Tricky Dicky helps Corrie win UK ratings battle
Coronation Street’s serial killer Richard Hillman helped the ITV soap win the UK ratings battle of 2003, figures showed today.
The February episode featuring Tricky Dicky’s canal death plunge pulled in 19.4 million British viewers, making it the most popular show of the year.
Arch rivals EastEnders came in second place, with 16.7 million people tuning in for Den Watts’ return to the BBC soap in September.
The third most watched programme in the UK in 2003 was the Christmas Day edition of BBC’s Only Fools and Horses, with 16.2 million viewers.
ITV1 secured fourth and fifth place with its Millionaire and Michael Jackson editions of Tonight With Trevor McDonald respectively.
Figures from the independent Broadcasters’ Audience Research Bureau (BARB) showed that 16.1 million people tuned in for the Tonight special on the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Fraudulent win.
And 15.3 million watched Martin Bashir’s controversial documentary on pop star Jackson.
