"Downton Abbey to lead ITV's Christmas Day schedule"

[dutchman]

Downton Abbey will spearhead ITV's schedule on Christmas Day, a report has claimed.



According to The Mirror, the network is hoping to oust BBC One from its traditional festive pedestal.

"A feature-length episode of Downton Abbey is likely to skew the figures considerably in ITV's favour," a source said.

However, an ITV spokesperson insisted that a decision had not been made, adding: "We are delighted that Downton Abbey will be part of ITV's Christmas lineup."

For the last three years, BBC One has convincingly topped the Christmas Day ratings with the combination of EastEnders, Doctor Who and The Royle Family.

Meanwhile, ITV1 has only come out on top twice in the last 27 years, 11 years ago being the most recent.

Two editions of Who Wants to be a Christmas Millionaire beat the premiere of Titanic in 1999.