The biggest TV moments of 2010

The top 10 most watched programmes of 2010 don’t only showcase the year’s biggest TV moments, but also shed some light on deeper trends in TV watching. Here’s the list.

Top 10 watched programmes in 2010

(Highest episode of each programme title only. Does not include any online viewing. Excludes sporting events as table would be dominated by World Cup matches – England v Germany had 17.5m viewers alone.) 

What this list shows is that, despite claims to the contrary, scheduled TV is very much alive and well - we still love the mass shared experience and ‘water cooler’ conversation is still important. For example, this year’s X Factor Final coincided with a Strictly semi final and produced the highest Sunday night TV audience for maybe a generation. Reality entertainment programmes continue to be a leading part of the rhythm of the TV year, and the associated media excitement hugely adds to their rising crescendos.

Big soaps had a good year too. Those in the top 10 are the live EastEnders episode, where Bradley met an unfortunate end, and the night of the Coronation Street tram crash - both watched by many more people than an average episode. Creating a massive event and an element of risk around a familiar programme is something viewers clearly love and respond to.



Another theme that emerges from the list is the strength of Christmas TV – Christmas Day viewing was at its highest for at least a decade with an average of over 26m watching in peaktime. Despite big developments in technology, Christmas proved that we don't do things that differently from the past - we still want to take part in big shared experiences. BBC1’s Come Fly with Me did carry off a difficult trick however - bringing a big audience to an untested programme (although with known talent) on a day when people often choose to fall back on the familiar.

The two dramas in the list span the range of this genre’s appeal - from the family-friendly sci-fi of Doctor Who (the one here is where Matt Smith becomes the new doctor) to ITV1’s period drama Downton Abbey, which attracted an overwhelmingly female and older audience. Apart from being a great watch, Downton Abbey also illustrated the strength of scheduling – it benefited from a huge inheritance audience by following on from The X Factor each week.

Finally, what nearly all the top 10 programmes have in common is that they were on in winter when audiences are at their highest - this year’s unseasonably cold weather meant even more of us stayed in glued to our sets. The only thing that competes with these viewing numbers in summer are big live sport events such as 2010’s football World Cup. Looking to 2012, we are expecting a bumper year with the Olympics, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and Euro 2012 to look forward to.

Top programme lists don't tell the whole story - the quality and distinctiveness of our programmes are just as important as viewing figures. But the list does serve as a quick guide to the TV that’s being enjoyed in big numbers. Will the same programmes dominate the top of the 2011 list or does the next year hold something to knock them off their perch?

What were your favourite TV moments of 2010?

David Bunker is the Head of Research for BBC Vision