Last night saw commercial broadcaster ITV rule over the prestigious prime time slot as the nation’s favourite therapeutic weeping session Long Lost Family (9pm) returned for a fifth series, sending Twitter users into an emotional meltdown in the process.
The cynic-proof sixty minutes of unadulterated emotional onslaught saw chummy, relatable and caring presenters Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell return to sucker-punch viewers with genuinely devastating tales of loss and separation.
Undeniably though, the show’s ace card is its ability to turn the very personal tales of hurt into cathartic and redemptive crowd-pleasing celebrations and last night was no exception.
Yesterday’s dollop of manipulative sobbing-fuel met up with a couple who had their son snatched away by a hoard of evil nuns back in 1962, with the reunion delivering the emotional bullseye the handwringing show’s producers were banking on.
Long Lost Family debuted on ITV way back in April 2011, securing 4.6 million viewers, and its success has continued for the last four years. In 2014, series four opened with another 4.6 million viewers but the exhausted audience fell to 3.8 million viewers by the time it finished up eight weeks later.
An overnight figure of 4.2 million viewers signed up for yesterday’s bout of emotional masochism, resulting in a 22% share and an outright primetime hit for ITV.
Although Twitter saw an outpouring of devastated viewers’ tweets, the show was only the third most tweeted about show of the day.
There was some more reclaimed real life tragedy reformed into entertainment for the masses over on Channel 4 as 24 Hours in A&E‘s (9pm) ninth series in five years continued. 1.8 million viewers tuned in to see more everyday folk become primetime stars, by way of a horrific accident, resulting in a 9% share and the channel’s biggest hit of the day.
Channel 5 was also upto the same tricks, with a brand new series of Caught on Camera (9pm) with the CCTV fun pulling in 808,000 viewers and a 4% share.
On BBC One, Catch Me if You Can (9pm) explored the world of professional doping in sports and secured 1.7 million viewers and a 9% audience share, while Springwatch Unsprung (9pm) was watched by 1.4 million viewers on BBC Two.
Earlier at 8pm, former star of ITV’s Saturday schedule was relegated to Wednesday night as The Cube launched its ninth exciting series. Philip Schofield continued to suck it up for the paycheck as random people faffed about in a plastic box for an hour, recruiting the interest of 3.1 million viewers and a 17% share.
At 7pm Emmerdale (ITV) secured the day’s second biggest audience with 5.4 million viewers and a 33% share while Coronation Street (ITV, 7:30pm) won the top spot with 6.5 million and a 36% 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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