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So, Has the BBC Run Out of Ideas?
Because it does kind of seem that way, doesn’t it? The schedules dominated by the same old programmes that seem to have been kicking around forever. But – is that really the case? Or, with the main BBC channels being the home for as wide an audience as possible, isn’t it just that the BBC’s…
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The Most-Broadcast BBC Programmes of All-Time: Post-Match Statstravaganza

Okay, now the Big Final Reveal is out of the way, and we’ve identified the two programmes broadcast more than any other on the main BBC channels, let’s get granular. After all, with so much lovely data to build statistical sandcastles with, we can pull that programme information into some other shapes too. For example,…
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Play School: A Look Through the Redux Window (Take Two*)

(*Fingers crossed, first attempt to publish resulted in a blank post and WordPress deleting the contents of my draft. So, fingers crossed. Apologies to email subscribers who received a mostly-empty email last night.) Who wants a bunch more information about Play School? You know you do. But first, a brief aside. Funny thing, research. When…
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The Two Most-Broadcast BBC Programmes of All-Time: The Grand Final

If this blog has a catchphrase, it must be “that took a lot longer than I’d expected”. And this one did. Not so much as down to getting together a programme history of the show in question, but more to do with checking the broadcast histories of the Top Two programmes. And O! The excitement.…
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The 100 Most-Broadcast BBC Programmes Of All Time: Pre-Reveal Recap

Firstly, Merry Christmas! We’re nearly there, and things are very tight between the top two. How tight? Well, so damn close I’ve actually felt compelled to carry out a full recount of their respective broadcast totals, as there are just seven broadcasts between them. One programme was shown 10,575 times, the other 10,582 times. So,…
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“He Might be Slightly Dodgy, But a Gooner He Ain’t” – The 3rd Most-Broadcast BBC Programme of All-Time

Bronze medal time! But first, here’s something that you may well float your retro TV boat if you’re enjoying this rundown. Unstoppable word machine Ben Baker’s latest book – The Dreams We Had As Children – is out now, and it’s a bit of a cracker for anyone who grew up (or old) with a…
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“Available to Anyo.e” – The 4th Most Broadcast BBC Programme of All-Time

Here we go. After yesterday’s video version, here’s the good old Web 1.0 write-up for… 4: Pages from Ceefax (Shown 6491 times, 1983-2000) Well, here’s a controversial one. Partly because you could claim it’s not really a programme, partly because you could claim it should be classed as ‘news’, and partly because pages from Ceefax…
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The 4th Most-Broadcast BBC Programme of All-Time: Video Special!

Ho, yes. We’re closing in on the top of the list, so I’ve made a video on the programme in fourth place. Everyone likes it when people say “hey, watch this video I’ve made”, don’t they? For those who don’t (waves to 97% of the population), I’ll put the text version online tomorrow. Which has…
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“Bart, Elvis and The Baby” – The 5th Most Broadcast BBC Programme of All-Time

Into the top five. And where some programmes in the list are hard to find out much information, he’s one where there’s way too much to feasabily include. Still, here’s a good old bash at it – get comfy for over 6,300 words about… 5: Cricket (Shown 6250 times, 1938-2021) PROLOGUE: A lot to get…
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Blue RePeter Returns: Another Fact-Based Addendum
Blimey, you lot. Following yesterday’s extra batch of Blue Peter information from Paul R Jackson, Daniel James Webb has written in (okay, he posted in the comments, but I’m trying to get a Blue Peter aesthetic going) with the following list of details of presenter reunions for each landmark anniversary. Take it away, Daniel! 20th…
