LEE
29-05-2004, 03:47 PM
The following is an official press release
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RECORD VIEWING FIGURES FOR LAST EVER FRIENDS AND BIG BROTHER 5
Channel 4 viewers last night said goodbye to Friends and hello to the opening night of Big Brother 5 with record viewing figures.
A record 8.6 million people (36% share of people watching television at that time), tuned in for Friends’ final hour-long 9pm show, to see Ross and Rachel end up together and the gang drink a final coffee in Central Perk. The programme peaked at 8.9 million viewers and a 37% share. This beats the previous highest rating for Friends on 26 June 2002, when the show secured 6.5 million viewers and 29% share.
And the first night of the fifth series of Big Brother has proved the original reality TV show is as popular as ever. Almost 7 million people watched the new housemates enter the Big Brother house at 10pm.
With an average of 6.7 million viewers and a 34.7% share peaking at 7.2 million and a 37.6% share this is the highest ever share for a Big Brother launch programme - up 15.5% on last year’s launch show.
This makes both Friends and Big Brother the highest rating shows on Channel 4 this year. Previous highest were Grand Designs with 5.9 million and Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares at 5.6 million.
A Channel 4 spokesperson said: “This was a fantastic night for Channel 4. We are thrilled that so many fans tuned in to say goodbye to Friends and that Big Brother has kicked off so strongly.”
Friends had a 62.7% share of 16-34s and 41.5% ABC1s. Big Brother’s 10pm show had a 60.9% share of 16-34s and 36% share of ABC1s.
Unofficial overnight viewing figures from Barb also indicate that last night’s one hour 8pm launch show Big Brother’s Little Brother was watched by an average 2.1 million viewers (9.4% share). At it’s peak the show was watched by 2.9 million viewers, 12.7% share.
Unofficial overnight ratings take no account of viewers who may have video recorded the programme.
In 2003 the Big Brother launch programme reached 6.9 million viewers and a 29.3% share. In 2002, 5.9 million viewers, 26% share, tuned into the launch programme. In 2001 the Big Brother launch programme reached 3.5 million viewers and a 17% share and Big Brother's debut in 2000 secured 3.6 million and a 17% share.
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RECORD VIEWING FIGURES FOR LAST EVER FRIENDS AND BIG BROTHER 5
Channel 4 viewers last night said goodbye to Friends and hello to the opening night of Big Brother 5 with record viewing figures.
A record 8.6 million people (36% share of people watching television at that time), tuned in for Friends’ final hour-long 9pm show, to see Ross and Rachel end up together and the gang drink a final coffee in Central Perk. The programme peaked at 8.9 million viewers and a 37% share. This beats the previous highest rating for Friends on 26 June 2002, when the show secured 6.5 million viewers and 29% share.
And the first night of the fifth series of Big Brother has proved the original reality TV show is as popular as ever. Almost 7 million people watched the new housemates enter the Big Brother house at 10pm.
With an average of 6.7 million viewers and a 34.7% share peaking at 7.2 million and a 37.6% share this is the highest ever share for a Big Brother launch programme - up 15.5% on last year’s launch show.
This makes both Friends and Big Brother the highest rating shows on Channel 4 this year. Previous highest were Grand Designs with 5.9 million and Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares at 5.6 million.
A Channel 4 spokesperson said: “This was a fantastic night for Channel 4. We are thrilled that so many fans tuned in to say goodbye to Friends and that Big Brother has kicked off so strongly.”
Friends had a 62.7% share of 16-34s and 41.5% ABC1s. Big Brother’s 10pm show had a 60.9% share of 16-34s and 36% share of ABC1s.
Unofficial overnight viewing figures from Barb also indicate that last night’s one hour 8pm launch show Big Brother’s Little Brother was watched by an average 2.1 million viewers (9.4% share). At it’s peak the show was watched by 2.9 million viewers, 12.7% share.
Unofficial overnight ratings take no account of viewers who may have video recorded the programme.
In 2003 the Big Brother launch programme reached 6.9 million viewers and a 29.3% share. In 2002, 5.9 million viewers, 26% share, tuned into the launch programme. In 2001 the Big Brother launch programme reached 3.5 million viewers and a 17% share and Big Brother's debut in 2000 secured 3.6 million and a 17% share.