TV
10 most-watched TV broadcasts in Australian history
Television has come a long way since it was launched in Australia in 1956, evolving from black and white to colour, analogue to digital, standard definition to HD, 2D to 3D and internet-connected screens found in many homes around the world. And, in the past 60-odd years, Aussies have watched hundreds of thousands of hours of TV. But what are the most-watched televised events in our country’s history? Let’s find out.
- Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales – In 1997, an estimated two billion people around the world – including millions of Australians – tuned in to farewell the People’s Princess after her shock death.
- Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer – 16 years earlier, the world was transfixed by the “fairytale wedding” between Prince Charles and Princess Diana, watched by around 750 million globally.
- 2000 Summer Olympics closing ceremony – The 2000 Sydney Olympics are close to many Australians’ hearts – so much so that the closing ceremony was watched by a staggering 6,641,000 of us.
- 2000 Summer Olympics opening ceremony – Likewise, the unforgettable opening ceremony had an audience of 6,518,000 in Australia alone.
- Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton – Can you believe the royal wedding was six years ago? Watched by around 162 million people, including 5.7 million Australians.
- 1984 Summer Olympics opening ceremony – Despite a rocky lead up to the games, the Los Angeles Olympics opening ceremony remains one of our most-watched broadcasts.
- The World of The Seekers – The Ten Network aired this TV movie in 1968 when The Seekers were at the height of their popularity not only in Australia, but also the UK and USA.
- Boxing: Lionel Rose vs. Alan Rudkin – In 1969, Australian audiences were glued to their screens as boxing legend Lionel Rose defended his world title – in fact, 72 per cent of households tuned in.
- The Sound of Music – It hit cinemas in 1965, but it wasn’t until 12 years later that the wildly popular Julie Andrews musical film aired on Australian television – and we loved it.
- Roots – This critically-acclaimed 1977 American miniseries starring LeVar Burton brought the bestselling novel of the same name featuring Kunta Kinte to the screen for the first time. It was remade last year, airing on SBS.
Tell us in the comments below, how many of these televised events did you see live? What are your memories of watching the events?