Downton Abbey wins festive ratings war, thanks to Sky+

THE ITV drama Downton Abbey may be set in the past but it won the Christmas TV ratings war thanks to some 21st-century technology. Although the show staggered in fourth on Christmas Day, with fewer viewers than EastEnders, Coronation Street and Doctor Who, it claimed top spot for the festive season after a further 3.5 million people watched it on personal video devices over the next week.
 
The two-hour special featuring writer Julian Fellowes’s gaggle of Edwardian aristocrats was watched by 8.1 million people on the big day, but it was up against BBC behemoth EastEnders in the 9pm timeslot and the soap won easily with 9.9 million viewers.
 
Second in the ratings was Coronation Street, which attracted 9.3 million people while the BBC's Doctor Who special was watched by 8.9 million.
 
The Guardian reports that although Downton Abbey's "live" audience was well behind that of EastEnders, "the BBC's victory has been short-lived following the release of new figures from the official TV measurement body, Barb, which includes so-called 'timeshift' viewing by households who have recorded shows in the seven days after first transmission on personal video recorders such as Sky+."
 
Downton leapfrogged EastEnders into first place and ended up with a total audience of 11.6 million, compared to 11.3 million for the soap.
 
While ITV won top prize, the BBC were the overall winners. Apart from EastEnders and Doctor Who, there were five other BBC1 shows in the top ten, including the return of Absolutely Fabulous and the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special, Michael McIntyre's Christmas Roadshow, The Gruffalo's Child and the Queen's annual message.
 
Before BBC executives start celebrating, they might reflect that this is all a far cry from the days before satellite TV. In 1986 more than 30 million watched the 1986 EastEnders Christmas special in which Queen Vic landlord Den Watts served wife Angie with divorce papers. ·