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The following is a list of most-watched television episodes, organized by country and based on various criteria.
United Kingdom
Most watched episodes
(by total number of viewers, *)| Rank | Show | Episode | Number of viewers | Year | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EastEnders | Christmas special | 30.15 million | 1986 | BBC1 |
| 2 | Coronation Street | Alan Bradley killed by tram | 26.93 million | 1989 | ITV |
| 3 | Only Fools and Horses | Christmas special | 24.35 million | 1996 | BBC1 |
| 4 | EastEnders | Christmas special | 24.30 million | 1992 | BBC |
| 5 | Royal Variety Performance | 24.20 million | 1965 | ITV | |
| 6 | To the Manor Born | Final episode | 24.00 million | 1981 | BBC1 |
One-off events
(by total number of viewers, *)| Rank | Event | Number of viewers | Year | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1966 World Cup Final | 32.30 million | 1966 | BBC/ITV |
| 2 | Funeral of Princess Diana | 32.10 million | 1997 | BBC1/ITV |
| 3 | British Royal Family documentary | 30.69 million | 1969 | BBC1/ITV |
| 4 | Apollo 13 splashdown | 28.60 million | 1970 | BBC1/ITV |
| 5 | FA Cup replay: Chelsea vs. Leeds | 28.49 million | 1970 | BBC1/ITV |
Most watched movies
(by total number of viewers, *; dates are when the movies aired, not necessarily when they were produced.)| Rank | Movie | Number of viewers | Year | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Live and Let Die | 23.50 million | 1980 | ITV |
| 2 | Jaws | 23.25 million | 1981 | ITV |
| 3 | The Spy Who Loved Me | 22.90 million | 1982 | ITV |
| 4 | Diamonds Are Forever | 22.15 million | 1981 | ITV |
| 5 | Crocodile Dundee | 21.75 million | 1989 | ITV |
United States
Sources: BBC, Reuters, Nielsen Media Research
Some sources, such as PBS and the official website of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization made-for-television production of Cinderella, broadcast once on CBS in 1957, as the most-watched television show. According to those sources, it garnered 107 million viewers, more than the M*A*S*H finale cited in most lists. Based on Census Bureau mid-year population estimates [http://www.census.gov/popest/archives/1990s/popclockest.txt" target="_blank" >*, Cinderella would have had to attract an audience representing 62.2% of the U.S. population (171.9 million), compared with the 45.3% that M*A*S*H attracted (of 233.8 million).
Top 10 Network Telecasts of All Time
(ranked by "Household Rating", homes could include many viewers; source: Nielsen Media Research)
| Rank | Show or episode | Number of households | Percentage of households | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | M*A*S*H finale | 50.15 million | 60.2% | February 28, 1983 |
| 2 | Dallas episode "Who Shot J.R.?" | 41.47 million | 53.3% | November 21, 1980 |
| 3 | Roots finale | 36.38 million | 51.1% | January 30, 1977 |
| 4 | Super Bowl XVI (San Francisco 49ers vs. Cincinnati Bengals) | 40.02 million | 49.1% | January 24, 1982 |
| 5 | Super Bowl XVII (Washington Redskins vs. Miami Dolphins) | 40.48 million | 48.6% | January 30, 1983 |
| 6 | XVII, Winter Olympics, Day 2 (Nancy Kerrigan-Tonya Harding) | 45.69 million | 48.5% | February 24, 1994 |
| 7 | Super Bowl XX (Chicago Bears vs. New England Patriots) | 41.49 million | 48.3% | January 26, 1986 |
| 8 | Gone with the Wind telecast (part 1) | 33.96 million | 47.7% | November 7, 1976 |
| 9 | Gone with the Wind telecast (part 2) | 33.75 million | 47.4% | November 8, 1976 |
| 10 | Super Bowl XII (Dallas Cowboys vs. Denver Broncos) | 34.41 million | 47.2% | January 15, 1978 |
Most watched finales
(by total viewers; source: Reuters)| Rank | Show | Number of Viewers | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | M*A*S*H | 105.9 million viewers | 1983 |
| 2 | Cheers | 90.4 million | 1993 |
| 3 | Seinfeld | 76.3 million | 1998 |
| 4 | Friends | 52.5 million | 2004 |
| 5 | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | 50.0 million | 1992 |
| 6 | The Cosby Show | 44.0 million | 1992 |
| 7 | Everybody Loves Raymond | 33.0 million | 2005 |
| 8 | Frasier | 25.4 million | 2004 |
| 9 | Will & Grace | 18.1 million | 2006 |
| 10 | That '70s Show | 9.3 million | 2006 |
Annual top-rated shows (1950 to present)
Nielsen began compiling ratings for television beginning in 1950. Prior to that year, television ratings were compiled by a number of other sources, including C. E. Hooper (was bought out by Nielsen in February of 1950) and Variety. These are the programs that finished with the highest average Nielsen rating in each television season:
"List of most-watched television episodes"