BBC celebrates New Year

Pubcaster takes 57% share of New Year's Eve revelers

By ARCHIE THOMAS

LONDON — Those who opted to stay in and watch TV rather than brave wintry weather in Blighty on New Year's Eve flocked to pubcaster BBC over its commercial rivals.

BBC1's "New Year Live," which featured live music from London's Somerset House and coverage of a fireworks display over the Thames, captured 9.6 million viewers for a beefy 57% audience share in the 15 minutes following midnight.

Overall, the BBC1 show drew 7.1 million viewers and a 44% share over 50 minutes starting at 11:30 p.m.

The final episode of comedy skein "The Vicar of Dibley" attracted 12.3 million viewers to win a 45% share over the hour from 9:30 p.m. The "Vicar" Christmas Day special also was a hit with viewers, pulling in 11.4 million viewers for a 47% share.

Fox greenlit a pilot for the U.S. version of "Dibley," the Suzanne Martin-penned "The Minister of Divine," in September (Daily Variety, Sept. 18).

BBC2's music show "Jools' Annual Hootenanny" also attracted plenty of stay-at-home revelers on New Year's Eve. The show, which featured relaxed perfs by hot pop acts Lilly Allen, Amy Winehouse, the Zutons and the Kooks before a boisterous studio audience studded with celebs, drew 2.3 million viewers, 17% of viewers over two hours starting at 10:50 p.m.

The audience share for the annual show, fronted by musician Jools Holland, was up 2% from a year ago.

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http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117956490.html

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