Big Brother Is Watching Audience Figures Go Up

A few short weeks ago it seemed that the only way Channel 4 got over 3 million viewers was by screening expensively imported US sitcoms in prime Friday night slots or setting fire to another set in disaster-soap Brookside. Who would have thought that 70 grand in prize money, an East-end lock-up full of cameras and ten moderate-to-very irritating people could give the channel peak viewing figures of over 4 million, a 22% audience share in the 11pm weekday slot, an oversubscribed web site and full scale media hysteria?
Actually, people in Holland, where production company Endemol launched the original, and hugely successful Big Brother, would have thought it. As would those in Germany where the huge popularity of the docusoap to end all docusoaps was repeated. Spanish and US viewers would also relate to the addictive nature of the creepiest show on TV, as they too are currently clamouring at the opportunity to watch their own countrymen run around like lab rats in sealed compounds.
When Bazal Productions brought the format to C4, the critics were quick to pan it, and many thought that the channel did not have the clout to attract viewers and attention on the same scale as say, CBS is doing in the US. The same critics are now having to alter their arguments to pan the audiences for giving into the temptation of voyeurism in such numbers.
Even before Nasty Nick and the recently ousted Randy Andy had earned their nicknames, the introductory show on Tuesday 18 July peaked at 4.1 million viewers during its 9-10pm slot, achieving an average of 3.6 million, or 17.2% audience share. This figure has been more or less maintained for the major shows since then.
The first eviction on Friday 27 July attracted 3.5 million viewers (17% audience share) for the vote result between 8.30 and 9pm, while 3.4 million tuned in at 11.20pm when the evicted Sada left the house. The next eviction, on Friday 4 August, managed 3 million for the 8.30pm slot, while the 11.05pm slot peaked at 3.6 million, or 30% share.
The 11pm weekday slots are managing an average of 2.6 million viewers, or 22% share, and this has led to BARB overnights giving C4 its highest weekly audience share since October 1997, with 11.6% of total television viewing for the week ending 30 July.
C4 says that at least half of Big Brother’s viewers are in the 16-24 age group. The broad demographic make up of the audience has a more or less 50/50 split between men and women, with ABC1’s in line with the population.
At the same time, the accompanying Big Brother website (FAQs include “Can I see them in the shower?”) is said to be outstripping even the mighty bbc.co.uk with 3 million hits per day for its voting, popularity charts and 24-hour access webcams. C4 reports that there were more than 1.5 million page impressions during the weekend after the site went live, while after the first show, usage for the C4 website increased 500% against the average for that time slot and viewers bombarded the site with nearly 1,000 emails per minute.
There are no qualms from viewers about joining in the culling of contestants either. Despite the Sun’s best efforts to raise a lynch mob against the hilariously manipulative baddy, Nick, he has yet to be sussed by his more bovine housemates, and therefore has been so far saved from the viewer vote. Caroline’s lip liner lived to face another day when she found favour with the 387,000 voters who called in during the first eviction vote. Blood lust awakened, when she was returned to the voters for a second shot the following week, this time with Andrew, even more people rang in- 976,945, with close to a million still trying after the phone lines closed.
Just for the record, Britains currently most famous tart with a heart (that’s Caroline, for those of you still holding out against watching) is still screeching like a hyena in the compound, while the chances of hard-core peeping Toms seeing some night-vision duvet action have lessened considerably now that Randy Andy has been returned to the outside world. Meanwhile the Sun’s efforts to alert the house to Nick’s evil ways with a leaflet drop on the compound garden were foiled by the programme makers, who doubtless recognise the viewer pulling power of keeping him on the show.
Big Brother’s shameless celebration of avarice, voyeurism and double-crossing may leave you feeling slightly grubby, but with audience figures going from strength to strength and the series less than half-way through, Channel 4 certainly looks set to clean up.
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