We say this every time we view the latest UK viewing data: “the list shows real quality and is wonderfully eclectic!”
- There is a thriving appetite for nonfiction programs across genres and formats, including observational, hosted, Blue Chip, high end Lifestyle, Travel, and so on.
- The list includes several big budget Natural History, Science, History series and specials.
The shares and ratings are huge compared with U.S. audiences for comparable programs:
- Many of these categories are nearly extinct in the equivalent U.S. Top 100, where Reality series led by A&E’s Duck Dynasty continue to rock and roll.
- Or where nonfiction ‘tent poles’ are giving way to scripted ones, like this weekend’s record-setting Killing Kennedy on Nat Geo Channel.
Here is a chart of the Top 50 Factual programs in UK for 2013 through Sept 30:
‘000 | Share | |||
| 1 | BBC 1 | Africa | 8,519 | 28.1 |
| 2 | BBC 1 | Countryfile | 7,705 | 32.9 |
| 3 | BBC 1 | The Apprentice: The Final | 6,742 | 29.5 |
| 4 | BBC 1 | ‘Doctor Who’ Live | 6,368 | 29.9 |
| 5 | ITV | Our Queen | 6,279 | 21.8 |
| 6 | ITV | Her Majesty’s Prison Aylesbury | 6,132 | 21.5 |
| 7 | ITV | Long Lost Family | 5,877 | 23.5 |
| 8 | BBC 1 | Penguins – Spy In The Huddle | 5,835 | 20.7 |
| 9 | ITV | Paul O’Grady: For The Love Of Dogs | 5,584 | 24.1 |
| 10 | BBC 1 | Who Do You Think You Are? | 5,394 | 22.9 |
| 11 | BBC 2 | Horizon | 5,148 | 20.9 |
| 12 | BBC 1 | Pompeii | 5,056 | 19.6 |
| 13 | CH4 | My Big Fat Gypsy Valentine | 5,054 | 16.5 |
| 14 | BBC 1 | Comic Relief | 4,967 | 20.8 |
| 15 | CH4 | Richard III: The King In The Car Park | 4,872 | 17.6 |
| 16 | CH4 | Educating Yorkshire | 4,761 | 18.0 |
| 17 | ITV | Martin Clunes: Heavy Horsepower | 4,652 | 17.0 |
| 18 | CH4 | The Man With The 10-Stone Testicles | 4,492 | 17.8 |
| 19 | BBC 1 | Andy Murray: Behind The Racquet | 4,414 | 18.4 |
| 20 | ITV | Secret Life Of Dogs | 4,306 | 15.5 |
| 21 | ITV | The Zoo | 4,295 | 21.8 |
| 22 | BBC 1 | Paul O’Grady’s Working Britain | 4,244 | 18.5 |
| 23 | BBC 1 | Child Of Our Time | 4,082 | 15.5 |
| 24 | BBC 1 | The Prisoners | 3,997 | 13.7 |
| 25 | BBC 1 | Great Bear Stakeout | 3,988 | 15.5 |
| 26 | ITV | James Nesbitt’s Ireland | 3,949 | 14.8 |
| 27 | BBC 1 | My Hero: Miranda On Eric Morcambe | 3,911 | 15.2 |
| 28 | BBC 1 | Bang Goes The Theory | 3,885 | 15.7 |
| 29 | CH4 | 24 Hours In A & E | 3,856 | 14.4 |
| 30 | ITV | Secrets From The Workhouse | 3,847 | 15.3 |
| 31 | ITV | Andrew Lloyd Webber | 3,841 | 17.3 |
| 32 | CH 5 | Celebrity Big Brother | 3,834 | 16.0 |
| 33 | CH4 | Skint | 3,813 | 14.2 |
| 34 | CH4 | The Undateables | 3,776 | 13.9 |
| 35 | ITV | Women Behind Bars | 3,759 | 15.3 |
| 36 | CH4 | One Born Every Minute | 3,753 | 12.4 |
| 37 | BBC 1 | Motorway Cops | 3,747 | 13.7 |
| 38 | CH4 | My Big Fat Gypsy Fortune | 3,734 | 12.3 |
| 39 | BBC 2 | The Last Days Of Anne Boleyn | 3,714 | 14.4 |
| 40 | BBC 1 | Victoria Wood’s Nice Cup Of Tea | 3,653 | 13.6 |
| 41 | ITV | Stephen Fry’s Key To The City | 3,613 | 13.3 |
| 42 | BBC 1 | Britain’s Biggest Hoarders | 3,586 | 14.0 |
| 43 | ITV | Perspectives: Warwick Davis | 3,490 | 14.9 |
| 44 | CH4 | 16 Kids & Counting | 3,471 | 11.9 |
| 45 | BBC 1 | The Queen: A Passion For Horses | 3,460 | 11.9 |
| 46 | CH4 | My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding | 3,457 | 13.2 |
| 47 | BBC 2 | The Mary Berry Story | 3,406 | 13.4 |
| 48 | ITV | Cornwall With Caroline Quentin | 3,381 | 12.8 |
| 49 | BBC 2 | Dragons’ Den | 3,370 | 14.0 |
| 50 | BBC 1 | Africa: Greatest Show | 3,312 | 14.0 |
TAKEAWAYS
Natural History
- The BBC’s unforgettable Africa series tops the list, firing The Apprentice (now #3) from the top spot.
- Penguins (#8) establishes that innovative technical kit can deliver unique access and king size ratings.
- Africa and Penguins are good news for the BBC which is doubling down on core ‘mission’ programs in the lead up to a contentious license renewal.
- The BBC/Discovery copro deal delivered $15 million / year to the Beeb for wildlife programming.
- Its termination fueled predictions that the Blue Chip Natural History field will soon be on under severe funding pressure.
- There are five Wildlife programs in our Top 20 in our list. Two are Blue Chip and three are hosted specials. They are: For the Love of Dogs, Secret life of Dogs and Heavy Horsepower.
- Another quick Takeaway: ‘Know who you’re pitching’. I can’t tell my readers how many times I have heard that horses and birds are on the US commissioners’ list of ‘concepts that kill the pitch meeting.’ Not so in UK!
Royal / History
- History still matters to the Brits, with five in the Top 20.
- Royal topics are sprinkled up and down the list, led by ITV’s Our Queen at #5 and Richard III: The King in the Car Park with 4.9 million viewers in our #15 slot.
- And then there’s the Royal/Animals hybrid: The Queen: A Passion for Horses at #45.
Hosts are Back!
- I counted 12 in the Top 50, and may have missed quite a few.
Work
- In our post-GFC age of chronic under-employment, Work is a recurring theme.
- It is the key topic for young job seekers in The Apprentice, horses again in Heavy Horsepower and for the UK itself in Paul O’Grady’s Working Britain.
- There’s a Work/History blend in ITV’s expose of 19th Century social horrors, Secrets of the Workhouse.
- And in several Obs/Docs formats, humanity is observed at work in prison and hospital settings.
Gross Stuff
- Extreme human conditions are still popular.
- C4 again takes the prize for low-brow Science – this time with The Man With the 10-Stone Testicles. (#18)
- That’s 140 lbs or 64 kilos for non-stoner readers!
What Else?
- The list is very British: The big exception is The Apprentice, a U.S. format.
- There is less nostalgia than in our previous report, published in a Royal Anniversary year.
- The gypsy franchise expands.
- Long Lost Family and Who Do You Think You Are? show the powerful appeal of family discovery formats.
Overall Report Card?
- There aren’t many new, breakout programs that are apparent in the list.
- Big year for BBC Natural History.
- And thanks to Netflix, Hulu Plus and other platforms, I’m able to see more of the amazing quality and variety offered to Brits!
HOBBIES & LEISURE
BARB provides a separate list for ‘Hobbies & Leisure’.
- We published a fascinating Case Study on #2 Antiques Roadshow – a top BBC franchise for an amazing 35+ years.
- And Antiques Roadshow helped inspire the US History hit Pawn Stars, covered in a Case Study here, and in a panel with its ‘creation team’ on our YouTube channel in ‘Anatomy of a Hit Reality Series’.
Here are the Top 20, UK Hobbies & Leisure, 2013 through Sept 30.
‘000 | Share | |||
| 1 | BBC 2 | The Great British Bake Off | 7,323 | 29.8 |
| 2 | BBC 1 | Antiques Roadshow | 6,577 | 24.9 |
| 3 | BBC 1 | Masterchef | 6,533 | 24.7 |
| 4 | BBC 1 | Celebrity Masterchef | 6,277 | 26.1 |
| 5 | BBC 2 | Top Gear | 5,890 | 17.2 |
| 6 | BBC 1 | DIY SOS: The Big Build | 4,662 | 17.9 |
| 7 | BBC 1 | Nigel Slater’s Dish Of The Day | 4,424 | 22.6 |
| 8 | BBC 1 | Eat Well For Less? | 4,044 | 21.0 |
| 9 | BBC 1 | Holiday Hit Squad | 4,011 | 17.6 |
| 10 | BBC 1 | Great British Budget Menu | 3,920 | 19.6 |
| 11 | BBC 1 | Chelsea Flower Show | 3,621 | 16.7 |
| 12 | ITV | Love Your Garden | 3,457 | 16.5 |
| 13 | CH4 | Grand Designs | 3,223 | 13.1 |
| 14 | BBC 2 | The Great British Sewing Bee | 3,087 | 12.7 |
| 15 | CH4 | Location, Location, Location | 2,984 | 11.3 |
| 16 | BBC 2 | Springwatch | 2,959 | 12.1 |
| 17 | BBC 1 | Bargain Hunt | 2,848 | 30.7 |
| 18 | BBC 2 | Paul Hollywood’s Bread | 2,842 | 10.5 |
| 19 | BBC 1 | Saturday Kitchen Live | 2,817 | 27.5 |
| 20 | BBC 1 | Antiques Road Trip | 2,796 | 17.0 |
Research assistance: Dana Bramble
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Next Workshop / Tutoring Session:
World Congress of Science & Factual Producers
Co-Production Surgery: US Funds and Foundations
Montreal, Thurs, December 5th 9:00-12:30