Bonekickers debuts with 6.8m viewers on BBC One

by Darren Davidson, Brand Republic 09-Jul-08, 10:40

LONDON - BBC One's new crime drama 'Bonekickers', based around a team of glamorous archaeologists, opened with an impressive 6.8m viewers last night, according to unofficial overnight figures.

The first instalment of the six-part series, developed by the team behind 'Life on Mars', launched with a 30.4% share of the audience, giving BBC One the most watched programme in the coveted 9pm-10pm slot.

The new series, which is indebted to hit movie 'The Da Vinci Code' and popular US crime drama 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation', stars Julie Graham as the leader of a team that also includes 'Hustle' star Adrian Lester, which each week unearths mysteries from the past that make trouble in the present.

The first episode involved a group carrying on the work of the Knights Templar and received mixed reviews.

The Times said: "It's a shame to have to say this, but things might not seem quite so exciting when the reviews of 'Bonekickers' come out next week. 'Life on Mars' it ain't. This one stretches credibility past the point of no return."

According to The Independent: "Itemising the absurdities of 'Bonekickers' would be pointless, I think. It knows it's complete nonsense and is simply assuming that it can be delivered with enough flair to make you forgive the fact. Indeed, forgiveness may not even be necessary. I watched with my teenage sons and we had a whale of time, hooting at the silliness of the dialogue."

ITV1's 'Doc Martin', starring Martin Clunes in the eponymous title role, had a respectable 3.3m viewers and a 14.8% share in the same slot as 'Bonekickers', despite the current run being a repeat of the second series.

Channel 4's fast-paced food magazine show 'Gordon Ramsay's F Word' pulled in 3.3m viewers and a 14.8% share in the 9pm-10pm slot. Including ratings from Channel 4+1, it drew 3.7m viewers and a 16.3% share.

Channel Five's US import 'CSI' captured 1.2m viewers and a 5.2% share at 9pm-10pm.

BBC Two's repeat of the documentary special 'Richard Hammond Meets Evel Knievel', in which the 'Top Gear' presenter spent four days with his childhood hero, Evel Knievel, shortly before the legendary stuntman's death, netted 1m viewers and a 4.4% share between 9pm-10pm.

The latest instalment of 'Big Brother' brought Channel 4 a steady 3.2m viewers and an 18.6% share in the 10pm-11.05pm slot. Channel 4+1 took the reality show's ratings up to 3.4m viewers and a 19.8% share.

Comments

Mark Griffiths - 09/07/2008

I hope the first episode of Bonekickers is not indicative of the rest of the series, but I fear it is. It was the most amoral rubbish you're ever likely to see on TV. People getting killed left, right and centre, and the central characters just saying, 'Aw, c'mon, now can we go down the pub?!' Bonekickers is truly IQ-lite, so I expect the series will do very well.

jezwaspsrule - 09/07/2008

Glamorous archaeologists? I studied archaeology and glamorous they are not. Ugly birds with greasy hair wearing ill-fitting T-shirts and beardy wierdies with BO. I'm afraid that I can't suspend my disbelief with this series.

Dan Botten - 09/07/2008

Awful

jezwaspsrule - 09/07/2008

You've no idea how awful. Four weeks couped up in a rainy camp site with those sociopathic greebos, scrabbling around the mud for a tiny bit of broken pot.

Amanda miles - 12/07/2008

I Sky + this show and have just watched it. Good lord, it's awful. The lighting and camera departments have had a go at trying to make it look nice but the poor old art department made a fist of some areas but clearly didn't get enough money for the set scenes and some of the props. The script was several drafts short of working and as for the young female character - someone should have beheaded her - what a clutz everything she did was stupid. I thought she might have been a double agent, but that might have made her a bit interesting! But you have got to hand it to her - she found a lovely tuneful voice when faced with impending death in a fire pit. Is this heralding her debut Bonekickers album "Bonekickers - Get Down and Dirty" . We might see that just in time for Christmas? I have never felt compelled to join a forum just to say how awful a tv show was - but what a waste of the licence fee! Is it so bad it's good?