BBC Two chess show keeps 710,000 viewers despite rocky opening week

Chess Masters: The Endgame received some negative reviews for its 10 March debut, watched by 890,000, but fears of a second week meltdown proved overblownChess Masters: The Endgame, BBC Two’s most ambitious chess programme for half a century, got off to a rocky start on 10 March, when its opening episode received some rough treatment from critics. The Guardian’s Lucy Mangan called it “so dull it’s almost unwatchable”.However, fears of a second week meltdown last Monday proved overblown. Viewers totalled 710,000, still nearly 6% of the television audience, and online comments were milder, focusing on the overdramatic commentary and the hyping of the players as “rising stars” and “masters”. Continue reading...

Mar 21, 2025 - 09:20
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BBC Two chess show keeps 710,000 viewers despite rocky opening week

Chess Masters: The Endgame received some negative reviews for its 10 March debut, watched by 890,000, but fears of a second week meltdown proved overblown

Chess Masters: The Endgame, BBC Two’s most ambitious chess programme for half a century, got off to a rocky start on 10 March, when its opening episode received some rough treatment from critics. The Guardian’s Lucy Mangan called it “so dull it’s almost unwatchable”.

However, fears of a second week meltdown last Monday proved overblown. Viewers totalled 710,000, still nearly 6% of the television audience, and online comments were milder, focusing on the overdramatic commentary and the hyping of the players as “rising stars” and “masters”. Continue reading...