History on television and the internet in the UK, 9-15 April 2018

by Erin Bell and Florian Gleisner

A. Television

Introduction and statistical analysis

As in the two previous reports (Bell & Gleisner 2016; 2017) and the large existing body of research into history on television in the UK (e.g. Gray & Bell 2013), there was a large volume of programming representing the past available to viewers of UK television. Of c.540 channels available to British viewers (including those available via pre-paid packages such as Sky), at least 43 offered some history-related output: more may have done, but the figures are based on listings of the 10 most popular programmes per channel in the week under analysis, produced by BARB.co.uk. Therefore we can state that at least 8% of all channels broadcast some history-related programming in the week.

We can also state that the ‘top 10s’ of programmes reveal that history was a popular choice: the 163 history-related programmes (out of 430 programmes: the 43 channels’ top 10 programmes) broadcasted in the week and achieving good audience figures represent 38% of the most popular programming across the various broadcasters offering any history programming. As a proportion of all programming, the history programming represents 163/5400 (all 540 channels’ top 10s), or c.3%. This figure does seem rather lower but it must be remembered that some channels are dedicated purely to film, sport or cookery, for example, and so are much less likely to incorporate historical material (although this does sometimes happen – the listings in Appendix A include a history documentary which appeared in the weekly top 10 of a channel dedicated to cricket!).

What we can perhaps conclude at this interim point is that history programming continues to be popular, when it is offered. The types of history programming offered, and popular, are also significant and are outlined in Appendix B. In brief, the most popular period of history is zeitgeschichte, late twentieth and early twenty-first century history including ‘countdowns’ and ‘top 10s’ on music channels: certainly such histories tend to focus on popular culture and arguably seek a younger audience than the majority of history programming which is often aimed at economically better-off, middle-aged and older, male viewers. More in keeping with such audience members, also popular (in terms of their commissioning and reception) are programmes offering a range of historical periods, including those focussing on material culture and antiques, and magazine programmes such as Countryfile. This may suggest something of a move away from representations of the Second World War although 2018 has not seen major anniversaries relating to the conflict, and the major First World War anniversaries will be marked towards the end of 2018. Certainly, as Appendices A and B reveal there are a range of programmes set during or analysing the Second World War especially.

In addition, the areas of the globe considered in the programming are also significant to the analysis. As Appendix C shows, the UK is the nation or area most represented, followed by ‘various’, most commonly when a documentary considers the Second World War and therefore a number of nations but most usually the UK, Allied nations and Germany.

This analysis will go on to consider two key areas: programming related to important national anniversaries in the week, and the most significant programming of the week. Interestingly, there is little overlap between the two, which may suggest a move away from ‘event television’ linked to historical anniversaries which was prevalent earlier in the decade (see Gray and Bell 2013).

Anniversaries in the week analysed

Key anniversaries for the UK of the week 9-15 April were identified as follows:

• 15th anniversary of the toppling of the statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad, and confirmation that his rule had ended (9th Apr)
• 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement between the UK and Irish governments to work to maintain peace in Northern Ireland after decades of conflict (the ‘Troubles’) (10th Apr)
• 55th anniversary of the arrival of 70,000 marchers in London to demonstrate against nuclear weapons (15th Apr)
• 65th anniversary of the publication of Ian Fleming’s first James Bond novel, Casino Royale (13th Apr)
• 70th anniversary of Rowntree’s introduction of Polo mint sweets (15th Apr)

They were selected to include national and international, serious and more trivial anniversaries which nevertheless offered insights into British culture. Interestingly, only references to the Good Friday Agreement appeared in dedicated programming, although it was primarily programming made specifically to be aired in Northern Ireland itself: BBC Northern Ireland aired a day of themed material, whereas in the rest of the UK the main focus of BBC1 and BBC2 lay on coverage of the Commonwealth Games, with occasional references to the anniversary in news bulletins.

A rare example of themed programming which was available throughout the nation was a documentary presented by a Northern Irish comedian, Patrick Kielty. Broadcast in the first week of April, My dad, the peace deal, and me sought to explore the legacy of the Good Friday Agreement and to outline the ongoing impact of traumatic events, through oral testimony. Those speaking of their experiences include Kielty himself, his family and others affected by the deaths of loved ones during the ‘Troubles’, including the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, Arlene Foster. Foster, like Kielty, lost close family during terrorist attacks and it has shaped her political position, which is revealing to UK viewers who may only know her party as having made an agreement with the Conservative Party, currently in power in the UK: the agreement effectively gives the Conservatives enough members of parliament to rule. Although it did not appear in the week under analysis, and so has not been selected for further discussion, it is arguably revealing that this was not shown closer to the anniversary and instead, the BBC, outside of Northern Ireland, elected to offer a great deal of sport-related programming. Perhaps Kielty’s warning of the potential problems that might arise from a return to ‘hard borders’ between the UK and the Republic of Ireland, in the island of Ireland, after Brexit was too controversial in a period in which the BBC is intermittently accused of being too critical of the government. (See www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQJDoiqBjBE for the programme and generally positive comments by a range of viewers including many Northern Irish viewers).

Due to the lack of anniversary-related programming, three of the programmes broadcast during the week have been selected for further analysis: an example of popular magazine-style programming which often includes segments on local history: Countryfile (BBC1) and an example of a big budget series which was feted as event television but which, interestingly, did not reach significant audiences: Civilisations (BBC2); and the most popular history programme of the week: Great Indian Railway Journeys (BBC2).

Analysis of Countryfile episode aired w/b 9 April 2018

The interest in UK history programming and in programming which offers representations of a range of time periods held by many UK viewers is reflected in magazine programmes such as Countryfile. Analysis of the episode aired 15 April (www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD9bl8LUKpo) which focussed on the county of Cumbria in North-west England, reveals an interest in local and regional history and perhaps a more insular viewpoint either being reflected, or perhaps encouraged, by the national broadcaster. Certainly, the older demographic watching the series, which reached just over 6 million BBC1 viewers at 7pm on a Sunday evening, was statistically more likely to have voted for Brexit and therefore perhaps more likely to want to focus on their home nation. In this episode, after discussion of the area’s seals, at c.15:00-22:00 a local industrial artist Percy Kelly, is introduced, likely because of the 100th anniversary of his birth in 2018 and an increasing desire to identify and celebrate local talent. An interview with a former gallery owner serves to champion Kelly’s work, including its importance as a historical record of aspects of industry in the area, such as mine workings, which have disappeared since he painted them in the mid-twentieth century. The reenactment of his work by a later artist is also acknowledged, and reenactment is a well-used element of UK history programming familiar to British viewers making an otherwise unusual topic for the series – art produced by an occasional transvestite – more palatable.

Analysis of Civilisations episode aired w/b 9 April 2018

The report will now move to coverage on television and the internet of a relatively big budget series, BBC2’s Civilisations. Intended as a presenter-led journey through art and culture across the globe, it was initially heralded by the BBC as ‘thousands of years of visual culture explored on the BBC and beyond’ (www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p05xxp5j). Indeed, the series was accompanied by material on the Open University website, and by the BBC1 series Civilisations Stories on specific items held in museums in the UK, which although accessible on the BBC website were broadcast in the BBC regions in a limited manner to ‘match’ the BBC region which related to each item or museum.

Furthermore, and possibly in response to criticisms of an excess of white, male presenters of large scale history series, it uses 3 presenters: Prof Mary Beard, a Classicist at the University of Cambridge; David Olusoga, a British-Nigerian historian and presenter; and Prof Simon Schama, an art historian at Columbia University, New York. Although beginning with audience figures of around 2.3 million viewers, a respectable figure for BBC2 on a Thursday evening at 9pm, making it the seventh most popular programme on the channel that week, by the week of analysis the figure had dropped to less than 1.1 million: Episode Five, ‘The triumph of art’, which compared the European and Islamic Renaissances, was not in the top 30 broadcasts for the channel, according to BARB figures. To put it in a wider context, the channel’s repeat broadcast of the 1970s comedy set during World War Two on the British Home Front, Dad’s Army, reached a larger audience.

Bearing in mind the tendency of successful history or history-related programming to fall into a limited range of categories, specifically representing UK or UK and Allies’ history and often recent history or a mixture of periods, the failure of Civilisations seems unsurprising. A large part of the series focussed upon a range of nations or nations other than the UK, and often of far earlier periods than the twentieth century. Its very unusualness as a concept, led by three historians rather than one, and offering a thematic approach rather than a straightforward chronology, may also have been problematic for some viewers, although it does not diminish its value as an experiment in making art history programming. Certainly, the episode, presented by Schama, offered an alternative view of the Islamic world to the stereotypes often shared online and onscreen, and drew parallels to Europe as well as suggesting areas of difference (www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p05xxx6p/civilisations-series-1-5-the-triumph-of-art).

Opening with a night-time view of an unidentified building, probably the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, with a call to prayer audible, we then see the inside of the Sistine Chapel as the same soundtrack continues. ‘Heavenly vaults, but made by the earthly hand of man’, Schama asserts, over footage of the domed ceilings of a mosque and a church. Already parallels are being drawn, by the narrator and the footage, between Christian and Muslim built heritage, from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The narrator is then seem, standing inside a mosque as a camera zooms around him and he offers an overview of the use of the term Renaissance, and how it might be used more broadly than to Europe and indeed should be considered to have been initially influenced by Arab scholarship, and resulted in a shared ‘outpouring of creativity’. As this is said, we see footage of mosques and of European and Islamic art. The introduction concludes with the dramatic statement that ‘the future awaiting them, East or West, could hardly have been more different’, as the camera pans to a statue of Cellini’s Perseus slaying Medusa.

Opening the main section of the episode by referencing cultural competition between Rome and Istanbul, both seeking to outdo the Hagia Sophia’s design. Using a range of visual material, from recent shots of the buildings to contemporary paintings and drawings of Turkish workers, the culmination of the work of the architect Mimar Sinan is seen as Schama returns us to the Suleiman mosque in present day Istanbul. Noting the significance of light to the building and to the faith, he then goes on to acknowledge that visitors from both faiths would have been aware of the cultural competition, before moving on to consideration of Rome and the work of Donato Bramante and Michelangelo on the Sistine Chapel, accompanied with footage of the inside and outside of the chapel.

Schama’s consideration of the art of the Mughal emperors underlines the recognition of the importance of art to the dynasty in India, including some European influences such as the inclusion of putti in depictions of Emperor Jehangir, as well as Western visitors to the court, such as James I of England shown as the lowest in the hierarchy according to the Hindu artist Bichitr. Schama contrasts the image, though, to the ‘revolution in looking’ in Western art, which huge paintings, which are shown onscreen before he introduces Caravaggio’s life and work. He moves on to less well-known artists such as Artemisia Gentileschi, whose self-portrait as the allegory of art is shown in close up before the camera returns to Schama in the gallery stores where, poignantly, it appears to reside.

The programme concludes with a discussion of Rembrandt, including The Night Watch, focussing on movement within the painting as well as its depiction of Amsterdam’s patricians as dynamic and disciplined. However, Rembrandt was also influenced by Indian miniatures and began to create his own or copy them; a comparison of the originals and Rembrandt’s copies are shown, to underline the cultural and aesthetic similarities and differences of the two Renaissances, and to suggest that influences might move in both geographical directions. Episodes throughout the series conclude with reference to the Open University’s role in making the series and the potential for viewers to undertake OU courses.

The overall impression of the episode is of grandeur, of many of the artistic works and also of the BBC as a broadcaster. The swelling musical backdrop to the images, alongside the British accent of the presenter, underlines the BBC’s claims to be both a national broadcaster and curator of the aesthetically important. However, the series’ relative failure in terms of audience figures are in some ways unsurprising in the light of this analysis. The episode moved quickly between continents and the parallels drawn were not always, unlike the reference to Rembrandt’s use of Mughal miniatures, obvious or direct for non-specialists. Perhaps placing of the series on BBC4, which seeks and usually receives a smaller but on average better informed audience, or at least an audience more open to thematic rather than strictly chronological interpretations of the past, would have led to greater success. In addition, the relative lack of references to British artists may also have led some prospective viewers to reject the series as offering them little of interest: as several commissioning editors commented to Ann Gray in the course of our research, audiences want (they believe) to be offered information about periods of history or events which they feel they already know: it could also be added that such histories will therefore be viewed as unproblematic, inoffensive and palatable, and therefore likely to attain a good audience size, rather than problematic, challenging or troubling. The suggestion that links might be drawn between two religions regularly depicted as very different and even in conflict in the present potentially positioned this episode as the latter.

Analysis of Great Indian Railway Journeys w/b 9 April 2018

‘Lucknow to Kolkata’, the episode aired in the week under analysis, garnered 2.15million viewers, and was the fifth most popular programme on BBC2 that week and, more significantly, the most popular non-drama and non-antiques related programme on any channel that week. The audience figures were not particularly high, perhaps reflecting the absence of popular history-related series such as the celebrity family history programme Who do you think you are? and, in comparison, on BBC1, Antiques Roadshow reached 5.6million whilst Ordeal by Innocence, a drama based on an Agatha Christie novel set in the 1950s reached 5.5million. However, due to the historical basis of the series – the presenter, journalist and former politician Michael Portillo, follows the 1903 guidebook Bradshaw’s Through Routes to the Capitals of the World and Overland Guide to India, Persia, and the Far East: A Handbook of Indian, Colonial and Foreign Travel – it offers an interesting although problematic example of the use of the British colonial past in relatively popular and seemingly inoffensive programming, which yet offers an opportunity to reflect on the audience implied within the text and their potential views of Britain and its imperial past.

All four episodes of the series include footage of trains moving through the Indian countryside, the presenter discussing the description of the journey offered by the 1913 [1903] handbook, and changes to the landscape and history of the area since that time. Portillo also talks to local people, and participates in aspects of their lives such as, in one episode, meditating at the sacred Bodhi Tree, possibly in part because of criticisms of earlier history series dealing with the British imperial past such as Niall Ferguson’s Empire (Channel 4 2003), in which Ferguson ignored everyone else on screen; at best they acted as a backdrop to his monologues to camera. There is also, arguably, an element of reenactment: Portillo’s involvement with the Indian people mirrors, to some degree, the activities of early European visitors to the subcontinent who often engaged in aspects of Indian culture at the same time as they maintained trade links between the region and Europe, in a period in which British and other European colonialism and imperialism had not yet led to large scale human rights abuses.

In other respects, though, the series does offer some recognition of later and more difficult histories: visiting the site of the Siege of Lucknow, part of the Indian Rebellion of 1857/8 from which British settlers were eventually rescued, Portillo and the viewers learn to some degree of the bloodshed during the rebellion and retribution afterwards. Although notionally an unproblematic and even nostalgic view of the British in India, the inclusion of elements such as this offer more factual and more troubling elements, albeit interspersed with Portillo’s attempts to do traditional Indian dancing. That the series is not available online suggests strongly that the BBC wishes to sell DVDs and the accompanying book of the series to, probably, older male viewers with a general interest in British and therefore colonial history; that the series does consider some of the less easily digested aspects of the colonial and imperial past means that the history is not entirely whitewashed.

Conclusion: history television programming

We can see in the three series considered that there is ongoing investment in original factual history programming by the BBC in particular, and the series are sometimes made with the intention of selling them overseas as part of BBC Worldwide franchise. However, such series are not necessarily popular with UK audiences: Civilisations is a case in point. Audience figures during the week analysed suggest that there is often, instead, a preference for ostensibly less challenging and more nostalgic history and drama, which was also identified in earlier reports. However, some interesting histories can be offered to larger audiences, such as the 6million viewers who learned of the reclusive mid-twentieth-century industrial artist Percy Kelly as part of Countryfile on BBC1. It is certainly important to focus on the larger channels in such analyses, simply because they reach the largest audiences: as has already been noted, BBC2’s Great Indian Railway Journeys reached more than 2million viewers, and was therefore the most successful history programme of the week, excluding dramas. That it was a history of the British in India may explain the interest it garnered, possibly signalling a return to colonialist or imperialist values on the part of some of the audience, in a period in which politicians have sought to reestablish links to former colonies with the hope of replacing EU trade links. Although not directly dealing with Brexit, then, the commissioning of the series may have been influenced by public discussions of economic allies and the need to discuss British historical links to them, albeit in a lighthearted manner. It remains to be seen how Brexit will affect programming in terms of funding and subject matter, in future.

B. The Internet

By focussing on the same list of key events (see above) analysis was undertaken of Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, whilst the websites of the broadcasters listed above were also analysed regarding the anniversaries and for responses to the three series identified as particularly significant.

Twitter

Tweets in relation to the anniversaries during the week analysed were varied: as in the previous reports it is not usually possible to tell the origins of those writing the tweets although English-language tweets would certainly be accessible to most people in the UK. Tweets marking the anniversaries of the Good Friday Agreement, the publication of Casino Royale and of the toppling of Saddam Hussain’s statue can be analysed. Interestingly, there seems to have been very little in relation to the Aldermaston peace marchers save a passing complaint about the lack of coverage of the anniversary by the BBC from @chrisgray, or the creation of the Polo Mint.

Good Friday Agreement tweets, often using #GFA20, include those relating to political, educational and more lighthearted commentators. For example, ‘@TheGFAgreement’ commented that ‘My 20th Birthday approaches….swivel-eyed loons and bigots are trying to undermine & kill me! Brexit is incompatible to my existence’, referencing the possibility that returning to hard borders could have significant impact on peace in the island of Ireland. Another, run by the Irish Foreign Ministry, celebrated the anniversary and noted that ‘This week we marked the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement with a night of poetry & song in the Lyric Theatre in Belfast to thank & remember those whose great courage made peace possible’. Others noted the erasure of Mo Mowlem, the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, from many accounts made for the anniversary such as Anna Turley MP’s retweeting of Henrietta Norton’s original article in theguardian.com regarding the lack of recognition of Dr Mowlam, her stepmother. Certainly, fears for the future flavour the anniversary tweets, as they flavour Patrick Kielty’s BBC2 programme and are, like the programme, sometimes offered with images from the violent past of this part of the UK, as well as more positive recent images.

The publication of Casino Royale was also marked on Twitter. @TheHistoryPress noted the publication of the novel, as did @TheFolioSociety in order to advertise their special anniversary edition of the book. In other cases, such as @DecadesTVNetwork’s tweet, it served as a vehicle to include a list of the top 10 Bond girls on film. However, there seems to have been remarkably little discussion of or about scholars working on Bond, suggesting perhaps that such popular cultural anniversaries are often not registered by those scholars working in the fields.

The toppling of Saddam Hussein’s statue was marked by a number of news channels throughout their Twitter accounts. @PRI’sTheWorld offered archive photographs and audio material, whilst the journalist Peter Maass reproduced the front page of the New York Times from 2003 in order to comment on the ongoing conflict in the region. In a more celebratory tone, the more mainstream @ABCNews also noted the statue’s demise, alongside news footage from 2003. Certainly, the relatively recent date of the anniversary enabled a large amount of material already online to be commented upon for various political and personal purposes.

Facebook

Facebook comments on the anniversaries were similarly varied. Only the Good Friday Agreement and the toppling of Saddam Hussein’s statue were marked.

The toppling of the statue was commemorated or celebrated through a number of news channels: CBS News, for example, showed footage of the events, as did ABC News, whilst individual Facebook users commented on earlier commemorations such as Mary Beltz’ sharing of her memory of the events from 4 years earlier, or KUTV News coverage of the ‘mystery’ of the missing hand of the statue. Overall most of the coverage was US American but as it appears in English and the Gulf War included UK troops it is certainly possible that the messages were read, and possibly shared or commented upon, by UK readers.

The Good Friday Agreement was marked in a similar fashion to the coverage on Twitter. Politicians involved twenty years earlier were keen to note this: the Labour Party, for example, emphasized its then involvement as the party in office. The Irish broadcaster RTE used footage from interviews with school children in 1998 to mark the anniversary, in order to contrast them with footage from recent interviews with pupils, which also served to advertise the broadcaster’s programming. BBC News similarly sought to emphasize peace in the present in contrast to violence in the past. Possibly due to their having less of a vested interest in maintaining stability in the region, Al-Jazeera English instead sought to emphasize ongoing division, noting that ‘entrenched divisions and uncertainty persist’. It is telling that the official broadcasters of the Republic of Ireland and the UK respectively take very similar approaches in a period which, as has been noted above, there is anxiety over the impact of Brexit on peace.

Youtube

The key events marked by the addition of fresh material on Youtube were the toppling of Saddam Hussein’s statue and the Good Friday Agreement. It is interesting although not entirely surprising that the others were not included as they are relatively minor anniversaries not likely to garner sufficient international interest to merit the production of AV material.

The ‘Brief history of US intervention in Iraq’, for example, was published on 9 April 2018 and offers a 30 minute documentary on events including the removal of the statue, and the comments on it are revealing of the expectations of viewers that the US will be represented negatively for its military involvement and for ongoing problems, often humanitarian, in the area. British viewers were certainly able to access the material in the week studied, although other than a couple of participants specifically identifying themselves as Iraqi, it is not possible to determine nationalities even amongst those commenting on the film.

Much like Al Jazeera’s coverage of the Good Friday Agreement as ‘Northern Ireland faces uncertain future’, France 24’s and Sky News’ Facebook coverage suggest little interest in maintaining stability via media coverage; the latter alleges, contra to Kielty’s BBC programme and RTE reporting, that young people are still aware of divisions. The comments made in relation to the films blame the British, religion, the Northern Irish, although real solutions are rarely offered. More positively, Bill Clinton’s address at University College Dublin also appears on Youtube although many of the comments were similarly cynical about the future of Northern Ireland. A shared element of internet and television reporting on the GFA’s chances of continuation is, though, the potentially devastating effects of Brexit as a divisive force.

Broadcasters’ and viewers’ websites

In addition to advertising the programmes analysed above, the BBC website www.bbc.co.uk also offered an overview of related material, such as the wider Civilisations season on BBC1 and BBC2. The Countryfile site includes access to recent episodes and a searchable database spanning several years, although not all episodes are accessible via the website; certainly though this gives a sense that the Corporation views the series as important, although not ‘event television’ and certainly core to part of its identity as national broadcaster. Youtube also provides access to some of the episodes including that aired in the week analysed, although viewers’ responses were brief and rather unrevealing, other than to note that one viewer was formerly from Cumbria. (www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD9bl8LUKpo) Coverage of Great Indian Railway Journeys includes a brief overview of all episodes and short clips from four episodes, as well as links to related earlier series with the same presenter, such as Great British Railway Journeys (BBC 2010) and Great Continental Railway Journeys (BBC 2012). The BBC website does not seem to actively seek viewer responses to the programmes although the independent viewer website www.digitalspy.co.uk does include a few comments – as the website is independent there is no guarantee that specific series will be discussed, and often the focus is on soap operas and dramas. In this instance, there was only one relevant comment about the history programming analysed here: having watched the episode of Civilisations which considered the European and Islamic Renaissances, one viewer who self-identified as atheist commented, in relation to a wider media debate over a Christian child allegedly ‘forced’ into foster care with a Muslim family, that ‘Even the story of Jesus isn’t original, as covered by the recent BBC documentry [sic] Civilisations, looking at some of the early Greek and Roman Gods.’ (27.4.18) That the series was referenced only in order to bolster an argument about a news report is significant in that it suggests a lack of wider public engagement in the series and its ideas.

Conclusion: history on the internet

In conclusion, UK-based discussion of history on the internet continues to be very difficult to identify, as UK audiences can access all of the internet, much of which is in English. However, assuming that UK audiences, broadcasters and other institutions would be interested in and likely to engage with the anniversaries identified in this report, the lack of response is very interesting. It may point to a growing insularity, or a growing desire to focus on other matters as the debate over Brexit and other international issues escalates. Unsurprisingly, Northern Irish commentators did wish to comment on the Good Friday Agreement; that non-UK or -Irish broadcasters shared a view that the GFA had not been successful was interesting and rather surprising, suggesting either than the internet has been used as a tool to maintain peace in recent years, or that Al Jazeera and France24 have a vested interest in drawing attention to the GFA and away from tensions in their own regions, which have been reported on by UK broadcasters. Indeed, the toppling of Saddam Hussein’s statue was reported by British and US commentators as well as Iraqis, amongst others, some of whom offered a largely pessimistic interpretation of the events. Perhaps the varying interpretations of the GFA, outside of official celebrations, in part mirror accounts of the statue or are even intended as retribution for versions of Iraqi history shared outside of the Middle East, where, as in Northern Ireland, conflict continues albeit on a smaller scale. Broadcasters’ websites tend to follow a formula of offering some information about the programme and sometimes clips, but rarely engage with audience responses; for these Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and websites such as digitalspy.co.uk need to be used. However, that there is little material suggests that perhaps the series aired in the week analysed did not constitute ‘event television’, or perhaps that British interest in history is waning. Based on analysis of only a week, it is difficult to offer firm conclusions.

References

• Bell E. and F. Gleisner (2016) First report on history programming on UK television: www.e-story.eu
• Bell E. and F. Gleisner (2017) Second report on history programming on UK television: www.e-story.eu
• Gray A. & E. Bell (2013), History on Television Palgrave MacMillan: London.
  

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Appendix A – UK channels with history-related material in top 10 most popular programmes each week. (Lists run to last history-related programme, i.e. may not include all ten. Figures: BARB.co.uk)

BBC2 (SD+HD)

w/e 15 Apr 2018 (top 30 included to demonstrate absence of Civilisations)

7 day data (Millions) 28 day data (Millions)

1 GARDENERS’ WORLD (FRI 2001) 2.66 2.77

2 ONLY CONNECT (MON 2001) 2.47 2.53

3 UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE (MON 2031) 2.36 2.38

4 HOSPITAL (TUE 2101) 2.34 2.52

5 GREAT INDIAN RAILWAY JOURNEYS (TUE 2001) 2.15 2.25

6 BRITAIN’S BIGGEST WARSHIP (SUN 2001) 2.13 2.26

7 MY YEAR WITH THE TRIBE (SUN 2101) 1.74 1.85

8 SECRET AGENT SELECTION: WW2 (MON 2101) 1.57 1.65

9 CUNK ON BRITAIN (TUE 2201) 1.51 1.93

10 BARGAIN HUNT (TUE 1215) 1.37 1.39

11 BARGAIN HUNT (WED 1215) 1.34 1.34

12 THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE (WED 2101) 1.33 1.45

13 TODAY AT THE GAMES (THU 1830) 1.28 1.29

14 EGGHEADS (MON 1800) 1.28 1.28

15 BARGAIN HUNT (MON 1215) 1.26 1.27

16 PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS (THU 1715) 1.23 1.23

17 BARGAIN HUNT (THU 1215) 1.23 1.24

18 TODAY AT THE GAMES (FRI 1830) 1.23 1.24

19 TODAY AT THE GAMES (MON 1830) 1.22 1.22

20 PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS (MON 1716) 1.21 1.21

21 PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS (FRI 1715) 1.21 1.21

22 EGGHEADS (FRI 1800) 1.18 1.19

23 EGGHEADS (THU 1800) 1.17 1.18

24 TODAY AT THE GAMES (SUN 1830) 1.16 1.17

25 EGGHEADS (WED 1800) 1.16 1.16

26 BARGAIN HUNT (FRI 1215) 1.15 1.16

27 EGGHEADS (TUE 1800) 1.14 1.14

28 DAD’S ARMY (SAT 2031) 1.11 1.19

 

Channel 4 (SD+HD)

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (Millions) 28 day data (Millions)

1 GOGGLEBOX (FRI 2100) 2.81 2.92

2 THE ISLAND WITH BEAR GRYLLS (MON 2102) 2.3 2.53

3 FIRST DATES (WED 2203) 1.93 2.03

4 F1: CHINESE GRAND PRIX HIGHLIGHTS (SUN 1359) 1.88 1.9

5 TRAVEL MAN: 48 HOURS IN OSLO (MON 2031) 1.63 1.81

6 BRITAIN’S MOST HISTORIC TOWNS (SAT 1959) 1.49 1.65

 

4seven

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 RAMSAY’S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES USA (SUN 2000) 163 163

2 FIRST DATES (SUN 2100) 138 138

3 ESCAPE TO THE CHATEAU: DIY (FRI 1900) 124 125

4 BRITAIN’S MOST HISTORIC TOWNS (WED 1959) 107 118

 

5 Spike

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE (MON 2201) 212 239

 

5Select

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 STRIKING OUT (THU 2102) 116 137

2 THE YORKSHIRE VET (FRI 1701) 84 84

3 ALL NEW TRAFFIC COPS (SUN 2000) 84 84

4 THE YORKSHIRE VET (FRI 1602) 76 76

5 THE DOG RESCUERS WITH ALAN DAVIES (MON 2000) 75 75

6 THE DOG RESCUERS: BEST IN SHOW (TUE 2101) 74 77

7 CRUISING WITH JANE MCDONALD (MON 2101) 66 77

8 YORKSHIRE: A YEAR IN THE WILD (SAT 1900) 63 63

9 WORLD WAR II IN COLOUR (WED 2102) 59 59

 

Alibi

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 MURDOCH MYSTERIES (MON 2102) 227 230

2 DEATH IN PARADISE (THU 2101) 96 113

3 JONATHAN CREEK (SAT 2200) 88 112

4 FATHER BROWN (THU 2001) 75 75

5 MISS MARPLE (SAT 1601) 73 73

6 NEW TRICKS (SAT 1801) 68 69

7 TAGGART (THU 2201) 65 65

8 MISS FISHER’S MURDER MYSTERIES (MON 2001) 54 60

9 MISS MARPLE (SAT 1159) 53 59

10 MISS MARPLE (SAT 1400) 52 52

 

BBC Parliament

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 QUESTION TIME (SUN 1800) 31 35

2 BRIEFINGS: JOHN MAJOR (THU 2830) 15 15

3 WASHINGTON JOURNAL (SUN 1300) 11 11

4 BOOKTALK: NICHOLAS SHAKESPEARE (MON 1150) 10 10

5 BRIEFINGS: LIAM FOX (THU 2900) 10 10

6 PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE ON RAIL FRANCH (TUE 1035 9 9

7 VERNON BOGDANOR ON THE NATIONALIST PARTI (THU 2940 8 8

8 VERNON BOGDANOR ON THE NATIONALIST PARTI (FRI 0600 8 8

 

BBC1 (SD+HD)

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 EASTENDERS (MON 2001) 6,333 6,442

2 MASTERCHEF (FRI 2031) 6,089 6,201

3 EASTENDERS (THU 1931) 6,071 6,182

4 COUNTRYFILE (SUN 1900) 6,023 6,073

5 EASTENDERS (FRI 2001) 5,915 6,027

6 MASTERCHEF (THU 2001) 5,637 5,704

7 ANTIQUES ROADSHOW (SUN 2001) 5,628 5,671

8 MASTERCHEF (WED 2001) 5,624 5,714

9 HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU (FRI 2131) 5,509 5,662

10 ORDEAL BY INNOCENCE (SUN 2101) 5,458 5,869

 

BBC2 (SD+HD)

w/e 15 Apr 2018

NB Schama Civilisations aired this week but sub-1.09m audience

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 GARDENERS’ WORLD (FRI 2001) 2,658 2,772

2 ONLY CONNECT (MON 2001) 2,470 2,525

3 UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE (MON 2031) 2,357 2,383

4 HOSPITAL (TUE 2101) 2,344 2,521

5 GREAT INDIAN RAILWAY JOURNEYS (TUE 2001) 2,145 2,251

6 BRITAIN’S BIGGEST WARSHIP (SUN 2001) 2,127 2,261

7 MY YEAR WITH THE TRIBE (SUN 2101) 1,738 1,849

8 SECRET AGENT SELECTION: WW2 (MON 2101) 1,573 1,648

9 CUNK ON BRITAIN (TUE 2201) 1,510 1,931

10 BARGAIN HUNT (TUE 1215) 1,373 1,391

 

BBC4

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 SALAMANDER: BLOOD DIAMONDS (SAT 2101) 752 1,042

2 SALAMANDER: BLOOD DIAMONDS (SAT 2148) 613 885

3 TITANIC’S TRAGIC TWIN: THE BRITANNIC DIS (SUN 2101 588 595

4 BACCHUS UNCOVERED: ANCIENT GOD OF ECSTAS (WED 2100 547 572

5 AN ART LOVERS’ GUIDE (MON 2100) 497 529

6 THE STORY OF THE JEWS (TUE 2100) 480 542

7 THE PLANTAGENETS (WED 2200) 434 476

8 NAT KING COLE: AFRAID OF THE DARK (FRI 2101) 408 425

9 THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE: BENEATH THE WAVES (SAT 2236) 353 361

10 WHY THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION HAPPENED H (SUN 2201 347 360

 

CBBC

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 JAMIE JOHNSON (THU 1701) 230 237

2 KATY (FRI 1631) 225 236

3 ODD SQUAD (MON 1802) 179 185

4 HORRIBLE HISTORIES (FRI 1823) 171 186

5 THE DEEP (CBBC) (MON 1828) 164 164

6 DENNIS AND GNASHER UNLEASHED (MON 1815) 161 161

7 SHREK: THE PIG WHO CRIED WEREWOLF (FRI 1815) 147 147

8 ALL OVER THE PLACE: ASIA (SAT 0901) 140 141

 

Cbeebies

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 SOMETHING SPECIAL (SUN 0901) 466 482

2 PETER RABBIT (FRI 1620) 466 540

3 GO JETTERS (TUE 1714) 445 48

 

CBS Drama

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 MEDIUM (MON 2102) 79 79

2 DYNASTY (THU 2200) 73 73

3 DYNASTY (TUE 2201) 71 71

4 MEDIUM (TUE 2101) 69 69

5 MEDIUM (SAT 2203) 66 66

6 UNSOLVED MYSTERIES (SUN 1501) 63 63

7 UNSOLVED MYSTERIES (SUN 1600) 63 63

 

CBS Reality

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 DONAL MACINTYRE’S MURDER FILES (WED 2201) 165 165

2 DONAL MACINTYRE’S MURDER FILES (SUN 2202) 149 149

 

Channel 4 (SD+HD)

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 GOGGLEBOX (FRI 2100) 2,811 2,921

2 THE ISLAND WITH BEAR GRYLLS (MON 2102) 2,301 2,531

3 FIRST DATES (WED 2203) 1,930 2,028

4 F1: CHINESE GRAND PRIX HIGHLIGHTS (SUN 1359) 1,877 1,905

5 TRAVEL MAN: 48 HOURS IN OSLO (MON 2031) 1,632 1,807

6 BRITAIN’S MOST HISTORIC TOWNS (SAT 1959) 1,489 1,647

 

Channel 5 (SD+HD)

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 PADDINGTON STATION 24/7 (MON 2102) 1,724 1,855

2 SPRINGTIME ON THE FARM (MON 2001) 1,525 1,555

3 CAN’T PAY? WE’LL TAKE IT AWAY! (THU 2102) 1,485 1,553

4 SPRINGTIME ON THE FARM (TUE 2001) 1,290 1,299

5 THE JANE MCDONALD STORY (FRI 2103) 1,249 1,265

 

Clubland TV

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 PARTY LIKE THE 90S! ROBIN BANKS (FRI 2000) 50 64

2 25 TOTALLY BONKERS VIDEOS OF 90S! (FRI 2400) 33 34

3 CLUBLAND TV’S 10TH BIRTHDAY! (FRI 2546) 16 17

4 100% EURODANCE WEEKENDER! (SAT 2525) 9 9

5 100% EURODANCE WEEKENDER! (SAT 2055) 9 9

6 CLUBLAND TV’S 10TH BIRTHDAY! (FRI 1352) 9 9

7 50 EUROPHORIC BANGERS! (SAT 2200) 8 8

8 CLUBLAND TV’S 10TH BIRTHDAY! (FRI 1400) 6 6

9 BIGGEST SELLING BEATS OF THE 2000S (MON 0900) 5 5

 

Crime + Investigation Network

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 HOMICIDE HUNTER (THU 2201) 33 37

2 SNAPPED (SAT 2500) 30 30

3 BRITAINS DARKEST TABOOS (FRI 2101) 28 28

4 CRIMES THAT SHOOK AUSTRALIA (SUN 2100) 27 33

5 KILLING SPREE (FRI 1102) 25 25

6 UNUSUAL SUSPECTS (WED 1701) 22 22

7 CRIMES THAT SHOOK AUSTRALIA (MON 2459) 22 22

 

Discovery Channel

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 GOLD RUSH: PARKER’S TRAIL (SEASON 2) (TUE 2100) 300 336

2 FAST N’ LOUD (SEASON 3) (MON 2100) 186 214

3 SHIFTING GEARS WITH AARON KAUFMAN (MON 2203) 140 155

4 STREET OUTLAWS (SEASON 1B) (WED 2100) 73 73

5 CARS THAT ROCK WITH BRIAN JOHNSON (FRI 2100) 69 69

6 RUNNING WILD WITH BEAR GRYLLS (TUE 2203) 61 92

7 TESLA’S DEATH RAY: A MURDER DECLASSIFIED (THU 2100 53 54

 

Eden

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 PLANET DINOSAUR (FRI 2100) 27 29

2 PLANET DINOSAUR (THU 2101) 24 24

3 PLANET DINOSAUR (FRI 1101) 21 21

4 FRONTIER BORNEO (FRI 1800) 19 19

5 DOG’S BEST FRIEND (MON 1831) 15 15

6 PLANET DINOSAUR (THU 1101) 14 14

7 LIFE IN THE GREAT WETLANDS (SUN 2100) 11 11

8 LIFE IN THE GREAT WETLANDS (SUN 1800) 10 10

9 LIFE ON EARTH: A NEW PREHISTORY (SAT 2100) 10 10

10 LIFE ON EARTH: A NEW PREHISTORY (SAT 1700) 10 10

 

Forces TV

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 STARSKY AND HUTCH (THU 2200) 39 39

2 STARSKY AND HUTCH (FRI 2200) 38 38

3 MILITARY DRIVING SCHOOL (FRI 2130) 31 31

4 HOGAN’S HEROES (WED 1125) 28 33

5 HOGAN’S HEROES (FRI 1055) 27 27

6 GOODNIGHT SWEETHEART (THU 1650) 26 26

7 HOGAN’S HEROES (THU 1055) 26 35

8 HOGAN’S HEROES (MON 1125) 25 25

9 HOGAN’S HEROES (FRI 1125) 24 24

10 GOODNIGHT SWEETHEART (THU 1610) 24 24

 

GOLD

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 MRS BROWN’S BOYS (SAT 2220) 299 327

2 MRS BROWN’S BOYS (SAT 2140) 281 305

3 MRS BROWN’S BOYS (SUN 2100) 279 286

4 MRS BROWN’S BOYS (SUN 2141) 273 275

5 MRS BROWN’S BOYS (SUN 2220) 249 274

6 DAD’S ARMY (WED 2001) 188 195

7 DAD’S ARMY (SUN 2019) 184 189

8 DAD’S ARMY (THU 2001) 178 183

 

History Channel

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 THE CURSE OF OAK ISLAND (WED 2100) 214 237

2 FORGED IN FIRE (THU 2100) 158 176

3 OZZY AND JACKS AMERICAN ROAD TRIP (SUN 2100) 137 143

4 DISASTERS THAT CHANGED BRITAIN (MON 2102) 110 142

5 COUNTING CARS (TUE 2030) 73 77

6 COUNTING CARS (TUE 2000) 68 74

7 COUNTING CARS (MON 2002) 66 66

8 AMERICAN PICKERS (MON 1901) 58 58

9 COUNTING CARS (WED 2000) 46 46

10 COUNTING CARS (MON 2031) 43 48

 

Home +1

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 A PLACE IN THE SUN: SUMMER SUN (TUE 1902) 24 24

2 A PLACE IN THE SUN: SUMMER SUN (WED 1900) 19 19

3 ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY (THU 2100) 12 12

4 NICK KNOWLES’ ORIGINAL FEATURES (SUN 2300) 12 12

 

ITV Encore

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 HEARTBEAT (SUN 1059) 40 40

2 POIROT (SUN 1954) 34 34

3 WHITECHAPEL (TUE 2101) 32 32

4 POIROT (THU 2000) 32 32

5 POIROT (WED 2102) 29 29

6 HEARTBEAT (SAT 1239) 26 26

7 ALWAYS AND EVERYONE (SAT 0925) 26 26

8 POIROT (WED 1844) 25 25

9 POIROT (SAT 2002) 25 32

10 POIROT (SUN 1843) 22 22

 

ITV3

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 VERA (THU 2002) 1,113 1,153

2 ENDEAVOUR (WED 2003) 808 843

3 MIDSOMER MURDERS (TUE 2000) 577 592

4 LEWIS (MON 2003) 540 579

5 DCI BANKS (MON 2204) 415 425

6 AGATHA CHRISTIE’S MARPLE (FRI 2000) 410 414

7 DCI BANKS (MON 2304) 383 395

8 SCOTT & BAILEY (TUE 2203) 334 339

9 MURDER SHE WROTE (MON 1902) 332 339

10 HEARTBEAT (MON 1757) 328 328

 

Keep It Country

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 IRELAND WEST MUSIC TV (MON 2200) 38 40

2 THE MICHAEL COMMINS SHOW (TUE 2300) 38 38

3 PHIL MACK COUNTRY SHOW (MON 2100) 37 37

4 IRELAND WEST MUSIC TV (WED 2200) 35 35

5 JOHN RYAN’S JAMBOREE (WED 1900) 32 32

6 HOT COUNTRY (MON 2000) 30 30

7 MEMORY LANE (SUN 2000) 29 29

 

Kerrang

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 THE ANTHEMS (WED 1700) 8 8

2 LINKIN PARK: ALL THE ANTHEMS! (TUE 2200) 8 8

3 FIGHTKLUB: MCR VS PARAMORE (SAT 0858) 7 7

4 THE WEEKEND ANTHEMS (SAT 1716) 5 5

5 ON THE PLAYLIST! ROCK RIGHT NOW (THU 1511) 4 4

6 SMELLS LIKE THE 90S (SUN 1727) 4 4

 

London Live

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 ROMAN BRITAIN FROM THE AIR (TUE 2000) 57 57

2 THE SUPER-RICH AND US (TUE 2101) 41 41

3 NHS: ?2 BILLION A WEEK AND COUNTING (MON 2102) 40 40

4 THE SUPER-RICH AND US (MON 2201) 36 36

5 THE STORY OF TURNER’S HOUSE (MON 2001) 31 31

6 FILM: DRESSAGE (FRI 2418) 21 21

7 BRIDGES THAT BUILT LONDON (THU 1859) 20 20

8 FILM: ESSEX BOYS – RETRIBUTION (SAT 2422) 19 19

9 FILM: KIDS IN LOVE (2016) (FRI 2202) 19 19

10 LES MISERABLES: THE HISTORY OF… (WED 1902) 18 18

 

Magic

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 SIMPLY..TAKE THAT! (SAT 1833) 16 16

2 FEEL THE MAGIC (WED 1649) 12 12

3 REWIND THE CLASSICS (FRI 2342) 9 9

4 THE 50 MOST EPIC NOUGHTIES SONGS (THU 1059) 8 8

 

Military History

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 ANCIENT ALIENS (WED 2001) 29 29

2 ENGINEERING AN EMPIRE (MON 1359) 29 29

3 DIGGING FOR BRITAIN (THU 2100) 28 28

4 ANCIENT ALIENS (MON 2003) 27 27

5 ENGINEERING AN EMPIRE (FRI 1401) 27 27

6 ANCIENT ALIENS (MON 1900) 27 27

7 THE WORLD WARS (WED 2100) 26 26

8 ANCIENT ALIENS (MON 1300) 25 25

9 ANCIENT ALIENS (WED 1903) 25 25

10 ANCIENT ALIENS (MON 1202) 23 23

 

MTV Classic

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 NUMBER 1 IN 2013! (WED 1400) 19 19

2 OMG! 15 YEARS SINCE… (WED 1750) 17 17

3 21 HITS THE TEEN IN YOU WOULDN’T ADMIT (WED 1600) 12 12

4 STEPS: OFFICIAL TOP 10 (WED 1900) 11 11

5 CHART CHAMPIONS! 90S NO.1S ONLY! (MON 1200) 10 10

6 NOTHING BUT THE 00S (TUE 1740) 8 16

7 OFFICIAL BEST-SELLING 90S HITS: TOP 20 (THU 1200) 7 7

8 NOTHING BUT THE 00S (SAT 1935) 6 6

9 GREATEST HITS: SPICE GIRLS TOP 10 (THU 2000) 5 5

10 REMEMBER THIS? FIERCE 00S GIRLS (TUE 1400) 5 5

 

MTV Rocks

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 COACHELLA 2018: PERFORMING! (SUN 1900) 7 7

2 POP PUNK GOLD! (SAT 1458) 4 4

3 PARAMORE: IN ROTATION (SUN 1800) 4 4

4 PARAMORE: IN ROTATION (WED 2201) 4 4

5 ULTIMATE WEEKEND ANTHEMS! (SAT 1100) 3 3

6 ULTIMATE WEEKEND ANTHEMS! (SUN 2259) 3 3

7 TOP 30 GLOBAL MEGASTARS! (SUN 1000) 3 3

8 THE 1975: OFFICIAL TOP 10 (SUN 2201) 3 3

9 MOST EXPLOSIVE ANTHEMS OF ALL TIME! (SAT 0800) 3 3

 

PBS America

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 THE MYSTERY OF THE BLACK DEATH (THU 2100) 34 34

2 THE SEARCH FOR ALFRED THE GREAT (FRI 1953) 34 34

3 DAM BUSTERS: THE RACE TO SMASH THE GERMA (FRI 2110 29 29

4 CODEBREAKER: BLETCHLEY PARK’S LOST HEROE (TUE 1955 29 33

5 HENRY FORD (SUN 1305) 29 29

6 HENRY FORD (SUN 1842) 27 27

7 CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE (TUE 1851) 27 27

8 THE CRUSADERS’ LOST FORT (THU 1955) 24 24

9 FORCED MARCH TO FREEDOM (MON 1818) 23 23

10 DAM BUSTERS: THE RACE TO SMASH THE GERMA (SAT 2215 21 21

 

Showcase

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 IT’S MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES (1) (FRI 1900) 15 15

2 THE CHINA HOUR: ANCIENT CHINESE ARCHITEC (SAT 1900 7 7

3 WORLD POKER TOUR (12) (TUE 2600) 7 7

4 PISTONHEADS (1) (SUN 1330) 7 7

5 CRAFT DAILY (1) (SAT 2200) 5 5

6 PRACTICAL CARAVAN TV (2) (WED 1800) 3 3

7 GLOBETROTTER – 10 MINUTE TRIPS (1) (TUE 2000) 3 3

8 PRACTICAL CARAVAN TV (2) (MON 2000) 3 3

9 THE CHINA HOUR: BRUCE LEE (1) (SUN 1900) 2 2

 

Sky Arts

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 URBAN MYTHS (WED 2611) 188 211

2 PETER GREEN MAN OF THE WORLD (SAT 2101) 75 78

3 THE NINETIES (FRI 2100) 55 62

4 ANDRE RIEU: LIVE IN MAASTRICHT VI (MON 2021) 52 52

5 THE SIXTIES (SUN 1906) 48 48

6 THE SIXTIES (SUN 1812) 45 45

7 DISCOVERING FILM (MON 1800) 44 44

 

Sky Sports Cricket

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 LIVE INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (SUN 1521) 185 185

2 LIVE INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (SAT 1100) 96 96

3 LIVE INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (SUN 1120) 92 92

4 LIVE INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (SAT 1523) 92 92

5 LIVE INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (FRI 1500) 82 82

6 ATHERTONS HISTORY OF OLD TRAFFORD (SUN 1513) 57 57

 

Syfy

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 CRYSTAL INFERNO (2016) (FRI 2101) 86 86

2 MERLIN (TUE 2000) 67 73

3 BEETLEJUICE (1988) (SUN 1901) 67 67

4 THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK (1987) (TUE 2101) 66 66

5 TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN (200 (THU 2225 62 62

6 MERLIN (THU 2002) 57 57

7 MERLIN (WED 2001) 57 57

 

TCM

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 FILM: SWORDFISH (2001) (THU 2102) 62 62

2 BONANZA (WED 0641) 37 37

3 BONANZA (FRI 0705) 33 33

4 BONANZA (THU 0656) 33 33

5 FILM: THE SHINING (1980) (FRI 2100) 33 33

6 FILM: LETHAL WEAPON 3 (WED 2101) 27 27

7 FILM: ESCAPE FROM FORT BRAVO (WED 1500) 25 25

8 BONANZA (WED 0741) 25 25

 

True Entertainment

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 M*A*S*H (THU 1930) 121 121

2 M*A*S*H (TUE 1930) 116 116

3 M*A*S*H (MON 1929) 111 111

4 M*A*S*H (WED 1930) 106 106

5 M*A*S*H (MON 1859) 104 104

6 M*A*S*H (TUE 1900) 100 100

7 M*A*S*H (WED 1859) 96 96

8 M*A*S*H (FRI 1930) 95 99

9 M*A*S*H (FRI 1900) 95 98

10 M*A*S*H (THU 1859) 93 93

 

VH1

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 VH1 HITS! (SAT 1352) 11 11

2 GREATEST 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL HITS! (SAT 1200) 9 9

3 VH1 HITS! (THU 1552) 9 9

4 GREATEST POWER BALLADS OF THE 21ST CENTU (FRI 1400 8 9

5 SING-A-LONG WITH THE GREATEST FEEL GOOD (SAT 0800) 7 7

6 GREATEST NUMBER ONE HIT WONDERS! (WED 1243) 7 7

7 LOVE & HEARTBREAK IN THE 21ST CENTURY! (SUN 2100) 7 7

8 LADY GAGA: THE HITS (WED 2000) 6 6

9 OFFICIAL TOP 50 NUMBER ONES OF THE NOUGH (THU 1100 6 6

 

Vintage TV

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 TUNE IN… TO 1985 (FRI 1729) 45 45

2 TUNE IN… TO 1985 (FRI 1747) 41 41

3 TUNE IN… TO 1981 (THU 1929) 38 38

4 TUNE IN… TO 1981 (THU 1900) 38 38

5 TUNE IN… TO 1984 (WED 1728) 37 37

6 ROCK OUT WITH THE BRITS (FRI 2217) 36 36

7 TUNE IN… TO 1980 (TUE 1831) 35 35

8 TUNE IN… TO 1984 (WED 1715) 34 34

9 TUNE IN… TO 1981 (THU 1946) 33 33

10 SHADES OF THE 60S (TUE 1428) 30 30

 

W

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 999 RESCUE SQUAD (TUE 2201) 249 281

2 WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? USA (TUE 2103) 238 288

 

Yesterday

w/e 15 Apr 2018

7 day data (000s) 28 day data (000s)

1 TOTP2: THE 60S (SAT 2140) 238 238

2 WAR ABOVE THE TRENCHES (THU 2001) 222 245

---

Appendix B Periods of history represented:

Late C20th-C21st general	43 (includes ‘best of’… on music channels)
All/Various (e.g. antiques or magazine series)	16
Ancient Rome/Greece/Biblical/China	13
1920s	12
1950s	12 (predominantly drama e.g. Miss Marple)
WW2	11
1960s	8 (predominantly drama e.g. Heartbeat)
1980s	8
Medieval	8
C19th	7 (predominantly drama e.g. Murdoch Mysteries)
Prehistory	6
C18th	5
Fin de siècle	2
WW1	1
1970s	1

 

---

 

Appendix C Geographical places represented:

UK	73 (predominantly drama as above)
Various	38 (e.g. WW2 documentaries including all Allied forces)
USA	24 (PBS; also e.g. American Pickers and factual C20th crime series)
Australia	3
China	3
Holy Land	2
Greece	2
France	1
Global	1
Canada	1
Ireland	1
India	1