Britain's Most Watched TV

Channel 4 are tonight showing the 50 programmes - news bulletins, royal weddings, soap operas, sport events etc. - over the last 50 years which have had the BIGGEST viewing figures.

What do you think will be on it? I certainly think that the interview with Princess Diana on Panaroma will be on it, Den giving Angie divorce papers + World Cups from over the years.

Also, what has been the biggest moments for YOU in TV?

Here is my top ten-

1 Richard Hillman's explosive exit (Corrie)
2 The Casualty train crash
3 Sex and the City finale
4 Panaroma interview with Diana
5 Live Aid
6 The Golden Jubilee coverage - fly-over & fireworks were amazing
7 Den's return to EastEnders + giving Angie divorce papers
8 Mr Burns getting shot on The Simpsons
9 The final scenes of the final ep of Blackadder
10 Sharongate

From my memories of TV over the last few years I would expect the following programmes to feature:-

Den giving Angie divorce papers in Eastenders,
Hilda Ogden leaving Coronation Street,
Richard Hillman storyline in Coronation Street,
Who shot JR in Dallas,
Plane crash in Emmerdale,
First person to win on Millionaire/Major Ingram coughing incident,
Live Aid,
Charles and Diana Wedding,
Death of Diana Princess of Wales,
Italia 90 with Gazza crying,
Some random England football match - hopefully the one were Beckham shoots it high ,
The mid-80's Olympics were Daley Thompson won the decathlon (also Ovett and Coe running)
Michael Jackson documentary for ITV's Tonight programme,
Coverage of 911,
Last episode of Friends,
As this is on Channel 4 im sure they will also feature Brookside,
Big Brother - Nasty Nick, Jade and the big fight will surely feature!,

Now i'm getting a bit stuck - ive generally covered sport, royals and soaps but have surely missed some obvious comedy and drama programmes!

On the news front in historical order, the following events must feature very highly in the list::

1) Assasination of President J F Kennedy
2) Assasination of Lee Harvey Oswald
3) Neil Armstrong descending to the surface of the moon
4) Resignation speech of President R M Nixon
5) Scenes of wanton police brutality at Orgreave, South Yorkshire
5) Explosion of space shuttle Challenger
6) Verdict of jury in O J Simpson trial
6) Collapse of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center

Well, if it's accroding to the actual viewing figures, I'm sure EastEnders would be higher up there, as well as the 1966 World Cup Final. Or is this just your ideal top ten? If so, then sorry.

Some clumsy newspaper (mention no names!) already published the Top 20 today.

The list is here if you want to know it before it's broadcast.

Oh this should be good. I always love these countdown programmes. Please no-one post the Top 20 as seen in the article above, it'll ruin it!

Looks like they've left out shows that benefitted from the the other side being on strike, in particular BBC shows that benefitted from the ITV strike of 1979. Hence "Sale Of The Century" comes out as the top gameshow (unless you count "Miss World") and "The Generation Game" is... well, nowhere, weirdly.

I'd always thought the number one event was something that *didn't* actually get the ratings you would imagine, and frankly 32 million still seems rather on the high side...

Oh goody....

They seem to be counting down decade by decade - though have skipped the 50's.

Watching this it's amazing C4 still haven't done the straight forward "100 Greatest TV Shows".

Good point, it was "100 Greatest TV Moments" they originally did, wasn't it?

They've just showed 'The Trouble With Mr Bean' from 1992 - only it wasn't that at all. It was the trailer for Bean the movie!