BBC One bags 9pm slot with hokey ‘living doc’ 24 Hours in the Past
Tuesday night saw BBC One début a brand new living documentary series in which some familiar faces were put through the historical ringer, all in the name of entertainment and education.
Part crash-course on surviving life in the olden days, part celebrity punishment show, 24 Hours in the Past (9pm) basically existed to give a roster of TV personalities something to do while patronisingly wagging a finger at today’s audience of the hardships of yesteryear.
Last night’s opening episode saw Alistair McGowan, Ann Widdecombe and Colin Jackson, amongst others, attempt to spend four gruelling days as part of the working poor in Victorian Britain and secured the biggest 9pm audience for BBC One.
Featuring no actual time machines or disturbances to the space-time continuum, last night saw 3.8 million people watch as our celebs donned urchin garb and sifted through rotting vegetables on a TV set, resulting in a 19% share.
At the same time BBC Two resigned itself to an hour of complete and utter rubbish as it premièred the latest ‘irreverent’ workplace documentary.
Wastemen (9pm) followed a team of rubbish collectors cleaning up the streets of Newcastle upon Tyne, one bin load at a time, and brought in 1.5 million viewers and a 7% share.
Over on Channel 4, things were getting a little dubious with a documentary based on the recollections of elderly privileged lushes on The Queen’s Big Night Out (9pm).
Alternatively called The Night HRH Got Pissed with Commoners, the sentimental doc told the story of that time on 8 May 8 1945 when the future Queen sneaked out of the palace to celebrate VE Day with the locals and a selective posse in tow.
1.7 million viewers joined Her Majesty on her gin and tonic odyssey, netting an 8% share.
Meanwhile Channel 5 decided to go against type and offer up some welfare-based programming for a change. Sick Note Skivers Exposed (9pm) did exactly what it did on the tin and was watched by 871,000 viewers and a 4% share.
At the same time on E4 was the debut episode of the buzziest American import of late, Empire (9pm). Billed as a hip hop version of soapy nonsense Nashville, the OTT plotting for control of Terrence Howard’s music business netted 440,000 viewers, a 2% share and a few mentions on Twitter.
Tuesday meant that it was ITV’s turn to take the not-really-bothered approach to its prime time schedule, offering up a stock repeat of Midsomer Murders (8pm) in place of something enticing.
The two hour Hammer Horror-inspired mystery was watched by 2.3 million viewers and an 11% share.
On BBC One, Holby City netted 4.4 million and a 22% share, while over on BBC Two Alex Polizzi: Chefs on Trial (because there’s simply not enough competitive cooking shows on show) brought in 1.3 million viewers and a 7% share.
Fitting the BBC’s remit perfectly, the show is basically a prolonged practical job interview so at least the nation’s youth can learn a little something while staring dead-eyed at the formulaic motions.
Similarly, Channel 4 was scrambling to address the property show schedule drought with a brand new series. Kirsty and Phil’s Love It or List It (8pm) is pretty much the same exhausted formula but throws a bit of home decorating into the mix and was watched by 1.9 million viewers and a 9% share.
Tuesday’s soap offerings secured the top two spots with Emmerdale (ITV) bringing in an audience of 5.6 million viewers and a 31% share at 7pm.
At 7:30pm on BBC One, EastEnders was still dealing with the fallout of Denise van Outen’s arrival in the Square. 6.4 million viewers tuned in to see Max Branning pity drink on a Tuesday night, netting a 34% share and the day’s number one spot.
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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