RTÉ’s ‘Killinaskully – A Christmas Carol’ was the top rating television programme* with Irish viewers across all Irish television channels this Christmas, attracting an average audience of over 825,000 viewers on RTÉ One on Christmas Day.
RTÉ One was the channel of choice this Christmas, with a greater proportion of the Irish viewing audience than any of the three other Irish channels on Christmas day. Fair City attracted an average audience of 574,000 viewers or a 36% share. The Network Television Premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean captured 623,000 viewers or 35% of the available audience.
In Pat Shortt’s Killinaskully – A Christmas Carol, Dan failed to get into the Christmas spirit, and was subjected to a series of nocturnal visitations until he saw the error of his ways. Last Christmas Killinaskully – the Nativity also topped the ratings on Christmas day with an average audience of 814,000 viewers.
Christmas Eve and St. Stephen’s Day were two other strong days for both RTÉ television channels. On Christmas Eve, the combined share for both channels at peak time was 39%, on RTÉ One Winning Streak attracted 27% of the available audience viewing television. While on RTÉ Two Toy Story 2 achieved an 18% share and The Score, a thriller staring Robert De Niro and Marlon Brando, scored big with adults attracting a 19% share.
Likewise, on St. Stephen’s Day, RTÉ One achieved big audiences with Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets, Eastenders and Evelyn while An Audience with Podge and Rodge and True Grit kept RTÉ Two audiences tuned in. The combined channel share in peak-time was 39%.
RTÉ News was the touchstone for the Irish audience with news programmes attracting large numbers of viewers seeking to be updated about national and international events. The 6 o’clock and 9 o’clock news bulletins on Christmas day and St. Stephen’s day were watched by an average of more than half a million viewers.
*Source Nielsen Research