Victoria commissioned for second series by ITV after winning half a million more viewers than Poldark
The hit drama starring Jenna Coleman as Queen Victoria has been confirmed to be returning to our screens for a second season after drawing in more viewers than the Beeb's period drama
VICTORIA has ruled the ratings war after beating Poldark in the Sunday-night drama showdown.
And she is set to reign over us again as I can reveal that delighted ITV chiefs have commissioned a second series.
The show, which stars JENNA COLEMAN with TOM HUGHES as Prince Albert, right, won 500,000 more viewers this week than the Beeb’s Cornish blockbuster.
A source revealed: “It is going to come back.
“They recommissioned it a while ago. It has increased its ratings lead over Poldark every week and it is a genuine hit.
“They’re hoping it will be very popular in the US who love the Royal Family and lapped up Downton Abbey.”
The move to make a second season comes as the current eight-part series still has three episodes to air.
ITV is keen to start exporting the show across the world to replace Downton Abbey, with the aim of making millions.
But they will also be hoping Poldark can raise lots of overseas cash — because the broadcaster owns Mammoth Productions, which makes both Victoria and the 18th century coastal drama.
Victoria’s ratings triumph shows that the gamble by ITV’s director of television Kevin Lygo to show to episodes of Victoria in one week before it went head-to-head with the BBC series has paid off.
The move got viewers hooked on the exploits of the young monarch. And they stayed glued despite the Beeb offering up the naked torso of AIDAN TURNER, yet again, in the first episode of the latest Poldark.
Those looking for a brooding hero to swoon over seem to have switched allegiance to RUFUS SEWELL as Lord Melbourne in Victoria — despite the fact he is always fully dressed.
The ratings defeat comes as Poldark suffered more bad news this week.
The Sun revealed fans had complained about Captain McNeil’s “excruciating” Scottish accent.
Viewers said they could not even understand HENRY GARRETT’s dodgy dialect on Sunday night’s show while his character was talking to ELEANOR TOMLINSON, who plays Poldark’s wife Demelza.
TV presenter and Loose Women panellist Kaye Adams was among those who tweeted about the issue, writing: “This is weird. I can’t understand the Scottish accent on Poldark. I thought I was Scottish.”
A third series of Poldark is currently being filmed in Cornwall.
I’m not sure if it will go up against Victoria next time.
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During filming for the TAKE THAT-themed talent show in Manchester on Wednesday, Mark sent the audience into a frenzy as he spontaneously hopped on stage and started singing Let It Shine.
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An onlooker revealed: “During a gap in filming the warm-up guy pulled five lads on stage and made them pretend to be Take That for a laugh.
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Mark has been watching filming for Let It Shine this week alongside HOWARD DONALD – sparking rumours that they will feature on screen too.
Let It Shine is a search for five young men to star in a new Take That musical. I can’t wait to see what the guys have in store for us.
Colin's cover
DARK curls capped his brooding turn as Mr Darcy – and Bridget Jones’s Mark Darcy – but COLIN FIRTH is secretly ginger.
TV writer ANDREW DAVIES, who penned the adaptation of Pride & Prejudice that thrust Colin to stardom, has revealaed that the star almost missed out on the role due to being a redhead.
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He’d still have been great without the dye.
Bow-wowing out
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SOAPBOX
THE game could be up for cheating Buster Briggs during tonight’s episode of EASTENDERS as his son Mick Carter confronts the jailbird fishmonger over his affair.
Buster has been acting strangely since sharing an illicit romp with Kathy Beale – and sooner rather than later Lee Carter clocks on to his odd behaviour.
Lee tells his dad that he thinks Buster might be playing away, which leaves Mick reeling, before he quickly decides to square up to his doting mother Shirley’s deceitful partner.
As Buster actor Karl Howman is due to bow out from the soap for good, I wonder if the truth will come out before his exit?
Meanwhile, the surprises keep on coming on CORONATION STREET as Cathy Matthews comes to terms with the fact that her late husband Alan may have been the father of her nephew Alex Warner.
I won’t be surprised if Cathy’s discovery leads to tensions with Roy Cropper.