Features
Freeview Features
IT’S ONE SMALL STEP FOR TV…
At the dawn of the new digital TV era, research reveals the most memorable TV moments in history.
From the shocking events of 9/11, back to the incredible footage of the first moon landing and the national joy at winning the 1966 World Cup – the definitive TV moments that have fuelled Britain’s TV obsession over the last 50 years were revealed in a special poll.
The UK’s most watched Digital TV service, Freeview, asked 2,000 telly addicts to pick their most memorable TV moments from the world of news, sport and entertainment from a shortlist chosen by a panel of national TV writers and critics, as Britain prepares to be permanently transported into a new digital TV age. The first phase of digital switchover begins on 17 October in Copeland in West Cumbria.
Nearly half of those polled (45%) chose the shocking footage of the 9/11 attack on the twin towers in 2001 as their most memorable TV moment of the past 40 years, with a further 29% declaring it was the first time that they had watched around the clock news footage, as they were glued to their sets watching the dramatic events unfold.
Princess Diana’s funeral and the first televised landing on the moon took the second and third spots respectively, with 38% revealing that the moon landing was the first news event that they had watched live.
Comedy, sport and entertainment made significant impressions in the top 10. Regularly enjoying audiences of around 17 million at their peak, the Two Ronnies took sixth place with their legendary ‘Four Candles’ sketch, joined by Ricky Gervais, in seventh place with his famously cringe worthy dance in The Office and Monty Python’s Dead Parrot sketch (eighth place). England’s iconic World Cup win against West Germany in 1966 ensured that our other national obsession, (apart from watching TV), football took the ninth spot.
The remaining moments that have grabbed our TV imaginations over the past 40 years were the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 (4th spot), Bob Geldof emploring Live Aid viewers to “Give us yer f****** money” (fifth place), and finally the shooting of JFK in tenth spot. 23% of us felt Bob’s comments permanently changed the way that we watch entertainment programmes forever, whilst 32% felt an epic moment like the Berlin Wall coming down was unlikely to happen again in their lifetime.
The Top 10 most memorable TV moments:
- 9/11 - Fall of the twin Towers
- Funeral of Princess Diana
- First televised landing on the moon
- Fall of the Berlin Wall
- Bob Geldof asking us for our ‘f******’ money’ during Live Aid
- Two Ronnies ‘Four Candles’ sketch
- Ricky Gervais dance in The Office
- Monty Python’s Dead Parrot Sketch
- England win the World Cup in 1966
- Shooting of JFK
Top 3 Entertainment Moments:
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Two Ronnies ‘Four Candles’ sketch
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Ricky Gervais dance in The Office
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Monty Python’s dead parrot sketch
Top 3 News Moments:
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9/11 - Fall of the twin Towers
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Funeral of Princess Diana
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First televised landing on the moon
Top 3 Sports Moments:
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Torvill and Dean win Olympic gold accompanied by the Bolero in 1984
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England win the world Cup in 1966
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Gazza’s tears in the World Cup Semi Final 1990
Top 3 Kids TV Moments:
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Lulu the Elephant causes havoc on Blue Peter
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Zammo’s spiral into drug addiction on Grange Hill
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The iconic theme tune at the beginning of each episode of Rainbow
