Earlier this month I released a list of the Most Watched US TV Shows Of The '00s, which caused a bit of a stir. Now BARB have released an equivalent British list, which is actually even worse:
1. Only Fools & Horses (Christmas special, 25 Dec 01) 21.3m
2. EastEnders (5 Apr 01) 20.0m
3. Coronation Street (24 Feb 03) 19.4m
4. Britain's Got Talent (final, 30 May 09) 18.2m
5. Wallace & Gromit: A Matter Of Loaf & Death (25 Dec 08) 16.15m
6. Tonight: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Special (21 Apr 03) 16.10m
7. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? (19 Jan 00) 15.8m
8. The X Factor (final, 13 Dec 09) 15.4m
9. Heartbeat (6 Feb 00) 15.1m
10. I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! (9 Feb 04) 14.9m
Yeah, I know. The American list suddenly looks incredibly discerning. Never underestimate the mass British interest in soaps and reality/quiz shows, eh? And what the hell is Heartbeat doing in there? We have a huge older generation, thanks to the NHS, I guess. The only thing I'm pleased about in that list is Wallace & Gromit. I wouldn't mind Only Fools being #1, if it wasn't for the fact the Christmas specials post-'96 were atrocious. It should also be noted that this list doesn't include sporting events -- if it did, six positions are taken up by Euro/World Cup football matches. Oh dear-y me. Well, I guess there's a chance a few Christmas treats in the next few weeks will give the list a bit more credibility at the eleventh hour...
