Big Brother USA's biggest ever rating was 22.4 million viewers for its first ever episode on 5th July 2000, following a Survivor lead-in of 24.5m. That series of BBUSA went on to average less than half of that premiere audience, whereas Survivor went completely the other way and ended up with a mammoth 51.7m for its finale.

Yes, I was surprised when the press presented Spooks as some kind of threat despite only posting around 5m in the overnights in recent years, sometimes just under 5m!

It wasn't, apparently.

Ah, childhood memories of All Creatures Great and Small when James requested a towel and a bucket of warm soapy water, you always knew why he'd be needing it.

Having done it once or twice, it makes me appreciate my current job more.

So it's been more of a cult thing in America than a ratings hit like it was here for it's first five series.
However, American ratings seem to have taken the downward( possibly a bit more severe than Britain) turn due to more competition. I do remember Dallas attracting 80 million viewers at its peak, and American Idol is considered a hit now with 26 million, about the same as 5 million in Britain.

Oh dear.

The X Factor is top as it was broadcast on one channel.

Care to offer some examples? All I saw was the media accurately reporting a notable decline in XF's figures.

They are all wrong but the more that do it doesnt make it any better as if the blame is shared between 5 sources.

At least those who work at Radio 1 can plead ignorance to knowing the real ratings for both shows, they must have seen it published by The Guardian and presumed it was true as The Guardian is "usually" a trusted source. The DS article is by the guy who has written the ratings roundups for years and should know better.


Yeh, the final sure pulled it out the bag with that 26m peak when Little Mix were announced winners.


ITV1+1 is a separate channel.

What happened to Andrew Laughlin on the DS ratings reports? It's been other people doing it for a few weeks now. Shame if he's been moved to other areas of the site as I like his style of reporting the numbers best. He's very well suited to the role and always helpful in answering my queries.

Alex Fletcher rarely writes the ratings roundups, he's maybe written a maximum of 5 this year when the regular reporters such as Andrew Laughlin, Paul Millar and Ben Lee are away. I think it's a bit unfair to say that "he should know better" as he's not the usual ratings reporter. And even if he was, it doesn't mean he looks into the official ratings in detail (which is what those ratings are based on, not overnights) like we do here and he may not be aware that those officials ratings include +1 or whatever.

Incidentally, the Guardian (and numerous other websites) have got these ratings lists a bit inaccurate before too. For example, it was stated last year that England v Germany (BBC1) was the most watched World Cup match, even though it was England v Algeria (ITV1). This was partly because the broadcaster (i.e. ITV in that case) elected to have the average for the entire broadcast instead of just the match-only average like the BBC. This meant that the positions of the matches in the end-of-year charts were a bit screwed up. In a similar fashion, The Royal Wedding rating was sort of messed up by the BBC themselves by them electing to have it as the average for the entire 5-hour coverage. If they'd just done the obvious thing and split the ratings as they'd done before for previous national events, there wouldn't even be an issue like this and would've been a 100% guaranteed #1 on all reported ratings lists.

Does anyone have regional breakdowns of ratings last night.

Rather than the Royle Family BBC1 Wales showed a Max Boyce Special which I would imagine got a much higher share than the Royle Family.

Didn't realise the figures here didn't include +1, especially when apart from Robbie we generally accept their inclusion in the overnights.

Talking of which, I see we get BBC1 HD+1 for an hour each night next week with Great Expectations airing on BBC HD at 10pm after it finishes on BBC1.

Flog It is slightly up on it normally gets on BBC Two - it's a good solid performer for that early afternoon slot

In comical circumstances, the SPOTY was moved to today so everyone of the ten candidates could be there...

...except Andy Murray is in Miami. Which renders the move stupid. (although Murray never really has/had a realistic chance of winning unlike the golfers)

I am confused re XF and the Royal Wedding now as to what the figures are.

Can someone explain the different permutations in a post please?

Someone can bring out the figures, but basically X Factor is the most watched single programme, Royal Wedding is most watched single event.

Its quite interesting that RobbieSykes123 gets in a lather at the Royal Wedding not being listed as #1 show of the year. Its only #1 if you include the BBC News Channel whereas Robbie gets so angry with anyone adding +1 figures. Surely it amounts to the same thing.

Robbie hates ITV and has an obvious agenda where he picks and chooses his own rules and regulations

Basically the Wedding is the biggest rated show of the year if you include BBC1, HD and News channel, whereas TXF is #1 if you dont include the news channels coverage.

Each person has their own agenda

If +1 is included, so should the BBC News simulcast, both are separate channels (although one is a repeat, one isn't), if both or neither are included The Royal Wedding would be #1, it's only if just +1 is added, X Factor wins.

I'll break it down like this:

13.952m - THE ROYAL WEDDING (BBC1 + BBC NEWS)
13.690m - THE X FACTOR (ITV1 + ITV1 HD + ITV1+1)
13.590m - THE ROYAL WEDDING (BBC1)
13.455m - THE X FACTOR (ITV1 + ITV1 HD)
12.345m - THE X FACTOR (ITV1 + ITV1+1)
12.089m - THE X FACTOR (ITV1)
01.601m - THE X FACTOR (ITV1 HD + ITV1+1)

All official figures.

(ps, the last figure, while technically true, is in jest)

In my opinion:

- we should include BBC News because it is a simulcast, it is impossible for have someone to be watching BBC1 and BBC News at the same time.
- we should not include +1 services because someone could watch ITV and the switch to ITV1+1 for some bizarre reason.

In the event that both are included, the wedding would be on top.

Well, there's the thing, isn't it? The 'most watched' World Cup match was actually the Final, Spain vs Netherlands. But the coverage was across BBC One, BBC HD, ITV1 and ITV1HD. Added to the fact that some of those channels reported an 'entire coverage' figure rather than just the match, and it's never mentioned.

Nevertheless, if you ask which match was watched by MOST PEOPLE... it's that one.

Thanks for this DMN and the other posters.

It takes the Ratings Thread to put things in perspective.

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