It was a year that began with Omicron stealing the headlines (it can’t seem like it was that long ago), strike action and snow wreaking havoc on the masses, and a bizarre Qatar World Cup capped off with a cracking final. served as the third prime minister. Meanwhile, viewers were mesmerized by a dancer, singer, bomb disposal expert, and former health secretary eating a camel’s penis. Here, Deadline reveals the most-watched British TV shows (excluding sports) for the year, based on Barb data seven days after launch on overnights.tv, and tops the most-watched World Cup games. They are summarized below. read.
Queen Elizabeth’s State Funeral Approximately – 25M (BBC/ITV/Sky etc. – Monday 19th September)
Gareth Fuller/Getty Images
According to several indicators, HM The State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II is the most-watched British television broadcast of all time, with various analysts most optimistic about global viewership figures at around the 4 billion mark. to Britain shut down this year after the death of the then-world’s longest-reigning monarch, and after 10 days of nationwide mourning, no one was really allowed to do anything fun, and devoted mourners were left out. Thousands lined up to see the coffin. , the funeral was held on a hastily assembled bank holiday. The result was massive coverage on around 50 channels in the UK, peaking at the 29M mark and at 37.5M with at least three minutes of her watched. That audience was larger than the nearly 30 million people who attended Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997, and more than the Queen’s husband Prince Philip and the Queen Mother. Coverage of the funeral, which peaked around 3:00 a.m. Pacific time, was widely praised for its polite tone and top-quality work put together in less than two weeks. Charles III’s coronation in May could be on this list within a year.
I’m a celebrity… get me out of here! – 11.9M (ITV – Sunday 6th November)
ITV
On last year’s list, ITV’s Winter Entertainment juggernaut lost out to its evergreen BBC rival. strict come dancing This year, however, the momentum has returned, thanks to a former government minister. Matt Hancock has been accused by many in various Covid-19-related scandals and has resigned after having an affair, while also violating his own Covid guidelines. i am famous ring. Shortly out of parliament after being quickly dropped by the Conservative Party, he sparked conversations across the country when the show started in early November, drawing its largest audience on Sunday 6 November. rice field. Hancock eating a camel’s penis and a sheep’s vagina, Boy his quarrel with George, and vaguely strange demeanor were heart-thumping and helped close out the finale at his four-year high. . Following a tricky few years when ITV Studios’ show was forced to navigate the pandemic by moving to a castle in Wales, this year’s 22nd season in Australia marks the return of the format hosted by Ant and Dec. and has proven to be stronger than ever.
Come dance strictly – 10.5M (BBC One – Saturday 17th December)
BBC
probably against I’m a celebrity This year’s Strictly Season 20 still racks up millions of views a week, but it was a quieter affair than last year. Strictly The 2022 edition felt more emotion, with the introduction of the trophy, the first same-sex male couple, John White and Johannes Radebe Strictly bread and butter. It was so much fun to see ex-Arsenal footballer Tony Adams in his dancing shoes. Eventually, children’s natural history host Hamzayassin (sometimes called “the next Attenborough”) won the hearts and minds of the public, with Helen he defeated Skeleton, Fuller he defeated East, Molly he defeated Rainford. won the tense final. Arguably, the magic of what began as a quirky ballroom form in the mid-2000s is still, 20 years later, the BBC’s biggest TV show bar and a welcome treat until the cows go home.All ages is watched by millions of people. Suggestions that it should be canceled would be outraged, but producers may be busy pondering how to make the 2023 edition a little more memorable in the country’s collective hearts.
eurovision song contest – 9.1M (BBC One – Saturday 14 May)
eurovision
Not everyone professes to be the biggest eurovision Fans of the world, but boy do many people watch it. And what a show. In this year’s competition, the Karsh Orchestra from Ukraine won an emotional victory. Eurovision. Deserving winning hip-hop troupe, who sold trophies and donated proceeds to Ukraine’s war effort, became superstars overnight and made clips of victory songs Stephania It has been viewed millions of times. The UK, on the other hand, did really well.Sam Ryder’s roaring performance Spaceman Ukraine, unable to host, secured the second spot for the first time in memory for a country that normally scores zero points. eurovisionthe UK, or more precisely Liverpool, will host the 2023 edition, which the BBC promised will serve as an ode to Ukrainian culture. eurovision 2023 may be able to hold onto the wave of 2022. eurovision It’s the number one priority for people’s TV viewing.
trigger point – 8.7M (ITV – Sunday 23rd January)
HTM TV & All3Media International
Jed Mercurio Duties It topped this list last year, but in 2022 ITV hit back with a Mercurio-led riot.Result is trigger point, a Duties-As you can imagine, it’s a quirky thriller starring a police bomb disposal expert. line of duty Vicky McClure. His hexalogy for Mercurio and Jimmy Mulville’s HTM Television, written by up-and-coming Daniel Brierley, has all the ingredients for success and did not disappoint. Launched in January, McClure is Lana, a former military bomb disposal operative and Afghanistan war veteran who uses her skills to lead the London Metropolitan Police’s bomb squad against terrorist threats. Played Washington. McClure was joined by a great and respected cast that included Adrian Lester and Ralph Ineson. trigger point It solidified Mercurio’s position as a pure hit factory and successfully produced for ITV. delay The second season of the BBC hit Bloodlands in the same year.When Duties‘s future remains, next season trigger point By the way, this could run and run.
best of the rest
- A thief, his wife and a canoe – 8.4m (ITV): The whimsical story of a man who faked his own death in a canoe to get a big insurance payout ranked #6 for memorable acting and witty dialogue.
- tourist – 8.4M (BBC One): Kenneth Branagh’s belfast, Jamie Dornan directed this amnesiac wild ride set in Australia free bag Producers Harry and Jack Williams.
- Britain’s Got Talent – 8.2m (ITV): David Walliams-related scandals aside, the 15th season of ITV’s talent show continued to dominate entertainment ratings throughout the spring.
- paradise of death – 8.1M (BBC One): TV’s most popular detective shows are always on the air, and Season 11 of the Caribbean-set criminal investigation was no exception.
- The Great British Bake Off – 8M (Channel 4): Channel 4’s only Top 10 entry was somewhat flat in its 13th season of the annual baking extravaganza, but still had viewers go wild.
Top World Cup Watchers
This year, of course, is the year of the Winter World Cup, and sports are not on the main list, but we have to admit that the controversial Qatar tournament drew huge crowds. teeth England lose 2-1 to France On Saturday, December 10, it peaked at 21.3M on ITV1, making it the most-watched single broadcast of the year (the Queen’s funeral was watched on multiple channels). was just before England 3 – 0 Senegal, slightly below the 20M peak. In the final on December 18, a thrilling penalty decision resulted in a third-place finish. Argentina v France It peaked at 19.3M for a runtime of around two and a half hours aired on both BBC One and ITV1.
All Barb data provided by overnights.tv.