BBC dominates Christmas Day TV ratings once again

BBC dominates Christmas Day TV ratings once again

Postby dutchman » Thu Dec 27, 2018 2:44 am

And for once, it wasn't Mrs Brown's Boys that came out on top for the Beeb...

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As is quickly becoming a Christmas tradition, the BBC once again managed to top the December 25 ratings battle, with many of its Christmas Day offerings becoming the most-watched programmes of the day, based on overnight figures.

Topping the ratings list yesterday was The Queen's Speech, which was jointly aired on BBC One, ITV, Sky News and Sky One, with 6.4 million viewers – an increase from 2017's 5.9 million viewers, and we think two royal weddings and a Harry and Meghan baby on the way might have something to do with that.

But while this shows that the Royal Family is more popular than ever, it also means some not-so-great-news for TV bosses, as much of their 2018 festive programming appears to have fallen short compared to previous years.

Michael McIntyre's Big Christmas Show was the best-performing BBC show with 6.1 million viewers, followed by the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special and Call the Midwife with 5.8 million and 5.5 million viewers respectively.

All solid figures, but comparing them to 2017 sees a fall in viewers for the latter two, with 2017's Strictly special seeing 6.5m viewers, while Call the Midwife was watched live by 6.3m.

Similarly, EastEnders once again topped the ratings when it came to soaps, but the 5.0 million who tuned into see Alfie and Hayley's baby secret exposed is a considerable fall from the 6.3 million who tuned into Albert Square's Christmas Day episode in 2017 too.

It was more bad news for Mrs Brown's Boys, who just managed to make the day's top 10 programmes by ending in the eighth spot with 4.7 million viewers – nearly two million less than the viewers who tuned into the 2017 Christmas special, which averaged 6.8 million.

Over on ITV, their big Christmas Day special, biopic drama Torvill & Dean starring Will Tudor and Poppy Lee Friar, saw just 2.9 million people tune in, while the broadcaster's Christmas episodes of Coronation Street and Emmerdale managed a healthy 4.6 million and 4.0 million respectively.

And while Corrie figures may have fallen compared to last year, Emmerdale's figures actually saw an increase, with the soaps seeing 5.1m and 3.7m viewers respectively in 2017.

Elsewhere in the Christmas Day ratings line-up, 2.7 million people tuned into Channel 4's Great British Christmas Bake Off to see Jane Beedle crowned the winner, while the BBC's Christmas animation Zog saw 4.5 million viewers.

With Doctor Who skipping its traditional Christmas Day episode for an outing on New Year's Day (with Daleks!) instead, and Idris Elba's Luther set to return in the New Year too, it's looking like people were just a little less interested in their TV screens than usual this Christmas.


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