Top 20 Programmes of 2003

Here are the top 20 programmes of 2003, how many did you watch?. Last year's positions are in brackets

1 (3) 19.4m Coronation Street (ITV1)
2 (2) 16.7m EastEnders (BBC1)
3 (-) 16.1m Tonight Special: Millionaire Fraud (ITV1)
4 (1) 15.5m Only Fools and Horses (BBC1)
5 (-) 15.3m Tonight Special: Michael Jackson (ITV1)
6 (9) 12.8m Heartbeat (ITV1)
7 (12) 12.7m I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! (ITV1)
8 (-) 12.7m Film: Billy Elliot (BBC1)
9 (-) 12.3m Rugby World Cup Final (ITV1)
10 (8 ) 12.2m A Touch of Frost (ITV1)
11 (-) 12m The Royal (ITV1)
12 (11) 11.9m Emmerdale (ITV1)
13 (-) 11.7m Comic Relief (BBC1)
14 (-) 11.1m Rosemary and Thyme (ITV1)
15 (4) 10.9m Pop Idol Final (ITV1)
16 (-) 10.7m Cold Feet (ITV1)
17 (-) 10.5m Prime Suspect 6 (ITV1)
18= (-) 10.5m UEFA Champions League: Man Utd v Real Madrid (ITV1)
18= (-) 10.5m Children in Need (BBC1)
20 (20) 10.4m The Bill (ITV1)

Notice those two Tonight specials from the start of the year that everyone was talking about are in the top 5. Only the higest rating episode of soaps is shown, for corrie its the Richard Hillman episode

Pleasing results then, ITV1 have a clear majority which is very good to see. It proves that ITV have more exclusives and generally just more popular programming that entertains people. These results are proving better every year, as BBC1 claimed the two top spots last year and now ITV1 have grabbed the top spot and third place, two of the top five dominated by Tonight special documentries. ITV1 is the future, and I am glad to see the country is establishing this. Once ITV1 have got the better of the news, things cannot get much better.

As long as they keep it up. And not let this result go to their head/s. I've always prefered itv1, and I don't know why. I presume it is what you like as a child. I predered CiTV as a children and grew up with CiTV/itv1

I thought I saw EastEnders topping most of the weeks rating though? No way has Corrie topped EastEnders??

Are these figures from the BBC-hating The Guardian?



Its funny you say that, fanoftv, I'm the same (how many of us from the mids grew up with the central cake and not even knowing that this 'itv' existed (except from appearing on end production graphics))... and how many of us still call ITV "Central"?)... ITV is always on in my house because of the same reason, but I can't help being very over defensive towards the BBC and for some reason like seeing it triumph over ITV... although I hardly watch it? odd, I know

I personally prefer BBC1 but it is good to see ITV1 fighting back this year as now TV is going to be worth watching again with two strong main channels. We havn't had that for about three years.

Me too - I grew up with Central globe and Cake and CITV - so I shall continue to grow up with ITV1 for Central England!

ITV are always the best! You know they are!

You are mistaken. Corrie has been on top for most of the year with the Richard Hillman & Peter Barlow storylines.

This table goes to show how, when on form ITV is still the driving force in making popular, widely viewed television. The BBC don't have a single drama or entertainment format (other than a charity event) in that top 20. It's the daytime schedule (This Morning aside) & the post 10pm schedule which is dragging the audience share down.

Going from the figures that are made available on sites like MediaGuardian, you are right for the late-middle to end of the year psnowdon. EE has been ahead since mid-autumn, with Corrie taking the lead early in the year mainly with the Richard Hillman storylines. EE was also ahead in the Christmas and New Year periods.

Well well well...
I really think Corrie is generally a very weak prog but it only get the viewers it does because "It's always been on" and "my mom used to watch it, as did her mom..."

I think if it started now, it would go down the same route as Crossroads did...

Eastenders, altho still only a soap, is leagues above Corrie.

The list is based on the highest rating episode. Corrie's being the 24th February 2003 which was when Richard Hillman drove his family into the Weatherfield Canal. EastEnders figure was the 29th September edition which no doubt was when Dirty Den came back (?).

And to balance your view, in my opinion EastEnders is a very weak show, Corrie is far better. The figures are from Barb, and The Guardian isn't exactly on ITV's side a lot of the time either

Andrew, whoever you got that list from, they were mistaken. It was actually the episode of Richards confession (23/2/03) that had the highest ratings of almost 20 million. The episode of Richard's demise clashed with comic relief so that episode didnt do quite as well as expected.

I think Corrie is still excellent even though other people think its gone downhill since Richard, its a shame fewer viewers watch it now, however I think ITV would be reluctant to axe Corrie as it still pulls in more viewers than any other show on ITV1 (most of the time)

Jez

its a shame fewer viewers watch it now

There's absolutely nothing unusual in that. The relative popularity of Corrie and EastEnders runs in a cycle - Corrie will have a strong storyline for a while so it'll consistently outrate EE, then the positions will be reversed for a few months, and so on.

Either way, there's usually very little difference between the audiences for both shows (except during major storyline peaks) and they can both be relied upon to pull over 11 million viewers per episode.

however I think ITV would be reluctant to axe Corrie

Jez, that is quite the most bizarre comment I've ever read on this very bizarre forum!

ITV would no more consider axing Corrie than the BBC would consider axing EastEnders. Why would ITV get rid of the single most popular programme on British television?