TV Overnights: Sew Off’s familiar pattern nets 2.6m for BBC Two
Tuesday night saw 8pm transform into the new prime time as the BBC launched a new vehicle into rough seas of twee television programming. Attempting to capture lighting in a bottle for a second time was BBC Two with The Great British Sewing Bee.
The title alone should fill you in on everything you know – the formula, the challenges, the synthetic niceness were all as you’d expect. The first of four episodes saw eight brave souls enter the haberdashery of horror, experiencing punishing and stressful tasks all for our teatime entertainment.
Even the judges followed the well-worn design. Alleged Women’s Institute institution May Martin pretended to be Mary Berry while professional superior human being Patrick Grant imitated various TV judges in a vain attempt to come across as slightly relatable.
The first venture into these unknown waters proved successful, even if it didn’t repeat the Bake Off‘s triumphant reach. 2.6 million viewers watched Claudia Winkleman’s return to a civilised timeslot in the schedule, as she played both Mel and Sue, securing an 11% share.
At the same time was the most inane concept to hit Channel 4 in quite some time. Bedtime Live (8pm) was half way through its run last night and there was no clear sign that the forceful campaign to get under-tens in bed by 9pm was succeeding.
TV quack Tanya Byron hosted the live feeds throughout home across the country, like a psychologically disturbing cross between Noel Edmonds’ NTV and Paranormal Activity.
For some bizarre reason 786,000 viewers (a 3% share) caught up with the third part of the edge of your seat television, with not one parent ask whether it might be a bad thing to invite the national television audience into your child’s sacred space.
Over on BBC One Holby City (8pm) performed its task dutifully while pulling in a 21% share. Last night saw a bus load of children crash into a ravine (presumably), netting a loyal 4.8 million viewers.
This was narrowly enough to overthrow the UEFA Champions League Live (ITV, 7:30pm) game which secured the similar audience during the 9-9pm slot. Overall, the entire coverage secured 4.2 million viewers (an 18% share), peaking at 4.9 million as Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona skilfully managed to get the same number of balls through the goal hole.
The third episode in the second series of cautionary tale The Syndicate stood unchallenged in the 9pm slot as the football wrapped up on ITV and Channel 4 gave us another gawp at unconventional families in 16 Kids and Counting (1.3 million viewers).
5.3 million viewers tuned into BBC One to watch the tale of Alison Steadman’s Rose, who (much like EVERY other character ever to feature in the show) first-hand learned to understand the ancient proverb – ‘mo money, mo problems’. A 22% share watched as the lottery drama as Rose’s life crumbled around her.
The issues were a little less glamorous earlier on EastEnders (BBC One, 7:30pm). Tuesday night covered the usual appealing topics such as gravely ill infants, be-trodden pensioners and broken families. 7.5 million viewers, the day’s biggest audience, tuned in to see Liam tell his mother Bianca that he was off to live with his father Ricky.
Wherever Ricky actually is, it can only be a step up from Walford (even if it’s an off-season panto in Whitstable). Liam’s singular sensible decision in life grabbed a 13% share of the available audience.
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.