Brit Hits Harry Potter, Beckham, and Lara Croft Help put BBC on Top of the Christmas Box

Brit Hits Harry Potter, Beckham, and Lara Croft Help put BBC on Top of the Christmas Box

LONDON, February 7/PRNewswire/ --

- Recent British films rake in the TV ratings over 2004/5 festive season
despite only ten being shown on main channels during holiday fortnight



Three of the top four most watched films on UK terrestrial
television over the festive season were recent British films, with Harry
Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Bend it like Beckham and Lara Croft: Tomb
Raider pulling in more than 22.6 million viewers between them, according to
new figures released today by the UK Film Council.



All of the top ten films on TV during the festive season were
shown on BBC1, with Shrek topping the charts. Amongst the films beaten by the
Brit-hit trio in the ratings were big budget Hollywood features AI:
Artificial Intelligence and Antz. With 7.32 million viewers, Bend It Like
Beckham came close to outstripping the combined viewing figures for the first
three Star Wars features (all shown on ITV1) which were watched by a total of
7.37 million people.



The figures back up a poll undertaken last year for the UK
Film Council by tns, which revealed widespread public agreement for
supporting new UK films on TV. The vast majority (81%) of the public endorse
the view that broadcasters have a responsibility to support the film industry
by showing more recent UK films.



The analysis of viewing figures for the holiday period running
between Christmas Eve and 3 January 2005 shows that the films topping the TV
ratings were:



1) Shrek, on Christmas Eve, with 9.5 million viewers;



2) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, on Christmas Day,
with 8.4 million viewers;



3) Bend it Like Beckham, on 3 January, with 7.3 million
viewers; and



4) Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, on 27 December, with 7 million
viewers.



A total of ten recent British films (less than eight years
old) were shown on television between Christmas Eve and 3 January, notching
up 33.1 million viewers in total. As well as the top three performers, films
featured included Anglo-French co-production Chocolat starring Juliette
Binoche and Dame Judi Dench which topped the BBC2 film chart; The Mother
starring Daniel Craig; I Capture the Castle starring Romola Garai; Still
Crazy starring Bill Nighy; and Mike Leigh's Topsy-Turvy.



The UK film ratings success came despite the fact that only
5.6% of films (10 out of 176) shown on channels one to five over the
Christmas period were recent British films, and follows the 2003/4 festive
season triumph of National Lottery funded Brit hit Billy Elliot, which topped
the ratings with 12.7 million viewers tuning in to its television premiere on
BBC1.



Commenting on the results of the survey, John Woodward, Chief
Executive Officer of the UK Film Council said:



"As well as being a major ratings success for the BBC, the
2004/5 festive film figures back up opinion poll figures showing that viewers
want to see more recent British films on television, yet at the moment they
make up only a tiny percentage of all films on the five main channels.



"When Bridget Jones's Diary was shown on Channel 4 in
November, more than 6.5 million viewers tuned in giving the broadcaster a
28.4% market share. Touching the Void was watched by over 3 million viewers
on Channel 4.



"The consistent popularity of British films such as Billy
Elliot and Bend It Like Beckham underlines the overwhelming case for the BBC
to build on its recent improvement in the number of contemporary British
films being shown, and to increase its historically low level of investment
in UK film production.



"If we want a vibrant film industry in the future, increased
support from broadcasters is essential. Greater investment by broadcasters in
British film production would give TV audiences access to great new films,
benefit our culture, our economy, and as this survey shows it is what viewers
want."



The total budget for BBC Films, which invests in film
development and production, is currently approximately GBP10 million per
year. In December 2004, the influential Culture, Media and Sport Select
Committee published a report which urged the BBC to improve its involvement
in the UK film industry. The committee recommended that the BBC publish a
strategy for promoting UK films, and substantially increase BBC funding for
both feature films and short films and the exhibition of modern UK films.



Top ten films on UK channels one to five over 2004/5 festive
period




DATE AUDIENCE

FILM CHANNEL SHOWN millions
Shrek BBC1 24/12/2004 9.5
Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone BBC1 25/12/2004 8.38
Bend It Like Beckham BBC1 03/01/2005 7.32
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider BBC1 27/12/2004 6.95
A I: Artificial Intelligence BBC1 30/12/2004 5.43
102 Dalmatians BBC1 25/12/2004 5.12
The Italian Job BBC1 31/12/2004 5.12
Matilda BBC1 27/12/2004 5.10
The Princess Diaries BBC1 24/12/2004 4.24
Antz BBC1 01/01/2005 4.09




Recent UK film television ratings over 2004/5 festive period




FILM CHANNEL DATE SHOWN AUDIENCE

millions
Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone BBC1 25/12/2004 8.38
Bend It Like Beckham BBC1 03/01/2005 7.32
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider BBC1 27/12/2004 6.95
Chocolat BBC2 24/12/2004 3.15
The Mother BBC2 27/12/2004 1.97
I Capture The Castle BBC2 28/12/2004 1.78
Still Crazy BBC1 27/12/2004 1.34
Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? ITV1 02/01/2005 1.21
Topsy-Turvy BBC2 28/12/2004 0.91
The General C5 31/12/2004 0.1




Notes to Editors:



1. The Christmas/festive period covered ran from Christmas Eve
until 3 January 2004 inclusive.



2. Films qualify as British due to meeting a set of criteria
set down by the Government including where the film is shot, the involvement
of UK film talent in front of and behind the camera, and the percentage of a
film's budget spent in the UK or on UK staff and services.



3. For further information on the Culture, Media and Sport
Select Committee's report on the BBC entitled A Public BBC please visit



www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/culture__media_and_sport.cfm



4. For more information on the opinion poll mentioned above
please visit
www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/news/?p=D4A157250ebf42C008yMs1B3B2E8&skip=30



5. The UK Film Council is the lead agency for film in the UK
ensuring that the economic, cultural and educational aspects of film are
effectively represented at home and abroad. We invest Government grant-in-aid
and Lottery money in film development and production; training; international
development and export promotion; distribution and exhibition; and education.
Our aim is to deliver lasting benefits to the industry and the public alike
through:



- creativity - encouraging the development of new talent,
skills, and creative and technological innovation in UK film and assisting
new and established film-makers to produce successful and distinctive British
films;



- enterprise - supporting the creation and growth of
sustainable businesses in the film sector, providing access to finance and
helping the UK film industry compete successfully in the domestic and global
marketplace;



- imagination - promoting education and an appreciation and
enjoyment of cinema by giving UK audiences access to the widest range of UK
and international cinema, and by supporting film culture and heritage.




Source: UK Film Council

For further information please contact: Caroline Nagle/Iain Hepplewhite, UK Film Council Press Office, T: 44-(0)20-7861-7508/7505 E: press@ukfilmcouncil.org.uk


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