BBC One’s The Casual Vacancy sees a -30% drop in short run
The dawn of a brand new month brought the same familiar genres to Sunday night’s TV schedule with a cornucopia of easy-to-digest period dramas and family friendly rose-tinted looks at Britain.
At 8pm on BBC One, Call the Midwife‘s fourth series reached its penultimate episode but the show was still managing to cast a spell over the viewing public. Already fond of toying with the emotions of the audience, last night’s instalment went one further and pretty much ruined many viewers’ Sunday evening.
The weekend’s biggest audience tuned in for some restrained heartbreak between secretive couple Patsy and Delia while the rest of the episode focused on an elderly couple (played by Una Stubbs and the late David Ryall) hurtling towards a traumatising ending.
In total, 8.6 million viewers tuned in for the latest slice of a nostalgic look at London’s East End, resulting in a 34% share for BBC One.
Just beforehand, moving British tourism leaflet Countryfile (BBC One, 8pm) lured everyone into a safe sense of security with HD views of stunning vistas and hard-hitting stories about sheep and whatnot. A little over 7 million viewers caught up with all the latest agricultural hot topics, resulting in Sunday’s second biggest hit and a 33% share.
BBC One’s 9pm offering saw quite an audience dip compared to the earlier shows but the third and final episode of the JK Rowling adaptation, The Casual Vacancy, still managed to win its time slot.
The show, which basically depicted what would happen if Benefits Street invaded the sanctuary of middle England’s The Archers, opened up with 6.6 million viewers three weeks ago, but saw the audience fall by -30% for the final episode.
Last night’s bout of small town class warfare brought in 4.6 million viewers to BBC One, resulting in a 20% share and cementing a solid night for BBC One.
Over on ITV, the fresh magic of All Star Family Fortunes secured 3 million viewers and a 12% share at 8pm, while Mr Selfridge‘s special brand of retail therapy was watched by 3.5 million viewers and a 16% share at 9pm.
On BBC Two, the most annoying boys in the play yard were back for another edition of Top Gear at 8pm. 5.3 million viewers caught up with the trio’s latest stunt, meaning that both BBC One and BBC Two had a whopping 55% share between them in the time slot.
Afterwards, Let’s Play Darts for Comic Relief (9pm) secured 3 million viewers and a 13% share.
At 9:50pm, former-nonthreatening-sparkly-vampire Robert Pattinson was desperate to let the world know about his super serious acting abilities in Cosmopolis.
The David Cronenberg directed dystopian nightmare, that no doubt inveterately took a number of unsuspecting tweens along for the nihilistic ride upon release, was watched by 411,000 viewers and a 3% share.
Over on Channel 4 there was some more period drama on offer, with the positively balmy Indian Summers (9pm). The naughty cousin of Downton Abbey opened with 2.5 million viewers but last night’s third (out of 10) visits to the hedonistic British Club secured 1.5 million viewers and a 7% share, Channel 4’s biggest hit of the day.
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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