TV Overnights: Violence beats sunshine as Corrie secures 6.8m for ITV1
It seems that the lure of the summer evening was too much for the UK’s viewing population as all of last night’s major soaps witnessed a significant fall in audience. Despite competing against the British Summertime, the dependable soaps still proved to be the biggest draw for their respective channels.
The balmy weather can be a cause for celebration for some (going outside and turning your back on all your fictional soap friends, for example) but it also has its negative effects. Whether its throwing evils to annoying commuters on a sweltering packed tube or trying out a Vulcan nerve pinch on your partner; some people can just flip. It was hard not to empathise with Kirsty in Coronation Street (ITV1, 8:30pm). Fate has bound her to Tyrone for life and things didn’t end well for the last woman filling that position. Although another tram is unlikely to drop from the sky, her tetchy nature is understandable. Tyrone threw Kirsty a surprise party; as his super power consists of remaining oblivious to the obvious, he invited her judgemental parents along.
Dealing with the heat and Tyrone would be enough to break anyone and Kirsty violently lashed out for the second time, securing the biggest audience of the night and a 33% audience share.The awkward get together was watched by 6.8 million viewers, down 1 million viewers from Monday.
Financial pressures, serious relationship issues, a death and a psychotic murderous half-brother; the omens weren’t looking too good for Ian Beale on EastEnders (BBC One, 7:30pm) last night. His desperation to make his knee-jerk wedding plans work out, despite having no cash, a fiancée who pretty much hates him and an evil daughter determined to ruin his life, is pushing him closer to the edge. 5.9 million viewers watched as Phil Mitchell took Ian down a foreboding alleyway for a quick reality check, in an effort to keep Ben’s secret just that. Although the episode captured a 34% audience share, it was down 1.3 million viewers week on week.
A double offering of Emmerdale rounded out Thursday’s soap-heavy action as Val returned to the village to find that crusty squeeze Eric Pollard had moved on to greener pastures (romantically speaking). Did she really expect the village’s most eligible bachelor to live like a monk while she disappeared? The episode at 7pm attracted 5.2 million viewers, the 8pm instalment improving on that with 5.7 million.
The only other show of the night to pull in more than 3 million viewers was the second last episode of Long Lost Family. 3.9 million viewers watched as a 48 year old woman desperate to find her mother called on the expertise of mismatched presenters, Davina and Nicky. The episode scored a 19.5% share with 192,000 people watching the repressed tears come flooding out in glorious HD.
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.