BBC One Dominates Boxing Day

BBC One continued its festive ratings success as it dominated Boxing Day thanks to its offerings of popular films. ITV meanwhile continued to lag behind and not even its soaps could topple BBC One.

Boxing Day proved to be another success story for BBC One has it continued its festive dominance of the ratings. Christmas Day saw the Beeb completely dominate the ratings with nine of ten most watched programmes of the day being BBC shows, a new edition of Wallace and Gromit was the highest rated show with over fifteen million viewers. Boxing Day once again saw viewers choose the BBC over ITV.

BBC One offered up big films on Boxing Day to attract viewers and it was a line-up that worked. In the afternoon animated comedy Madagascar saw 5.1 million viewers tune in, a sequel to the film is currently at cinema’s, while only 2.1 million watched ITV’s offering of Mary Poppins.

Following Madagascar on BBC One was Disney/Walden Media film The Loin, The Witch and The Wardrobe which pulled in an impressive 6.3 million viewers.

BBC One then offered up the second Pirates of the Caribbean film, Dead Man’s Chest. The second entry in the film franchise, starring Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley and Johnny Deep, was seen by 6.7 million people. At the same time on ITV their one-off drama, Caught in a Trap, starring West End actress Connie Fisher, in her first television drama role, was watched by 4.4 million viewers.

Soaps wise it was EastEnders that was the victor once more with 9.6 million viewers returning to the BBC soap to sell the fallout from the revelation of baby Amy Mitchell’s real parentage.

ITV’s Coronation Street was still lagging behind with 7.5 million for both episodes, something of a reversal of fortunes for the ITV soap as it’s usually ahead of its BBC rival. Meanwhile Emmerdale was even further behind with just 5 million viewers although this is slightly up on the soaps dismal Christmas day outing.