TV Overnights: The Syndicate rollover brings 5.4m to BBC One
It was Denise’s time to shine in The Syndicate last night, when our unlucky-in-life protagonist realised that money can’t buy you happiness, or even a decent make-over.
The drama comedy about a group of lottery winners was the most watched non-soap programme of the night and increased its debut audience by 277,000 viewers. 5.4 million people (a 23% audience share) tuned in to see Denise – despite the fact she ended up looking even more like Linda La Hughes – ditch the husband and learn to accept that she was ‘lovely’.
Earlier on Emmerdale (ITV1, 7pm) Aaron was dragged away by the fuzz, after taking the heat for the big fire of 2012. 6.3 million people watched as Aaron sealed his fate in the village, bagging a high audience share of 31%. Will Adam man-up and let his best friend off the hook (and seek some anger management while he’s at it)?
On BBC One at 7:30pm Roxy was having a bit of a bad day on EastEnders, helping the soap secure the largest audience of the evening and a 23% audience share. After getting an earful from Cora after she was caught flirting with Max (justified), Roxy needed to get away from it all and enjoy a drink or two. 7.6 million watched as Roxy ventured all the way to The Queen Vic and realise her heart actually belonged to Alfie. You’d really just get on the tube and go somewhere else, wouldn’t you? Open the gene pool up a bit.
The Hairy Bikers’ Bakeation (8pm) was once again BBC Two’s biggest hit of the day, with 2.9 million tuning in to see the fourth leg of their European tour. This week’s instalment of the baking odyssey saw the spherical buddies visit Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. The air of bromantic fantasy road trip was tainted slightly as Dave’s Romanian wife popped up and threw a big family party but the episode still managed to increase the number of viewers – up 676,000 from last week.
Questionable documentary The Undatables debuted on Channel 4 at 9pm, featuring three people who are living with disabilities and also looking for love. The show proved to be well balanced and entertaining as the undatables’ optimism and humour won over 2.4 million viewers (a 10% audience share) – Channel 4’s biggest audience of the day.
Over on BBC Two Marcus du Sautoy tried to warn us all about the upcoming Cylon revolt. 1.3 million people watched Horizon: The Hunt for AI (9pm) as the mathematics professor explored how close we are to creating artificial intelligence and the impact that might have on our species. He wasn’t so much worried about the annihilation of our kind but more concerned by the fact that it might eventually put us out of a job in our local Tesco.
It would seem that the only people actually watching Mad Men on Sky Atlantic are the journalists who constantly fill the nation’s columns raving about the show. The period drama almost halved its audience since the return of series five last week, with only 47,000 viewers tuning in to see Peggy step up her game.
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.