After last weeks show broke network records as the biggest drama launch in Channel 4's network history for the past decade, "Housewives" grew 200,000 viewers in week two DESPITE having the same second episode shown on ancilliary network "E4" to a huge[for a ukcabsat at 11pm] 500,000 viewers last week.

http://naturalflux7.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10183

After week one being the networks biggest launch since "E.R", Channel 4 have been very agressive with marketing, buying magazine spreads and pushing it throughout the day on both its networks.

Interesting, thanks for posting it. If you run across UK numbers for Lost, I'm sure a lot of us would like to see them.

As far as i know "Lost" isn't on UK schedules yet, I do remember a good few articles saying to "check schedule for details" of Lost, and a while back i saw an advertisement for it. But apart from that. Nothing. Should debut soon though.

"Alias" will be back around April on Cabsat network Bravo.

Its going to be shown on Cable network E4 first i think, although if C4 has sense they should show it on their ailing terrestrial schedule and try to replicate the Desperate Housewives sized success.

How do these ratings compare with other popular shows in the UK? I assume BBC must have some huge hits that dwarf this.

Well, the FRIENDS finale pulled in around 9.5 million viewers on Channel 4, which was one of its biggest audiences in history, and Friends used to pull in around 3.2 million an episode, with repeats seeing around 2 million. BBC1 ususally ranks second in the major networks now, behind ITV.

1. ITV
2. BBC1
3. BBC2
4. C4
5. FIVE

A Typical Week Ratings from back in October

1. Coronation St - 13.5 Million <itv
2. Eastenders - 11.9 Million <bbc1
3. Emmerdale - 10.6 Million <itv
4. Hearbeat - 8.9 Million <itv
5. Strictly Come Dancing - 8.2 Million <bbc1
6. The Bill - 8.2 Million <itv
7. Foyles War - 8.1 Million <itv
8. Himalya - 7.7 Million <bbc1
9. Film: Die Another Day - 7.5 Million <itv
10. Ant and Dec - 7.5 Million <itv

The network who show Desperate Housewives didnt rank in the top 20 that week, its top show was Grand Designs which pulled in 4.0 Million viewers. For ITV or BBC thats a cancellation figure, but for 4 is very good. Desperate Housewives has around a 23% share of the viewing audience, which is WAY more than what C4 is used to. Infact the only thing more popular is the BBC1 News for the first half hour, [which usually is watched by around 5.5 Million viewers] before Desperate takes over the slot completely and ranks one of the highest on Wednesday nights, and is by far Channel 4's number one show.


The gigantic, once every 3 year sized ratings only ever get achieved really by sports or Coronation Street, the most popular soap in the country, and they weigh in around 25 million as the biggest ratings. On those nights a huge chunk of the uk population [around half] stay in to watch the television event, so its only usually major things that can match the American top 5 norm.

They're playing a show called coronation street here in canada. The ppl are british as well. Their adds are something along the line of "He likes her and she likes another guy, and that other guy likes the first guy" or "I have to break up with her, but first i should break up with her daughter"

Does it sound like the same show?

Since Coronation Street has been around in the UK since UK TV began, then more than likely yes.

Funninly enough, they market all the American soaps like that on ABC1 here. British soaps have alot more humour and risque content, but generally stay quite grounded in UK society when telling the stories, however absurd they are. American soaps really go over the top with everything, which is why they are better