Victoria reigning supreme in ratings war with Poldark
ONe tells the story of a passionate young Queen enjoying her first taste of power. The other follows a dashing Cornish landowner with a daring habit of taking his shirt off.
But when it comes to the battle for Sunday night viewers, Victoria is lording it over Poldark.
ITV’s Victoria, in which Doctor Who star Jenna Coleman plays the queen, drew a peak audience of 5.9million on Sunday compared to the 5.2million who watched the opening episode of Poldark, its BBC rival.
The figures will come as a blow to the BBC, which has relentlessly promoted its flagship autumn drama in recent weeks.
Over on ITV viewers have been left hot under the collar at the chemistry between Miss Coleman, 30, and Rufus Sewell’s Lord Melbourne. The arrival of Prince Albert (Tom Hughes) is set to up the ante with some rather daring bedroom scenes.
Last year Aidan Turner’s portrayal of Ross Poldark left fans swooning as he scythed the fields barechested. He was back to his daring best on Sunday, still showing off a manly physique, but the show had 1.6million fewer viewers than last year.
The first ever episode attracted almost 7million in March 2015 and maintained strong audiences across the series.
According to television insiders, the show’s reliance on Turner’s chest to generate publicity – which he has quickly tired of – could be to blame.
Former television agent Tony Fitzpatrick said the endless focus on the Irish actor’s allure had been ‘overkill’ and put viewers off the Cornish epic. He added: ‘It’s a great show but if you look at the way it’s been marketed, it’s all been marketed on an Irishman’s chest.’