I do think Branestawn is scheduled badly - it clearly is designed to appeal to children at least as much as to adults, and parents will want to have got their little ones to bed before 9.30 on Christmas Eve.

Having said that, it is new and unseen, whereas Skyfall - great film though it is - has been seen surely by the vast majority of those who are likely to have any interest in it.

So that could be an interesting tussle, but as the main "fresh" thing that night I still expect Branestawn to come out narrowly ahead.

As for Christmas Day, personally I'm pleased that DW has been "gifted" the slot which includes the 15 minute ITN bulletin this year. Since it is not a regeneration ep, nor as last year coming off the back of the 50th anniversary, it's most unlikely to do as well as it did in 2013 but it has weaker opposition than for any Xmas special since 2005.

Why don't ITV ask the CS producers to come up with a 75 minute episode for Christmas Day, when they now know that yet again CTM will be 75 minutes long that day? It just seems daft that year after year they end up scheduling a peak time news bulletin which they do not need to have.

Does that count as a repeat as well?

I agree with that. EE will be lucky to hit 6m and the rest of the schedule could be under 4m. Its a shocker.

Last night: #ImACeIebrity 7.65m/32.0% #TheApprentice 4.85m/20.0%

Eek at The Apprentice. Amusing episode, shame it tanked and with IAC not going great guns either.

Where did everybody go? Christmas ratings will be interesting.

Christmas Eve looks awful on BBC1. Branestawm is what I expected. Harry Hill being Harry Hill but with different clothes on. Skyfall looks more appealing than anything on BBC1 after EastEnders.

Dire figures. I hope that excludes +1 for IAC?

I remember when the BBC rather cunningly used to call repeats ''another chance to see''

That'll include +1.

Oh how little faith you lot have in the BBC schedule. Toy Story 3 at 6.25pm will allow BBC1 to dominate during Xmas Eve. Toy Story has a lead in from BBC News which will be over 6m. EE will be low I agree, probably around 6.4m.

The Vicar Of Dibley ep at 10.10pm is fine. I would much rather watch a classic, brilliant comedy like Dibley than a new episode of NGO. Not Going Out is dire. I think those two comedies should be swapped. Its after Brainstawm that the BBc schedule will fall apart.

I hope Skyfall does well, but I can't see it doing more than 4.5m, but I hope to be proved wrong. Could get a nice peak opposite NGO.

I remember last year when ITV had MM on Xmas Eve. I predicted it would match Last Tango rating, but it only got 4m odd.

Thats from UK TV Ratings and they usually include +1.

Masterchef Professionals (12%) 2.7m
Waterloo Road (9%) : 2.1m

I really enjoyed reading the comments section on the Daily Fail article about it all this morning over my breakfast coffee, probably one of the best laughs of the day. The usual ranting from ill informed people and just general crackpots.

However then I read the article about the dog that enjoyed his last Christmas before being put to sleep, whilst spending it's whole life homeless, and I found myself in tears.

lol...they should swap channels.

7.3m without +1

Pretty shit for everything really. Even IAC is starting to look low now, although obviously way ahead of everything else.

Only 12 episodes to go...

I'm starting to think the big character they lost on the 1st eviction has lost them a chunk of audience. This and starting at 8.30pm is still catching viewers out.

Perhaps viewers are beginning to tire of a programme called I'm a Celebrity when there aren't actually any celebrities in the programme

Harry Hill as comedian is pitched to Adults as well as Children so he does have a strong adult fanbase.
With everyone complaining about BBC Christmas Eve what would everyone have done if they were the scheduler. And were would you shown Branestawn.
BTW what did the premieres of Caisno Royale and QOS get on ITV.

I bet Corrie was below 7m last night. Its was 1hr.

I think in honesty, BBC1 are not really bothered about Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve schedules have always been rather lacklustre in comparison to Christmas Day itself. Perhaps it's a shocker of a schedule because it's being compared to a Christmas Eve schedule that was strong. (2011 and 2012). But take a look at the 1986 Christmas Eve schedule:

6.20 FILM: Mr. Mom
7.50 Childwatch Update
8.00 The Two Ronnies (1985 repeat)
9.00 BBC News
9.20 Cagney and Lacey

And in 2006:

5.45 Duet Impossible
6.40 FILM: Chicken Run
8.00 EastEnders
8.30 Casualty
9.30 FILM: Calendar Girls

And in 2007:

6.35 Shrek The Halls
7.00 When Joseph Met Maria
8.00 EastEnders
8.30 FILM: Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
10.45 A Christmas Bucket o' French and Saunders (A clip show)

And in 2008:

6.05 FILM: Toy Story 2
7.35 Shrek The Halls
8.00 EastEnders
8.30 My Family
9.30 Have I Got News For You
10.00 Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special

(This was the previous time that Christmas Eve fell on a Wednesday and is a good schedule). Does anyone have the ratings for this night please?

And in 2009:

5.45 FILM: Shrek 2
7.10 BBC News
7.30 EastEnders
8.00 My Family
9.00 Victoria Wood's Midlife Christmas
10.00 QI
10.30 Live at the Apollo
11.00 The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson

And in 2010:

5.15 FILM: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
7.35 BBC News
8.00 EastEnders
8.30 My Family
9.30 QI
10.00 Have I Got News For You
10.30 The Graham Norton Show

And now in 2013:

5.55 FILM: Finding Nemo
7.30 EastEnders
8.00 Holby City
9.00 Last Tango in Halifax
10.00 Not Going Out Christmas Special
10.45 Outnumbered (rpt)

And this year:

6.25 FILM: Toy Story 3
8.00 EastEnders
8.30 Professor Branestawm
9.30 Not Going Out Christmas Special
10.15 The Vicar of Dibley (rpt)
10.55 Mrs. Browns' Boys (rpt)

I don't see any "dire" scheduling for this Christmas Eve in comparison to others. Sometimes we'd have the early evening news bang in the middle of prime time! There have been clip shows, convenient placings of The Graham Norton Show - simply because it was a Friday! My Family is clearly missed, without that what else would have been shown? Branestawn will surely appeal to those who enjoyed My Family won't it? Have I Got News For You, updates on reality talent shows and low rating LE shows that disappear into obscurity. ITV have by and large always been worse than BBC1 on Christmas Eve. If Skyfall wasn't on Christmas Eve this year then BBC1's schedule would immediately be considered stronger. I think that we fool ourselves into believing the Christmas Eve schedule is grander than it actually is. There have been some strong Eve schedules, but overall they're usually filled with demoted comedies - not worthy enough for the day itself, repeat films or panel quizzes and clip shows. This year just features two actual repeats rather than clips of repeated recent things pretending to be something new!

What are the chances of MBB repeat being bbc1's top overnight on xmas eve? If it does unexpectedly well and EE tanks, it might pull it off!

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s3...oXtmTUHgvUw8vi

7.2 for Corrie (7.37 including +1)