most watched tv shows uk ever

It is the most popular British drama in the US and has earned more nominations than any international television series in the history of the Primetime Emmy Awards. ︎ Subscribe now, never miss another upload! The series tells the story of Trotters' lives, in particular their ill-advised and generally dodgy attempts at getting rich. It is now the most watched British import ever in America and fans are said to include Katy Perry, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman and Michelle Obama. In the United Kingdom, viewing figures – the number of viewers or households watching a television programme, have been recorded by the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB) since 1981. "The Thorn Birds" -- Part 4 (Series Finale) Ratings: 35.90 million viewers. Farce arises when they try to make the best of the most hopeless hospitality situations in the face of demanding, often eccentric guests. It is the final Blackadder series and the one that has received the most acclaim. A British nostalgia for certain historical periods seems to be at the root of its success. Beverly Hillbillies - "The Giant Jack Rabbit" Initially, this random episode of The Beverly Hillbillies … At least two Muhammad Ali boxing matches were reported to have been watched by at least 26 million viewers in the United Kingdom: the Fight of the Century (Ali vs. Frazier) was reported to have been watched by 27.5 million British viewers in 1971, and The Rumble in the Jungle (Ali vs. Foreman) was reported to have been watched by 26 million viewers on BBC One in 1974. Moving between one actor and another in the central role is built into the plot of the show, as the Doctor regenerates in new incarnations. The 45 episodes revolve around the idiosyncrasies of British life, expressed through observational sketches and clever, surreal risqué humour that is at times politically loaded. Most of the series on this list that have long since ended but are still being rerun or bought as DVD box sets. The best UK TV shows of every year this century 2017: Blue Planet II It took David Attenborough and the BBC Natural History Unit to wake us up … At the root of the comedy are Basil Fawlty (John Cleese), the rude, exasperated owner and his bossy wife Sybil (Prunella Scales) as well as chambermaid Polly (Connie Booth) and Spanish waiter Manuel (Andrew Sachs) who is perpetually lost in translation. 2. Made at a relatively low cost of £60,000 for an hour of broadcast material, the series raked in a great profit. The series plot follows Rome's history as narrated by the elderly Claudius. By the third series, it had become one of the most-watched television drama shows worldwide. It is thought that the series was particularly popular because it caught the mood of a nation at a time of political disillusionment. Greatly popular in the UK, in 2013 a US adaptation of the series set in Washington, D.C was commissioned by Netflix - starring Kevin Spacey - and has known great success. The 1969 British sketch-comedy series Monty Python's Flying Circus was a guaranteed success from the beginning: commissioned by the much-loved David Attenborough and created by the renowned Monty Python comedy troupe, how could it possibly fail? Over the past few years, more and more American viewers seem to be looking to the UK for quality TV, aided by online services like Netflix and Amazon that make it easy to do. It's easy to get caught up in addicting American dramas like The Queen's Gambit, The Undoing, or Big Little Lies, but true TV buffs often look across the pond for the juiciest programs to binge watch. In March, adults watched an average of 2 hours, 30 minutes of commercial linear TV each … The Fools and Horses team received countless awards at the BAFTAs, the National Television Awards and the Royal Television Society. The majority of special events attracting large audiences are often carried on more than one channel. The repercussions of great political and historic forces on this country estate are made explicit, constantly threatening the rigid British social hierarchy. The Doctor is a significant part of British popular culture and is cited as an influence by generations of British television professionals. British costume drama Downton Abbey, created by Julian Fellowes and co-produced by Carnival Films and Masterpiece, has been running since 2010. EastEnders received 20.05 million viewers on 5 April with the additional omnibus viewers taking the total viewing figures to 23.18 million. Set in Peckham in south London, the show stars David Jason as an ambitious market trader, Nicholas Lyndhurst as his younger brother Rodney, and Lennard Pearce as their elderly Grandad. More and more British shows are being met with success worldwide. Here are the top 20 most-watched TV shows: 1. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective stories have been revived and modernised by BBC1 in the number 1 hit… Richardson was familiar with Shakespeare’s plays and drew on the narratives of power, ambition and corruption of Macbeth and Richard III in his performance. 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Blackadder Goes Forth aired in autumn/winter of 1989 on BBC One. … So, the next time you're puzzling over which television series to watch, don't just look to which glossy shows are running at the moment, but turn instead to the wealth of story produced by Britain over the past decades. The 1966 World Cup win by England was the most watched programme of all time on British TV, a new survey has revealed. House of Cards centres around antihero Francis Urquhart (played by Ian Richardson), a fictional Chief Whip of the Conservative Party. According to its analysis, the BFI says the UK's biggest-ever TV audience England's 1966 World Cup Victory with 32.3m viewers across both BBC … Twelve actors have headlined the series as the Doctor including, most recently, Peter Capaldi. Set after the end of Margaret Thatcher's tenure as British Prime Minister, House of Cards is a British political thriller series created by the BBC in 1990. The highest figures were 14.96 million on BBC One, followed by 2.34 million on ITV. British sci-fi television programme Doctor Who began production in 1963 by the BBC and was revived to audience delight in 2005. Released in 1976 by the BBC, I, Claudius remains one of the most popular British TC series of all time. Downton Abbey has been lauded worldwide, receiving critical acclaim from television critics and winning numerous awards including a Golden Globe Award and eleven Emmy Awards. The motoring show began in 1977 and relaunched in 2002. Moreover, a uniquely dry humour seems to characterise British television's more popular offerings. However, the series was extremely well received upon its release, taking home the 1989 British Academy Television Award for Best Comedy Series. Four series have been aired since, with the fifth to be released at the end of the month. Heart-breaking but … Dallas is tied with The Cosby Show for the most wins in the 1980s. Opening with Julius Caesar's conquest of Gaul, the first series ends with Caesar's assassination and proceeds to document the rise of  Augustus as first Emperor of the Empire. 1996 episode 'Time On Our Hands’ holds the record for the highest UK audience for a sitcom episode, having attracted an impressive 24.3 million viewers (representing over a third of the entire population). The American broadcasters, too, have been involved in helping the more recent popular British shows take off - particularly PBS, which co-produces Downton Abbey and Sherlock. On this measure, the 1996 Christmas edition of Only Fools and Horses is, not including figures for repeats, the most-watched non-documentary programme of all time so far in the United Kingdom. 3. At first, it was feared that the series might be perceived as trivialising the horrors of the war. Following the lives of soldiers Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, the action of Rome unfolds in the setting of 1st century BC, during Ancient Rome's transition from Republic to Empire. Set in the post-Edwardian era, the narrative spans great historic events such as the sinking of the Titanic, the First World War, the Spanish influenza pandemic, the Marconi scandal, the interwar period and the formation of the Irish Free State. The 2014 FIFA World Cup Final was broadcast by both BBC One and ITV. It is the third most-watched single-showing programme of all time so far on a single channel, behind the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony and the wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips in 1973 (see below). Based on Robert Graves's novels I, Claudius and Claudius the God, the stories were rewritten for the screen by Jack Pulman. Although it took a while to take off, Only Fools and Horses went on to achieve consistently high ratings. Date aired: March 30, 1983. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective stories have been revived and modernised by BBC1 in the number 1 hit TV series Sherlock. As the most watched television series on ITV and PBS, Downton Abbey is the most successful British costume drama series since Brideshead Revisited (1981). Arguably the best film spin-off TV show ever made, the three series that followed Shane Meadows and Jack Thorne’s 2006 feature This is England were superlative drama. Not only will you get a glimpse of some of the characters that embody the British psyche and nationhood, but in many cases you'll be able to devour the full box-sets of bygone series one after the other. Most watched Netflix shows: Viewing figures for top ... - UK News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. A fresh take on sports: the biggest news and most entertaining lists. 16 The Chase 88% 59%. "The Thorn Birds" — Part 4 (Series Finale) Ratings: 35.90 million viewers. 19 BBC News at One 96% 57%. Only Fools And Horses! Former Chief of Staff at Conservative Party headquarters Michael Dobbs wrote a novel that Andrew Davies adapted for the screen. The Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton (29 April 2011) "attracted a consolidated average audience of 26.0 [million] viewers across the ceremony from 11:00 am to 12:10 pm. The first episode of the series aired two days before the Conservative Party leadership election. This list ranks the top 10 most popular British television series from lowest to highest according to IMDB viewer ratings. The explosive episodes, just 3 pe series, are always awaited with baited breath. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman star in the lead roles of Sherlock and Dr Watson in this modern remake. The show won BAFTA and Emmy awards and features in Time magazine's 2007 ranking of the '100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME'.Â. The X Factor final 2010 (12 December 2010) had an additional 1.156 million viewers on its sister high definition channel ITV HD, in addition to the 16.553 million views on the main standard definition channel ITV, giving the programme an aggregate audience of 17.71 million viewers. Indeed, historians have criticised it for presenting an oversimplified view of the conflict, reinforcing the popular notion that ‘lions were led by donkeys’ on the battlefield. But among the most … The series follows the adventures of Time Lord Doctor Who, a time-travelling humanoid alien that explores the universe in his time-travelling space ship TARDIS. The most widely viewed factual TV programme is the UK's Top Gear (BBC), which airs in 212 different territories around the world. Many of the characters' features are based on real figures described in historical records. Sherlock's triumph was confirmed when the show took home seven Emmy awards this year, hailed as 2014's standout winner. Elsewhere on the list, Only Fools And Horses has seven episodes inside the top 20, filling the second and third spots with 21.34 million in 2001 and 21.31 million in 1996. Unverified sources state that this figure was higher. With many and varied companions by his side, the Doctor overcomes enemies to save civilisations. These are the most watched films by total number of viewers[19] (dates are when the films were broadcast, not necessarily when they were produced). Indeed, British accents certainly weren't holding shows back at last month's Emmy Awards ceremony. This is an aggregated audience across 10 BARB reported channels that followed the events live.". Well, we now know just what the great British public has been watching over all these years, and it seems the most popular choice has been... Only Fools and Horses. The mid-1980s introduction of in-week repeat showings accounts for six of the top ten programmes. The list, complied by … Full-screen. Britain recurrently demonstrates an understated aesthetic that American television series producers have often tried to imitate, adapting shows such as Skins, Shameless, The Inbetweeners and The Office for American audiences with widely varying degrees of success. Dobbs claimed that John Major's leadership headquarters ‘came to a halt’ to watch it. The following is a list of most watched programmes, excluding sporting events and news coverage. Particularly poignant are the scenes when Urquhart addresses the audience, looking directly into the camera and breaking the fourth wall. Richardson won a BAFTA in 1991 for his performance, and Davies won an Emmy for outstanding writing.Â. In 2004, it was voted Britain's Best Sitcom in a BBC poll.Â. However, the popularity of Basil and Sybil’s fictional hotel has stood the test of time despite the limited material available. Maria is a French-British English literature graduate. Only Fools and Horses comfortably tops the list, attracting the biggest audience ever for a single transmission of a TV programme in the UK. Creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss have released 9 episodes across 3 series since 2010, and the third series is the UK's most watched drama series since 2001. Sherlock's popularity goes beyond just the UK, having been sold to over 200 territories. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website,  in 1991 for his performance, and Davies won anÂ, aired in 1976, the BBC estimated that the seriesÂ, had an average audience of 2,500,000 viewers per episode. Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer, Wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips, The Rumble in the Jungle (Ali vs. Foreman), Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips, Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier: Fight of the Century, "Features | Britain's Most Watched TV | 1960s", "Features | Britain's Most Watched TV | 1990s", "Features | Britain's Most Watched TV | 1970s", "Features | Britain's Most Watched TV | 1980s", "PM's coronavirus address watched by 27.1m", "Weekly top programmes on four screens (from Sept 2018) | BARB", "TV since 1981 – 1986 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 1987 – Top 10 programmes", British Academy of Film and Television Arts, "TV since 1981 – 1996 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 1988 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 1985 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 1995 – Top 10 programmes", "TV's jewels fail to shine in list of all-time winners", "Classic TV - Old UK TV Show Ratings - 70s| FiftiesWeb", "The biggest TV show in the year you were born", "TV since 1981 – 1981 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 1982 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 1983 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 1984 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 1989 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 1990 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 1991 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 1992 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 1993 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 1994 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 1997 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 1998 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 1999 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 2000 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 2001 – Top 10 programmes", "Weekly top 10 programmes on TV sets (July 1998 – Sept 2018)", "TV since 1981 – 2002 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 2003 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 2004 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 2005 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 2006 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 2007 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 2008 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 2009 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 2010 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 2011 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 2012 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 2013 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 2014 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 2015 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 2016 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 2017 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 2018 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 2019 – Top 10 programmes", "TV since 1981 – 2020 – Top 10 programmes", https://www.barb.co.uk/viewing-data/four-screen-dashboard/, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_most_watched_television_broadcasts_in_the_United_Kingdom&oldid=1022489900, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's statement on COVID-19, BBC One/ITV/Channel 4/Channel 5/Sky News/BBC News. In 2000, the British Film Institute voted Fawlty Towers the best British series of all time. The fact that the series was limited to a mere twelve delightful episodes is often claimed to be a national outrage. Written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton and starring Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry and Tim McInnerny, the series places Blackadder characters Baldrick and George in a trench in Flanders during the First World War and follows their doomed attempts to escape death under the command of the misguided General Melchett. She enjoys uncovering niche culture scenes wherever she goes, and spreading the word about them. Broadcast on BBC2 in 1975 and 1979, Fawlty Towers is an all-time British favourite. Written by and starring John Cleese and his wife of the time, Connie Booth, the series reveals the goings-on at Fawlty Towers, a fictional hotel in seaside town Torquay. Prominent production and broadcasting companies like the BBC and ITV are proof of this, respected and successful on the world stage of television. Co-produced with HBO, the series also received acclaim in the US. 15 The Frozen Planet 79% 59%. On this measure, the 1996 Christmas edition of Only Fools and Horses is the most-watched … In 2019, a year after World Cup matches dominated the list of most viewed television programs in the United Kingdom, sitcom Gavin and Stacey which aired on BBC1 emerged as the most popular TV show. Only Fools and Horses (BBC1, 29 December 1996): 24.35 million. British situational comedy Only Fools and Horses was written by John Sullivan and broadcast over seven series on BBC One between 1981 and 1991. Critical of British Army leadership, the series refers to real-life prominent war figures. Though the vast majority of programmes that flicker before our eyes on television these days are of American genus, smaller-scale British television seems to retain a unique aesthetic and a loyal foll. Featuring Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson and Ciarán Hinds, Rome is yet another British historical TV series that was met with great acclaim and popularity. Britain's most-watched programmes of the last 80 years have been revealed, with one "cushti" show featuring four times in the top 20. "The Lodger" – Albert looks for a lodger. It is this changeability of the central protagonist that allowed Russell T Davies to revive the show in 2005 with relative ease. Four of its seasons were spent in the Nielsen penthouse as TV's most-watched entertainment series. The five cast members Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle and John Cleese were all educated at prestigious universities and bring an intellectuality to their humour which can only be described as 'Pythonesque'. Though the vast majority of programmes that flicker before our eyes on television these days are of American genus, smaller-scale British television seems to retain a unique aesthetic and a loyal following worldwide. With broadcasting dates ranging from 1969 to the present, it's evident British television series' popularity has little to do with glossy production qualities or special effects. However, despite a generally positive reaction, the show was cancelled after the second reason for financial reasons - the series' aesthetic grandeur was notoriously expensive. The series left such a mark on British culture that some of the script's words and catchphrases have even made their way into the everyday English language. Date aired: March 30, 1983. 10 MOST VIEWED AUDITIONS OF ALL TIME From Britain's Got Talent! The classic 80's and 90's sit-com topped the chart of the most watched British TV shows in telly history! 18 Porridge 82% 57%. The BBC has come out on top in a chart of the most-watched TV programmes of last year, despite losing The Great British Bake Off to Channel 4.. That was largely thanks to … From the outset, I, Claudius was hugely popular: When it was originally aired in 1976, the BBC estimated that the series had an average audience of 2,500,000 viewers per episode. Although there are no official figures for 1972, it is widely regarded that the year's edition of the Eurovision Song Contest was the most watched programme that year. Prior to the board's formation, figures were conducted by different means such as the BBC financing its own audience research, while the ITV companies sub-contracted theirs. We follow his schemes to become party leader and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. To The Manor Born (BBC1, 11 November 1979): 23.95 million. The irony and often simple, understated subject matter of many of its television series attracts viewers worldwide. Indeed numerous period dramas feature on this list, looking back on British history, specific time periods and famous historical figures. The 1966 World Cup final between England and West Germany is the record holder for the nation’s most watched broadcast, with a combined audience of 32.3 million across the BBC and ITV – … But the classic sitcom Only Fools And Horses topped the overall chart of the most-watched programmes during the 80-year history of British television. Culture, art and travel are crucial to her lifestyle and central to her writing. All of the series featured scored 8.8 or over on their IMDB viewer rating. 20 David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities 78% 57%. More than five different channels covered the speech made by Prime Minister, This page was last edited on 10 May 2021, at 20:01. The most watched programme of all time on a single channel is the 1973 wedding ceremony of The Princess Anne, shown only on BBC1. Nielsen rating: 25.7 17 The Vicar of Dibley 91% 58%. The series follows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the fictional country estate of Downton Abbey in Yorkshire. The series features Derek Jacobi as Claudius, launching his acting career. Read more: Top Gear drives its way into into Guinness World Records 2013 edition It is currently hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May (all UK).

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