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Author Topic:   Most watched spaceflights on television
moorouge
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Posts: 2454
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009

posted 07-15-2014 12:59 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for moorouge   Click Here to Email moorouge     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I came across a list of the TV programmes that had the highest audiences for the past decades in Britain.

In the 1960's, on the 27th December 1968 some 22.55 million people tuned in to watch the splashdown of Apollo 8. This made it the 6th most watched programme of the decade. (Top of the list was the 1966 World Cup Final.)

In the following decade, at the top of the list with an audience of 28.60 million, on the 17th April 1970 came the recovery of Apollo 13 just beating the FA Cup Final replay between Chelsea and Leeds.

It's interesting that the Apollo 11 moon landing failed to make the list. I suspect that the reason for this is that Armstrong and Aldrin failed to follow the flight plan!

I wonder how many spaceflights made the top viewing lists in the States.

Tykeanaut
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Posts: 2212
From: Worcestershire, England, UK.
Registered: Apr 2008

posted 07-15-2014 11:27 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Tykeanaut   Click Here to Email Tykeanaut     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I wish Gene Kranz had been our manager in 1970!

Blackarrow
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Posts: 3118
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 07-17-2014 04:10 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Blackarrow     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
It's clearly relevant that the Apollo 8 and 13 splashdowns took place during normal TV viewing hours. No matter how historic the occasion, you aren't going to get a huge audience at 4 o'clock in the morning. Fortunately, some of us didn't have to go to school, or work, the next day!

How were the audience figures in the States, where (by a happy coincidence?) the Apollo 11 EVA took place on (nearly) primetime TV?

All times are CT (US)

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