Strictly beats X Factor by 1m as both secure a solid Sunday audience
This weekend saw the UK’s TV audience turn their back on the English rugby team as the nation embraced Wales as its new great hope in the latest batch of games from the Rugby World Cup (ITV).
In an ironic turn of events, England’s last two defeats (against Wales and Australia) both pulled in a peak weekend audience of over 11 million viewers, while Saturday’s clear 60-3 victory over Uruguay saw the team abandoned by their fans.
With little chance of clawing their way out of the Group A pool, the English support diminished significantly match on match, with Saturday’s evening game at 7:15pm pulling in an average audience of just 3.5 million viewers and a 17% share.
To pour salt in the wound, the earlier games at 4:30pm saw national pride shift to Wales as they clashed with – and lost to – the might of Australia. 4.7 million viewers tuned in to see antipodean warriors defeat Wales by 15-6, resulting in a 30% share and the second biggest audience of the day.
Earlier in the day, Scotland’s close victory over Samoa at 2pm brought in 1.8 million viewers and a 19% share.
With ITV’s schedule taken over by the rugby, BBC One had its own chance to shine in the particularly eye-catching and sparkly form of Strictly Come Dancing (6:20pm).
The weekend’s biggest audience gathered around their telly boxes to see grown men and women don as much make-up and sequins as they could and take to the dance floor in an exhausting two hour five minute assault.
8.9 million viewers tuned in for their dose of smiles and scientifically devised lightweight entertainment, resulting in a 44% share.
Afterwards Doctor Who (BBC One, 8:30pm) showed signs of recovery now that it no longer had to compete with hopeful England fans. The second part of a creepy underwater tale (in which the Time Lord ‘died’ again) saw the audience grow from last week’s 3.7 million viewers to 4.4 million viewers and a 22% share.
Sunday saw ITV’s side-lined act, The X Factor (7pm), bring in the day’s biggest audience as more young hopefuls’ demeaning experiences were made even more belittling with the continuation of the cruel Six Chair Challenge.
7.1 million people tuned in to see emotions get the better of the contestants, whose future remained in constant limbo for our entertainment, resulting in a 30% share.
Despite going head to head, BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing (7:15pm) still managed to secure an audience of 8 million viewers, although being 45 minutes long probably helped. Scenes of the latest cha cha enthusiast being booted off secured a 33% share.
A little earlier, Ireland’s victory over France locked in the biggest Rugby Word Cup (ITV, 4:20pm) audience of the day, resulting in 3.8 million viewers and a 25% share.
9pm brought a refreshing raft of scripted drama to our screens with BBC One airing the second part of bleak Sunday night angst-fest From Darkness.
Starring Anne-Marie Duff as another one of them haunted ex coppers, the darkly lit murder spree opened up with 4.1 million viewers, saw last night’s adventure in moping about looking haunted secure 3.2 million viewers and a 13% share.
Things were a little less dramatic over on ITV as the final ever series of Downton Abbey (9pm) whizzed past the halfway point with scenes of lower class empowerment, women drivers and crazy cooks causing a scandal. How frightfully modern.
7.2 million viewers tuned in for a dollop of foreboding as Robert, Earl of Grantham, got a stitch in his side (UH OH), resulting in a 31% share and the biggest hit in its timeslot.
Over on Channel 4, actress Claire Danes was busy preparing her distressed sad face as the fifth series of Homeland (9pm) launched.
Last night saw survivor Carrie Mathison (Danes) in Berlin as a security aide after quitting the CIA (a logical life choice if there ever was one), but it wasn’t long before a complex web of lies and terror ensnared the troubled lead.
An audience of 1.4 million viewers tuned in to see what surprises the shifting thriller had left up its sleeve, resulting in a 6% 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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