Let's see what the most popular TV shows were as S11 was getting underway, with the Top 20 for December 1973 - figures are in millions of households, not viewers.

1) The Benny Hill Show - 8.2m
2) Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em - 7.8m
3) Coronation Street - 7.7m
4) This Is Your Life - 7.5m
5) The Generation Game - 7.5m
6) Opportunity Knocks - 7.3m
7) Helen, A Woman of Today - 7.3m
8) My Good Woman - 7.2m
9) Coronation Street - 7.0m
10) Crossroads - 7.0m
11) Crossroads - 6.9m
12) Crossroads - 6.8m
13) Nine O'Clock News (BBC) - 6.7m
14) Sunday Night Palladium - 6.5m
15) Crossroads - 6.4m
16) News At Ten - 6.3m
17) Upstairs Downstairs - 6.3m
18) Harry Secombe Show - 6.2m
19) Heaven Knows Mr Allison - 6.1m
20) Billy Liar - 6.0m

ITV dominate with 15 entries to the Beeb's 5. This was the year that Trevor McDonald joined News at Ten, and ITV's teletext service Oracle launched (Ceefax followed in 1974).