Louisa Mellor Dec 7, 2017
UK kids wouldn’t have survived the 90s without The Crystal Maze, Knightmare, Gladiators and more…
Remember boredom? Boredom was to a nineties childhood what stress is to modern adulthood – a constant and inescapable presence, relieved only by television.
See related Gotham season 4 episode 7 review: A Day In The Narrows
The difference is, even television could be boring in the nineties. Grown-ups exclusively watched One Man And His Dog, The Budget and Ballykissangel, the sort of programmes that gave you Sunday-night-dread any day of the week. Try as you might to escape border collies, Kenneth Clarke and priests having harvest festival scrapes in picturesque Irish villages, it simply wasn’t possible. There were no streaming services to come to your rescue. Video rental was a birthdays-only treat. What else were you supposed to do? Read?
Every so often, a bright light would shine through, illuminating the murk of Ground Force and Oh,...
UK kids wouldn’t have survived the 90s without The Crystal Maze, Knightmare, Gladiators and more…
Remember boredom? Boredom was to a nineties childhood what stress is to modern adulthood – a constant and inescapable presence, relieved only by television.
See related Gotham season 4 episode 7 review: A Day In The Narrows
The difference is, even television could be boring in the nineties. Grown-ups exclusively watched One Man And His Dog, The Budget and Ballykissangel, the sort of programmes that gave you Sunday-night-dread any day of the week. Try as you might to escape border collies, Kenneth Clarke and priests having harvest festival scrapes in picturesque Irish villages, it simply wasn’t possible. There were no streaming services to come to your rescue. Video rental was a birthdays-only treat. What else were you supposed to do? Read?
Every so often, a bright light would shine through, illuminating the murk of Ground Force and Oh,...
- 12/5/2017
- Den of Geek
UK TV ratings roundup - data supplied by Barb
Strictly Come Dancing handily beat The X Factor, as BBC One's hit programme returned to impressive numbers.
The 13th series' launch show was watched by 8.69 million (41.7%) from 7.15pm - and improved year on year, topping last year's opening figure of 8.43 million.
Strictly also peaked with 9.47 million (45.2%) at around 8pm.
By contrast, The X Factor lagged behind on ITV with 7.13 million (32.8%) with a further 389k (2%) on +1, but remained steady with last Saturday's live figure of 7.11 million.
At 8.15pm, when the two shows briefly overlapped, Strictly enjoyed an audience of 9.04 million (40.1%) compared to The X Factor's 5.44 million (24.1%).
Earlier on BBC One, Pointless Celebrities entertained 3.99 million (23.3%) and The National Lottery: Five Star Family Reunion managed 3.84 million (18%).
Casualty then impressed with 4.79 million and a 25% share from 9.30pm.
On BBC Two, repeats of Dad's Army and Goodness Gracious pulled in 1.46 million (6.8%) and 730k (3.5%) respectively,...
Strictly Come Dancing handily beat The X Factor, as BBC One's hit programme returned to impressive numbers.
The 13th series' launch show was watched by 8.69 million (41.7%) from 7.15pm - and improved year on year, topping last year's opening figure of 8.43 million.
Strictly also peaked with 9.47 million (45.2%) at around 8pm.
By contrast, The X Factor lagged behind on ITV with 7.13 million (32.8%) with a further 389k (2%) on +1, but remained steady with last Saturday's live figure of 7.11 million.
At 8.15pm, when the two shows briefly overlapped, Strictly enjoyed an audience of 9.04 million (40.1%) compared to The X Factor's 5.44 million (24.1%).
Earlier on BBC One, Pointless Celebrities entertained 3.99 million (23.3%) and The National Lottery: Five Star Family Reunion managed 3.84 million (18%).
Casualty then impressed with 4.79 million and a 25% share from 9.30pm.
On BBC Two, repeats of Dad's Army and Goodness Gracious pulled in 1.46 million (6.8%) and 730k (3.5%) respectively,...
- 9/6/2015
- Digital Spy
UK TV ratings roundup – data supplied by Barb
BBC One's Casualty has once again topped the Saturday night ratings.
For the second week running, the medical drama was seen by 4.2 million viewers (23.1%) at 9.10pm on BBC One.
BBC One's evening began with 3.34 million (22.5%) for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade at 6.15pm, followed by 3.08 million (17.7%) for The National Lottery: Five Star Family Reunion.
With highlights from matches including Tottenham v Stoke and West Ham against Leicester, Match of the Day rounded things off with 3.32 million (26.1%).
Over on ITV, You've Been Framed kicked things off with 2.04 million (15%), while Bradley Walsh game show Keep It in the Family entertained 2.65 million (13.8%) at 7pm.
Speaking of game shows, The Saturday Night Story was seen by 2.3 million (13.5%) at 8pm, while The Bourne Supremacy attracted 1.4 million viewers (8.3%).
Gardener's World was seen by 770k (5.7%) at 6.30pm on BBC Two, followed by 530k (3.6%) for Proms...
BBC One's Casualty has once again topped the Saturday night ratings.
For the second week running, the medical drama was seen by 4.2 million viewers (23.1%) at 9.10pm on BBC One.
BBC One's evening began with 3.34 million (22.5%) for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade at 6.15pm, followed by 3.08 million (17.7%) for The National Lottery: Five Star Family Reunion.
With highlights from matches including Tottenham v Stoke and West Ham against Leicester, Match of the Day rounded things off with 3.32 million (26.1%).
Over on ITV, You've Been Framed kicked things off with 2.04 million (15%), while Bradley Walsh game show Keep It in the Family entertained 2.65 million (13.8%) at 7pm.
Speaking of game shows, The Saturday Night Story was seen by 2.3 million (13.5%) at 8pm, while The Bourne Supremacy attracted 1.4 million viewers (8.3%).
Gardener's World was seen by 770k (5.7%) at 6.30pm on BBC Two, followed by 530k (3.6%) for Proms...
- 8/16/2015
- Digital Spy
The Voice UK dropped to a series low last night (March 14), according to overnight figures.
BBC One's singing competition averaged 6.69m (31.6%) during the first knockouts episode, which saw will.i.am and Rita Ora choose their final teams.
The National Lottery: Win Your Wish List continued with 4.08m (20%) from 8.30pm, with Casualty attracting 4.85m (24.5%) afterwards.
BBC Two's How We Got to Now with Steven Johnson wrapped up with 663k (3.1%) from 7.30pm. A repeat of Dad's Army amused 1.7m (8.3%), and an airing of Hockney managed 828k (4.4%) from 9pm.
On ITV, Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway appealed to 5.46m (26.4%) from 7pm.
Phillip Schofield's You’re Back In The Room kicked off with 4.08m (19.8%) from 8.20pm, before the Madonna special of The Jonathan Ross Show was watched by 2.68m (13.7%).
Channel 4's The World's Weirdest Weather drew 712k (3.4%) in the 8pm hour, and Kristen Wiig film Bridesmaids entertained 1.08m (6.2%) from 9pm.
BBC One's singing competition averaged 6.69m (31.6%) during the first knockouts episode, which saw will.i.am and Rita Ora choose their final teams.
The National Lottery: Win Your Wish List continued with 4.08m (20%) from 8.30pm, with Casualty attracting 4.85m (24.5%) afterwards.
BBC Two's How We Got to Now with Steven Johnson wrapped up with 663k (3.1%) from 7.30pm. A repeat of Dad's Army amused 1.7m (8.3%), and an airing of Hockney managed 828k (4.4%) from 9pm.
On ITV, Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway appealed to 5.46m (26.4%) from 7pm.
Phillip Schofield's You’re Back In The Room kicked off with 4.08m (19.8%) from 8.20pm, before the Madonna special of The Jonathan Ross Show was watched by 2.68m (13.7%).
Channel 4's The World's Weirdest Weather drew 712k (3.4%) in the 8pm hour, and Kristen Wiig film Bridesmaids entertained 1.08m (6.2%) from 9pm.
- 3/15/2015
- Digital Spy
The World Cup quarter-final between Netherlands and Costa Rica was seen by an average of 7.70 million (42.8%) viewers on BBC One last night (July 5).
The game peaked with 9.18 million viewers as the Netherlands defeated Costa Rica 4-3 on penalties.
BBC One's evening kicked off with 2.54 million (15.8%) for A Question of Sport at 7pm, while 2.55 million (14.9%) tuned in for The National Lottery: Break the Safe immediately after.
Over on ITV, Carol Vorderman's appearance on the returning Tipping Point: Lucky Stars reeled in 3.34 million (19.7%) at 7.30pm, while Midsomer Murders was seen by 1.86 million (9.6%) at 8.30pm.
ITV's World Cup match between Argentina and Belgium entertained an average of 4.42 million (33.1%) at 5pm. Argentina progressed to the semi-finals with a 1-0 victory.
Today at Wimbledon was BBC Two's highest-rated show of the evening, picking up 1.10 million viewers at 8.15pm.
Qi Xl followed with 790k (4%) immediately after, while evening movie Last Chance Harvey was...
The game peaked with 9.18 million viewers as the Netherlands defeated Costa Rica 4-3 on penalties.
BBC One's evening kicked off with 2.54 million (15.8%) for A Question of Sport at 7pm, while 2.55 million (14.9%) tuned in for The National Lottery: Break the Safe immediately after.
Over on ITV, Carol Vorderman's appearance on the returning Tipping Point: Lucky Stars reeled in 3.34 million (19.7%) at 7.30pm, while Midsomer Murders was seen by 1.86 million (9.6%) at 8.30pm.
ITV's World Cup match between Argentina and Belgium entertained an average of 4.42 million (33.1%) at 5pm. Argentina progressed to the semi-finals with a 1-0 victory.
Today at Wimbledon was BBC Two's highest-rated show of the evening, picking up 1.10 million viewers at 8.15pm.
Qi Xl followed with 790k (4%) immediately after, while evening movie Last Chance Harvey was...
- 7/6/2014
- Digital Spy
Nick Knowles is definitely a fixture of the television schedules, and he's back for more with another series of his Saturday night show Break The Safe - which returns tomorrow. To mark its launch, we got on the phone with Nick for a natter about the many things he's got going on - from the future of Diy Sos to whether he really was approached about Strictly...
"I think people overlook the Saturday night stuff on BBC One because it's wrapped around the lottery. But you can tell a good show from a bad show, because a bad one will get about 2m, and a good one will do several million more than that. We know lots of people watched Break The Safe last time and enjoyed it, so I'm very pleased to get a second go at it. I think sometimes also people think these things are made up...
"I think people overlook the Saturday night stuff on BBC One because it's wrapped around the lottery. But you can tell a good show from a bad show, because a bad one will get about 2m, and a good one will do several million more than that. We know lots of people watched Break The Safe last time and enjoyed it, so I'm very pleased to get a second go at it. I think sometimes also people think these things are made up...
- 6/27/2014
- Digital Spy
The Voice UK final topped Saturday night ratings with 6.6 million viewers last night (April 5), according to overnight data.
30.7% of the audience share tuned in from 7pm to see the four finalists battling it out for the show's prize of a recording contract, which was eventually won by will.i.am's protégé Jermain Jackman.
Over on ITV, Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway also wrapped up its current series, pulling in 5.74m (26.7%) when it aired at 7pm. An additional 288k caught the episode on +1.
Back on BBC One, 4.93m (24%) watched Kian Egan perform on The National Lottery Live at 9.05pm, followed by long-running medical drama Casualty which pulled in 4.9m (24.6%).
BBC Two's Dad's Army entertained 1.67m (7.64%) at 7.30pm, while The Plantagenets informed 1.14m (5.25%) at 8pm. 1.96m (9.78%) caught up with the latest Formula 1 action at the Bahrain Grand Prix at 9pm.
Phillip Schofield's The Cube attracted 3.33m (15.8%) on ITV at 8.25pm,...
30.7% of the audience share tuned in from 7pm to see the four finalists battling it out for the show's prize of a recording contract, which was eventually won by will.i.am's protégé Jermain Jackman.
Over on ITV, Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway also wrapped up its current series, pulling in 5.74m (26.7%) when it aired at 7pm. An additional 288k caught the episode on +1.
Back on BBC One, 4.93m (24%) watched Kian Egan perform on The National Lottery Live at 9.05pm, followed by long-running medical drama Casualty which pulled in 4.9m (24.6%).
BBC Two's Dad's Army entertained 1.67m (7.64%) at 7.30pm, while The Plantagenets informed 1.14m (5.25%) at 8pm. 1.96m (9.78%) caught up with the latest Formula 1 action at the Bahrain Grand Prix at 9pm.
Phillip Schofield's The Cube attracted 3.33m (15.8%) on ITV at 8.25pm,...
- 4/6/2014
- Digital Spy
The National Television Awards 2014 longlist nominations have been announced and voting is now (September 17) open.
Hosted by Dermot O'Leary, the NTAs celebrate the best and most popular TV and are exclusively voted for by viewers. The 2014 awards take place at London's O2 on January 22.
Full list of 2014 nominations:
Drama
Broadchurch
Call The Midwife
Casualty
Dci Banks
Death In Paradise
Doc Martin
Doctor Who
Downton Abbey
Endeavour
Foyle's War
Holby City
Homeland
Jonathan Creek
Last Tango in Halifax
Law & Order: UK
Lewis
Love and Marriage
Luther
Midsomer Murders
Mr Selfridge
New Tricks
Poirot
Revolution
Ripper Street
Scott & Bailey
Shetland
Silent Witness
The Fall
The Paradise
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher
The Syndicate
The Village
The White Queen
Under The Dome
Vera
What Remains
TV Detective
Olivia Colman - Broadchurch
David Tennant - Broadchurch
Stephen Tompkinson - Dci Banks
Shaun Evans - Endeavour
Michael Kitchen - Foyle's War
Alan Davies - Jonathan Creek...
Hosted by Dermot O'Leary, the NTAs celebrate the best and most popular TV and are exclusively voted for by viewers. The 2014 awards take place at London's O2 on January 22.
Full list of 2014 nominations:
Drama
Broadchurch
Call The Midwife
Casualty
Dci Banks
Death In Paradise
Doc Martin
Doctor Who
Downton Abbey
Endeavour
Foyle's War
Holby City
Homeland
Jonathan Creek
Last Tango in Halifax
Law & Order: UK
Lewis
Love and Marriage
Luther
Midsomer Murders
Mr Selfridge
New Tricks
Poirot
Revolution
Ripper Street
Scott & Bailey
Shetland
Silent Witness
The Fall
The Paradise
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher
The Syndicate
The Village
The White Queen
Under The Dome
Vera
What Remains
TV Detective
Olivia Colman - Broadchurch
David Tennant - Broadchurch
Stephen Tompkinson - Dci Banks
Shaun Evans - Endeavour
Michael Kitchen - Foyle's War
Alan Davies - Jonathan Creek...
- 9/17/2013
- Digital Spy
The X Factor's audience took another tumble yesterday, despite topping the Saturday overnight ratings for ITV. Last night's hour-long instalment, which featured Geri Halliwell on the judging panel, averaged 7.7m (33.9%) from 8.10pm and added 512k (2.4%) on ITV1 +1.Combining +1, the figures represent a 2.9m drop on last year's equivalent episode. Interestingly, ITV2's The Xtra Factor grew to 1.08m (5%) from 9pm. Doctor Who's 'Dinosaurs on a Spaceship', guest starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb as robots, drew 5.48m (26.2%) for BBC One at 7.35pm. The National Lottery: Secret Fortune (2.95m/13%) and Last Night of the Proms (3.21m/15.7%) followed Who on the corporation's flagship channel, while 2.81m (17.2%) watched Total Wipeout at 6.30pm. Back on ITV, Red or Black?'s first edition (more)...
- 9/9/2012
- by By Paul Millar
- Digital Spy
BBC One's live coverage of the opening weekend of the new Football League season drew over 3 million viewers on Saturday afternoon, early figures show. Match of the Day Live, covering the game between Albion and Newcastle Utd, averaged 3.16m (24.2%) for BBC One between 5.20pm and 7.30pm. Total Wipeout followed with 4.6m (27.4%) - the best numbers of the day on any channel. The National Lottery: Guesstimation had 3.6m (19.9%) at 8.30pm, then the draw itself pulled in 3.83m (20.3%). A rerun of Outnumbered took 3.04m (16.4%) at 9.20pm. On ITV1, That's What I Call Television - a clip show fronted by Fern Britton and Bradley Walsh - interested 2.37m (17.1%) at 6.20pm, after which a rerun of An Audience With Neil Diamond was seen by 2.85m (17.4%). Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? appealed to 4.01m (22.1%) at 8.20pm, then A Touch (more)...
- 8/10/2009
- by By Neil Wilkes
- Digital Spy
Holly Willoughby has come out on top in a poll to find the best celebrity smile. The Dancing On Ice host beat Cheryl Cole and Tess Daly to the title, which was based on a survey of 3,000 adults organised by The National Lottery. Vernon Kay, Phillip Schofield and Dermot O'Leary topped the best male smiles list. "These stars have an engaging, genuine smile which instantly puts people at ease and transmits optimism and warmth," psychologist (more)...
- 11/28/2008
- by By Alex Fletcher
- Digital Spy
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