Paul Abbot’s un-PC cop show No Offence nets 2.2m on Channel 4
Six months after Channel 4 wrapped up its last ‘hilarious’ stab at police dramedy (the Danny Boyle-directed Babylon), last night saw the broadcaster tentatively return to familiar territory with a sharper and nastier take from the mind of Shameless‘ Paul Abbot.
Similar to The Thick of It in its stinging dialogue, the Manchester-based No Offence (9pm) promised some jet black humour set against the background of an ongoing police procedural and the show certainly didn’t pull any punches.
Starring The Thick of It‘s prudish communications officer Joanna Scanlan as the blunt and straight-talking Detective Deering, alongside Friday Night Dinner’s Paul Ritter as a forensics expert with a keen interest in mutilated corpses, Abbot’s tale of dysfunctional coppers certainly set itself apart from its many contemporaries.
2.2 million viewers tuned in to see the unorthodox team tackle a spout of murders in their own unique way, netting a 10% share and Channel 4’s biggest hit of the day.
On BBC One it was time for the second instalment of thrilling educational living documentary 24 Hours in the Past (9pm) as the host of contracted BBC employees celebrities returned to the squalor of Victorian times for another day of back-breaking hard work.
After sifting through filth last week, last night saw Ann Widdecombe, Colin Jackson, Tyger Drew-Honey and even Miquita Oliver attempt to run a coaching inn for a whole 24 hours.
After securing the 9pm slot last week with 3.8 million viewers, yesterday’s scenes of former Outnumbered brat Tyger Drew-Honey throwing up from hard graft brought in 3.2 million viewers and a 15% share.
Meanwhile BBC Two was back sorting through the trash with another helping of workplace doc, Wastemen (9pm), which was viewed by 1.8 million viewers and an 8% share.
At the same time Channel 5 was also knee deep in caustic and repulsive material as it filled up an hour of its 9pm schedule with 20 Moments that Rocked Britain.
The barrel-scraping tabloid horror show recapped the most traumatic news stories of the past 40 years with 981,000 people (a 5% share) tuning in to spend their Tuesday night with Jimmy Savile’s gaze frequently glaring out from the screen.
And just to prove that not only has humanity definitely passed its peak, but we’re always most certainly doomed, ITV2 decided to once again roll out professional idiot Joey Essex, this time attempting to tackle the heady issue of the election.
Educating Joey Essex – General Election, What Are You Sayin?! (9pm) was not only the worst named show of the year but also the most painful as former TOWIE stain Essex sat down with Nigel Farage for a brain sucking natter, resulting in an audience of 421,000 viewers and, naturally, topping yesterday’s TV Twitter chart.
The latest Live UEFA Champions League (7:30pm) action dominated ITV’s evening as Juventus faced off against Real Madrid, netting an average audience of 3.6 million viewers and a 17% share for its two and a half hour running time.
At 8pm on BBC One Holby City continued to do its thing and brought in 4.5 million viewers and a 15% share in the process.
Over on BBC Two there was yet another meandering consumer food show starring Gregg Wallace, with Inside the Factory: How Our Favourite Foods Are Made (8pm) revealing all the ‘secrets’ about the industry you never knew you wanted to know. 2.1 million viewers and a 10% share tuned in for the fun.
Channels 4 and 5 offered up the 8pm property tag team of Kirstie and Phil’s Love it or List It and the much more transparently titled Britain’s Horror Homes, netting 1.8 million viewers and 821,000 viewers, respectively.
At 7pm on ITV Emmerdale bagged Tuesday’s third place with 6.5 million viewers and a 29% share.
At 7:30pm on EastEnders’(BBC One) monarchy-mad matriarch Linda Carter managed to sneak in a little scene mentioning the birth of the Royal baby, helping the soap secure the day’s top place with 6.5 million viewers and a 33% 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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