The Met: Policing London increases audience for third week running
For the third week in a row, an old-school fly-on-the-wall police documentary from BBC One has not only secured the biggest amount of viewers in its 9pm slot but has also managed the enviable task of growing its audience with each instalment.
The Met: Policing London (9pm), an honest look at the hard work involved in stopping the country’s capital from descending into an apocalyptic wasteland, opened up with 3.3 million viewers as the Met had to deal with the possibility of more riots in the wake of the Mark Duggan inquiry.
Unusually, the second episode bettered this audience as 3.5 million viewers tuned in to see the logistical headache involved in ensuring a safe Notting Hill Carnival, marring viewers’ impressions of the carnival forever in the process.
Last night saw the London coppers dealing with organised crime on both sides of London, featuring a large scale raid in Brixton and attempting to put a stop to a gang of thieves on mopeds in Camden.
Yesterday the audience jumped even further to 3.7 million viewers for the no holds barred show, easily securing the prime time slot for BBC One.
Meanwhile on ITV, it was time for the further adventures of Freddie and Stuart as the two old dears continued to haunt the streets of Covent Garden in the second series of Vicious (9pm). Now officially over half way through its current run, the high-camp sitcom saw the squabbling pair visit the flat upstairs in a particularly exciting episode.
2.3 million viewers watched as Sir Ian McKellan and Sir Derek Jacobi unfortunately escaped unharmed from the lair of Game of Thrones‘ latest sadistic socio-path, Iwan Rheon, resulting in an 11% share.
Afterwards, self-appointed voice of normal everyday folk, Jason Manford, made some normal everyday observations about stuff wot happened, pulling in the exact same audience as last week’s début episode.
1.3 million viewers watched It’s a Funny Old Week (9pm) as Mansford pandered to his specific target audience, resulting in a 7% share.
The HD magic and majesty of the third and final episode of Japan: Earth’s Enchanted Islands (9pm) enraptured 2.7 million viewers and a 13% share.
Over on Channel 4, Grand Designs‘ compere was once again visiting a family with one or two issues in the latest episode of Kevin McCloud’s Escape to the Wild (9pm).
1.5 million viewers watched as Kevin visited a family who fled London for the jungle of Belize, netting an 8% share.
At the same time, the exciting fourth and final episode of Inside Manchester’s Midland Hotel (9pm) saw the staff deal with protesters throwing stink bombs, with 915,000 viewers and a 5% share tuning in to see the breakfast manager quitting.
Earlier, the schedule’s arteries were clogged up with greasy soap fun, kicking off with Emmerdale at 7pm on ITV.
5.7 million viewers tuned in to see more small time infighting, netting a 32% share, while BBC One’s EastEnders (8pm) was slightly more popular with 6.5 million viewers and a 32% share.
As usual, Coronation Street (ITV) dominated Monday night’s viewing, resulting in 6.9 million viewers and a 36% share at 7:30pm, with 6.8 million viewers and a 33% share coming back for more cobble-based action at 8:30pm.
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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