Calendar countdown – slight return

Now that Broadcast magazine has compiled the highest rating TV of 2006, it’s time to update OTT’s chart of the most watched programmes of the decade so far.

I say update; it’s more a question of minute fine-tuning, as there are a grand total of just two new additions to the list. These appear at the relatively lowly positions of 29 and 32, and are both, unsurprisingly, World Cup matches.

Such a tiny tally is not unique; there are only two programmes from 2005 in the list as well. Up until then, however, the chart is still fairly balanced, with 11 shows hailing from 2000, 10 from 2001, 8 from 2002, 10 from 2003 and 7 from 2004. Here’s the new countdown in full:

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) World Cup 2006: Sweden v England (ITV1, 20 June 2006) – 14.4m
30) Coronation Street (21 February 2005) – 14.4m
31) EastEnders (18 February 2005) – 14.3m
32) World Cup Match of the Day Live (BBC1, 25 June 2006) – 14.25m
33) Who Wants to be a Millionaire? (1 May 2000) – 13.9m
34) Heartbeat (21 January 2001) – 13.8m
35) Inspector Morse (15 November 2000) – 13.6m
36) Emmerdale (22 March 2000) – 13.3m
36) Pop Idol (9 February 2002) – 13.3m
38) A Touch of Frost (22 February 2004) – 13m
39) One Foot in the Grave (20 November 2000) – 12.8m
39) Heartbeat (12 January 2003) – 12.8m
41) I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! (12 May 2003) – 12.7m
41) Billy Elliot (BBC1, 1 January 2003) 12.7m
43) The Vicar of Dibley (25 December 2004) – 12.6m
44) Jubilee 2002: Party at the Palace (BBC1, 3 June 2002) – 12.5m
44) World Cup 2002: England v Brazil (BBC1, 21 June 2002) – 12.5m
44) World Cup 2002: England v Denmark (BBC1, 15 June 2002) – 12.5m
47) Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (2002) – 12.4m
47) A Touch of Frost (2002) – 12.4m
49) Rugby World Cup Final (ITV1, 22 November 2003) -12.3m
50) Casualty (12 February 2000) – 12.3m

Last year I ended my analysis of the chart with a prediction. I forecast that the only new additions to the chart come the end of 2006 would be some World Cup matches and at least a couple of soap episodes.

The former turned out to be true, but the latter did not – which, given there are no such high profile sport tournaments happening this year, makes me wonder whether 2007 will supply any new additions to this countdown whatsoever. Even the performance of those World Cup games of 2006 was fairly mediocre, failing to come close to even equalling the ratings won by matches from Euro 2000 and Euro 2004.

It seems the era of the genuinely multi-million watching TV event ended two years ago. Barring unforeseen deaths of national figures, or something like Prince William getting married, I reckon the final chart for the whole of this decade will look virtually identical to the one above.

Meantime, here are the top 10 most watched programmes of 2006. Any ideas what was so special about those soap episodes? And just why so many were watching ITV on 29th January?

1) World Cup 2006: Sweden v England (ITV1, 20 June 2006) – 14.4m
2) World Cup Match of the Day Live (BBC1, 25 June 2006) – 14.25m
3) Coronation Street (ITV1, 13 March 2006) – 12.2m
4) The Vicar of Dibley (BBC1, 25 December 2006) – 12.19m
5) EastEnders (BBC1, 2 January 2006) – 12.07m
6) Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1, 23 December 2006) – 11.96m
7) Dancing on Ice: The Bolero Results (ITV1, 4 March 2006) – 11.11m
8) Lewis (ITV1, 29 January 2006) – 11.11m
9) Wild at Heart (ITV1, 29 January 2006) – 10.63m
10) The X Factor – The Final Result (ITV1, 16 December 2006) – 10.53m