New Commissions Beat Out Returning Series as Channel 4’s Most-Watched Shows

LONDON: Of the top 50 most-watched shows on Channel 4 in 2012, 37 of them, or 74 percent, were new commissions, among them The Undateables, Derek and Stephen Fry: Gadget Man.

Of the top 30 programs of the year on Channel 4, 22 of them, or 77 percent, were new to the schedule. Making the list of new shows that have already been commissioned to return in 2013 are George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces, 999: What’s Your Emergency, The Hoarder Next Door and 16 Kids and Counting.

Channel 4’s most popular program of the year was the Paralympics Opening Ceremony, which averaged 7.9 million viewers. Over the course of the actual Games, Channel 4’s coverage reached 39.9 million viewers.

Overall, Channel 4’s audience share across its portfolio is 11.4 percent for the year to date, which is just 1-percent higher than in 2011. Its 4oD VOD service had more than 412 million viewers across 2012 year to date, which is up 6 percent on the prior year.