... and it’s the latest in long line of disasters
VERSAILLES is far from the only recent BBC flop. The reboot of The Generation Game saw ratings slump from 5.2million in the first episode to just 3.5million during last Sunday’s second instalment.
Viewers complained about ‘crude innuendo overload’ from new presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, canned laughter and games that required safety goggles. Intended to run for four episodes, it was ended after two. In the BBC1 show’s heyday, when it was hosted first by Bruce Forsyth and then by Larry Grayson, it was watched by more than 25million.
Civilisations, the BBC’s expensive new flagship art series, with presenters including Simon Schama, has seen its ratings plunge by half since it began last month.
Ratings for the third episode of the BBC2 series fell to just 966,000, far less than for University Challenge which is screened on the same channel.
Multi-million pound blockbuster Ordeal by Innocence had to be pulled from the Christmas schedules and reshot after one of its stars faced rape allegations.
The three-part Agatha Christie adaptation began screening on BBC1 at Easter but 1.4million viewers switched off between the first and second episode.
Viewers were shocked to hear characters use explicit language and make crude sexual remarks.
And the BBC’s £16million primetime Saturday night drama Troy: Fall of a City was branded a waste of money after the number of viewers halved to just 1.6million between episodes one and four.