UK dramas fail to impress

ITV’s drama boasted US retro style while BBC1 flashed a very British blade, but the audience just sort of shrugged. Meanwhile, an office clerk and his cowardly assistant inched through the carnage in a bid to become the right mens.

On Thursday at 9pm, BBC1 and ITV went head to head with two new dramas: Truckers on BBC1 and Breathless on ITV. Neither really set the world on fire, with Truckers impressing least. While Breathless’ live rating of 3.8 million/18% rose to 4.7 million/18% (incl +1) after 931,000 recorded and watched, BBC1’s Truckers could only claim 484,000 viewing via the PVR, which converted its live rating of 2.9 million/14% to 3.4 million/13%. With the help of its +1 channel, Channel 4’s Educating Yorkshire beat it with 4.2 million/16%.

BBC2 comedy thriller The Wrong Mans debuted on 24 September at 9pm with a decent 3.1 million/14%, which was enhanced by 1.4 million via recording to deliver a series high 4.5 million/16%.

Episode two on 1 October was recorded by 1.1 million, delivering 3.2 million/12%, while episode three on 8 October matched that after 928,000 recorded to deliver 3.2 million/13%.

The 15 October episode was clouted by football, with a live rating of just 1.9 million/7%, so it will have to be the best recorded of all to keep up the momentum.

Universal’s US import Sleepy Hollow launched strongly on 415,000/2% at 9pm on Wednesday 9 October. After more than 258,000 recorded and watched, that rose to 674,000/2.8%, sending it to the top of Universal’s best ever programme list, overtaking an episode of Harry’s Law from 17 October 2011 (516,000/ 3%). Five repeats added another 829,000, delivering a weekly total of 1.5 million.

On Friday 4 October at 9pm, the launch episode of Sky Living’s The Blacklist began with 585,000/2.8%; episode two slipped to 353,000/1.5%.

However, while episode one was recorded by 513,000 to deliver 1.1 million/5%, episode two was recorded by 895,000, emerging with a higher consolidated rating of 1.2 million/5%.