TV Overnights: Sad celebrities help ITV capture 9pm slot with Secrets from the Workhouse
A brand new series from ITV managed to capture the biggest audience in last night’s 9pm slot, proving that an hour of famous people crying always translates to TV gold.
The first of two episodes, Secrets from the Workhouse (ITV, 9pm) saw two familiar faces, and two not so recognisable ones, emote the horrors of the past through the manipulative medium of piece to camera.
Unfortunately, ITV missed a trick for a sure-fire ratings phenomenon – it wasn’t a show that actually forced desperate celebrities to endure working conditions that killed off their ancestors. Instead, it’s a bit of a hatched Who Do You Think You Are? job were celebrities perfect their horrified faces while ‘discovering’ details from ye olden days, way back before GHD products and the likes.
Looking sad last night was actor Brian Cox (who discovered things were a lot harder back then), rent-a-soul Fern Britton (who pretty much discovered the same thing) and two other people.
The harrowing look back at a brutal time before everyone was rich and famous captured the imagination of 3.1 million viewers and a 14% share.
Sliding around BBC One’s schedule like a slippery spare organ was the intense documentary about saving lives called (fittingly enough) Life Savers (9pm). The third and final segment of the high-pressure environment of an emergency ward in Cambridge brought viewers into a parade of tough situations and perilous injuries.
The series brought in a consistent amount of viewers for its first two weeks – even managing to win the 9pm slot last Thursday. Last night was no exception, with an audience of 2.8 million viewers tuning in for the final rounds – although the weighty doc couldn’t compete with outraged and upset superstars on ITV.
The Call Centre (BBC Three, 9pm), the cheery and ‘harmless’ documentary turned a brutal corner last night as layoffs were on the menu.
If there’s ever a tagline to be wary of, it has to be ‘featuring the real life David Brent’ – a title the office boss Nev promotes with aplomb. 854,000 viewers tuned in to see the centre lose a major contract and the demented happy man forced to make some hard decisions. This resulted in a 4% share and BBC Three’s biggest audience of the day.
At the same time on Channel 4 was the weekly trip to the overachieving brats in Child Genius (9pm). This week the big headed kids cut loose and enjoyed their limited time on this planet by taking part in an intense spelling bee.
1.3 million viewers tuned in to see the numerous little genii show off their skillz any chance they got. The documentary was the channel’s biggest hit of the day and secured a 1% share.
An hour earlier Holby City (BBC One, 8pm) performed to its usual reliable standards, pulling in an audience of 4.3 million and a 21% share.
An hour before that Emmerdale (7pm) attracted ITV’s biggest audience with 5.9 million viewers and a 34% share. The overblown drama leaked over to BBC One afterwards as Lauren Branning’s attempt at a cheap spray tan backfired big time.
The tearaway teenager’s adventures in hepatitis and sclerosis were watched by 6.9 million viewers and a 36% share.
The double combo of EastEnders and Holby City secured the highest audience for BBC One for an hour and a half, before their attention was stolen away by the workhouse horrors on ITV at 9pm.
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.