Silent Witness is benefiting from something that is mentioned quite a lot in this forum, its airing on a Monday! Last few series have aired Thursday and Friday, the shares are probably down even if the audience is up

Anyone know how Comedy Central's Drunk History (10PM) rated yesterday?

EDIT: Broadcast reports just 83k (0.5%). Above slot average of 70k (0.4%), but disappointing start for it.

Broadchurch drops over 1.6m viewers for second episode

Broadchurch dropped to its lowest-ever ratings on Monday, overnight figures reveal.

The ITV drama dipped by over 1.6 million viewers from last week, falling to an average 5.57m (22.4%) at 9pm, with an added 555,000 (3.4%) on +1.

Earlier, Richard Wilson's On the Road appealed to 2.88m (12.3%) at 8pm (108k/0.4% on +1).

BBC One's Inside Out returned with 4.17m (18.9%) at 7.30pm, while Panorama gathered 2.95m (12.5%) at 8.30pm.

Silent Witness was just behind Broadchurch, attracting 5.49m (22.1%) at 9pm.

On BBC Two, University Challenge quizzed 3.06m (13.1%) at 8pm, followed by Only Connect with 2.43m (10.3%) at 8.30pm. Horizon was seen by 1.87m (7.5%) at 9pm, while Jack Whitehall's Backchat amused 1.11m (6.0%) at 10pm.

Channel 4's Dispatches interested 1.51m (6.4%) at 8pm (123k/0.5%), while Food Unwrapped was seen by 1.86m (7.8%) at 8.30pm (112k/0.5%). The Undateables continued with 1.62m (6.5%) at 9pm (475k/2.9%), followed by Bodyshockers with 1.13m (6.9%) at 10pm (202k/2.4%).

On Channel 5, Storage: Flog the Lot! intrigued 542k (2.3%) at 8pm, while Celebrity Big Brother entertained 1.97m (7.9%) at 9pm (425k/2.6%).

Sunday and Monday are a the highest rated nights of the week usually for drama. Having said that Death In Paradise might be the highest rated drama of the week this week.

They're two of the biggest drama timeshifters I think. Broadchurch and Silent Witness were adding over 2m for some episodes in their previous series.

No they didn't. It worked well for at least two years on and off then ITV changed it!

Did we get last week's Broadchurch consolidated?

Not sure about ITV, but of BBC dramas only Sherlock and Doctor Who added more than Silent Witness last year. Average timeshift was 1.91m, with 3 episodes adding 2m+. Last year, in all but one two-parter the second part was higher than the first in the overnights, but the first managed to either match or overtake it in the officials. We'll probably see a similar thing this time.

Edit - Actually if you exclude the iffy first timeshift, The Missing also added more than SW. Average timeshift was 1.97m (exc. first episode) and added 2m+ on four occasions.

Guess all of the adverts on Channel 5 for it did not work, That and it didn't look very good.

Good to see all the major channels going well at 9pm last night - a rarity. A bigger drop for Broadchurch than I expected, though I'm sure it will consolidate well. I guess it was bound to lose some momentum - perhaps a lesson for the similarly extended 'one-offs' Happy Valley and The Missing. Silent Witness was incredibly resilient - it's consistent ratings power is probably a little under appreciated, to be fair.


Looks to me that they signed Mel & Sue and wanted to put them centre stage - but didn't quite have the guts to rest The Chase for them. So instead you get this stuck-in-the-middle slot.

It got a good reaction on social media and there's a lot of repeats this week, so don't write it off just yet.

But I think it was advertised twice around a CBB episode watched by 2.4m, so in that respect very disappointing that it didn't overnight higher.

The one thing that could rate well tonight with very little competition and national press coverage is Big Brother.

That will be out after midday if DMN or Ronant are around.

I think you're right. They probably got burned by Paul O'Grady's disappointing performance in that slot last year (I guess his show has been quietly ditched) and the way Pointless charged ahead, so opted for this instead. Stupid idea. 3pm would have worked better. I think it might climb a bit to be fair but it has next to no chance of matching what Tipping Point gets at 4pm.

I can see SW and BC both conso Li dating to c8m

Viewers have got the hang of this timeshift lark. I reckon SW might pull ahead next Monday if BC is boring some viewers. That 1.6m slump is not all down to SW.

Considering Broadchurch is a serial and Silent Witness was the start of a new stand-alone story.........

Considering Broadchurch was the biggest new critical hit of 2013 whose return was eagerly anticipated and warmly received.......

Considering Silent Witness is 18 years old, highly unfashionable and regarded as a bit "meh" by most critics (and probably the BBC as well).......

Considering Broadchurch's lead-in was Coronation Street and Silent Witness's was Panorama......

Considering how Foyle's War's overnights have dropped to under 5m including +1 when faced with a bit of competition.......

Considering how New Tricks' ratings collapsed last year with its new team......

Silent Witness continues to amaze with its resilience.

I know some who wanted to watch both made use of ITV's +1 service, (which meant they headed to BBC1 at 9pm which they might not have done if ITV+1 didn't exist) and I sure Broadchurch will timeshift more than Witness (especially as the Broadchurch timeshift will receive an extra boost from cutting out the commercial breaks), but based on past performances Witness will probably timeshift over 2m, given it a consolidated rating of 7.5m. Against the mighty Broadchurch.


Do you think the CEO of BARB fancies Emilia Fox and is fiddling the figures?

Hurrah for sexual assault and casual racism.

Mel & Sue don't scream ITV daytime to me. Their show looks very out of place. I can't see it working, even given time.

It's one of those cases where more or less the exact same show on BBC One would be towns ahead ratings wise.

New housemates may do the trick.

It's incredible isn't it? Silent Witness has had the biggest cast shake up and has run for nearly 20 years. And it still does well!

Oh it screams BBC1, even down to the guests (Jennifer Saunders and Gareth Malone yesterday).

I think it could find an audience though. Not a huge one, but a decent one if it can reach out to some of those viewers who would watch it on BBC1.

A surprisingly big drop for Broadchurch. That must be a point of at least minor concern for ITV who seemed to have been betting pretty big on the second series. Of course its not a disastrous number in and of itself but not great for what's supposed to be a big flagship drama event. Silent Witness meanwhile continues to just chug along. I'm starting to think it might just outlive us all.


The Missing is getting a new cast and story though which seems like the best way to continue these kind of shows as HBO are doing with True Detective or FX are doing with Fargo. It seems like the most commonsense way to continue these kind of self contained dramas rather than trying to shoehorn in the existing cast around a new story.

ITV have tried to give Mel & Sue a leg up from one of the established daytime hit. You can't blame them for trying. Also makes sense for them to not drop their daytime megahit from the schedules at the height of Winter.

Remains to be seen if ITV have any leeway in changing the programme order. Mel and Sue's show is live, I gather. (Maybe their Thursday and Friday shows are pre-recorded earlier in the week. I gather Paul O'Grady did that, It saves money.) Are they able to move the shows to 3pm?

ITV daytime doing their bit for Channel 5's ratings this morning.

CBB Jeremy on This Morning earlier, Fay Ripley (Suspects) on shortly and CBB Ken on Loose Women.

This season is like a completely different show, the production and writing is MUCH improved and the tone is darker but in a good suspenseful way, it is really good. Broadchurch should get a higher timeshift, why watch all those ads when you don't have to?

BBC 1
13:45: Doctors - 1.70m (20.6%)
14:15: Father Brown - 1.58m (20.2%)
15:00: Escape to the Country - 1.27m (16.2%)
15:45: James Martin: Home Comforts - 1.62m (16.4%)
16:30: Antiques Road Trip - 2.70m (21.7%)
17:15: Pointless - 4.37m (27.8%)
18:00: BBC News at Six - 6.04m (32.0%)
18:30: BBC Regional News - 6.77m (33.0%)
19:00: The One Show - 4.66m (22.0%)
19:30: Inside Out - 4.17m (18.9%)
20:00: EastEnders - 7.45m (31.9%)
20:30: Panorama - 2.95m (12.5%)
21:00: Silent Witness - 5.49m (22.1%)
22:00: BBC News at Ten - 4.76m (26.0%)
22:35: Waterloo Road - 943k (8.6%)

BBC 2
20:00: University Challenge - 3.06m (13.1%)
20:30: Only Connect - 2.43m (10.3%)
21:00: Horizon - 1.87m (7.5%)
22:00: Backchat - 1.11m (6.0%)

ITV
14:00: Judge Rinder - 1.25m (15.7%)
15:00: Tipping Point - 1.46m (17.9%)
16:00: Mel and Sue - 960k (8.7%)
17:00: The Chase - 3.35m (22.4%)
19:00: Emmerdale - 6.54m (30.9%), +1 - 162k (0.7%)
19:30: Coronation Street - 7.73m (34.9%), +1 - 130k (0.5%)
20:00: On the Road - 2.88m (12.3%), +1 - 108k (0.4%)
20:30: Coronation Street - 7.71m (32.5%), +1 - 141k (0.6%)
21:00: Broadchurch - 5.57m (22.4%), +1 - 555k (3.4%)

Channel 4
18:30: Hollyoaks - 1.04m (5.1%)
20:00: Dispatches - 1.51m (6.4%), +1 - 123k (0.5%)
20:30: Food Unwrapped - 1.86m (7.8%), +1 - 112k (0.5%)
21:00: The Undateables - 1.62m (6.5%), +1 - 475k (2.9%)
22:00: Bodyshockers - 1.13m (6.9%), +1 - 202k (2.4%)

Channel 5
13:15: Home and Away - 251k (3.0%)
13:45: Neighbours - 650k (7.8%)
17:30: Neighbours - 847k (5.2%)
18:00: Home and Away - 600k (3.2%)
* 5* First Look at 18:30 - 410k (2.0%)
20:00: Storage: Flog the Lot! - 542k (2.3%)
21:00: Celebrity Big Brother - 1.97m (7.9%), +1 - 425k (2.6%)

BBC 3
20:30: Waterloo Road - 707k (2.9%)
22:00: Russell Howard’s Good News - 514k (2.8%)
22:30: EastEnders - 357k (2.5%)

BBC 4
22:00: The Inca: Masters of the Clouds - 459k (2.8%)

CBeebies
16:30: My Story: World War II Childhood - 446k (4.0%)

E4
18:00: The Big Bang Theory - 667k (3.6%)
18:30: The Big Bang Theory - 926k (4.5%)
19:00: Hollyoaks - 763k (3.6%), +1 - 133k (0.6%)
20:00: The Big Bang Theory - 561k (2.4%)
20:30: The Big Bang Theory - 627k (2.7%)

Sky 1
18:30: The Simpsons - 510k (2.5%)

Sky Atlantic
22:00: Girls - 70k (0.4%)

Comedy Central
22:00: Drunk History - 83k (0.5%)

Sources - DS, ronant, ITV Media, Broadcast