Apocalyptic result as The X Factor falls -25% year on year
This past weekend might have possibly heralded the end of an era for ITV as its tired, ailing golden goose, The X Factor, showed serious signs of terminal illness as the nation’s apathy finally spread to its heart.
Debuting on Saturday night, the 12th series once again saw the jaded format slightly rejigged, keeping the creepy Gogglebox-style audience commentary while reverting back to the cold and distant arena auditions and banishing former judges Mel B and Louis Walsh back to their dark realms for good.
But not to worry, new judges Nick Grimshaw and Rita Ora have spent all summer long practising their range of shocked/tearful/totes emosh and LOL cartoon expressions, in order to clue in the dull-eyed audience exactly how they should be feeling.
Returning for the second consecutive year was a really-couldn’t-be-bothered-at-this-stage Simon Cowell and The Artist Formally Known as Cheryl Cole, all coming together to serve up another lukewarm plate of what we’ve all had before.
Saturday night opened up with ‘just’ 7.1 million viewers and a 36% share, a healthy audience for any weekend show and enough to secure the number one place over the whole bank holiday weekend.
The bad news, however, was that the 8pm hour and a half show was down from 8.9 million viewers the previous year, representing a -25% year on year fall. While this mightn’t seem like a huge loss, it gives the top brass at ITV something to worry about as its not-so brightly shining star might not have the punch to go head-to-head with BBC One’s upcoming Strictly… onslaught.
Sunday night didn’t bring much relief for the karaoke soap opera stadium monstrosity with the hour-long show netting 5.9 million viewers, dropping down from the 7.6 million viewers that tuned in for the second episode back in 2014. Can it be that after 12 long years viewers have finally woken up from their Saturday night slump wanting something…different?
Speaking off schedule-haunters hanging around after their prime, BBC One’s Casualty broadcast another weekend-spanning helping of tears and blood for the second week in a row.
The opening two episodes of the 30th series focused on the aftermath of a Hollyoaks-style bridal explosion and kept fans gripped as Charlie’s life hung in the balance. Saturday’s episode at 8:45pm was watched by 4.1 million viewers and a 20% share while Sunday’s 8pm resolution rose to 4.9 million viewers (a 23% share) as the long standing character’s fate was finally revealed.
After all the weekend’s hoohaw, Bank Holiday Monday was a relatively calm affair and business as usual for the schedule-cluttering soaps.
Emmerdale got the OOT drama ball rolling at 7pm on ITV yesterday, netting 5.5 million viewers and a 27% share, while a particularly grim episode of EastEnders (BBC One, 8pm) was watched by 6.2 million viewers and a 28% share.
Coronation Street (ITV) got Monday’s top two spots, tough, with 5 million viewers and a 32% share at 7:30pm, while the return visit at 8:30pm secured 6.7 million viewers and a 29% share.
But it was Lenny Henry’s new drama Danny and the Human Zoo (BBC One) that won the 9pm slot, with the semi-autobiographical tale depicting family life in 1970’s Dudley. 3.4 million viewers watched as Danny attempted to make the big time in a local talent competition, resulting in a 17% share.
On BBC Two, a couple of comic legends celebrated 25 years in the business as the ITV-riffing An Evening with Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse (9pm) secured 1.6 million viewers and an 8% share.
At the same time, the blender of tattooed, spray-tanned and ‘augmented’ torsos that is Celebrity Big Brother (9pm) brought in 1.4 million viewers and a 7% share to Channel 5.
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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