TV Licensing Reveals Perfect Recipe for Stress-Free Christmas TV Viewing

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Dec 13, 2011, 12:54 ET

LONDON, December 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

One in five UK households expect to argue about what to watch on television over the festive period according to a TV Licensing study, as the official 2011 Christmas TV schedule goes on sale.

On Christmas Day 2010, the average UK household watched almost eight hours^[1] (7 hours and 45 minutes) of television and this year viewing time is likely to be no different. To encourage familial cheer and goodwill, TV Licensing has explored people's festive viewing preferences, and come up with the perfect recipe of TV programmes to keep everyone happy. Results revealed, for example, the ideal amount of time to watch comedy specials on Christmas Day is 60 minutes, while it is 40 minutes for soap operas.

To ensure harmonious TV viewing on Christmas Day, you need:

A very large scoop (80 mins) of feature films
A generous handful (60 mins) of Christmas comedy specials
A large cupful (50 mins) of drama / mini-series
A small cupful (40 mins) of soap opera
A dollop (30 mins) of documentary / factual viewing
A dollop (30 mins) of children's TV programmes
A spoonful (25 mins) of sport
A sprinkling (20 mins) of Queen's Speech

Christmas classics rule the roost for people of all ages. The nation's favourite Christmas film is, by a narrow margin, 'It's a Wonderful Life', with 15% of people saying it topped their list. 'Home Alone' was a close second with 14%, and the 1954 version of 'White Christmas' was third (11%). As for Christmas comedy specials, sitcoms from the nineties and early noughties were much-loved, with one in five people saying Only Fools and Horses was their favourite, followed by Morecambe and Wise (12%) and The Royle Family (11%).

Sports programmes divided the sexes most, with just 31% of women saying they would watch sport on Christmas Day, compared to 45% of men. The survey also revealed that men are most likely to be in charge of the remote control over Christmas, with 39% of people selecting Dads, partners and Grandads as the main culprits.

"The coming together of families and friends to watch television on Christmas Day is almost as much of a tradition as opening presents or eating turkey. But, with a packed TV schedule to choose from, it can be difficult to agree on what to watch," said Farimah Darbyshire, TV Licensing spokesperson. "Everyone in a household will have their own favourite programmes, and it is all about compromise."

"But whatever you choose to watch on television this Christmas, it is important to be aware of the need to be covered by a valid TV Licence to watch or record programmes at the same time as they are shown on TV."

"We would always prefer people to pay than risk a fine or prosecution, and we certainly don't want people to be starting the New Year with a £1,000 fine. We offer a wide range of payment options to help spread the cost and suit people's needs. These can all be set up quickly and easily online at http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk or by phone."

While there were some clear winners across the UK, the research also showed that:
While Londoners will be the most combative about the small screen, with one in three people in the capital city admitting that they expect to disagree, Welsh households are the most relaxed with just 5% saying that there would be fights over what to watch.
Christmas TV isn't a laughing matter for Scots, with over a quarter stating they will not be watching any comedy, compared to 16% nationally
1 in 4 (23 per cent) of people in Northern Ireland say their all time favourite film is National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation compared to a national average of just 8%. 1 in 5 of people in Wales say their all time favourite film is The Muppet Christmas Carol, compared to just 8 per cent nationally.
While old classics Only Fools and Horses and Morecambe and Wise were the nation's favourites, Londoner's would rather watch The Office (18%), and in Northern Ireland almost 1 in 5 would most like to watch Gavin and Stacey.

Source of research: A survey of 1,000 people by third party research house, OnePoll, was conducted between November 25 and December 1, 2011.

Notes to Editor:

Who needs a TV Licence?

If you use or install television equipment to receive or record television programmes as they are being shown on TV, you need to be covered by a valid TV Licence. Viewing television without a licence risks prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000. A colour TV Licence currently cost £145.50. A black and white TV Licence currently costs £49.00. Those over 75 are entitled to a free TV Licence.

Paying for a TV Licence:

TV Licensing aims to make it as easy as possible for people to buy a TV Licence, which is why there are many different ways to pay. They include:

Direct Debit - monthly, quarterly or annual Direct Debit payment schemes are available and can be set up online at http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/directdebit
Over-the-counter - people can now pay at 23,000 PayPoint outlets across the country
Debit or credit card over the phone - this facility accepts payment from a range of debit cards including Maestro, Delta and Connect
By post - send a cheque made payable to TV Licensing to: TV Licensing, Bristol BS98 1TL
To find out more about paying in weekly instalments over the counter, online, by SMS or by phone on the cash payment plan, call 0300-790-6078 or visit http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/cashplans
1. Data sourced from BARB

For more information about any of our payment options and concessions, to set up Direct Debit payments or to pay by debit or credit card please visit http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk or call 0300-790-6112.

For more information, or to arrange an interview with a spokesperson, please call the TV Licensing press office on +44(0)20-7544-3144 or email [email protected]

SOURCE TV Licensing