dodgy farm with illegal immigrants and a rotting corpse found floating about a slurry pit.
4.4 million viewers stayed tuned for the entire episode, netting a 20% share and ITV’s biggest hit of the day.
Over on Channel 4, historical moist drama Indian Summers (9pm) came to an end after 10 weeks of passion, murder, colonialism and divided public opinion.
Opening up with 2.5 million viewers back in February, the socialite drama set before Indian Independence, continued to fall week on week as the heated melodrama become too much to bear . As the summer season came to an end last night, just 833,000 viewers tuned in, resulting in a 4% share and a -67% drop from the debut audience.
But it’s not just Channel 4’s convoluted old time drama losing its touch, as Sunday night golden boy Poldark (BBC One, 9pm) also saw viewers flee, although not at such a dramatic rate.
Sending middle aged women into a flutter on Twitter each and every week, the hammy tale of a Cornish son returning home after fighting in the American war of independence opened with 6.9 million viewers.
Despite getting his kit off as much as possible, the audience for the cliff-panning, sunset obsessed melodrama has been eroded away by the wild Celtic sea, with 5.4 million viewers and a 24% tuning in last night.
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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