TV Overnights: Soaps win over the masses while Case Sensitive attracts 4m viewers for ITV1
Thursday saw soaps pull in the largest audiences of the night for their respective channels, with barely a competitor in sight. First up was a double helping of Emmerdale (ITV1, 7 & 8pm) which attracted 5.9 and 6 million viewers respectively. Zac Dingle’s financial troubles escalated as he met up with the loan sharks in a quiet barn. Unfortunately his young daughter smuggled herself along for the ride disrupting the threatening proceedings for a short time.
It was up to older daughter and self-styled Wonder Woman of the Dales, Charity Dingle to swoop in and save her family from the aggressive posing dished out by the loan sharks. The episodes attracted a 31 and 29% audience share.
Sandwiched in between over on BBC One was the on-going simple tale of everyday life in London’s East End. For complete idiots Ben and Jay Mitchell have been literally getting away with murder for a long time now, even stretching EastEnders’ (BBC One, 7:30pm) super flexible credibility to the limit. Last night saw Ben attempting to run Jay over in his car right outside the tube station.
This turned in to a blazing row were they SHOUTED details of their CRIME, culpability and COVER UP, all the while waving around the BLOODY MURDER WEAPON for all to see. This being Walford East, everyone seemed oblivious to the eruption of Shakespearean proportions as they unfolded. It must be a fairly regular occurrence, after all. 6.4 million viewers (a 32% share) tuned in for the episode that also saw Janine Butcher worry about her reputation in the Square. Let’s not even get into what’s wrong with that.
Over on ITV1 at 8:30 was all the latest Weatherfield action, in what should be rebranded as Peter Barlow’s Series of Stupid Decisions. First up (while sthhil a little psshhed) Ken’s pride and joy (apart from Tracy, obviously) told Carla to sling ‘er ‘ook under a misguided ploy to win back Leanne. As we all know, the best ideas in life come to us in a drunken rage; this didn’t have the desired affect and poor old Peter was left all on his lonesome. Coronation Street attracted a 31% audience share, resulting in an average audience of 7 million viewers and securing the biggest audience of the night.
The only other primetime program to come even close to matching the soap’s rating was Case Sensitive (ITV1, 9pm) which returned for a second two-part run after last year’s debut. And just in time too, as the TV nation has been crying out for yet one more detective drama. But this procedural show, based on the novels of Sophie Hannah, came with a twist! The more seasoned detective this time around is a middle-aged women played by Olivia Williams and her subordinate is the dishy younger man from Smack The Pony! How will they ever get any work done?
After reinventing the genre while throwing it on its head, Case Sensitive delved into much chartered waters as the odd pair attempted to find out who murdered an unsuspecting music teacher. 4 million viewers tuned in to see the simmering tension between the crime-solving duo, something genre fans have been no doubt yearning for after six series of Lewis.
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.