They should have put it on BBC1, the berks!

Incredible, isn't it? The 25th birthday of BBC1's flagship drama and most of the birthday programmes are hidden away on BBC3.

I bet ITV1 pulls out all the stops to celebrate Corrie's 50th in December. In fact, that's a given after last night's figures.

Edit: 4.3m for w/e 14th February would have put the programme in 50th place in the overall (overnight) ratings.

I'm pretty sure EastEnders overran by a few mins.

I think the 8.33 finish will have an adverse effect on the overnights. Some will report it as 8-830, and some 8-835 the peak would no doubt be 8.31-8.33 but id imagine BBC1's audience collapsed at 8.33-8.35 bringing the average down

EastEnders did amazingly well. It just proves it's the best soap on TV.

All the other soaps should watch an learn.

That's an astounding rating for Eastenders considering there was no build up or mini ad's or hype around it months before on the part of the BBC!

I didn't even know Eastenders was 25, I was wondering why the EE bandwagon was continuing with a primetime Weakest Link Special tonight with the EE cast...I thought it was just lazy dumbed down scheduling!

BBC3 has at last found its niche, dumping ground for spin offs from the main channels. This aiming at youth crap was never going to work!

Be interesting to see what the usual suspects come out with if anything.. I'll be keeping a close eye on this topic today.

So just to recap


1900 Emmerdale 7.48

1930 Corrie 9.94

2000 EastEnders 14.91

2030 Corrie 8.63
2030 EastEnders: Aftermanth 4.3
2030 QI 3.83

2100 Masterchef 3.07
2100 Pop/Operastar 4.04

2130 Weakest Link Special 2.0

The Bubble 1.80
8 Out Of 10 Cats 1.80

Does it beat the Stax reveal? im sure that was 14.5 at Xmas?

13.9m overnights.

Sonny2001 - any ideas how Dancing on Ice Friday fared up against EastEnders?

Incidentally, it was EastEnders' most watched episode since Autumn 2003.

What did the repeats at 10.30. and 11 on BBC3 get? Great ratings and very well deserved.

Um, 2.08m, 7.7% share. They took one for the team there.

1.419m and 1.205m

Thanks. One last question I promise - what was the breakdown for EastEnders: 20:00-20:15 and 20:15-20:30. Cheers

There has been a few powerful ratings already this year and what with the World Cup, the Cowellfests and maybe C/S at 50 (it will take quite a storyline to match EE and I wonder if they will do another live episode too?), it looks like terrestrial tv is is in for another good year.

No problem!

it went 15.12m, 56.7% up to 16.16, 58.3%.

So both considerably higher than the overall figure.

Please don't use ratings to turn opinion into fact

It is fact that EastEnders is the best soap on TV.

So I guess the average between 20:00-20:30 which'll be reported by a lot of the media is: 15.64m (57.5%).

That would make it more watched than last year's X Factor final (based on overnight figures).

WOW so last night was watched by 16.3m with the repeat added.

I presume you are being ironic! There has been nothing BUT mini ads for EastEnders for weeks.

WOW. It is just unbelievable!!!

Anyone know what time EastEnders finished last night??

And applying the theory that most viewers of repeat ones are first look ones and with the higher rpt figures despite the huuuuge 8-8.30 ratings that is beyond belief.

Well done EE. Biggest scripted TV show in Britain.

Surprised it stayed above 2m, but the share is horrid.

sonny, just two more from me - do you have the rating for Embarrassing Bodies and The Mentalist at 9pm (C4 and C5)? Obviously both less than 4m seeing as BBC Three won some of the hour - something I'm still struggling to comprehend!


Wow!

It was about 20:32/20:33. So I guess the 20:30-20:35 period which was included in the 14.9m figure dragged down the overnight rating as EE finished a couple of mins before 20:35.