Doc Martin wraps up a solid seventh run on ITV with 5.9m
Returning after a two year absence with a notably shrunken fan base, a Gary and Dorothy reunion and the most random cameo ever, last night saw the still-very-successful seventh series of Doc Martin (9pm) come to an end with a spot of light-hearted kidnapping and bondage.
After seven episodes of continuing curmudgeonry and straining marriage troubles, Monday night’s finale saw the sour puss Doc wake up in a bit of a fix – bound and gagged by a ‘kooky’ local who tried to force the doctor to perform surgery on her dying husband.
Don’t worry, ITV’s helping of easy-to-digest regional stereotyping hasn’t followed the crowd and gone all ‘Nordic noir’ in the final furlong, the stakes in last night’s finale were never that high, just an excuse for some marital reconciliation.
After opening up with 5.6 million viewers, the series saw Mr and Mrs Doc Martin slog their way through marriage counselling and drag dedicated viewers along for the fun ride. Despite this the show’s popularity remained solid, repeatedly winning its time slot each week.
Am average audience of 5.9 million viewers watched as Louisa attempted to track down her estranged husband, resulting in a 27% share – the biggest show in the 9pm slot.
Meanwhile BBC One was hitting a few of its remit targets by enlightening the masses of food excess as earthy cottage-dweller Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall waged a one-man campaign against mindless consumption.
3.4 million people tuned in to witness the first half of Hugh’s War on Waste (9pm) as the presenter got a wee bit sensationalist and wandered around a supermarket with a wheelie bin trying stealing shocked shoppers’ food. The stark message netted a 15% share and managed to top the day’s TV Twitter chart.
On BBC Two, gentle pre-bedtime sedation-fix Autumnwatch 2015 (9pm) kicked off in its usual exciting manner – with badgers. An audience of 1.7 million viewers tuned in for their fix of Chris, Michaela and the other fella, resulting in an 8% share.
Channel 4 was offering another shot of sweaty testosterone with the third episode of SAS: Who Dares Wins (9pm) in which the instructors finally got around to that suspiciously dramatic falling-backwards-into-water exercise that featured heavily in its promos.
1.3 million viewers watched as chief instructor Ant showed a bit of a soft spot by gently taking a professional dancer into throwing himself off a cliff, resulting in a 6% share.
At the same time, Channel 5 was at it again with On Benefits: 26 Kids & Claiming at 9pm.
To be clear, no one in this doc has 26 state-dependent sprogs running about – the number might be the total we meet throughout the charming hour of Monday night TV or a figure just randomly plucked from the air. Either way, 974,000 viewers and a 4% share tuned in to throw scorn at their screens.
A little earlier at 8pm, the not-Countryfile allure of Countrywise secured 2.9 million and a 13% share for ITV while Britain’s Benefits Experiment: Channel 4 Dispatches brought in 1 million viewers and a 5% share for Channel 4.
8:30pm brought a new batch of some naughty spoon-licking fun for the nation’s favourite saucy galley spectre, Nigella Lawson, who returned for a fresh chapter on her life.
Taking a break from the tabloids, Simply Nigella (8:30pm) saw the unapologetic foodie take a more relaxed approach to proceedings and pulled in 2.3 million viewers and an 11% share.
Even earlier, the Monday teatime schedule offered up a gamut of soaps, with Emmerdale securing 6.4 million viewers and a 31% share for ITV.
Over on EastEnders (BBC One, 8pm), Sharon got to know her new daddy a little better, even if he was bound and gagged on the living room floor. Because no reunion is ever straight forward in Albert Square.
6.7 million viewers tuned in to see Sharon’s latest life disappointment come to fruition, resulting in a 30% share.
Meanwhile up north there was a lot of drinking going on for a Monday night on Coronation Street as Alya and Kylie hit the booze for very different reasons.
The episode at 7:30pm brought in Monday’s biggest audience with 7.4 million viewers and a 35% share, while the second trip at 8:30pm saw the viewers fall to 6.7 million and a 30% 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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