Talk: Viewing Figures

Interesting note about the Eastenders Christmas 1986 rating.

Hold on, the edit box looks different. Are you getting that? David 14:27, 21 January 2009 (UTC)

I remembered the EE info from various sources but the BFI webpage confirms it - it was actually the highest rated programme of the 1980's of any type - it even beat the Royal Wedding in 1981. God knows why - I hate the programme personally but there you go. I am seeing the difference on edits but it's not too major. So long as I'm still getting the pop-up suggestion boxes which saves editing time I'm happy - and there I notice that the site not only suggests saved articles now but also the links to wanted articles which is a major help.--Jtomlin1uk 16:01, 21 January 2009 (UTC)

My first edit!

I just copied the table formatting from above so its not right at the moment - I need to work out how to change widths first. Is there a way I can do a sort of 'autofit'?

I'll have a tinker for now and see what I can find. TellyFan 17:30, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

OK, I give up for now! I don't want to make it worse! Why can I not see a help tutorial for creating tables?

I wanted to add longer lines underneath each of the current rows as well (when I created it in Word only the Year column had no text underneath). I wonder if one of you experts would like to finish the table for me?

These are the sections of text that go underneath each of the current rows:

While Jack and Annie Walker clear the Rovers in the aftermath of the holiday season, they conjure up memories of christmas past.

The actress who played Ena Sharples in Coronation Street died on 26 December (5 minute programme)

The actor who played Albert Tatlock in Coronation Street died yesterday

The actor who played Stan Ogden in Coronation Street died on Monday of this week

A celebration of the actress who played Elsie Tanner in Coronation Street. She died at 8:45 this morning. (Introduced by William Roach)

Thirty years to the month since the serial began this first episode, written by its creator, Tony Warren, is repeated.

Cilla Black hosts celebrations marking thirty years of the soap. The deputy leader of the Labour Party, Roy Hattersly MP, delivers the opening tribute.

Director: Ian Hamilton. Producer: Jane McNaught.

The source for all this information by the way is "Television's Greatest Hits" by Paul Gambaccini and Rod Taylor (Network Books, 1993) - all that is except the two bits in brackets which were courtesy of this site! I would assume the 1984 tribute programmes are also five minutes each?

In the meantime I might try and have a go at adding links! TellyFan 17:48, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

Great! I've done the links. I wonder whether we want an extra column in my table for programme length. I see the christmas special was 50 minutes so thats another one filled in. It might be worth giving H.V. Kershaw the Producer credit, too. Come to think of it, now we have a little bit of extra information, is it worth giving the christmas special its own page yet? If you think so, would you mind leaving it for me to attempt to have a go at, please? I'd like to be able to say I've created a page :) --TellyFan 18:19, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

Do you know for sure the christmas special was called Christmas ON Coronation Street? My book definitely says IN. We should decide on one or the other for consistency.--TellyFan 18:22, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

Both Television Mail for 1968 and contemporary TV Times both state it's "on"--Jtomlin1uk 21:37, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

No probs with creating a page for "Christmas on CS" at all! I've already linked to it on the Spin-off page. BTW, HV Kershaw was its Executive Producer, not its producer (none was listed),--Jtomlin1uk 21:45, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

Yes, I saw it was on the Spin-off page - that's how I found out it was 50 mins and H.V. Kershaw's involvement. :) OK, well I might have a go at creating the page later, or it might not be for a couple of days! --TellyFan 22:57, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

I came to the conclusion that as this stage, it is pointless giving "Christmas on CS" its own page, as it would only duplicate what is already on the spin-off page. Either you'd have to reduce the amount of info on the spin-off page (being so small I don't think that's neccessary) or you'd waste people's time clicking on a link to read the same thing again. So I'll just add a little bit more info and link to it on my viewing figures bit.

Hmmm, I think on Wikipedia I've seen links that take you to the section of a page you want. I tried it here and it only took me to the top of the Spin-off page, rather than to the bit on "Christmas on CS". Can it be done here or am I even wrong to think I've done it on wikpedia!)?--TellyFan 14:14, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

Great I've done it now!

Related Broadcasts

I thought that this section would look better as a list rather than a table.--Jtomlin1uk 16:38, 16 February 2009 (UTC)

Complete

Right, this page is now essentially complete. There is still some work to do on the early 1990s as the ratings were affected by the omnibus showings and, one-by-one, the different ITV regions started dropping these broadcasts, as early as September 1990 when Channel Television dropped the Saturday/Sunday omnibus (although others may be earlier). This may affect the info that goes on each individal episode page about it being combined figures - time will tell as I carry on researching but I don't think the data on this summary page will be affected.

I've also decided to do a "year to date" entry for 2010 onwards as I think it's of interest to see how the programme is performing now compared to previous years although people should understand that a true picture can only be gained once the year is over.--Jtomlin1uk 17:22, February 19, 2010 (UTC)

I have a question about viewing figures. Do these figures were it says "1st place" or "4th place" mean it was the first or the fourth most watched show on ITV or the first or the fourth most watched on all UK television regardless of year? Mattfrye1 06:53, March 27, 2010 (UTC)

It's the placing in the overall charts including the BBC. However bear in mind that until 1981 UK television had competing charts as the BBC and ITV commissioned their own separate viewing figures. The BBC did theirs by questionaire whereas ITV was by meters fixed to television sets (pretty nifty technology for the time, I would have thought!) and my own personal view is that it is the latter method which is more accurate. One problem though is that whereas the BBC calculated in number of viewers, ITV did theirs in number of homes. The BFI uses a calculation of 2.2 viewers to a home which does enable some comparison but no definite figure leads to confusion (see my answer to your Anne Reid question).--Jtomlin1uk 10:00, March 27, 2010 (UTC)

Okay thanks mate. I have a quick of curiousity? I know what a TV meter is but explain in detail a little more about the BBC method. Like what did they do send a questionaire to everyone and have them fill it out? Or to a small group and expand the numbers? It dont make much sense to me the questionaire method. Sounds like your view is right a TV meter would be more accurate. Mattfrye1 11:24, March 27, 2010 (UTC)

Both companies used a small set of households for their sample, I think about 1000 each, and the BBC sent this questionaire to their set of households. I would guess that ITV had to visit each house and take the meter readings as phone transmission of the data sounds a bit futuristic for the time period. The BBC's method also meant that they could guage audience reactions to the programme and get an audience appreciate index as well as individual's comments on what they had seen. Various Doctor Who sites and publications quote from these interesting documents. I've never heard of ITV doing anything similar. It would seem that they were just interested in bums of seats and that the quality of the programme had no bearing on the number of potential customers watching the adverts except that the better the programme, the more potential people who watched it.--Jtomlin1uk 19:16, March 27, 2010 (UTC)

9th December

I've reverted the edits which show the 9th December figures as we only show final figures on this page and the number quoted were the overnights. Final figures take about three weeks to come through.--Jtomlin1uk 19:38, December 14, 2010 (UTC)

Ratings in the 1980s

I'm writing a blog entry about the viewing figures at the moment and was wondering if anyone can explain the ratings spike in late 1984/85? On the surface of things it doesn't seem to be a particularly noteworthy period for Corrie and yet ratings went up by 3 million viewers on the previous year. Any help would be appreciated. David (talk) 21:49, February 12, 2013 (UTC)

Anyone? David (talk) 15:32, February 14, 2013 (UTC)

Possible thought - the programme's press profile was VERY high at the time with all of the "curse of Coronation Street rubbish".--Jtomlin1uk (talk) 12:09, February 15, 2013 (UTC)

Good theory. Am I right in thinking the popularity of soaps in general hit its peak around then as well? With the imported soaps rating as well as the home grown ones? David (talk) 21:08, February 15, 2013 (UTC)

Mmm, once the Who Shot JR phenomenen (that spelt right?) was out of the way, Dallas and Dynasty press items weren't frequent and what did appear used to be reports on who Joan Collins had fallen out with recently. It was EE that REALLY kicked up the gears with a lot of pre-publicity, then a couple of months or so of a real hammering (almost erased from history now) then the "Is Corrie doomed?" as its viewing figures - with omnibus - took off.--Jtomlin1uk (talk) 21:51, February 15, 2013 (UTC)

I think that was a significant rise in the ratings in general over this period-not just the Street or even just the soaps(Crossroads apparently registered some of it's highest ever ratings during this period and was up 3 million on the previous year and 4 million over the next year!). I wonder if it was something to do with the measurement system over this period?70s Fan (talk) 14:17, February 17, 2013 (UTC)

Weekday and omnibus showings

Here is a question that has been bugging me a bit? I know when Corrie had an omnibus edition, the figures were added onto the weekday showing figures, but does that include anyone who may have watched the weekday ep then the omnibus edition at the weekend? I know some did watch again at the weekend. So say 17 million watched a weekday ep and the omnibus edition that weekend, does that count for viewings rather than viewers or did BARB have a way to put 17 million as individual viewers. Benny1982 (talk) 13:01, October 1, 2015 (UTC)

They had no way of working that out and within the figures for an omnibus there must have been people who were on their second viewing. I used to know people who watched the weekend repeats of Brookside and EE as well as the weekday viewing.--Jtomlin1uk (talk) 16:57, October 1, 2015 (UTC)