TV Overnights: Panorama’s cheeky gap year trip to North Korea nets 5m for BBC One
Monday, usually the most monotonous of days, was given a welcome shake up thanks to a British institution breaking a few pesky rules and brightening up last night’s schedule.
The BBC’s extremely controversial edition of Panorama – North Korea Undercover (BBC One, 9pm) saw their reporters hijack a student’s visit to the country under the grip of Kim Jong-un’s totalitarian dictatorship.
The BBC perilously slipped through the demilitarised zone, armed only with a sense of duty and a Neil from The Young Ones costume. Eager viewers were treated to outrageous shots of empty buildings (!!!), hinting that the Supreme Leader’s glorious country might not be as perfect as he claims.
The term ‘international incident’ isn’t thrown around lightly by the global media but they are known to be a reactionary bunch.
The show, which sounded more like something that might have been thrust out by Sky in the late 90’s, brought in an audience of 5 million viewers and an impressive 20% share. At the least the risk of initiating nuclear Armageddon was worth it.
At the same time, BBC Two aired a show that was much less alarming, as Paul Hollywood, the master baker with the knuckles of Adamantium, whipped up a round of soda bread and pulled in 2 million viewers and an 8% share.
Later at 9pm, ITV begrudgingly aired the penultimate episode of their finest drama in many a year as the slow burning Broadchurch (ITV, 9pm) strolled towards its finale. Audiences remained as strong as ever as Olivia Coleman’s DS Ellie Miller struggled to carry the case solely on her shoulders (figuratively speaking).
6.9 million viewers tuned in for the seventh of eight episodes, with the mounting tension securing a 28% share. The seaside murder mystery, which has managed to side step the majority of clichés, easily won the 9pm slot.
BBC One’s prime time offering came in the shape of social documentary The Prisoners (9pm), the first of three parts looking at life after release. The sobering look at the struggles and mistakes of those searching for a new life was watched by 3.6 million viewers and a 14% share.
Because mental health issues are a rich source of easy to make content, Channel 4 treated us to a second series of the show that fixes people’s psychological illness, through some limp pep talks and spritely montages.
The Hoarder Next Door (9pm) featured some random perma tanned TV psychotherapist messing about with someone’s life, purely to entertain you on a Monday night. For some mad reason (probably just because she’s in absolutely everything else) everyone’s favourite omnipresent actress, Olivia Coleman, narrated us past the piles of magazines and full trays of cat litter, bringing in the show’s only iota of class.
The tragic and depressing tales dressed up as wand waving transformational entertainment attracted 1.8 million viewers and a 7% share, resulting in the channel’s biggest hit of the day.
Despite the smorgasbord of quality on offer at 9pm, it was the earlier teatime soaps that nailed audience’s loyalty with Emmerdale bringing in 7 million viewers and a 35% share on ITV at 7pm.
Later on EastEnders (BBC One, 8pm), Sharon Watts Rickman Mitchell hid from the judging eyes on the Square as her latest attempt to gain another surname failed miserably last week. 7.8 million viewers tuned in to see the fallout from Sharon and Jack Branning’s almost-wedding, resulting in BBC One’s biggest audience of the day and a 33% share.
But it was ITV and the ever-reliable double helping of Coronation Street (7:30 & 8:30pm) that won the nations’ hearts. 8.8 million viewers (a 40% share) watched the first episode but there was a small drop at 8:30pm.
8.6 million viewers tuned in to see bumbling teenager, Katy Armstrong, make a heart breaking decision, sacrificing her short-lived career in an effort to focus on her family. The gobby martyr waved goodbye to her high powered job in the kebab shop and her daawwngerous affair with greasy Ryan, securing an audience share of 35%.
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.