Royal wedding ratings are princely but nothing close to a TV record

The royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, now Catherine the Duchess of Cambridge, may have been fairy-tale perfect, but the U.S. ratings weren't anything to wake the queen over.

An average of 22.8 million total viewers tuned in to the nuptials from Westminster Abbey in London, which aired live Friday from approximately 3 a.m. to 4:15 a.m., according to the Nielsen Co.

Eleven Stateside networks carried the event: ABC, CBS, NBC, Telemundo, Univision, BBC America, CNN, E!, Fox News Channel, MSNBC and TLC.

That was a large audience for an early-morning news event, but it was by no means a record. By comparison, the funeral of Princess Diana, William's mother, which also took place during the early-morning hours in the U.S., was watched by 33.2 million in 1997. This year's Super Bowl, the most-watched TV event in history, was seen by 111 million total viewers. In fact, the William-Kate ratings were roughly comparable to those of a typical episode of this season's "American Idol."

The July 1981 wedding of Prince William's parents, Prince Charles and Lady Diana, was seen by 14.2 million households, compared with 18.6 million households for Prince William and Kate Middleton (Nielsen does not have a total-viewer figure for the Charles-Diana wedding). However, the U.S. population is 35% larger than it was 30 years ago, which more than accounts for the discrepancy.

The lackluster numbers were a surprise given the predictions from some quarters of a ratings blowout. Some reports had ventured worldwide viewing of 3 billion -- a target that, given the U.S. figures, would seem almost impossibly out of reach.

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-- Scott Collins (twitter.com/scottcollinsLAT)

Photo: Prince William and his new bride kiss at Buckingham Palace after their Friday wedding in London. Credit: European Pressphoto Agency

The royal wedding is over -- and every anchor you can name was there

The bride didn't show up for the royal wedding in a meat dress (she wore Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen) or a levitating egg (she went with the Rolls). A half-dozen channels provided coverage, but Ricky Gervais did not host on any of them (although David Beckham appeared to have borrowed his haircut.) Elton John did not sing, save the requisite hymns, and no one thought to demand Prince William's long-form birth certificate. The music was amazing, the little bridesmaids and footman were adorable and well-behaved, no vows or names were mangled, nothing fell or ripped or burst inexplicably into tears or flame.

In other words, the marriage ceremony of Britain's Prince William and Catherine Middleton, now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, occurred precisely as planned, defying leaden London skies and a cynical modern age to provide a glimpse of the solemn and brilliant pageantry now mostly consigned to myth, and the inexplicable faith we apparently still have in love and marriage.

And for the 15 minutes it took for the bride to enter the church and the two attractive young people to exchange their vows, it was lovely and touching, and when they departed in their open carriage with all the queen's horses and all the queen's men in attendance, it was spectacular. But mostly the hoopla was a lesson in just how many hours some of the highest-paid television journalists in the world can spend discussing a bridal dress they have not seen while watching people they do not know mill about in Westminster Abbey wearing in large hats.

Far too many.

TV coverage of the royal wedding started at 11 p.m. PDT on Fox, which carried Sky News for two hours before going live; the other networks, including CNN and MSNBC, joined in around midnight. This meant that the three hours before the ceremony actually started had to be filled with something, and that something turned out to be, not surprisingly, a mash-up of Oscar coverage, the Tournament of Roses Parade and sheer desperation.

Photo gallery: The royal wedding

Matt Lauer offered up fast facts about Westminster Abbey like Bob Eubanks rattling off the rose-petal and celery seed count of this next float, while BBC America, as if trying to prove it is not stuffy no matter what you've heard, read from tweets and Facebook postings before introducing irrepressible historian Simon Schama. On ABC, Barbara Walters wondered whether or not "we" could call William's bride a princess even though she is technically a duchess, with Diane Sawyer agreeing that yes, of course "we" could.

Even CNN's Anderson Cooper conceded to monarchy lover Piers Morgan that it was "cool" to see the queen in person. "I've spent most of my life trying to escape this sort of thing," he added, which raises the question: What sort of thing? Parades? Queens? Weddings?

Occasionally, someone attempted to inject some non-dress-related tension to the proceedings -- Katie Couric (who brought the collective salaries of American anchors speculating about the nature of Middleton's dress to more than the cost of the wedding, and possibly the GNP of Britain) opened the CBS coverage with a long clip of Prince Charles' and Diana Spencer's wedding day, which may not have been the right note, considering the outcome. Noise was made about the fact that John Major was the only former prime minister at the ceremony -- Margaret Thatcher was too ill, and neither Tony Blair nor Gordon Brown are knights of the realm -- and that Sarah Ferguson had not been invited when the rest of her family had, but no one really cared about the politicos or expected Fergie to be anywhere near the wedding.

Even Al Roker's reminder that "our thoughts and prayers are with our friends in the South" fell flat; back on the parade route, Lauer and Meredith Vieira made sympathetic noises and then Lauer quickly pointed out where the volleyball competition would be held during the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Friday's TV Highlights: 'CSI: NY' on CBS

Click here to download TV listings for the week of April 24 - 30 in PDF format

TV listings for the week of April 24 - 30 in PDF format (from latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv)

Weekly TV Listings and more can be found at: www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv

This week's TV Movies

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UNEASY RIDER: Peter Fonda guest stars on a new episode of the forensics drama “CSI: NY” at 9 p.m. on CBS.

SERIES

Kitchen Nightmares: Chef Gordon Ramsay brings his expertise to a Sherman Oaks restaurant in this new episode (8 p.m. Fox).

Fringe: Olivia (Anna Torv) and mystery man Sam Weiss (guest star Kevin Corrigan) try to stop what's coming on a new episode of the sci-fi drama (9 p.m. Fox).

CMT's Next Superstar: The remaining contestants are schooled by a choreographer in a new episode (9 p.m. CMT).

Ghost Adventures: The spook-seeking series returns for another season (9 p.m. Travel).

Say Yes to the Dress: Big Bliss: More brides prep for that big day as this reality series returns (10 p.m. TLC).

SPECIALS

Royal Wedding: Recaps of the nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton are offered in “Royal Wedding Special” (6 p.m. Fox); “The Royal Wedding: Modern Majesty” (8 p.m. CBS); “20/20” (9 p.m. ABC); “Kathy Griffin's Insightful & Hilarious Take on the Royal Wedding” (8, 9 and 11 p.m. TV Guide); and “Will Plus Kate Forever” (9 p.m. WE).

Royal Wedding TV Watch

With the big event hours away, TV coverage heats up. The service is early Friday at 3 a.m. (PDT).

“Inside the Royal Wedding” 7 and 10 p.m. Thursday, MSNBC: A look into the fairytale wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. (N)

“20/20” 8 p.m. Thursday, ABC: The Royal Wedding: A Modern Fairytale -- Reports from Westminster Abbey and New York. (N) 

“The Making of a Royal Wedding” 8 and 11 p.m. Thursday, TLC: Amazing choreography, logistics and details go into the preparations for the wedding of the century, that of Prince William and his bride. (N)

“Countdown to the Royal Wedding” 9 p.m. Thursday, TLC: In London and New York, royal wedding commentators discuss the final hours before the events. (N)

“William and Kate: A Fairytale Romance” 10 p.m. Thursday, BBC America: The private lives of the young royal couple.

“William and Kate: Modern Monarchy” 11 p.m. Thursday, BBC America: The history of the couple's relationship.

“William and Kate The Royal Wedding” 11 p.m. Thursday, KCET: The history of the couple's romance; key aspects of a royal wedding.

“The Royal Wedding” Midnight, KCET, BBC America, MSNBC: Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding coverage; from Westminster Abbey. (N)

“Royal Wedding Pre-Show” 12:30 a.m. early Friday, TLC: Leading news channels bring live coverage preceding the events. (N)

“The Royal Wedding” 1 a.m. early Friday, CBS, KTLA, CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC: Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding coverage; from Westminster Abbey. (N)

“Good Morning America” 1 and 4 a.m. early Friday, ABC: Live coverage of the royal wedding. (N)

“Morning Joe: William & Catherine: The Royal Wedding” 2 a.m. early Friday, MSNBC: Morning Joe team goes to London for the Royal Wedding. (N)

“The Royal Wedding” 2 a.m. early Friday, REELZ, TLC: Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding coverage; from Westminster Abbey.(N)

“The Royal Wedding” 3 a.m. early Friday, BBC America: Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding coverage; from Westminster Abbey. (N)

“The Early Show” 4 a.m. early Friday, CBS: The royal wedding. (N)

“Today” 4 a.m. early Friday, NBC: Coverage of royal wedding celebrations taking place at Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and Westminster Abbey. (N) 

“Live From the Royal Wedding” 4 a.m. early Friday, E!: Giuliana Rancic goes to London to see a wedding of royal history and all who attend. (N)

“MSNBC Live: William & Catherine: The Royal Wedding” 7 a.m. Friday, MSNBC: Live coverage of the Royal Wedding and other bigs news stories. (N)

Royal Wedding TV Watch for April 28th - 30th

With the big event hours away, TV coverage heats up. The service is early Friday at 3 a.m. (PDT).

“The Early Show” 7 a.m. Thursday, CBS: Countdown to the royal wedding; throwing a royal wedding viewing party; behind the scenes at Westminster Abbey. (N) 

“Today” 7 a.m. Thursday, NBC: Royal wedding countdown. (N) 

“The Talk” 1 p.m. Thursday, CBS: In London, Sharon reports on the royal wedding. (N) 

“Countdown to the Royal Wedding” 6 p.m. Thursday, Fox News Channel: The lives and romance of Prince William and Kate Middleton; the inside story of the the preparations for the wedding ceremony. (N) 

“Inside the Royal Wedding” 7 and 10 p.m. Thursday, MSNBC: A look into the fairytale wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. (N)

“20/20” 8 p.m. Thursday, ABC: The Royal Wedding: A Modern Fairytale -- Reports from Westminster Abbey and New York. (N) 

“The Making of a Royal Wedding” 8 and 11 p.m. Thursday, TLC: Amazing choreography, logistics and details go into the preparations for the wedding of the century, that of Prince William and his bride. (N)

“Countdown to the Royal Wedding” 9 p.m. Thursday, TLC: In London and New York, royal wedding commentators discuss the final hours before the events. (N)

“William and Kate: A Fairytale Romance” 10 p.m. Thursday, BBC America: The private lives of the young royal couple.

“William and Kate: Modern Monarchy” 11 p.m. Thursday, BBC America: The history of the couple's relationship.

“William and Kate The Royal Wedding” 11 p.m. Thursday, KCET: The history of the couple's romance; key aspects of a royal wedding.

“The Royal Wedding” Midnight, KCET, BBC America, MSNBC: Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding coverage; from Westminster Abbey. (N)

“Royal Wedding Pre-Show” 12:30 a.m. early Friday, TLC: Leading news channels bring live coverage preceding the events. (N)

“The Royal Wedding” 1 a.m. early Friday, CBS, KTLA, CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC: Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding coverage; from Westminster Abbey. (N)

“Good Morning America” 1 and 4 a.m. early Friday, ABC: Live coverage of the royal wedding. (N)

“Morning Joe: William & Catherine: The Royal Wedding” 2 a.m. early Friday, MSNBC: Morning Joe team goes to London for the Royal Wedding. (N)

“The Royal Wedding” 2 a.m. early Friday, REELZ, TLC: Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding coverage; from Westminster Abbey.(N)

“The Royal Wedding” 3 a.m. early Friday, BBC America: Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding coverage; from Westminster Abbey. (N)

Royal Wedding TV Watch: Tuesday, April 26

With the big event four days away, TV coverage heats up. The celebrations begin in London on Friday at 9 a.m. GMT, that's 3 a.m. PDT. 

“The Early Show” 7 a.m., Tuesday CBS: Countdown to the royal wedding; medieval cuisine; Queen Elizabeth. (N)

“Today” 7 a.m., Tuesday NBC: Author Kara DioGuardi; the most recently eliminated “American Idol” contestant; Bikram yoga; the life of a flight attendant; royal wedding; TV host Carson Daly; actor Ice-T. (N)

“Prince William & Prince Harry: Into the Future” 5 p.m., Tuesday BBC America: The young royals and their elite circle of friends.

“Entertainment Tonight” 7 p.m., Tuesday CBS: Royal Wedding Fashions! -- The royal wedding; “Dancing With the Stars.” (N)

“The Insider” 7:30 p.m., Tuesday CBS: William & Kate Look-Alikes! -- Prince William and Kate Middleton look-alikes; the bond between Prince William and Princess Diana. (N)

“Access Hollywood” 7:30 p.m., Tuesday NBC: A countdown to the royal wedding in London. (N)

“The House of Windsor” 8 p.m., Tuesday KCET: The King Who Saved the Crown, 1936-1952 -- Bertie, Duke of York, is crowned George VI on May 12, 1937, and gains confidence and poise with his wife Elizabeth by his side.

“Prince William & Prince Harry: Into the Future” 8 p.m., Tuesday BBC America: The young royals and their elite circle of friends.

“The House of Windsor” 9 p.m., Tuesday KCET: The King Who Saved the Crown, 1936-1952 -- Bertie, Duke of York, is crowned George VI on May 12, 1937, and gains confidence and poise with his wife Elizabeth by his side.

“William & Kate: Modern Monarchy” 11 p.m., Tuesday BBC America: The history of the couple's relationship.

“Inside Edition” 3:30 a.m., Tuesday KCAL: Kate's Childhood Home -- The childhood home of royal bride Kate Middleton. (N)

Wedding day  coverage and more, after the break.

Royal Wedding TV Watch: Wednesday, April 27

With the big event two days away, TV coverage heats up. The celebrations begin in London on Friday at 9 a.m. GMT, that's 3 a.m. PDT. 

“The Early Show” 7 a.m., Wednesday CBS: Countdown to the royal wedding; history-changing gowns; Natasha Bedingfield performs; crown jewel replica set; Princess Diana. (N)

“Today” 7 a.m., Wednesday NBC: Kate Hudson; author Candace Bushnell; Martha Stewart; royal fashion; Country Music Television awards announcement; improving a man's style on a budget; cleaners; wine worthy of the royal wedding. (N)

“How to Be a Prince” 8 a.m., Wednesday BBC America: Part I -- The life of Prince William. (Part 1 of 2) (N)

“Live With Regis and Kelly” 9 a.m., Wednesday ABC: How to Throw a Royal Wedding Viewing Party -- Orlando Bloom; Martha Plimpton; throwing a royal-wedding viewing party at home with wedding consultant Carley Roney. (N)

“How to Be a Prince” 9 a.m., Wednesday BBC America: Part II -- The life of Prince William. (Part 2 of 2) (N)

“Inside Edition” 3:30 p.m., Wednesday KCAL: A rowing chum of royal bride Kate Middleton. (N)

“Entertainment Tonight” 7 p.m., Wednesday CBS: Backstage at Dancing! -- “Dancing With the Stars”; the royal wedding. (N)

“Biography” 7 p.m., Wednesday Biography: Kate Middleton is set to marry England's Prince William; her family's history. (N)

“The Insider” 7:30 p.m., Wednesday CBS: Prince William and Kate Middleton; reality TV star Sharon Osbourne; “American Idol.” (N)

“Access Hollywood” 7:30 p.m., Wednesday NBC: A countdown to the royal wedding in London. (N)

“Inside the Royal Wedding” 8 p.m., Wednesday NBC: The people and planning behind the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in the four months leading up to the event. (N)

“The House of Windsor” 8 p.m., Wednesday KCET: A Queen for All Seasons -- Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne in 1952; Prince Charles marries Lady Diana Spencer in 1981; Queen's Golden Jubilee; the emergence of Princes William and Harry.

Why is American TV so enchanted by a fake, fairy tale version of England?

For the next week, American television will be crammed with all things British and regal, Kate and Will-flavored. Networks are betting big on the notion that the U.S. is enthralled by the royal fairy tale.

The other side of this love of quaint old Britain is a lack of awareness about the gritty, rowdy reality of contemporary U.K. pop culture. This is the country that pioneered reality TV, invented soccer hooliganism and whose most widely read newspapers are tabloids featuring nude pin-ups -- and yet hardly any hint of modern Brit life shows itself here. Instead we flock to costume dramas like "Downton Abbey" and "The King's Speech."

An essay in today's Calendar looks at televised Britain and wonders why Britishness and the idea of "the olden days" are totally entwined, why we cling to the fairly tale when the U.K. is a country with as many ghettos as stately homes.

RELATED:

Americans love the fairly tale view of Britain

TV networks go all out to cover the royal wedding

Photo: Prince William and Catherine Middleton announce their engagement. Credit: Paul Hackett / Reuters

Royal Wedding TV Watch: Monday, April 24

With the big event five days away, TV coverage heats up. The celebrations begin in London on Friday at 9 a.m. GMT, that's 3 a.m. PDT. 

“The Early Show” 7 a.m., Monday CBS: Countdown to the royal wedding; the tower of London; dress like Kate Middleton on a budget; royal collectibles. (N) 

“Today” 7 a.m., Monday NBC: The royal wedding; Kate Middleton's style; author Tavis Smiley; refrigerator cleaning; actor David Alan Grier; frat foods; Darius Rucker performs. (N)

“Live With Regis and Kelly” 9 a.m., Monday ABC: Royal Wedding 101:  Mark Ruffalo; the latest “American Idol” castoff performs; royal family history; co-host Melanie Brown. (N)

“Royally Mad” 10 a.m., Monday BBC America: Five American royal wedding enthusiasts travel to London to indulge in the fairytale. (Part 1 of 2)

“Royally Mad” 11 a.m., Monday BBC America: Five American royal wedding enthusiasts travel to London to indulge in the fairytale. (Part 2 of 2)

“William & Kate: Inside the Royal Wedding” 7 p.m., Monday TLC: A look inside the social event of the new millennium.

“The Insider” 7:30 p.m., Monday CBS: Royal wedding coverage in London. (N)

“Prince William & Catherine: A Royal Love Story” 8 p.m., Monday OWN: Part 1 -- Kate and William meet at Marlborough, becoming friends then lovers. (Part 1 of 2)

“William & Kate: A Royal Love Story Updated” 8 p.m., Monday TLC: The courtship of Kate Middleton and Prince William, son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, predicts another royal wedding in the making.

“Royally Astounding: 30 Defining Days of Monarchy” 9 p.m., Monday TLC: Magnifying 30 days in the life of the royal family over the last 30 years.

“Wild About Prince Harry” 10 p.m., Monday TLC: A teenager, saddened over his mother's untimely death, becomes the world's most-eligible bachelor. (N)

“Prince William & Catherine: A Royal Love Story” 11 p.m., Monday OWN: Part 1 -- Kate and William meet at Marlborough, becoming friends then lovers. (Part 1 of 2)

“William & Kate: A Royal Love Story Updated” 11 p.m., Monday TLC: The courtship of Kate Middleton and Prince William, son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, predicts another royal wedding in the making.

“The Insider” Midnight, Monday KCAL: Royal wedding coverage in London.

 After the break you'll find a preview of wedding-day coverage and beyond.

Tweeters Digest: The week in tweets -- a royal wedding and retwitterment

In Tweeters Digest, we round up some of the events of the week as seen through the Twitter feeds of TV personalities. In previous editions, celebs have come together over some major issues -- Charlie Sheen and star feuds as well as April fools.

This week, stars deployed their 140-character tweets on subjects as varied as Passover, Donald Trump's political posturing and the impending royal wedding of William and Kate.

Meanwhile, Charlie Sheen (@charliesheen) continued to make his presence known. Anthony Bourdain (@NoReservations) got giddy with the cast of "The Wire" (including @WendellPierce), Martha Stewart (@MarthaStewart) rubbed elbows with Gene Simmons (@Genesimmons), and Paul Reiser (@paulreiser) expressed dismay at the swift cancellation of his show.

And Paris Hilton (@ParisHilton)? She went to Disneyland.

-- Joy Press
twitter.com/joypress

More tweets after the jump.

Royal Wedding TV Watch: April 20 - 30

The royal couple, Prince William and Catherine Middleton, will be wed at Westminster Abbey on Friday, April 29, 2011. As that big day approaches there will be plenty of coverage on TV. (Programming subject to change, and will be updated regularly.)

“Entertainment Tonight” 7 p.m., Wednesday April 20, CBS: Prince William. (N) 

“The Insider” 7:30 p.m., Wednesday April 20, CBS: Royal bride Kate Middleton; “American Idol.” (N)

“The Middle” 8 p.m., Wednesday April 20, ABC: Royal Wedding -- Frankie becomes obsessed with the royal wedding; Brick helps Sue when she decides to try out for the school's news team; Mike has to make cutbacks at the quarry. (N)

“Entertainment Tonight” 11:30 p.m., Wednesday April 20, KCAL: Prince William.

“Today” 7 a.m., Thursday April 21, NBC: Princess Diana's dresses are up for auction; planning a royal wedding viewing party; Time's 100 most-influential people; Ingrid Hoffmann;Isaiah Mustafa. (N)

“Entertainment Tonight” 7 p.m., Thursday April 21, CBS: Prince William and bride Kate Middleton; “American Idol.” (N)

“The Insider” 7:30 p.m., Thursday April 21, CBS: Prince William and bride Kate Middleton; “American Idol.” (N)

“Royal Wedding of a Lifetime” 8 p.m., Thursday April 21, Lifetime: A Tale of Two Princesses: The parallels between Catherine Elizabeth Middleton and Princess Diana. (N)

“Royal Wedding of a Lifetime” 9 p.m., Thursday April 21, Lifetime: Kate's Gown of Renown -- Choosing a royal wedding dress; famous bridal gowns in royal wedding history. (N)

“Royal Wedding of a Lifetime” 10 p.m., Thursday April 21, Lifetime: Feast Fit for a Prince & Princess -- Royal experts, celebrity chefs, master caterers and bakers make menu predictions for the royal wedding; top ten royal wedding cakes. (N)

“Entertainment Tonight” 11:30 p.m., Thursday April 21, KCAL: Prince William and bride Kate Middleton; “American Idol.”

“Today” 7 a.m., Friday April 22, NBC: The royal wedding; the wedding of Charles and Diana; British etiquette; violinist Hahn Bin; Easter Sunday brunch; Daniel Radcliffe performs; Easter crafts; ambush makeovers; actor John Larroquette; upcycling; summer camps. (N)

“The Insider” 7:30 p.m., Friday April 22, CBS: The Middletons' Backstory -- The family of royal bride Kate Middleton; royal wedding news. (N)

“Royal Wedding of a Lifetime” 8 p.m., Friday April 22, Lifetime: A Day to Remember -- Royal experts, wedding organizers and celebrity commentators imagine the events of William and Kate's wedding day.

“Royal Wedding of a Lifetime” 9 p.m., Friday April 22, Lifetime: William & Kate, A Love Story -- The love story behind the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. (N)

“Royal Wedding of a Lifetime” 10 p.m., Friday April 22, Lifetime: The Future King & Queen -- (Series Finale) Anticipating the lives of Prince William and Kate Middleton following their wedding. (N)

“Today” 5 a.m., Friday April 22, NBC: The royal wedding; Saint George's Day festivities in London; World War II veterans visit the Washington, D.C., memorial; catfighting. (N)

“Meet the Middletons” 7 p.m., Saturday April 23, TV Guide: Building a picture of Kate Middleton, today's princess. (N)

“Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work” 9 p.m., Saturday April 23, KOCE: The Queen and Us -- A garden party at Buckingham Palace; Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall get a tour from an organic farmer in Northumberland.

“Movie: William & Kate” (2011) 9 p.m., Saturday April 23, Lifetime: Ben Cross, Camilla Luddington. Prince William meets Kate Middleton at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and they begin a royal romance.

“Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work” 10 p.m., Saturday April 23, KOCE: Inside the Firm -- The Queen's children discuss their working roles and the challenges of royal life.

“Meet the Middletons” 10 p.m., Saturday April 23, TV Guide: Building a picture of Kate Middleton, today's princess.

“Movie: William & Kate” (2011) 11 p.m., Saturday April 23, Lifetime: Ben Cross, Camilla Luddington. Prince William meets Kate Middleton at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and they begin a royal romance.

Royal Wedding TV Watch: April 14 - 30

The royal couple, Prince William and Catherine Middleton, will be wed at Westminster Abbey on Friday, April 29, 2011. As that big day approaches there will be plenty of coverage on TV. (Programming subject to change, and will be updated regularly.)

“Hollywood Dailies” 8 a.m., Thursday April 14, REELZ; Spotlight on Anne Hathaway of “Rio”; royal wedding Wednesday.

“Prince William & Catherine: A Royal Love Story” 7 p.m., Thursday April 14, OWN; Part 1 -- Kate and William meet at Marlborough, becoming friends then lovers. (Part 1 of 2)

“Prince William & Catherine: A Royal Love Story” 6 p.m., Friday April 15, OWN; Part 1 -- Kate and William meet at Marlborough, becoming friends then lovers. (Part 1 of 2)

“The Insider” 7:30 p.m., Friday April 15, CBS; Princess Diana Backstory -- The death of Princess Diana; royal wedding news. (N)

“Royally Mad” 8 p.m., Friday April 15, BBC America; Five American royal wedding enthusiasts travel to London to indulge in the fairytale. (Part 1 of 2)

“William & Kate: A Fairytale Romance” 9 p.m., Friday April 15, BBC America; The private lives of the young royal couple.

“William and Kate The Royal Wedding” 8 p.m., Saturday April 16, KVCR; The history of the couple's romance; key aspects of a royal wedding.

“Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work” 9 p.m., Saturday April 16, KOCE; Headquarters -- The queen's official birthday celebration; Queen Elizabeth prepares for her annual move to Balmoral.

“Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work” 10 p.m., Saturday April 16, KOCE; Head of State -- The elaborate state opening of Parliament; the private weekly session between the queen and the British prime minister.

Sunday, April 17 through the wedding day and beyond after the break