Which television show will draw the biggest audience this Christmas Day?

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betsmate

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Xmas Day most watched TV programme
Which television show will draw the biggest audience this Christmas Day?

Sky Bet

The Royle Family 6/4
EastEnders 9pm 11/4
Doctor Who 5/1
EastEnders 8 pm 6/1
Dancing On Ice at Xmas 10/1
Blackadder Rides Again 12/1
Coronation St 14/1
Strictly Come Dancing Xmas Special 16/1
Wallace & Grommit: Matter of Loaf & Death 25/1
It'll Be Alright on the Night 40/1
Stanley Baxter: Now and Then 50/1
Emmerdale 66/1
Top Gear 66/1
Queen's Speech BBC1 3pm 150/1
Wallace & Grommit: Matter of Loaf & Death 25/1


Christmas 2007

1 EastEnders part two (13.9m)
2 Doctor Who (13.8m)
3 EastEnders part one (11.8m)
4= To The Manor Born (10.1m)
4= Shrek 2 (10.1m)
4= BBC News at 18.00 (10.1m)
7 Strictly Come Dancing Special (9.9m)
8 Coronation Street (9.6m)
9 Finding Nemo (8.3m)
10 The Queen's Christmas Message (7.5m*)

Christmas 2006

1 THE VICAR OF DIBLEY (MON 2134) 12.39
2 EASTENDERS (MON 2103) 11.56
...
6 STRICTLY COME DANCING SPECIAL (MON 2001) 7.83

Christmas 2005

1 EASTENDERS (SUN 2104) 10.60
2 DOCTOR WHO (SUN 1902) 9.84
3 THE TWO RONNIES CHRISTMAS SKETCHBOOK (SUN 2203) 7.87

Note: STRICTLY COME DANCING CHRISTMAS SPECIAL (SAT 1824) 9.33

Christmas 2004

1 EASTENDERS (SAT 2029) 12.82
2 THE VICAR OF DIBLEY (SAT 2128) 12.52
3 HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE (SAT 1808) 8.38

Christmas 2003

1 ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES (THU 2120) 16.37
2 EASTENDERS (THU 2041) 15.22
3 EASTENDERS (THU 1801) 12.25


Recent Stats

w/e 7 Dec 2008

1 STRICTLY COME DANCING (SAT 1808) 9,749,000
2 STRICTLY COME DANCING (SUN 2014) 9,685,000
3 EASTENDERS (MON 1959) 9,516,000
4 EASTENDERS (THU 1929) 9,393,000
5 EASTENDERS (FRI 2001) 8,473,000

w/e 30 Nov 2008

1 STRICTLY COME DANCING (SAT 1809) 10,509,000
2 STRICTLY COME DANCING (SUN 2014) 9,951,000
3 EASTENDERS (MON 2000) 9,769,000
4 EASTENDERS (TUE 1929) 8,809,000
5 EASTENDERS (FRI 2002) 8,602,000

w/e 23 Nov 2008

1 STRICTLY COME DANCING (SAT 1819) 10,746,000
2 STRICTLY COME DANCING (SUN 2015) 10,514,000
3 EASTENDERS (MON 2000) 9,753,000
4 ANTIQUES ROADSHOW (SUN 1915) 8,765,000
5 EASTENDERS (FRI 1959) 8,624,000

Compared with a similar period last year

w/e 9 Dec 2007

1 EASTENDERS (MON 2000) 10.75
2 STRICTLY COME DANCING (SAT 1744) 10.45
3 EASTENDERS (TUE 1928) 9.87
4 EASTENDERS (THU 1932) 9.40
5 STRICTLY COME DANCING (SUN 1815) 9.16

w/e 2 Dec 2007

1 EASTENDERS (MON 2000) 11.00
2 STRICTLY COME DANCING (SAT 1750) 10.22
3 EASTENDERS (TUE 1930) 9.69
4 EASTENDERS (FRI 1959) 9.48
5 STRICTLY COME DANCING (SUN 1850) 8.88

w/e 25 Nov 2007

1 MATCH OF THE DAY (WED 1930) 11.19
2 EASTENDERS (MON 2000) 10.52
3 STRICTLY COME DANCING (SAT 1809) 9.70
4 EASTENDERS (FRI 2001) 9.67
5 EASTENDERS (THU 1931) 9.56

Conclusions

This seems to be a market priced around Eastenders, which has taken the title in three of the last five years. If this was an exchange market though, I would be a layer in 2008. Firstly, Eastenders seems susceptible to a good, family Christmas comedy special such as the Vicar of Dibley or Only Fools and Horses. This year there are two candidates: The Royle Family and Blackadder.

Now I don't want to let personal preference get in the way here (I don't rate the Royle Family) but I'm not sure it is quite the good clean fun of VoD or Only Fools. Blackadder on the other hand is unquestionably excellent - but does it have the mainstream appeal and is 10.30pm too late for the alcohol-addled masses? I think either of these could sneak past a lacklustre Eastenders, but if having a bet then a smaller stake at 12/1 for an interest appeals more than a lumpy one on the 6/4 favourite.

My other reason for wanting to take Eastenders on is itself. Again trying to keep personal preference aside - but this really is a tired format now? Ignoring that 9 million is still a sad reflection on our country, I take hope that the recent week's viewing figures show the soap firmly mired in the single millions of viewing figures. Not the position in which it went into Christmas last year. There is a risk that script writers will try something desperate, but does that mean that the lemmings will tune in *shudders - puts answer to back of mind*

My final observation regards Strictly Come Dancing. It has been pitched in at 16/1 presumably based on its 6th and 7th rankings of the last two years. My question is whether it has more traction this year than before. Is it just me or does it have a higher than usual profile this year (I even watched an episode)? The whole John Sergeant thing in the news etc... At this time of the year in 2007 it was competing - but losing - to the Albert square soap in the figures. This year it is dominating the rankings. The 9pm slot is the dream-one one and the soap still has it, but 7pm-8pm should have Strictly clear of the last servings of Christmas pud.

It is a big ask to reverse the form of previous years, but I couldn't back a show at 11/4 that is being consistently whipped by one at 16/1.

Any thoughts? (other than the fact that I need to get out more)
 
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I'm sure Doctor Who benefited from Kylie in last year's episode so I came to the conclusion that it was artificially short. I've never watched it though, so feel free to correct me if that wasn't a valid assertion.
 
It is - but last year I don't think the Christmas special troubled the weekly top 30.
 
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Doctor Who jumped out at me. Eastenders don't have as 'good' a cliffhanger this year (affairs between fathers and daughters-in-law > paternity tests) and while I'm sure The Royle Family will get a big audience I can't see it being at the top. Wallace & Grommit @ 25s looks the each-way value. I can't believe I just wrote that.
 
Strictly won't win because it refuses to have Austin on the Xmas Special - BIG MISTAKE!
 
I'm sure Doctor Who benefited from Kylie in last year's episode
Click to expand...

You think that Kylie running around in a French maids outfit helped viewing figures? Why?

ps: The commercial stations must be in crisis with the disproportionate representation from the BEEB.

pps: Uncle G. The CIA have sniffer software for websites that have most of the words in your last posting as triggers. I hope you look good in an orange jumpsuit.
 
Is that not the woman who wanted to speak to you about domestic issues two out in the Gold Cup! I always wondered if you ever tried to get her back, perhaps asking her thoughts on the value and structure of the order of merit during intercourse...
 
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Shads

I launched a relentless campaign. Throughout every episode, I would deride the acting, expose flaws in the plot, predict (usually correctly) what would happen next or what people would say next, repeatedly do crap impressions of the main characters (woss gawing on? leave it aah, get aatta my pub, drinks on the aahse, etc) and laugh (Brian Blessed style) everytime something really unrealistic happened. Needless to say, I was in my element whenever there was a (poorly researched) scene in the betting shop.

Eventually, I managed to grind her down.

Geary

I wouldn't bother waking her up just to do that.
 
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