TV Overnights: The White Queen leads BBC One to Sunday victory
Last night saw BBC One jump aboard the current adult fantasy obsession with the launch of their latest big budget Sunday night drama. Based upon a number of salacious novels by Philippa Gregory, The White Queen (9pm) delivered a mixture of pageantry and good ol’ rumpy-pumpy.
Once destined to be relegated to Sky Atlantic (or god forbid, the Syfy Channel), historical fiction fine-tuned as high drama must seem like a pretty safe bet considering viewers’ acceptance – and obsession – with Game of Thrones‘ grandiose soap plotting set against an epic canvas.
Ever since HBO’s fantasy drama entered the realm of the mainstream consciousness, programme commissioners have been more adventurous – even if the live viewing figures are actually pants.
Thankfully, that wasn’t the case last night. The BBC’s embellished tale of a randy pretender to the throne brought in the biggest audience in the 9pm slot. 5.3 million viewers tuned in to see how exactly – or not, as it turns out – the War of the Roses kicked off (hint: sex), resulting in a 23% share.
In the end however, The White Queen‘s reign was toppled in an anti-climactic fashion by BBC News at 10pm, which brought in 9,000 more viewers.
It seemed as though Sunday was ruled by the BBC’s flagship channel with only two of the top eight shows belonging to ITV. Antiques Roadshow (BBC One) aired just beforehand at 8pm, where the lucky crack team of dusty experts were spending a second week in Scarborough Spa Grand Hall in Yorkshire.
As per usual, Fiona Bruce’s calm and medicated demeanour kept viewers caught in her hypnotic trance, helping to secure a 21% audience share. 4.5 million viewers were entertained as locals desperately flogged their grandmas’ wares in the hope of a better life.
At the same time on ITV was the feature length return of crime’s ultimate enemy, Agatha Christie’s Marple (8pm) – a woman so fierce we don’t even bother with the ‘Miss’ anymore. Sunday night saw the sixth series kick off in dramatic fashion as Jane Marple jetted off to the Caribbean to rest an achy knee.
As enticing an adventure as that sounds, it wasn’t long before – would you believe it? – a hotel guest dropped down dead. 3.9 million viewers stuck around for the two hour event, even though things became progressively stranger. The hazy turned of events, which included the super sleuth bumping into Ian Flemming and James Bond, pulled in a 17% audience share.
Countryfile (BBC One), the very popular – yet terminally dull – agricultural magazine show, ruled the airwaves at 7pm and was the third most watched show of the day.
4.9 million viewers watched as perma-happy presenters Matt Baker and Ellie Harrison got to soak up the glamour of a woodworking festival in North Wales while poor old James Wong had to interview an old hermit about her intense love of bluebells. The rural wholesome goings on brought in a 25% share to BBC One.
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.