Gladiators got here again with a bang to British TV screens on Saturday, making mild work of ITV‘s The Masked Singer.
In the most recent line of UK TV reboots, the collection during which members of the general public tackle the gladiators in challenges was watched by greater than 6M viewers with a 38% share, comfortably turning into the BBC‘s most-watched new present of the yr and topping the weekend rankings chart.
Helmed by Bradley Walsh and son Barney, the hour-long present that aired from 5.50 p.m. GMT (9.50 a.m. PT) peaked with 6.3M and comfortably beat ITV’s The Masked Singer, which is now into its fifth season and was watched by 3.7M from 7 p.m. GMT.
The score would have been notably irritating for ITV as Gladiators aired on that channel for eight years and 13 seasons within the Nineteen Nineties, making icons of its gladiators. It was briefly restarted by Sky One within the late-noughties however solely ran for an additional two seasons, however the BBC introduced it was bringing it again with fanfare final yr. The present sees contestants battle in opposition to one of many resident gladiators in bodily difficult occasions, with the target being for the contestant to safe factors for the ultimate occasion, The Eliminator.
Gladiators is probably the most profitable of the current UK TV reboots, comfortably besting Survivor and Big Brother from late final yr on the BBC and ITV respectively.
The score would have made for blissful studying for BBC bosses as ITV has been profitable all of the plaudits over the previous week or so because of the success of Mr Bates vs The Post Office, which ITV stated over the weekend is now its greatest new drama launch in over a decade, beating Downton Abbey. The collection, which has introduced the publish workplace scandal to the forefront of the British information agenda, is the top-rated new drama throughout all channels because the BBC’s Bodyguard in 2018, ITV stated.
Holly Willoughby returns
On Sunday, Holly Willoughby made her return to TV on Dancing on Ice to three.6M viewers.
Willoughby was showing on TV for the primary time since quitting ITV’s This Morning following a nightmare yr during which a plot to kidnap her was foiled and Phillip Schofield, her former co-host, resigned after admitting to a relationship with a a lot youthful colleague.
Schofield additionally used to current Dancing on Ice and he was changed by Stephen Mulhern on the skating dance format, which is successfully ITV’s model of Strictly Come Dancing.