Most universally watched TV show in the UK?!?

[Readytoplay]

If you took 90 diverse people living in the UK, the first person being aged 10, with the age increasing a year with each person and ending with 100, gave them unlimited time to tell you every TV show they have seen at least 5 minutes of, what would you reckon makes the top 25% of answers.

My guesses would be the following:
Come Dine With Me
Corrie
Doctor Who
Eastenders
ITV mornings (GMB, This Morning etc)
I am a Celebrity…
Emmerdale
Only Fools and Horses
Pointless
The Chase
The One Show
The Simpsons

What do you think?

I don't watch itv unless it's sport so have never seen Corrie, Emmerdale, any of the morning programmes on itv, the chase, I'm a celebrity. I have seen the Simpsons and probably eastenders if it came on after something else.

Actually I think I did see something that was with Ben Shepherd after racing once on itv before I turned it off.

I haven't seen CDWM but do sometimes watch pointless and the one show. Kids watched dr who and OFAH was on a lot when I was growing up but I wouldn't choose to watch it now.

Homes under the hammer?

I reckon Strictly would be on there somewhere.

Britain's got talent?

I'd guess anything with Ant and Dec, people seem to love them.

Bake off

Yeah Strictly definitely and Friends

Agree with Bake off, Strictly, possibly BGT and SNT (although unsure about the later).

remember, this isn’t about shows you religiously watch or personal preferences but instead about shows seen (for whatever reason).

I've never seen 1 minute of Friends. Or Corrie or Emmerdale.

I was going to suggest Dad's Army but recently came across a 30 something who had never even heard of it! (British born and bred, never lived outside the country).

We hardly watch any TV, we record most so we can whizz through the annoying adverts.

The only ones we watch regularly are Gardeners World and Clarkson’s Farm. Best programs on TV

The News.
Match of the Day? Is that still on?
Blue Peter

Olympics? Does that count?

According to Digital Spy the most watched programmes of 2022 were: (I've taken out one off films/events eg Queen's funeral)

I'm a Celebrity
Strictly Come Dancing
Trigger Point
The Tourist
Death in Paradise
Great British Bake Off

I've never watched any of those shows - had no idea half of them were still going 😂

Unlikely
Clarkson’s Farm (not everyone has Prime and not been going long enough)
Dads Army (reckon the majority of anyone younger than 40, have not seen a single scene)
Friends (popular with teens-50s but not sure about people outside of that, especially in the UK).
*Gardeners World ( probably too niche)

Possibly
Blue Peter (although uncertain on how popular it is post 2000).
Match of the day (guess that most people have seen it because of the controversy where GL hosted in his pants).

I am not including the News as I don’t consider that a show but a PSA. Not including ‘Event TV’ either so no Olympics, Sports, Royal Ceremonies etc.

I think most people would struggle to remember even 5% of the shows they have seen 5 minutes of.

Those aged 50-100 will have had a much smaller choice of programmes to watch.

Quite a lot of people will have watched children's programmes with their children.

So I reckon.

1. This is your life
2. Doctor Who
3. Blue Peter
4. Top of the Pops
5. Match of the Day

Is your list in order because I’m pretty sure Come Dine With Me wouldn’t be anywhere near the top, if on the list at all?

I reckon it’d be the soaps as they’re so long running and people will have seen their parents or grandparents watching them before everyone got glued to iPads etc.

I agree about Come Dine with Me. No-one I know watches it. I have seen one episode simply because a friend was on it.

I tell you what though, whenever we were on holiday we always seemed to have that Heir Hunter programme on.

I don't know anyone in the history of the world who has ever liked Blue Peter.

When I was a child I hated it, everyone I knew hated it. My children have never watched it, none of their friends watch it.

Who the fuck is watching it that it has been on for so long? People must be leaving it on in the background while they're waiting for the next programme. They must! That's what used to happen in my house. I'd be watching CBBC and then Blue Peter would sadly be on but Neighbours was on after so I'd leave it on while waiting for neighbours (probably do some homework or something while it was on).

The Chase.. apparently most requested by people in ICU wards according to them nurse!!

Bluey - especially if any of those people are parents.

The Chase and The Simpsons are the top two I reckon.

I'll add Pawn Stars, Storage Wars, Jeremy Kyle, Judge Rinder.

I imagine it will be long running shows like

Bbc news 10/ or 1pm
Either good morning Britain or bbc breakfast -I may usually choose gmb but if that's not on I'd watch breakfast show rather than nothing
Soaps like Eastenders or Corrie -even if one only watched with one's parents when longer.

But that represents a single Snap-shoot of time, focusing on the ‘golden democratic’ (16-64), which makes up just over half of the UK Population. Some of them (Strictly, I’m a Celeb, Bake off E.G ) are valid but I doubt 75% of the population saw Trigger Point or The Tourist (and they definitely will not of in the future).