TV Viewing Summary – W/E 05/07/98

Two new drama series started this week, both featuring gratuitous shots of naked flesh. ITV’s new three part drama series Imogen’s Face stars the gorgeous Samantha Janus as a happily married woman who decides to embark on an affair. With lines like “You’re punishing me for being beautiful”, it’s easy to see that this programme isn’t exactly Shakespeare. That said 9.56 million people managed to tune in to the show during a break in the football.

On the same night and an hour later Fay Weldon’s Big Women started on Channel 4. Starring Daniela Nardini (Anna from This Life), Big Women revolves around a group of feminists attempting to change the world. The opening episode featured one show-stopping scene (that seemed to go on for about twenty minutes), in which the main feminist protagonists all decided to parade around a room naked (is that what feminists do then?). Nearly three and half million people tuned in to behold the sight.

Speaking of Shakespeare, the tragedy of England’s defeat against the Argies pulled in a record audience of 23.78 million. As the whole match unfolded into three segments – the first 47 minutes; Beckham’s sending off (which lead to over an hour’s worth of chess-like maneuvering) and finally the drama of the spots kicks – the nation sat enthralled. One programme to benefit from all the drama was News At Ten which pulled in 9.56 million viewers (maybe something the ITV network should consider when they make their plans to move the flagship news programme.)

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Reviewer: Simon Wright