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Top 10 most watched Christmas Day TV shows

(31 Posts)
MollyNew Fri 26-Dec-25 18:56:22

The King was the top viewed but this was broadcast over several channels. Of the next 9 top shows, all were on BBC except the 1% Club. There are many people who criticise the BBC but surely this shows that at they are giving viewers what they want to watch?

harrigran Sun 28-Dec-25 09:47:29

We never watch TV on Christmas day, boxing day is for catching up.
The best programme over Christmas was the scarecrows wedding.
Ghost story was badly acted and boring.
I enjoyed Click and collect, I can well imagine people doing things like that. In fact DH did 14 years ago, a couple of days before Christmas DIL asked us if we could buy a big doll's house. We did the research and there was only one available, DH drove on Christmas eve to collect it. Thankfully not Bedford to Carlisle but it was 30+ miles 😆

Maggiemaybe Sat 27-Dec-25 23:57:01

So far I’ve only watched Call the Midwife (I enjoy it, daft as it is), Amandaland and Corrie. I’ve had to watch all three twice due to nodding off at crucial moments. In fact I’d to watch the end of CTM three times. This was totally unexpected and certainly nothing to do with any over-indulgence in rich food and alcohol. tchwink

MayBee70 Sat 27-Dec-25 22:58:02

I just watched Click and Collect from a few years ago; quite enjoyed it. Now going to watch The Scarecrows Wedding. Listened to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe on BBC Sounds yesterday. Might start on The Children of Green Knowe afterwards.

Ladyleftfieldlover Sat 27-Dec-25 22:30:40

All I watched was Amandaland. Then I had to watch it in two parts as my sister rang from Australia.

JenniferEccles Sat 27-Dec-25 22:25:30

The Scarecrow’s Weeding was enchanting!
It had the second highest viewing figures after the King’s speech.
Quite an achievement for a programme aimed at small children!

MayBee70 Sat 27-Dec-25 21:49:55

merlotgran

I always blub my way through All Creatures Great and Small.
Amandaland was brilliant but Call The Midwife had me suspending disbelief even more than ever.
I did enjoy the ghost story so I’ll watch the others.

The ghost stories aren’t as good as the old black and white Mystery and Imagination ones ( which I’m still traumatised by).

Deedaa Sat 27-Dec-25 20:47:49

I thought that all channels were pretty dire. I watched the Bake Off and the 1% Club and spent the rest of my time watching stuff I'd recorded,

merlotgran Sat 27-Dec-25 19:05:06

I always blub my way through All Creatures Great and Small.
Amandaland was brilliant but Call The Midwife had me suspending disbelief even more than ever.
I did enjoy the ghost story so I’ll watch the others.

MayBee70 Sat 27-Dec-25 18:50:21

Just watching the All Creatures Great and Small Christmas special. It was lovely.

Grandma70s Sat 27-Dec-25 16:02:00

We watched the Nutcracker on BBC on Christmas Day, not my favourite ballet by a million miles, but it was well done. It finished at one, and then there was a nice two hours to have lunch before the King’s speech. We always watched the late Queen and now the King - it’s tradition. Not that I can remember what either of them said.

MollyNew Sat 27-Dec-25 15:37:21

Stick Man is very popular in our family.

Bridie22 Sat 27-Dec-25 15:15:12

Just watched The Scarecrows Wedding, it was lovely.

Chocolatelovinggran Sat 27-Dec-25 14:33:04

We watched, on Boxing Day, The Scarecrow's Wedding.
The smallest grandchildren and I were entranced.

MollyNew Sat 27-Dec-25 12:56:18

OldFrill

The BBC failed to match the viewing figures of the previous year because this year's programmes were not as attractive
to the viewer.

How is that "out to get the BBC"?

They obviously gave more viewers what they wanted to watch last year, not this year. Hopefully they'll take heed.

The list of most popular programmes shows that even if viewing figures are down, the BBC is still the first choice for watching programmes live and probably as a family. Apart from 1% Club, none of the other free to air channels featured at all.

Oreo Sat 27-Dec-25 12:34:02

We didn’t watch anything much, and then only on Netflix.

Casdon Sat 27-Dec-25 11:11:20

If there is something people really want to watch, they still tune in to watch it live. Gavin and Stacey in 2024 was the most watched Christmas Day programme in 16 years with an average of 12.3 million viewers.

OldFrill Sat 27-Dec-25 10:41:20

The BBC failed to match the viewing figures of the previous year because this year's programmes were not as attractive
to the viewer.

How is that "out to get the BBC"?

They obviously gave more viewers what they wanted to watch last year, not this year. Hopefully they'll take heed.

TerriBull Sat 27-Dec-25 09:29:31

Gathered together, late afternoon, after Christmas dinner someone had put on Home Alone 2, I'd seen it years ago. No idea what channel, half watched, half dozed. Apart from that didn't watch any Christmas programmes on the day. I did catch up with Amandaland yesterday. The BBC doesn't figure much in the younger generations lives, they are the Netflix generation, well so are we, but I do go on IPlayer for a few things. I can't believe the dredging up of really old stuff like Morecamb and Wiseshock

Galaxy Sat 27-Dec-25 09:18:32

The figures simply demonstrated that people don't watch tv in the way they used to.

Visgir1 Sat 27-Dec-25 08:46:25

Don't really see much on Christmas day, but did see Amandaland (excellent follow on from fabulous Motherland) and half watched CTMW, when we were snacking on the Cheese board and Port.
We always catch up with programmes post Christmas.
I don't think I have ever seen The King or the late Queen's speech on Christmas day, even my Parents never bothered with it.

MayBee70 Sat 27-Dec-25 08:28:30

There weren’t any stand out programmes this year but the Times did a list of things to watch which threw up some things I hadn’t noticed so I’m working my way through them. I’ve never really liked Bake Off but found myself watching an older Christmas celebrity one and I made a point of watching this years Peep show one.

Casdon Sat 27-Dec-25 07:31:59

MayBee70

OldFrill

Many media outlets are reporting BBC viewing figures overall are lower than in previous years.

Well, it will be down on last year because the Wallace and Gromit film and Gavin Stacey pulled in record breaking audiences. So those who are out to get the BBC can use it against them

I read that viewing figures were lower over all channels. The BBC had 16 of the top 20 most watched though, so did well comparatively, considering there were no really big new shows. I thought the most surprising thing about it was that there was a big decline in viewing for all the soaps, they must be poor at the moment.

Usedtobeblonde Sat 27-Dec-25 07:17:50

Over Christmas I watched Two Doors Down on catch-up and Amandaland also on catch-up.
Both were underwhelming with Amandaland slightly more entertaining.
On the whole I feel tv has lost most of irs appeal for me.

BlueBelle Sat 27-Dec-25 06:49:07

Saw very little apart from my usual soaps
I watched both sewing bee and pottery throw down and thought they were both really weak
Didn’t watch the king
No I thought it was pretty poor viewing overall and I m looking forward to getting back to some normality

seasider Sat 27-Dec-25 06:44:52

I didn’t watch much as I was busy but I did enjoy Amandaland . Apart from the 1% Club the things I wanted to watch were all on BBC .