New Years Eve ratings

No worries - I think "accepted wisdom" often needs to be challenged by facts...



Not sure - I think some people do sit down and watch the show with a quiet drink. Not everyone goes to parties for New Year - particularly outside Scotland. I think the "switch on and leave in the background" requirement is pretty well catered for by the BBC One networked show in recent years, as it has a higher music content than previous years.


Contemporary yes - but very MOR. I think that lots of programme makers have discovered that a wider audience appreciates contemporary MOR than "old fashioned" MOR.

Get Katie Melua and Teatro on singing MOR songs and you probably have a wider appeal than older, more established performers doing the same songs. (Josh Groban is a good example of this)


The Auld Lang Syne performance on the network show was so short and right at the end... Not really that relevant - any audience switching off at this point wouldn't have dented the ratings by much at all.

The fireworks commentary is always contentious. I don't think it was as bad as the previous two years if I'm honest - so it has been improving!



I think you are missing my OB point (I probably didn't make it that well). By broadcasting from an OB location - you get a feeling of being in amongst the celebrations - and a much greater sense of scale and event. It isn't being able to interview people that makes the OB work - it is the sense of location (not specific but generic) and scale. Seeing the huge mass of people at the Embankment, and the audience braving the rain at Somerset House was much more "real" than invited hangers on in a faux studio.

Studios can be good for intimate stuff - like Jools' Hootenanny - but don't have that "special event" feel that I think a New Year show needs.

I agree that the "What is your New Year Resolution?" sequence on the Embankment was a bit ropey (I suspect Gethin didn't have much location production support, and someone more experienced would have "pre-interviewed" the people who he was going to talk to - and prepared enough to fill for longer. This wasn't the case as most of the people he chose were dull performers with no real idea...)

To be fair to BBC Scotland, for the last few years Hogmanay Live has been broadcast from Edinburgh Castle's Great Hall - a similar location to the New Years Eve style. This was the first year of their new HQ, so I don't blame them for using it, and they spend all of the bells around Edinburgh regardless of studio location, so I don't think it has an effect.

Someone mentioned how it is good for having on in the background at a house party, very true, but then someone countered that this may be more the case in Scotland - its just as well its a Scottish programme then isn't it!

And having Auld Lang Syne & Celtic Music in the background over the fireworks is far better than some dull ad-libbed commentary.

Interestingly, I watched a documentary examining 50 years of Hogmanay TV, which recounted some years BBC Scotland may rather forget. This year, I believe things are very much the reverse.

Speaking of which, I note Hootenanny was recorded on the 20 Dec this year. Is it standard practice for the show to recorded, and be done as-live?

some one else postage this

It's always recorded - I thought it was recorded much earlier than that in fact - I'm sure in the past it's been done as early as October.

Very standard for it to be recorded. I don't think it has ever been live. Co-ordinating the talent that they have on the show is a bit of a fine art - and I think the recording slot is booked around when everyone is available, rather than chosing a recording date and then seeing who can make it! I suspect it would be near-impossible to get the line-ups they do for Dec 31st every year.

(Also pre-recording does allow for a slightly slicker production - though AIUI this isn't the reasons for pre-recing it)

I believe it was recorded at the same time ie. starting at 23.10 albeit on a different date as if you saw Ricky's watch (Kaiser Chiefs Lead Singer) during Everything Is Average Nowadays it showed just after 23.15 which matched the time it was broadcast. By doing this, at least they can count down on time, which I believe let them down one year as they were a few minutes out.

As for the actual reason for being pre-recorded, I think noggin has summed it up - the acts will no doubt have other plans on New Year's Eve.

Never knew Jools was pre-recorded

Never-the-less great as always, especially Seasick Steve

Just hope nobody at the Daily Mail is reading this thread - I'm imagining "BBC FAKES NEW YEAR" headlines!

You're not the only one. I spent ages trying to get it across to my family that it was pre-recorded and wouldn't show the bongs so we should watch New Year Live instead (what a mistake!)

Why do you need the bongs?


A shame C4 don't bother anymore - I'd have thought a New Year's Eve version of the Friday Night Project or something would be good.


I know in the 90's they had various shows on at New Year, notably Graham Norton, TFI Friday (with the Countdown clock doing the honours) and I think The Big Breakfast during the Chris and Gaby era.

Yeah the Big Breakfast did it I think the second year that they were on air (after the success of the show was seen), with Gaby's line at the end of the morning show of 'what shall we do for the next ## hours?' with Chris' reply of 'Shag!'.

TFI did indeed do it.
The only Graham Norton that I can remember is the special FY2K and the only totally live Graham leading into the year 2000, which was followed by the all nighter the Biggest Breakfast Ever.

I remember that that year we had the channel on all night. But bar the Friday Night project channel 4 don't really have much entertainment shows. When you consider that at one point they did have The Big Breakfast, TFI Friday and Graham Norton all running at the same time (for a very short period, but a period all the same).