TV Weekly Viewing Summary W/E 02/03/97
A Touch Of Frost finishes its magnificent run this week at the top of the chart once again, this time the final episode was watched by 18.15 million viewers. Now that Only Fools and Horses has been finally knocked on the head it seems fairly probable that David Jason will stretch himself to another series of Frost although he has yet to confirm and to be honest one can’t really see Yorkshire letting go of such a little gemstone without a struggle. So it looks like the battle between the ‘big two’ over Sunday nights is about to be thrown open again, and what do you do when you’ve got a nice two hour slot in the evening to fill? Easy, you bring in another period drama, Jane Eyre this time. That makes us happy doesn’t it?
Saturday night saw the first episode of the BBC’s ‘new hope’, Crime Traveller. Michael French gets his first major role outside of Eastenders. The main aim on his part seems to be a rather deliberate move to avoid becoming stereotyped as “that cockney womaniser” before it’s too late, and thus becomes spiritually trapped in Albert Square forever, for then even when one’s body leaves, the soul remains trapped as far as the TV nation is concerned (a la Letitia Dean). The BBC of course are just pleased that they’ve found another pretty face for all to go mushy over. In its debut Crime Traveller achieved a very respectable figure of 11.46 million, still not as great as Casualty’s 16.5 million or so, but these things always take time, and it is perhaps prudent to wait a couple of weeks before passing final condemnation, or of course adding the highest praise. Meanwhile over on ITV they’ve acted fast and stuck old Dennis Norden on with It’ll be Alright On The Night 7, before the new series of Stars In Their Eyes starts. Now, the ITV do like to pull from their stock of ‘known safe programmes to show’, and as we all know there’s nothing more amusing than laughing at other peoples misfortunes, and of course Dennis Norden. Still, as a fill-in the programme has done very well watched by 11.38 million viewers. This coupled with Blind Date’s continual victory over Noel’s House Party puts ITV pretty much in the clear with regards to Saturday nights. Still, not to worry at the BBC, if the worst comes to the worst they’ll just have to carry on gritting their teeth until Casualty comes back.
A real lack of ‘true comedy’ continues, and in the week where the BBC have announced their intention to axe that great British institution Last Of The Summer Wine, it may be worth pointing out that it is really the only sitcom that regularly scores well in the chart (repeats included). Many are surprised to learn that this show is actually the longest running sitcom in the world. One might suppose that this in itself contributes to the termination of the programme. Now that the BBC have a barrel load of episodes built up over the past twenty of so years, why bother making more? No doubt in years to come this show will achieve the same notoriety as Dads Army. To be fair all those involved with The Summer Wine should feel pretty chuffed, having made a large contribution to keeping BBC comedy as good as it is, and making a great number of folk very happy for a very long time, and what true British male would ever be able to forget Nora Batty’s stockings?