ITV’s Saved wraps up with -39% fall from first episode
Last night brought an end to the first (and possibly) last series of ITV’s latest real-life tear fest, Saved (9pm), a show which struggled from birth and throughout its short life against the might of timeslot rival Silent Witness.
Like a cross between the tearful confessional of Long Lost Family and 90s emergency reinactment show 999, each week viewers were invited to hear accounts of accidents that were averted by the help of a stranger.
Kicking off three weeks ago against BBC One’s carcass investigation show and Celebrity Big Brother‘s live launch over on Channel 5, an audience of 1.4 million viewers tuned in for the opening tales of trauma and redemption.
The following week saw the audience slip slightly to 1.3 million viewers, with last week’s instalment hitting 1.2 million viewers.
Yesterday saw the show sign off with an unbelievable tense tale of heroism as ITV viewers were told how two civilians took down an armed assailant on a docked nuclear submarine in Southampton!
While the show delivered on its promise of incredible intervention, last night continued the downward spiral it set out on from the off, with the fourth and final episode seeing a -39% drop in audience from the opening episode.
Perhaps more suitable to Channel 4’s similar emotions-fuelled, real-life drama shows like 24 Hours in A&E (in content and audience size), last night saw ITV’s Tuesday 9pm window take another hard hit, with just 984,000 and a 4% share tuning in for Saved final segment.
Currently, the odds aren’t in Saved‘s favour, with divine intervention from the powers that be at ITV looking unlikely.
Pulling in the big numbers at the same time was, or course, Silent Witness (BBC One, 9pm) which wrapped up the two-part storyline which started on Monday. The eighth episode of the 19th series saw broody Dr Jack put himself in harm’s way to catch his man.
The tale about the most dedicated coroners in all of fiction secured a solid 6 million viewers and brought a 25% share to BBC One.[advert position=”left”]
Doing exactly half as well was BBC Two’s delightfully bizarre 9pm offering, The Real Marigold Hotel. Kind of like Big Brother, but without the soul-melting side effects, the three part series saw eight elder celebrities thrown into the hustle and bustle of Jaipur in India to stake out retirement possibilities.
An audience of 3 million viewers watched as former Doctor Who Sylvester McCoy, veteran actress Miriam Margolyes and darts champion Bobby George dealt with dodgy toilets, insane traffic and spirituality for sale, resulting in a 13% share.
At the same time, Channel 4 invited viewers into The Mad World of Donald Trump (9pm) as reporter Matt Frei jumped head-first into the presidential hopeful’s campaign trail.
1.3 million viewers watched as the PR-stunt-gone-terribly-wrong gained momentum with his outlandish plans, generating the day’s second most amount of tweets and resulting in a 5% share.
On Channel 5, Celebrity Big Brother: Live Eviction saw damaged X Factor discard Christopher Maloney catapulted from the compound of despair, netting 2.3 million viewers and a 10% share.
ITV fared better a little better at 8pm as it rounded up a bunch of vaguely familiar industry people celebrities and put them to work on a farm for two weeks/three episodes in Sugar Free Farm.
Kind of like Celebrity Rehab but without the proper manic episodes, last night saw glamour model/dancer/actress/singer Jennifer Ellison get a spell of the dizzies as a result of detoxing, with 3 million viewers and a 14% share tuning in to see her take a nap.
On BBC Two, it was time for the first Winterwatch of the season your first chance to see Chris, Michaela and Martin stand around in another field, but the twist this time is that it’s more cold and despondent looking than usual.
The never ending drama of Holby City (BBC One, 8pm) netted a standard 4.2 million viewers and a 19% share.
Earlier, Emmerdale bagged 5.9 million and a 29% share over on ITV at 7pm but was defeated by BBC One’s EastEnders (7:30pm) which took the day’s number one spot with 6.7 million viewers and a 32% share.
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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