TV Viewing Summary W/E 15/03/98

“The times they are a changin'”. Thursday was a true upset in the world of soaps: Emmerdale put out an hour long episode and the BBC wisely tried evasive action by moving Eastenders to an earlier seven o’clock slot. An obvious attempt to avoid a fall off of viewers. The result was a whitewash, Eastenders came home with 8.01 million, with Emmerdale pulling in 12.22 viewers. The fall out of this is that Eastenders (for the first time in my memory, which is more far reaching than one of Yeltsin’s cabinet reshuffles) has failed to get all three of its episodes into the top thirty. It now also has the added embarrassment that Play Your Cards Right regularly gets a higher audience figure than 8.01 million, (8.57 million this week). Well, it’s hardly surprising really though is it? Albert Square must be one of the most depressingly tedious places to hang out these days – move to the country that’s where all the real excitement is (and they all have guns, and you can get drugs there these days too).

Of course Coronation Street manages to stay high above the dog fights, and holds on to the top four slots, with an overall average audience figure of 16.59 million, (Eastenders average 12.23 million, Emmerdale 11.89 million). Deirdre really is in the mire this time, but they’ve now started to give her one scene a week in which she does actually smile (no, it doesn’t make her look any better). Sam is now being rapidly transformed from confused pussy cat into femme fatale (at last the Street has its own Cindy Beale) and gives us another great insight into the devious and tormented nature of woman.

Back to reality with the return of Father Ted. Boy does Dermot know how to do PR in style. The inevitable popularity of this series means that Channel 4 is already repeating each episode on a Sunday night (2.72 million), with the first showing each week falling on a Friday (4.19 million). Ted (on seeing Dougal writing his name on a piece of paper) – “Dougal there’s a ‘g’ in your name.” Dougal (looking at written name)- “Where’s that then Ted???”. Genius.

The drama void has yet to be filled, Real Women comes in as the top drama of the week (10.33 million). Ballykissangel was watched by 9.54 million, Tess Of the D’Urbervilles has dropped to 8.12 million; the powers that be still haven’t opened their eyes to the nation’s boredom of endless period dramas (get ready for Wuthering Heights, fortunately sans Cliff Richard).

Reviewer: Jim Sparkes

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