Modest ratings for C4's new comedy

Channel 4’s new Friday night comedy line-up has attracted only lukewarm audience figures.

The return of Eight Out Of Ten Cats and new impression show Very Important People only scored about three-quarters of the channel’s average audience for the slots.

At 9pm, the Jimmy Carr-fronted panel show returned with 1.1million viewers, notably down on the 1.7million average on the last run.

And it was immediately followed by Morgana Robinson and Terry Mynott impersonation show, which attracted 1million viewers.

The show also divided critics.

The Independent’s Grace Dent said: ‘I just loved this show; the mimics are good and the material strong. It's disgustingly unfashionable to enjoy TV impression shows these days... but there are moments of brilliance in here.’

But although the Sunday Mirror’s Kevin O’Sullivan was wowed by the ‘brilliant’ impressions, he concluded: ‘The dazzling duo’s alleged all-out attack on celebrity culture was about as hard hitting as Daybreak. Therefore, it wasn’t very funny.’

Channel 4’s performance was in contrast to BBC One’s highly rated comedy double-act which went out at the same time:

Have I Got New For You recorded 4.98million viewers at 9pm – beating Piers Morgan’s Life Stories on ITV1 yet again – followed by 4.23million for Lee Mack’s Not Going Out.

Figures are for the first airing, not counting timeshifted +1 channels.

Published: 29 Apr 2012