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UPDATE 10:30 AM: Last night’s opening ceremony of the London Olympics drew 40.7 million viewers to become the most watched Summer Games opening ceremony ever and the most watched non-U.S. Olympics opener. Overall, it is the second most watched opening ceremony behind only the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter games. Vs. the last two Summer Olympics, Danny Boyle’s show, highlighted by the Queen’s skit with James Bond, drew almost 6 million more viewers than the 2008 Beijing Olympics (34.9 million) and 15 million more than the 2004 Athens Olympics (25.4 million), the last games held in Europe.
PREVIOUS 7:50 AM: NBC‘s decision to keep footage from the Olympics opening ceremony off TV and the Web for hours to make U.S.’ primetime angered fans but resulted in strong preliminary ratings for the extravaganza orchestrated by Danny Boyle. The show scored a 23.0 Rating/40 Share in the overnight ratings — the highest ever for Games not held on American soil. Compared to the three most recent Olympic Games, that was 7% higher than Beijing, 28% higher than Athens and 24% higher than Sydney. (Of course, London had a more favorable time zone difference than the other three.) Overall, the Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and Atlanta Games’ opening festivities are remain highest-rated. The ceremony did great at home too, posting a 14-year high rating for BBC.
Related:
Oh Danny Boy! Oh Boo NBC! Oscar-Winning Director’s “Giant Juke Box” Wins Kudos For Olympic Opener; NBC Hammered Back Home For Not Airing Live From London
London Olympics Preview: Coverage Is “Hybrid Of Innovation And Tradition”, But Will It Do The Job?
Here is a chart of historic US ratings data:
OPENING CEREMONY AVERAGE VIEWERS (ALL SUMMER GAMES ON RECORD):
|
NON-U.S. OPENING CEREMONY NATIONAL RATING (SUMMER GAMES)
| 1. London – 2012 | 21.0/37 NBC |
| 2. Beijing – 2008 | 18.8/34 NBC |
| 3. Rome – 1960 | 18.1/36 CBS |
| 4. Sydney – 2000 | 16.2/29 NBC |
| 5. Seoul – 1988 | 15.2/29 NBC |
| 6. Athens – 2004 | 14.6/27 NBC |
| 7. Barcelona – 1992 | 13.8/29 NBC |
| 8. Montreal – 1976 | 11.1/39 ABC |
| 9. Mexico City – 1968 | 8.8/34 ABC |
| 10. Munich – 1972 | 6.5/28 ABC |
| 11. Tokyo – 1964 | 5.6/14 ABC |
NON-U.S. OPENING CEREMONY OVERNIGHT RATINGS:
| 1. London – 2012 | 23.0/40 NBC |
| 2. Beijing – 2008 | 21.5/37 NBC |
| 3. Lillehammer – 1994 | 21.0/34 CBS |
| 4. Vancouver – 2010 | 20.0/33 NBC |
| 5. Nagano – 1998 | 18.6/30 CBS |
| 6. Sydney – 2000 | 18.5/32 NBC |
| 7. Seoul – 1988 | 18.3/33 NBC |
| 8. Athens – 2004 | 18.0/30 NBC |
| 9. Sarajevo – 1984 | 17.2/27 ABC |
| 10. Calgary – 1988 | 17.0/40 ABC |
| 11. Barcelona – 1992 | 16.5/32 NBC |
| 12. Albertville – 1992 | 16.0/26 CBS |
| 13. Torino – 2006 | 14.7/23 NBC |
OPENING CEREMONY OVERNIGHT RATINGS FOR U.S. GAMES:
| 1. Los Angeles – 1984 | 29.5/55 ABC |
| 2. Salt Lake City – 2002 | 27.9/43 NBC |
| 3. Atlanta – 1996 | 27.2/47 NBC |
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
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The only people annoyed at the non-live coverage are people who don’t have jobs and can sit around watching TV in the afternoon. They have loud mouths, but the ratings show there is a silent majority who appreciated the delay.
I watched and I thought it was terrible. Boring and quite frankly stupid and disjointed. Very disappointed. I love London. I’m sad for her today
You Got It Right!
Could not agree more. Stupid and boring.
Looks like Mr. Boyle worked very hard. Very beautiful! Hats off to him!!!
Why does the time zone difference matter when NBC show it on tape delay?
The London event has the smallest delay (3 hours) between when the event started live and when it was shown here, compared to 12 hours or more from China or Australia. Apparently that translates into more ‘immediacy’ and higher viewer numbers.
Not impressed with the health care opening. Obviously a left wing statement about a health care system that take months to see patients and won’t pay for many procedures. I don’t know anyone who has ever used British healthcare as an exmple of greatness. Another example of politics being brought into sport.
Or, um, maybe they’re actually proud of their healthcare systems? It sure as hell beats the crap out of ours.
So, you choose socialism over capitalism. You are part of the reason our country is going down the tubes.
Yes, you got me. It’s all my fault. Sorry.
Moron.
The reason the country is “going down the tubes” is people like you thinking we have the best healthcare in the world when the truth is we have the lowest life expectancy of any free western nation!
But hey what are you doing here when there so much FOXNews to watch?
Umm… that’s kind of the point being made – they’re not proud of their healthcare system, it’s horrible and even they admit that.
The opening ceremony was pointless and idiotic. It has been roundly criticized from all quarters and for very good reason, it sucked.
You don’t see Americans running to Europe for treatments
Go read the comment sections of the online UK newspapers reviews of the ceremony and you will see how much the Brits love their health care system, and by love I mean hate.
It’s funny to me how it’s always ignorant Americans commenting on the health care of both the uk and Canada. Having lived in London for 15 years and Canada for 20, never ever have I heard or met anyone that has complained about the healthcare and never ever have I ever met anyone who decided to go to the us for care. In fact, we were always taught that if u get injured while visiting the us but able enough to get on a plane and fly back to the uk or Canada, do it. U can choose to believe your propaganda, but you are misinformed.
You are either a terrible liar, or you have been living under a rock. Most of us are, thankfully, healthy enough that we don’t require advanced medical services. Those that do? Yes, many travel to the US to be treated. I’m guessing that you’re not Canadian or British, but a consummate liar.
“Don’t know any Canadians going to U S for treatment.”
I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and there are MANY Canadians coming to the US hospitals for elective surgery/treatment.
Funny You should talk like that. As an englishman I can say first hand that Americas health care system is far superior to what we are accustom to here. Just ask the thousands of European,Middle eastern and
Canadian citizens that happily pay any price asked for the most professional,advanced and state of the art medicine in the civilised world. America is always on call for any health challenge people have.
of course you’re anonymous. I never read such balony. Londoners are always coming to NY for better treatment if they’re seriosly ill and can afford to.
Thanks for leaving and using our resources. I have never thought I would be better off in another country. Stay home.
Your a liberal hack who just posted this bullshit comment to promote this rediculous health care plan of Obamas.
U.K. people have the worst dental of any non-third world nation and they fly to the u.s. by the hundreds monthly.
I happen to be a physician at Tacoma General and have been practicing medicing for over 35 years and what you are saying is just complete and utter lies.
Crap! I lived there for 30 years and EVERYONE complained, in fact, those that could afford it went for private health care.
During the 1980s and 1990s I worked in a hospital in eastern Pennsylvania. We had several Canadian families who wintered in PA in order to have their medical tests and procedures done in the US. Perhaps things have changed in Canada but my patients told me of long waits for tests and procedures due to very few CT scanners, etc. These patients were willing to pay for care in the US rather than wait months for a test or procedure that they could have in the US within days.
Just because you’ve never heard of it doesn’t mean a thing. It’s a well documented fact that many folks of means in the UK and CA come to the US for medical care.
Calling others – particularly ‘Americans’ in general, ignorant when you’ve proven your own ignorance doesn’t really carry much weight.
Moron
I think everyone is getting their facts wrong. People travel all over the world to get different serious treatments done depending on where the leading practitioner happens to be residing. Yes a lot of the worlds leading surgeons and physicians are in the US, but a lot of them are also in the UK for certain procedures and in Europe for other. If people are wealthy enough then they can go anywhere in the world, and they usually will go where the cutting edge treatment is, which could be anywhere.
The fact remains that for normal pre-emptive medicine, routine and straight forward medicine the NHS is fantastic, and in turns stops people needing life saving expensive procedures because its free and easy to get seen before things get worse. The NHS is an absoulte blessing, I also have insurance as well, for extreme stuff I might need done immediately just in case, but I’ve never once used it. The NHS has always been good enough for me, and theres not even a co-pay!
Also, to the people saying that Britain has the worst dental healthcare than third world countries, go to Britain OR do your research. According to a study performed by OECD, British people, wait for it….. have the BEST teeth, thats right, the healthiest teeth in the entire world, wheres the US – 10TH. The UK has the healthiest teeth, sounds like pretty amazing dental care to me – and its FREAKING FREE!
Is easy for everyone to go on what they have heard, or experienced or what their friends say and it stays with us, but they are not necessarily facts.
Everybody seems to be slaughtering British healthcare and praising Americas as the savior as people to come to America to have procedures.
Yes hundreds if not thousands of people travel to the US for treamtment, but also thousands travel to the UK for treatment, and Switzrland, and Thailand. Certain procedures are just better in certain countries!
Here are the facts. The World Health Organization(WHO) did a study and listed the worlds best health care systems. They found the US to be the biggest spender, but ranked 37th as the best healthcare system. The UK however is ranked 19th. Before everyone goes crazy again, this just means the UK’s is better OVERALL so im sure there are plenty of examples of certain treatment being better in the US.
Also in dental care, UK are NUMBER ONE and the US is 10TH. These are the facts.
Wow – one half of my family is Canadian and they are always complaining about their health care. One 70-year-old aunt had to go on a two-year waiting list to get an operation on her knee. So she came down to the US to have it done immediately.
1 The health care bit was almost 45 mins in so how was that an ‘opening’???? How you see that as a political statement I don’t know.
2 Yes the NHS is an awful idea, much better to have 45 million people without any healthcare at all like in the US?
3 You totally missed the point Bill they were not saying the NHS is perfect but celebrating the ideal of free healthcare for everyone, an idea that only a total moron (i.e. republican) would not agree with.
NBC must of really mashed up the whole thing for you guys to not like it, the gold rings in the sky and lighting of the cauldron were amazing.
I’m one of those “Republican” morons you’re talking about. I don’t know of any “free” healthcare any where in the world. When you find it, let me know so I can get in on the freebe.
Free !!! Since when was paying exorbitant taxes called free?
without any healthcare at all? Everyone receives treatment in the US now. If you cant afford it, you can work your way out of paying pretty easily. I mean it, healthcare as it is now in the US is a pretty sweet deal for poor folk. We just cant afford it, so we are going to make people cover the bill.
You clearly know nothing about the British health care system.
If you lived in the uk you’d think differently. Its not perefct but considering it’s age, scope and cost to the individual, it’s an incredible system. Most of what you hear about wait times is rubbish, any emergency and you get treated straight away, I have been to the hospital over ten times and never waited very long at all. In terms of less life threatening procedures, if you want it done for free wait a month or two. If you want it done now, pay 20 grand, at least one has a choice. Support if the health service isn’t a left or right thing in britain, we’ve gotten over that and everyone sees its value and neccessity no matter what ones politically affiliation.
If you want it done now, “pay 20 grand”? Funny. That is a distinctly American expression. You are a fake, and a joke. YOU are the one who does not know what you speak of. But you want to use phony credentials to look like an expert.
I am British actually, I now live in the us on a visa. I actually thought ‘grand’ was a British term as we use it all the time. You can attack my ‘credentials’ all you what, I can’t really prove to you that I’m British. I wasn’t actually attacking anyone in my post unlike you. You couldn’t rebut what I was saying so you try to undermine my validility, pretty cheap. People get so angry, I was trying to take politics out of it
You will have to excuse Bill. Our healthcare system lead to long wait times because those who didn’t have healthcare were using the E.R. for basic ailments. Now that the new law is in place, which calls for those without healthcare to pay more in taxes so that they are not mooching off of the system, those on the far-right are complaining. They will then turn around an complain about welfare recipients for mooching off the system.
The United States has a lot of individuals who are hyper-partisan and can’t grasp anything besides “their side wrong, my side right” regardless of whether one view contradicts another. They’re so scared of “the other team” that they watch the opening ceremony of an Olympics on the other side of the world and see it as a personal attack on their political beliefs.
Brilliant. I agree..it was a perfect example of a leftists’ view of England!! No mention of the Magna Carta, the ships that they designed to go around the world…the tradition of English tea or the brilliant poets,musicians, writers and architects,?? The same would happen here if we gave Michael Moore the job of the opening ceremonies of the next Olympics in the USA!
I felt that they should have has a 747 parked in the middle of the stadium during the National Health Service “tribute” . This was they could show the world what mode of transportation is used by the Brits..to come to the US..for fast and competent health care.
Good grief. The comments here amaze me. First of all the NHS despite its minor issues does awfully well. Like the ideas of public parks, public libraries and public roads its an institution that does the job for everybody and that’s why it was in the opening ceremony. Americans complaining about foreign healthcare is like Iraqi mullahs complaining about the lack of fair voting in US elections. As for health tourism we have a lot of Americans getting treatment in the UK (they don’t pay, unlike when we send some dying kids out there), and many Americans have to buy their drugs in Canada or get dental treatment in Mexico. Sort your problems out, guys and we’ll sort ours.
Secondly the ceremony itself was remarkably neutral – sure there were shout outs to the NHS, immigration and the workers who built the game’s facilities. But there was also tributes to more conservative institutions such as the armed forces and the monarchy. Yes, it was all done with quirky humour, but that fitted the occasion.
Third, much of the anti-NHS stories Americans read comes from the likes of the Daily Mail & Telegraph which are super-right-wing and not averse to massaging the truth. Politically both are to the right of 90% of Republicans and close to extreme-right libertarians. Their rants about public sector institutions are therefore somewhat tainted.
My one small disappointment was that we only saw Tim Berners-Lee and didn’t have figures like Newton, Maxwell, Turing and Babbage in the historical figures section. Without them we simply wouldn’t have the modern world of technology. And for that you can thank the UK (including the Scots!) I guess they also left out Darwin for fear of offending fundamentalists in the US…
Actually two disappointments. They should have had a giant Gollum stealing one of the Olympic rings. That would have been awesome.
Aidan Burley, a lawmaker from Prime Minister David Cameron’s ruling Conservative party, tweeted: “The most leftie opening ceremony I have ever seen — more than Beijing, the capital of a communist state! Welfare tribute next?”
He followed that with: “Thank God the athletes have arrived! Now we can move on from leftie multi-cultural crap.”
That sums it up nicely.
Aiden Burley was also recently in trouble for attending a nazi-themed stag party in France. He’s also not British and is from New Zealand. And is widely regarded as an idiot and a disgrace to British parliamentarians. Even the Conservatives are embarrassed by this joker and the French might even prosecute him.
I thought it was stupid and unnecessary. While obviously not an American thing, government health care isn’t exactly a novelty in much of the world these days.
Of all the things they could have focused on while showcasing the country, it was an odd choice that left many scratching their heads. One UK commentator quipped it was a jab at Cameron, which, ok, but even so is that really the venue to be making political swipes? Bad form on Danny if that’s true.
I’m a US/UK dual national who has worked for American companies in the US for 17 years and now lives in London, where I have the NHS. I’d rather have the NHS and universal healthcare than my American health coverage any day.
Imagine a system where you have to depend on your boss and his company healthcare plan to be able to afford to pay a doctor for your sick child: a plan which changes every year or two because your boss keeps looking for a cheaper/better plan, even if it means you have to change your doctor, and his/her surgery is several more miles away from your home.
Imagine a hospital which refuses to treat your wife because you can’t immediately show she can pay for it.
Imagine you can’t find a family doctor because all the doctors are specialists – pediatricians for your kids, gynacologists for your wife etc.
Imagine a system that is so expensive (an MRI scanner in every closet) it acounts for a crippling percentage of a company’s costs.
That’s the US system I found in my 17 years. Yes, here with the NHS I do have to wait a little longer for elective surgery. I might need to argue that what I want is what I need.
But I DO get excellent emergency health care, I AM encouraged to take preventive medicine seriously, and most importantly I always know health care is there for me and my family whatever our circumstances. MY NHS dentistry was even admired by US dentists. The NHS is there for rich and poor, and I love it.
Those in the US who hate the NHS usually know nothing about it, are culturally biased against it – usually on the grounds that it is ‘socialist’- by definition in America a ‘bad thing’), or are so self-centred they are not the kind of decent people I would want to know anyway.
This was the worst coverage of any Olympic Opening ceremony. It was one long commercial of Xfinity, Chevy, Norwegian Cruise lines, etc.inter-spaced with a few seconds of the taped opening. After 30 minutes I shut it off and watched a Netflix movie instead.
Agreed..I taped it and fast forward thru most of it. Just awful.
Likely most viewers hoped that ceremonies would improve and become more interesting. Sadly, they waited in vain.
Terribly boring. Beijing was the only reason I watched. I probably won’t watch next time because this was so bad.
And what a horribly boring and unspectacular opening it was!
Shocking on the ranking……everyone knew it wouldn’t compare to the Beijing opening ceremonies….not even close…..but having seen the bedpan section with the lack of choreography and dismal story line (it is the Olympics for pete sake), it was enough to turn the channel to some reruns. Utter garbage.
Actually I thought those copper cauldrens they were all carrying in were the bedpans.
Can’t believe that many people watched this incredibily boring, socialist garbage….turned in off! Even the Queen was showing her distain for this horrible display. Britain should be ashamed.
Socialist Garbage? What’s with you people? I guess some people find politics in everything they watch and read. Gosh, how dare the host country honor their history.
Yes, the idiots ranting about this clearly didn’t watch it properly. We had the Red Arrows, armed forces tributes, a nod to Churchill, a section on the Industrial revolution, the opening quote was from the Tempest (Billy Shakespeare for our American friends), classical music was played and so on. I also believe the tribute to the victims of the 2005 London terrorist attack was edited out of the American broadcast. Can anyone confirm this?
That numeber must include the people who changed the channel but checked back in once and a while to see the US Team in their frenchified uniforms. It was nonsensical and truly boring. Cretan Director is a true kook. Then listening to costas and Lauer make it a political report on the world made it even worse.
You have it 100% correct. Boring, Socialist Lefty–did I miss the part about winning WWII? The bed scene and healthcare sectors were pure leftists ads. Having seven kids light flame was a statement that the “group” can do it better than the “individual”. It was made certain by Boyle’s talking about pride in running flame into stadium with 500 “workers”. “Workers of the World–Unite”—now who said that?
Man, reading the posts of your right-wing crazies is illuminating. It’s like getting a window view into what it looks like when you’ve completely lost your damn mind.
I know dude, if this lot did an American Olympic ceremony it’d consist of an hour of slaves being whipped, an injun shooting interlude followed by a special effect atomic explosion and a finale dance of rotund Southerners with their assault rifles…. yee haw!
Actually, not top five. Top ten. With honorable mentions. The TEN worst things NBC has done tonight:
10. Repeated derision and backhand compliments of any country not named the United States
9. The repeated reliance on mentioning how war-torn various nations are or have been instead of mentioning their athletes
8. Commenting on North Korea by mocking Kim Jong-Il’s alleged 11-holes-in-one golf game after they have already caused a delay in competition after percieved political slights
7. Four-hour tape delay in the social-media era
6. Spoiling the cauldron lighting
5. Inserting Idi Amin into conversation as Uganda was marching
4. Speculating that the Maldives can fight rising sea levels by winning medals
3. Giving zero camera time to Barbados and Ukraine
2. Cutting of the athletes’, coaches’ and judges’ oaths
1. Cutting of the London bombing memorial segment for a Michael Phelps interview
Dishonorable mentions:
* Referring to San Marino as “sort of an island”
* Going to commercial in the middle of a segment
* Insisting on mentioning the deceased Omar Bongo as Gabon marched, over the 1-1 draw with Switzerland their men’s soccer team had already achieved
*Stated speculation that Greece will never host the Olympics again
*Referring to Borat as Kazakhstan marched
*Making the Djibouti joke during a major world cultural event
*Spoiling the industrial-era and National Health Service segments right as they were beginning
*Making a big deal over the lack of a minute of silence for the victims of Munich
*Repeated mangling of countries’ names
*Making reference to the Falklands War as Argentina marched
*24 commercial breaks
Well said, and thank you for the replay!
I agree with all of your points, and would like to add one (that I’m sure could be expanded upon):
11. Complete derision of any sport that was not a “marquee” Olympic sport (in Bob Costas’ mind). For example, when Denmark came in (who I’m always excited to see because of my extended family), he snarked something about how they have won medals, but in sports like badminton, and “If you’re looking for badminton coverage, and who isn’t…” that we could find it on one of NBC’s 500 channels showing the Olympics. Asshole.
Thank you D.F Jones for putting this list together, I could not believe what I was hearing. I kept saying “did they really say that”, “no, he didn’t just say that”, “OMG, what are they talking about”.. Really, I couldn’t not believe what I was hearing… THANK YOU for listing this out.
Why the surprise…the hosts do this all the time. It is NBC..for heavens sake!!!
You left out the worst ever performance of the normally stirring Olympics music score. It sounded like a funeral march.
Did I hear the music from the Exorcist???
Yes you did. That would be Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield which was an enormously popular album from 1973 and was also later used on the soundtrack to the Exorcist.
Greta list , but lest be honest- Bob Costas needs to be set out to pasture
One of the athletes representing Haiti happens to have been Mark Zuckerbergs roommate at Harvard. Samyr Laine. He of course joined Facebook at the beginning. Well Bob Costas made a point of saying how the guy has “only” 2 million followers on Facebook where as Mark Zuckerberg has like 20 million. Way to take the shine of someone who is in the Olympics and holds the triple jump record at Harvard. Costas could have mentioned all that but no he put down the guy for having less Facebook followers than Zuckerberg.
Had a slight interest to watch, but decided to not waste my time. Apparently a good decision as NBC decided to show nothing anyway.
Totally boring. Maybe it would have been more interesting if I was a left wing Brit. Turned it off after about 45 minutes and watered the lawn. Wouldn’t have been any better live.
I thought it was AWFUL. Worst opening ever.
I despise the fact that repulsively greedy major networks have begun to hijack and hold Olympic coverage ransom. So much for the spirit of the games.
I remember back in the 80′s the Olympics were a big deal and something to get excited about. The whole family would gather and watch it. If one network was covering an event we thought was boring, we could just switch to one of 3 or so different network channels and pick up another event.
Now, they won’t even broadcast many of the events you’d actually like to see. And they wont allow it to stream online? Give me a break! Many of us had cable-tv disconnected a decade ago. Get out of the stone age already.
There are just too many reasons to not watch the Olympics to be ignored.
Not sure what you’re going on about, mate. NBC is airing EVERY event LIVE online this year (and on their great iPad app). Plus different events are running on all the NBC Universal channels. I’ve been watching lots of events all day and having a grand time.
Remember, the Olympic Committee is charging NBC billions for the broadcast rights. And you expect free access with no ads? Please get real.
Good for you, D.F. Jones. You’re absolutely right!! Great list.
Maybe if they added politicians extreme kick boxing as an event they would get better ratings.
Again letting the IOC, show their hate for Israel we need a new pres. of the IOC or stop televising their garbage would have expected more less slanted views from the IOC, they are supposed to rep. I’m sure they wont miss me as I will never watch any oLympic events in this or any other olypics (sorry abt the lously typing, recently suffered a stroke and this is the main thing it affected,
I was one of those people who kept watching hoping for it to get better. that national healthcare segment followed by the children having nightmares was hilarious (I don’t think it was meant to be)it was a 3 ring circus for sure. I enjoy our quirky British friends with mary poppins floating down, Brits are true to themselves and that is always cool.
the Ralph Lauren uniforms looked better on the team then most of us thought they would. I think that is very lucky for mr. lauren, because I truly feel he is a national disgrace.
I’m so sick of Paul McCartney, Led ZEPrPELIN would have rocked the place. IMHO
yeah, I agree and I am a huge Beatle fan. “Hey Jude” and “Let It Be” have been run into the ground. I thought the opening ceremony was dark, gloomy and unwatchable.
Didn’t the 1984 LA Olympics have a UFO landing accompanied by a creepy Philip Glass soundtrack? What part of American culture did that represent?
So NBC knows how to air the Olympics on their network.
They still don’t know how to make a show much less program a network. Their execs need to get back to LA and start reading scripts and discovering some new talent. They keep going to their usual suspects and no one cares. They should be buying more scripts not less and stop making development a popularity contest. Salke is way out her limited depth.
Watched it on the web live via BBC with no commercials. Parts were okay, but overall thought it was a mess.
England has sunk to new lows. Their Nation Health Care is deep and dire financial straits. Hunger games? Socialistic, propaganda crap. Complete & Total Crap.
..totally agree. A mess and an ideology that matches it.
Last time I looked the capitalistic US was in the process of bankrupting itself with multiple wars and giving all its manufacturing to China, meanwhile it has 2 million people in jail and instead of treating the mentally ill lets them run round shooting up cinemas. And before you rant about Obama this has been going on for the past few decades.
So please get a grip and stop living in that Rush Limbaugh bubble. It makes you look like an idiot and is the reason why foreigners think all Americans are stupid.
Highest rating ever? Really, even for those Olympics back when there were only 3 networks? Seems pretty far-fetched.