‘Let It Shine’ beats ‘The Voice UK’ in Saturday ratings

It’s easy to imagine “Let It Shine” vs. “The Voice UK” being the greatest ratings battle of the winter for the BBC versus ITV, but through one night, there is a clear winner.

Last night, the premiere of the new Gary Barlow-led talent competition drew to BBC One 6.3 million viewers, an impressive first outing given not just the competition, but also that this could be perceived as “yet another singing show.” We do have concerns about the long-term viability of it; while there were some elements that were entertaining, the grand prize was not entirely clear. While we know it to be the winners of the show getting to be a part of a stage show revolving around a boy-band, will everyone else realize that this is the case? It’s easy to think that this is the British version of “Making the Band” where the winners go out and try to have some hits.

Meanwhile, “The Voice UK” over on ITV drew 5.9 million viewers for its debut at the network. While they may be in second place at present, ITV should be thrilled with that figure since it’s less likely to change through at least the Blind Auditions, even though there are some negative reviews out there about the show effectively replacing critiques for the no-chair turns with advertisements, something viewers did not have to endure previously over on the BBC.

If both shows continue to pull these numbers, expect both to be coming back for additional seasons. What surprises us is that the two are performing even stronger in some ways than “Poldark” and “Victoria,” which were the shows at the center of the last great battle of British television ratings.

When it comes to our own coverage for the year, our point of emphasis is going to be more about “Let it Shine.” Want to check out some of it? Then head over to the link here, and tell us what you think about this particular ratings battle in the comments. (Photo: BBC.)