Seven in the evening is British prime time getting under way. The long-running soaps go out, quiz shows fill the schedule, and the evening's football coverage begins in earnest. It is also the most common start time for pub quizzes, club committee meetings and amateur dramatics rehearsals up and down the country.
In households with young children it is a bedtime hour rather than a viewing one — bath, story, lights out somewhere between seven and eight, and a house that goes noticeably quieter afterwards. In June the sun is still high at this point; in January it has been dark for three hours.
A countdown to 7 pm tends to be about a broadcast, a booking or a kick-off. It runs to the next occurrence, so the longest it can ever show is just under a full day.
Common questions
Is 7 pm a common start time in the UK?
Very — pub quizzes, club meetings, rehearsals and evening classes overwhelmingly begin at seven or half past.
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