TV's Biggest Blockbusters (2012 TV Movie) User Reviews

TV's Biggest Blockbusters

[jboothmillard · 7/10 · 29 July 2012]

I saw this programme listed, and assumed immediately that is was going to be a documentary, and hopefully a countdown of sorts, of the most watched shows in the United Kingdom, and I was right, so I watched hoping that the obvious and good ones would be mentioned. This documentary programme counts down the ten programmes and episodes of popular shows according to their viewing figures and in four categories: Entertainment, Sports & Events, Drama & Soaps and Comedy & Sitcoms, and you have to keep in mind that is only in the last decade or so that more television channels have come about, in the old days there were only three. In reverse order, the most watched Entertainment television was: Jim'll Fix It (BBC1, 1st March 1980, 19.2 million) - Sir Jimmy Saville fixes it for a little boy becoming a doctor for the day, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (ITV, 7th March 1999, 19.21 million) - the first winner, You've Been Framed! (ITV, 19th January 1992, 19.33 million) - hosted by Jeremy Beadle, Take Your Pick (ITV, 2nd December 1966, 19.36 million), Double Your Money (ITV, 8th November 1966, 19.47 million), Worst of It'll Be Alright on the Night (ITV, 1st February 1992, 19.92 million) - included Richard Whiteley bitten by a ferret, Sale of the Century (ITV, 26th December 1978, 21.15 million), The London Palladium Show (ITV, 3rd December 1967, 21.89 million), This Is Your Life (ITV, 27th April 1977, 22.22 million), and number one was Royal Variety Performance (14th November 1965, 24.20 million). In reverse order, the most watched Sports & Events television was: Winter Olympics 1994: Torvill & Dean (BBC1, 21st February 1994, 23.95 million), News: Assassination of John F. Kennedy (BBC & ITV, 22nd November 1963, 24.15 million), the Royal Wedding: Prince William & Kate Middleton (BBC1 & ITV1, 29th April 2011, 26 million), Royal Wedding: Princess Anne & Cpl Mark Phillips (BBC1 & ITV, 14th November 1973, 27.6 million), Royal Wedding: Prince Charles & Lady Diana Spencer (BBC1 & ITV, 28th July 1981, 28.4 million), FA Cup Final Replay 1970 (BBC1 & ITV, 29th April 1970, 28.49 million), Apollo 13 Splashdown (BBC1 & ITV, 17th April 1970, 28.6 million), The Royal Family (BBC1 & ITV, 21st & 28th June 1969, 30.69 million), The Funeral of Princess Diana (BBC1 & ITV, 6th September 1997, 32.1 million), and number one was The World Cup Final 1966 (BBC1 & ITV, 30th July 1966, 32.2million), also the most watched television of all time. In reverse order, the most watched Drama & Soaps television was: The Darling Buds of May (ITV, 21st April 1991, 18.73 million), Inspector Morse (ITV, 13th January 1993, 18.77 million), London's Burning (ITV, 1st December 1991, 18.86 million), Market in Honey Lane (ITV, 3rd April 1967, 19.47 million), The Sweeney (ITV, 8th November 1976, 20.68 million), Mrs Thursday (ITV, 22nd March 1966, 21.01 million), Neighbours (BBC1, 26th February 1990, 21.16 million), Dallas (BBC1, 22nd November 1980, 21.6 million), Coronation Street (ITV, 25th December 1987, 26.65 million) - Hilda Ogden leaves the street, and number one was EastEnders (BBC1, 25th December 1986, 30.15 million) - Dirty Den handing Angie the divorce papers. The most watched Comedy & Sitcoms was: Secombe and Friends (ITV, 13th November 1966, 20.79million), Oh No! It's Selwyn Froggitt! (ITV, 7th March 1977, 20.88 million), Bread (BBC1, 4th December 1988, 20.97 million), Love Thy Neighbour (ITV, 1st April 1974, 21.01 million), The Morecambe & Wise Show: Christmas Special (BBC1, 25th December 1977, 21.1 million), The Mike Yarwood Christmas Show (BBC1, 25th December 1977, 21.4 million), Steptoe and Son (BBC1, 18th February 1964, 21.54 million), The Benny Hill Show (ITV, 24th March 1971, 21.67 million), To the Manor Born (BBC1, 11th November 1979, 23.95 million), and number one was Only Fools and Horses (BBC1, 29th December 1996, 24.35 million) – Del Boy and Rodney finally become millionaires. Narrated by Fay Ripley, with contributions from Michael Aspel, Jean Boht, Jennie Bond, Peter Bowles, James Burke, Coronation Street's Charlie Condou, Robin Cousins, Anita Dobson, Jenny Eclair, Philip Franks, Kate Garraway, Eamonn Holmes, Rufus Hound, Coronation Street's Anne Kirkbride, Zoe Lucker, Sir Graham McCann, Trevor McDonald, Sharon Marshall, Nicholas Parsons, Graham Poll, William Roache, Jim Rosenthal, Rob Rouse, Ben Shephard, Melanie Sykes and Jayne Torvill & Christopher Dean. Good!