True but the press never seem to, for some reason. I imagine it's because they see itv+1 as the same channel as itv; BBC Three is obviously different from BBC One. Oh well.

Well, no show reached 7 million.
http://metro.co.uk/2015/12/26/downto...-5585354/#mv-a

Says a lot really.

You implied that perhaps I didn't understand catch up __that's patronising and you know it.

I didn't attack you -I offered an alternative view on a words appropriate use.

I think you are just overacting. Its Christmas. Chillax! :P its only ratings.

BBC3 was over 500k

Did well

It's boxing day darling and I'm stuffed

I just think all soaps ie the whole genre is losing its place in the nations heart compared to the past -but that's natural after all these years in a way and not necessarily a bad thing. Lots of great alternatives like DVD boxsets nowadays. Were spoilt for choice! 🙌

I think ratings are now pointless. Like as been said the way people watch TV now has changed. I still watch the big 3 live but many others will just watch on catch up.

As predicted, the press are including itv+1 in their figures, meaning Coronation Street is the top soap in their eyes.

I don't see why people are surprised ratings are low. It was Christmas Day yesterday, I have watched Corrie and Emmerdale for years but I never watch it on Christmas Day and Boxing Day because I spend time with family instead.

I find time to catch up before Monday, but Emmerdale is the first as it looks more interesting.

So all soaps are down? What's interesting is that you could have a happy Corrie Christmas or a twisted EastEnders one but viewers largely opted for neither.

Same - it really baffles me how hung up people get on ratings considering how viewing habits have changed. I try and watch the shows I love live but knowing I can watch on catchup, or Sky+ it etc makes it a lot easier to ~miss an episode live and just watch when I have time later on. I think especially on days like Christmas Day it just makes it easier for me.

Well the Carters were blamed last year and that episode had 2m more viewers.

I actually don't think it's something you can analyse in respect of one particular programme as numbers were down across the board. EE's death warrant shouldn't be written on the basis of Christmas Day viewing itself being in decline. Emmerdale only had 4.2m.

EE's best days are obviously behind it (same is true of soap in general) and nothing lasts forever but I don't think it's on the verge of being cancelled like some claim. TV viewing has a whole has fallen and is continuing to fall. I can perhaps see an argument that poor decision-making from producers has sped up the decline but an on-going decline of notable magnitude would exist regardless in line with TV as a whole. There is so much more out there now. It's not necessarily the case that if the show's peak quality had been maintained by producers with identical visions of EE the audience would have been.

I can't see the BBC axing EastEnders while ITV are still pushing Corrie and soaps still rank highly in the viewing charts. Only a small number of programmes do better and they don't fill anywhere near the same amount of airtime. There will be reductions in episodes/budget before the axe is swung and we're a long way off even that right now.

One of the reasons I think Santer was good news for EE is that he managed to stabilise the ratings, an anomaly made even more remarkable by DSO being in full flow in his era, the increasing popularity of services like Sky + and the introduction of BBC iPlayer. I do think that is testament to his work consistently connecting with the audience at large. I know and respect that he wasn't for everyone but he can't reasonably be painted as a failure beyond personal taste. However, looking at TV as a whole now, I don't think his arresting of the decline would've held indefinitely if he'd stuck around. The general downward trajectory is rarely defied and can't be permanently.

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I'd forgotten that. They were deemed by some to be a flop because there were only 7.55m viewers overnight.

I may be wrong on this but hasn't EE been pulling in almost 7mil recently? The buildup got more viewers than the Chrismas ep itself so you may be right.

And because the general public know they can watch it later, they aren't worried about missing it live whereas 20 years ago if you missed the "big Christmas ep" then that was it.

Eastenders on top again.