Revealed: What you watched in 2011

by: By Alison Stephenson, Deputy Entertainment Editor

From: news.com.au
November 29, 2011 5:01PM

Jessica Brown Findlay, Michelle Dockery and Laura Carmichael in TV series Downton Abbey. Source: news.com.au

Australia's Got Talent winner Jack Vidgen Picture: Fiona Hamilton Source: news.com.au

A SEXY UK bodice ripper almost edged it out of the top slot, but the more wholesome home grown pleasures of Australia's Got Talent have topped the list of most popular shows for 2011.

The rise of blond pop-ster Jack Vidgen on Seven’s reality talent quest had an average of 1.936 million viewers tuning in each week, followed closely by the same network’s period import Downton Abbey with 1.906 million.

Seven’s family drama Packed to the Rafters rounded out the top three with 1.861 million viewers, making the network overall audience winner with a 22.6 per cent share, beating Nine at 19.1 per cent and Ten at 15.7 per cent.

Despite The Block’s auction finale being the most watched program of 2011 with an audience of 3.37 million, the Nine reality stalwart came in at number four in the top shows list.

And while Ten’s MasterChef suffered a significant drop in ratings compared to last year's bumper season, on five out of the six screening nights it managed to make it into the top 15.

Nine’s locally produced crime drama Underbelly: Razor also did well, coming in at tenth slot with 1.595 million viewers.

X Factor, My Kitchen Rules and Dancing With The Stars rounded out the Top 15, with a cut-off this year of 1.527 million.

Event TV continued to top the year’s most watched individual programs, dominated by reality TV winner announcements as well as one-off sporting events like the AFL Grand Final, the Melbourne Cup and the State of Origin.

After the commercial channels for overall audience share ABC1 was next with 10.2 per cent followed by ABC2 at 5.3 per cent. Digital channels Eleven, G0! and 7TWO all came ahead of SBS1’s 3.6 per cent.

Ratings research agency OzTam reports the average viewer spent three hours and nine minutes a day in front of the box - seven minutes more than 2010.

Top shows of 2011:

1. AUSTRALIA’S GOT TALENT – TUESDAY – Seven – 1.936m
2. DOWNTON ABBEY – Seven – 1.906m
3. PACKED TO THE RAFTERS – Seven – 1.861m
4. THE BLOCK – SUNDAY – Nine – 1.750m
5. MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA – MONDAY – Ten – 1.704m
6. MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA – WEDNESDAY – Ten – 1.657m
7. THE X FACTOR AUDITIONS – TUESDAY – Seven – 1.646m
8. MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA – SUNDAY – Ten – 1.645m
9. MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA – THURSDAY – Ten – 1.634m
10. UNDERBELLY: RAZOR – Nine – 1.595m
11. THE X FACTOR AUDITIONS – WEDNESDAY – Seven – 1.570m
12. MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA – TUESDAY – Ten – 1.565m
13. MY KITCHEN RULES – TUESDAY – Seven – 1.558m
14. THE X FACTOR – TUESDAY – Seven – 1.545m
15. DANCING WITH THE STARS – Seven – 1.527m