What have been the most watched programmes of the decade so far?

By judiciously splicing together statistics from individual years, you end up with a fascinating chart that not only throws up a fair share of surprises, but one which almost confounds the notion that audiences don’t tune in like they used to:

1) Only Fools and Horses (25 December 2001) – 21.4m
2) Euro 2004: Portugal v England (BBC1, 24 June 2004) – 20.7m
3) EastEnders (5 April 2001) – 20.1m
4) Coronation Street (24 February 2003) – 19.4m
5) Coronation Street (3 January 2000) – 19.0m
6) Euro 2004: France v England (ITV1, 21 June 2004) – 17.8m
7) EastEnders (29 September 2003) – 16.7m
8) EastEnders (5 March 2001) – 16.6m
9) Only Fools and Horses (25 December 2002) – 16.3m
9) EastEnders (2 January 2001) – 16.3m
9) Coronation Street (16 February 2004) – 16.3m
12) Coronation Street (1 January 2001) – 16.2m
13) Coronation Street (3 January 2001) – 16.1m
13) Who Wants to be a Millionaire?: Tonight Special (21 April 2003) – 16.1m
15) EastEnders (25 December 2002) – 16m
16) Who Wants to be a Millionaire? (19 January 2000) – 15.8m
17) Coronation Street (13 January 2003) – 15.6m
18) Only Fools and Horses (25 December 2003) – 15.5m
18) Coronation Street (11 March 2001) – 15.5m
20) Michael Jackson Tonight Special (3 February 2003) – 15.3m
21) Heartbeat (6 February 2000) – 15.2m
21) EastEnders (28 December 2000) – 15.2m
23) I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! (9 February 2004) – 15m
24) Euro 2000 Portugal v England (ITV1, 12 June 2000) – 14.9m
25) Coronation Street (5 January 2001) – 14.8m
25) EastEnders (5 January 2004) – 14.8m
27) A Touch of Frost (14 January 2001) – 14.7m
28) Euro 2000 England v Romania (BBC1, 20 June 2000) -14.6m
29) Coronation Street (21 February 2005) – 14.4m
30) EastEnders (18 February 2005) – 14.3m
31) Who Wants to be a Millionaire? (1 May 2000) – 13.9m
32) Heartbeat (21 January 2001) – 13.8m
33) Inspector Morse (15 November 2000) – 13.6m
34) Emmerdale (22 March 2000) – 13.3m
34) Pop Idol (9 February 2002) – 13.3m
36) A Touch of Frost (22 February 2004) – 13m
37) One Foot in the Grave (20 November 2000) – 12.8m
37) Heartbeat (12 January 2003) – 12.8m
39) I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! (12 May 2003) 12.7m
39) Billy Elliot (BBC1, 1 January 2003) 12.7m
41) The Vicar of Dibley (25 December 2004) – 12.6m
42) Jubilee 2002: Party at the Palace (BBC1, 3 June 2002) – 12.5m
42) World Cup 2002: England v Brazil (BBC1, 21 June 2002) – 12.5m
42) World Cup 2002: England v Denmark (BBC1, 15 June 2002) – 12.5m
45) Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (2002) – 12.4m
45) A Touch of Frost (2002) – 12.4m
47) Rugby World Cup Final (ITV1, 22 November 2003) -12.3m
47) Casualty (12 February 2000) – 12.3m
47) Seeing Red (19 March 2000) – 12.3m
50) World Cup 2002: England v Sweden (ITV1, 2nd June 2002) – 12.2m

There are various things to pick up on here.

The top 10, for instance, boasts programmes from every year except 2005. Indeed, of the 50, 12 hail from 2000, 10 from 2001, 9 from 2002, 10 from 2003, 7 from 2004 and just 2 from 2005. If you discount last year’s poor showing, and that’s a fairly telling if, that makes for a fairly even spread across the decade.

As far as the soaps go, all bar one of the featured episodes of EastEnders are to do with death. Number 3 saw the identity of Phil Mitchell’s killer revealed, while #8 was concerned with the immediate aftermath of his shooting; #7 witnessed the return of Den from the dead while #30 saw him being killed off – again; #9 was the day after Nick was shot, #15 the one where Jamie died, and #25 the fall out of a minibus crash in Scotland. Only the episode at #28 refrains from morbid matters, instead settling for a search for Little Mo.

In contrast, some of the featured episodes of Coronation Street deal with the most trivial of concerns. Three episodes from the week of 1 January 2001 make the chart (#12, #13 and #25), none of which appear to be in any way notable, unless Ken and Deirdre quarreling about the virtues of becoming a magistrate counts as must-watch TV (which it evidently did). Proper set-piece shenanigans lay behind #4 (Richard Hillman confessing his murderous crimes to Gail), #5 (the 45-minute two-hander between Curly and Raquel), and #17 (Richard attempting to murder Emily Bishop), while #18 is the 5000th episode featuring Ken and Mike in court, #9 is Steve and Karen’s wedding and #29 the problems with Katy and Martin’s relationship.

Other points of interest include the fact there are two last-ever episodes in there at #33 and #37. Famously, One Foot In the Grave was transmitted up against Judith Keppel winning the full sum on … Millionaire? But though it lost out in overnight ratings, it actually ended up winning when the number of people who videoed the episode were factored in.

Breaking it down into genre, there’s just one film (#39) but 18 soaps; 10 dramas, eight sporting matches, and five sitcoms; two quizzes and one documentary about quizzes; three game show finales; one stand-alone documentary; and one royal celebration. Five of the 50 were broadcast on Christmas Day. The overall score is 21 to BBC1, 29 to ITV.

Finally a prediction. This chart will have changed come this time next year, but not by much. Additions will be in the form of some World Cup matches and at least a couple of high profile soap episodes. Anything else will come courtesy of unexpected national events or unintended smash hits. Both of which, in the eyes of channel controllers, would be very much welcome.