TV Overnights: Christmas special
It was a bumper Christmas for BBC One, with Eastenders and Doctor Who claiming the highest ratings on 25 December.
An hour-long Eastenders special, with the usual tears and tantrums (and a departure from the square’s long-suffering Stacey Slater) attracted an impressive audience of 11.7 million viewers and a 43.2% average share between 8pm and 9pm.
Meanwhile, Doctor Who provided some lighter entertainment during the early-evening 6pm to 7pm slot, pulling in 10.6 million peak viewers and a 39.8% average audience share.
However, the two rating-winners were not the only programmes to dominate the schedule over the festive period – BBC One held on to the peak audience throughout most of Christmas day, as well as Christmas Eve and Boxing day.
On Christmas day, the channel’s film line-up proved popular during the daytime slots, with Shrek the Third hitting a high of more than 7.7 million viewers during the early afternoon. Later on, a Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special with Mr Vince Cable himself picked up 9.6 million peak viewers and a 34.4% share between 7pm and 8pm.
Meanwhile, The Royle Family did not fail to disappoint in the peak-hour spot with a high of more than 10.1 million viewers and a 38.6% average share. BBC One’s new Matt Lucas and David Walliams comedy Come Fly with Me also got off to a good start, securing 10.3 million peak viewers and a 41.1% share between 10pm and 10.30pm.
On 24 December, the ratings divide was slightly more mixed, with ITV1 getting a small look-in with the soaps and Paul O’Grady’s Christmas programme. ITV1’s Coronation Street managed to bank the highest ratings of the day with 9.4 million peak viewers, though BBC One secured the peak audience for the majority of the Christmas Eve schedule.
Once again Eastenders attracted the highest ratings for BBC One (9.1 million viewers) but the channel’s two film premieres – Cars and The Chronicles of Narnia – and the My Family, QI and Have I Got News for You Christmas specials also did well, as did The Graham Norton Show in the 10.30pm slot.
On Boxing day, Eastenders stole the show again, though with a slightly smaller audience of 8.2 million average viewers. However, BBC One’s new three-part drama Upstairs Downstairs with Keeley Hawes and Jean Marsh dominated the all-important peak-hour with a high of 7.8 million viewers and a 28.4% average share.
Over on ITV1, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory managed to win over the top ratings for a short period with more than 4.1 million peak viewers, before The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor pulled in 3.7 million average viewers. Later on in the evening, 5.5 million viewers tuned in for the Benidorm special, while 1.8 million average viewers watched Love Actually from 10.15pm.
New Year was much the same – on 31 January BBC One’s film line-up was a popular choice among viewers but Eastenders saw the highest audience of the day for BBC One (7.7 million viewers), while The Graham Norton Show attracted 4.5 million average viewers in the lead up to midnight.
Meanwhile, Jools’ Annual Hootenanny banked 3.1 million average viewers between 11pm and 1.15am. However, Tracy’s trouble-making secured the highest ratings of the day, with 8.1 million peak viewers tuning in to ITV1 for Coronation Street.
On 1 January, Kat’s despair saw another boost in viewers for Eastenders, with more than 9.4 million watching the latest from Albert Square. However, BBC Two’s new drama Eric and Ernie was also a popular choice, attracting a peak audience of more than 6.4 million viewers and a 23% average share between 9pm and 10.30pm.
Overnight data is available each morning in mediatel.co.uk’s TV Database, with all BARB registered subscribers able to view reports for terrestrial networks and key multi-channel stations.