The “Best of British” is one of my most popular posts that lists the year’s highest-rated unscripted programs in the UK.
For a different look at 2018 through June 30, I combined the Documentary, Factual, Lifestyle & Current Affairs categories.
My expanding coverage of Audience Analysis is sponsored by Parrot Analytics. Watch out for more posts and podcasts on the revolution in audience measurement, and what it means for programmers and producers.
SHARE
- I was impressed by the Share earned by the Harry / Meghan wedding.
- Share is expressed as a percentage of the audience that was actually watching TV at the time.
- The wedding earned a whopping 62.9!
- Here is the UK Top 10 for 1H 2018, measured by Share:
| Share (%) | ||
| The Royal Wedding: Harry & Meghan | BBC 1 | 62.9 |
| Countryfile Royal Special: Windsor | BBC 1 | 32.4 |
| Countryfile Royal Special: Sand’ham | BBC 1 | 28.4 |
| The Real Full Monty: Ladies’ Night | ITV | 28.1 |
| Countryfile | BBC 1 | 26.7 |
| Countryfile Royal Special: Balmoral | BBC 1 | 26.1 |
| The Coronation | BBC 1 | 25.6 |
| The Queen’s Green Planet | ITV | 25.3 |
| Masterchef | BBC 1 | 25.0 |
| Britain’s Busiest Airport – Heathrow | ITV | 25.0 |
Takeaways: Share
- The royals dominate with 6 out of the Top 10.
- Maybe its a measure of Britain’ backward-looking Brexit mentality?
- The nostalgic Countryfile magazine (#2,3,5) continues to attract the audience that is loyal to the channels.
- Hats off to this well-conceived, low-budget production.
- It out-performs even prestigious BBC documentaries and even big-budget scripted series.
- The Coronation (#6) is a BBC / Smithsonian / ABC Australia documentary production.
- And the Heathrow reality series keeps on delivering.
AUDIENCE
- And here is 1H 2018 (#1-50) measured by audience.
- Note more royal dominance!
| Programme | Channel | ‘000 | |
| 1 | Royal Wedding: Harry & Meghan | BBC 1 | 8,916 |
| 2 | The Coronation | BBC 1 | 6,899 |
| 3 | Countryfile | BBC 1 | 6,492 |
| 4 | The Queen’s Green Planet | ITV | 6,356 |
| 5 | The Real Full Monty: Ladies’ Night | ITV | 6,327 |
| 6 | Masterchef | BBC 1 | 6,089 |
| 7 | Great Celebrity Bake Off for Cancer | CH4 | 5,678 |
| 8 | Antiques Roadshow | BBC 1 | 5,667 |
| 9 | The Real Full Monty: Live | ITV | 5,223 |
| 10 | DIY SOS: The Big Build | BBC 1 | 5,219 |
| 11 | Big Cats | BBC 1 | 5,026 |
| 12 | James Bulger: A Mother’s Story | ITV | 4,932 |
| 13 | Countryfile Royal Special: Sand’ham | BBC 1 | 4,908 |
| 14 | Attenborough / Giant Sea Dragon | BBC 1 | 4,860 |
| 15 | Countryfile Royal Special: Balmoral | BBC 1 | 4,827 |
| 16 | The One Show | BBC 1 | 4,709 |
| 17 | Countryfile Royal Special: Windsor | BBC 1 | 4,687 |
| 18 | The Truth About Getting Fit | BBC 1 | 4,594 |
| 19 | Tonight | ITV | 4,585 |
| 20 | Britain’s Busiest Airport – Heathrow | ITV | 4,544 |
| 21 | Gogglebox | CH4 | 4,433 |
| 22 | Ambulance | BBC 1 | 4,398 |
| 23 | The Martin Lewis Money Show | ITV | 4,357 |
| 24 | Death Row 2018 w Trevor Mcdonald | ITV | 4,039 |
| 25 | Wonders of the Moon | BBC 1 | 4,022 |
| 26 | Animals with Cameras | BBC 1 | 4,021 |
| 27 | RAF At 100 | BBC 1 | 3,925 |
| 28 | Britain’s Fat Fight w Hugh Fearnley | BBC 1 | 3,909 |
| 29 | The Cruise: Mediterranean | ITV | 3,898 |
| 30 | What Would Your Kid Do? | ITV | 3,861 |
| 31 | The Great Festive Bake Off | CH4 | 3,829 |
| 32 | The Cruise: Voyage to Alaska | ITV | 3,802 |
| 33 | President Trump – Piers Morgan | ITV | 3,719 |
| 34 | Serial Killer w Piers Morgan | ITV | 3,709 |
| 35 | Britain’s Favourite Dogs: Top 100 | ITV | 3,694 |
| 36 | The Truth About Carbs | BBC 1 | 3,684 |
| 37 | Earth’s Natural Wonders | BBC 1 | 3,676 |
| 38 | The Real Camilla | ITV | 3,675 |
| 39 | Children Who Kill | ITV | 3,653 |
| 40 | 24 Hours In Police Custody | CH4 | 3,652 |
| 41 | Long Lost Family: Next | ITV | 3,613 |
| 42 | The Cruise: Sailing the Caribbean | ITV | 3,587 |
| 43 | Tom Kerridge’s Lose Weight 4 Good | BBC 2 | 3,520 |
| 44 | Paul O’Grady: Love of Dogs – India | ITV | 3,487 |
| 45 | The Truth about Looking Good | BBC 1 | 3,455 |
| 46 | Watchdog | BBC 1 | 3,409 |
| 47 | The Royal Wedding: Highlights | BBC 2 | 3,369 |
| 48 | 100 Years Younger in 21 Days | ITV | 3,364 |
| 49 | The Martin Lewis Money Show Live | ITV | 3,361 |
| 50 | The Investigator | ITV | 3,323 |
- And here comes #51-100, measured by Audience.
- With even more royals and their weddings.
- But thankfully, lots of the high-quality and imaginative programs that distinguish UK television.
- A&E Live captured by attention because LIVE programming is undergoing a steady revival in the Wildlife, Crime, Medical and other genres.
| Programme | Channel | ‘000 | |
| 51 | Top Gear | BBC 2 | 3,315 |
| 52 | The Royal Wives of Windsor | ITV | 3,275 |
| 53 | A&E Live | ITV | 3,273 |
| 54 | Pr. Harry’s Story: 4 Royal Weddings | ITV | 3,270 |
| 55 | Inside Out – Pharmacists / Pressure? | BBC 1 | 3,212 |
| 56 | Invitation to a Royal Wedding | ITV | 3,211 |
| 57 | Miriam’s Big American Adventure | BBC 1 | 3,174 |
| 58 | Rachel Nickell: The Untold Story | ITV | 3,116 |
| 59 | Save Money: Good Food | ITV | 3,107 |
| 60 | Inside the Factory | BBC 2 | 3,105 |
| 61 | Fake Britain | BBC 1 | 3,104 |
| 62 | Taking on Putin: Panorama | BBC 1 | 3,103 |
| 63 | The RHS Chelsea Flower Show | BBC 1 | 3,096 |
| 64 | Who Do You Think You Are? | BBC 1 | 3,068 |
| 65 | Britain’s Best Walks w Julia Bradbury | ITV | 3,027 |
| 66 | Home from Home | BBC 1 | 3,011 |
| 67 | Inside Out | BBC 1 | 3,001 |
| 68 | Panorama: Millionaire Bankrupts | BBC 1 | 2,996 |
| 69 | The Fast Fix: Diabetes | ITV | 2,984 |
| 70 | Love Your Garden | ITV | 2,962 |
| 71 | Gardeners’ World | BBC 2 | 2,950 |
| 72 | Paul O’Grady: Love of Dogs | ITV | 2,931 |
| 73 | The Island w Bear Grylls | CH4 | 2,931 |
| 74 | Antiques Road Trip | BBC 1 | 2,908 |
| 75 | Harold Shipman: Doctor Death | ITV | 2,906 |
| 76 | A House Through Time | BBC 2 | 2,897 |
| 77 | 100 Year Old Driving School | ITV | 2,880 |
| 78 | The Truth About Obesity | BBC 1 | 2,862 |
| 79 | Hunted | CH4 | 2,860 |
| 80 | 24 Hours in A&E | CH4 | 2,856 |
| 81 | Nightmare Pets SOS | BBC 1 | 2,853 |
| 82 | Surgeons: At the Edge of Life | BBC 2 | 2,851 |
| 83 | Dragons’ Den | BBC 2 | 2,832 |
| 84 | Bulger Killers: Was Justice Done? | CH4 | 2,821 |
| 86 | Best of the Palladium | ITV | 2,807 |
| 87 | Royal Wedding: Married in Morning | BBC 1 | 2,804 |
| 88 | Bargain Hunt | BBC 1 | 2,769 |
| 89 | River Monsters | ITV | 2,769 |
| 90 | The Sheriffs are Coming | BBC 1 | 2,742 |
| 91 | Panorama – Trump Voters: 1 Year + | BBC 1 | 2,738 |
| 92 | The Kyle Files | ITV | 2,717 |
| 93 | Trust Me, I’m a Doctor | BBC 2 | 2,703 |
| 94 | SAS: Who Dares Wins | CH4 | 2,695 |
| 95 | Panorama: Brit’s Equal Pay Scandal | BBC 1 | 2,692 |
| 96 | Blue Planet II: Oceans of Wonder | BBC 1 | 2,681 |
| 97 | Devon & Cornwall Cops | ITV | 2,665 |
| 98 | Stephen: Murder Changed a Nation | BBC 1 | 2,649 |
| 99 | Panorama – White Fright / Britain | BBC 1 | 2,649 |
| 100 | Escape to the Chateau | CH4 | 2,649 |
Takeaways
- I’m in Durban, South Africa attending the fascinating and engaging NEWF conference that links nature, the environment and film-making.
- I’ll share my detailed UK Takeaways later.
Editorial Assistant: Mary Alice McMillan