How popular is Top Gear in the UK?

[swraman]

among all people - not just people who watch it all the time, how popular is Top Gear compared to other British shows?
Is it BBC's most popular show? is it their most "complaint-causing" show?

Just wondering

Thanks

[Janobr]

i think, maybe second to syco's shows like britains got talent and x factor, it is the most popular show, i live in the UK for 6 months every year and i really cant think of anything else that comes close.

[MadCat360]

You know, as much as America seems to love the car, I think that if a car show actually got good ratings (not great, just good) then hell will have frozen over. And if it were the most popular show then Eskimo heads would explode at the awesomeness.

You Brits sure are lucky.

[NecroJoe]

Depending on what stats you read, it's the most watched television show in the world.

[ladora]

Isn't it the most downloaded in the world as well?

[MadCat360]

Originally Posted by ladora

Isn't it the most downloaded in the world as well?

I wouldn't be surprised. Look at the amount of leechers and seeders we get via this site's uploads. Tens of thousands.

[swraman]

It has been the 8th most pirated TV show in the world via bittorrent for the last 2 weeks.

[Ramseus]

I'm pretty sure the "most pirated show evar" statements include everyone who's ever seen a clip on youtube as a viewer/pirate. I remember having watched the hilux torture without even knowing what this weird show with a mob for a studio audience was.

[alihaig]

I'm sure someone on here has all the official ratings to hand but as far as i remember it is generally the most watched show on BBC2 which is I think about the 3rd most watched channel. The soaps and reality shows get massive ratings, but possibly TG is at the front of everything else.

I think it is probably pretty high in terms of consistently high complaints, although there are some shows that get 1 off heaps of idiots calling in, that are more than TG ever gets.

[Cobol74]

Upyourego is your man with all the stats.

[swraman]

Originally Posted by Ramseus

I'm pretty sure the "most pirated show evar" statements include everyone who's ever seen a clip on youtube as a viewer/pirate. I remember having watched the hilux torture without even knowing what this weird show with a mob for a studio audience was.

no, the stats only include people who download the full episode off of Bittorrent, probably off of the biggest few trackers. TorrentFreak.com releases the new stats every week, last year TG was the #1 show for a while f I remember right.

[Mineworksfine]

Originally Posted by NecroJoe

Depending on what stats you read, it's the most watched television show in the world.

Actually according to official stats, "Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing with the Stars" is the most watched show in the world when the viewing figures for the various formats internationally are added up, however as a single entity I think you're probably right about TG.

[alihaig]

Originally Posted by WatchTopGear.org

Speaking on a closer level, away from official statistics and figures, I think if you approached anyone British person in the street and asked if they'd heard of Top Gear you'd get the near enough the same response every time, yes. The girls are fans as well, it's not a show loves only by us men.

Strictly come dancing does have the prime time (or at least one of) slot on a Saturday night and Top gear does air on a Sunday evening so I can see why Strictly would instantly have it's advantages but in my and many others opinions, Top Gear is by far the best show to happen to British TV ever.

There is a difference between having heard of a show and being a fan though - I've heard of strictly come dancing, doesn't stop me running a mile rather than be forced to watch the thing!

[jenna42]

Top Gear is watched by 6 million - roughly one-tenth of the UK's population.

Translate that to American ratings - 20 million - and what are we talking - American Idol, CSI?

Given that Top Gear is on the minority channel, BBC2, I'd say the show's popularity is pretty impresive.

[Goose+]

Most the people I know watch it.

[WirelessMonkey]

Most people love it, some women and blokes who dont even like cars just watch it because its funny and entertaining. The only time i hear about complaints about the show, was the whole "truck drivers murder prostitutes" thing. All the other complaints etc. i only hear on FinalGear because someone has randomly found them

[swraman]

Originally Posted by jenna42

Top Gear is watched by 6 million - roughly one-tenth of the UK's population.

Translate that to American ratings - 20 million - and what are we talking - American Idol, CSI?

Given that Top Gear is on the minority channel, BBC2, I'd say the show's popularity is pretty impresive.

Is BBC2 a "leser important" version of BBC?

[jenna42]

Originally Posted by swraman

Is BBC2 a "leser important" version of BBC?

BBC1 is what you might call the mass-market "popular" channel, going for mainstream entertainment such as Strictly Come Dancing, Dr Who, soaps etc

BBC2 is for niche programming, minority interests, so its programmes tend to get lower ratings. That's why 6 million plus for a "pokey little motoring show" is so impressive. Top Gear has broken out of the BBC2 ghetto, so to speak, and become mainstream.

[upyourego]

I'll have a proper look at the stats when I'm in the office tomorrow but Top Gear IS BY A VERY LONG WAY the most popular show on BBC Two.

A high ratings show on BBC Two gets around 3 million - Heroes got an average of 4.5 million. So for Top Gear to average 6.6 million every week - is impressive.

Now the average prime time show on BBC One gets around 6/7 million with a high ratings show getting around 9/10 million (Strictly Come Dancing, Eastenders). If TG moved to One it would probably increase viewing figures by about 2 million per week - assuming it was treated well, marketed well and put into a good slot.

So yes I would say Top Gear is pretty much mainstream and easily one of the most popular shows on British television and certainly one of the BBCs most high profile shows (although the BBC is a big organisation with lots of departments and production divisions).

The brand is also a magazine, there are whole sections of Top Gear books in book shops and you hear kids talking about it in the playground, others over the desk in the office and more still in the pub.

[Nikodemus]

How about some stats?
Are these reliable? BARB sounds good.