One-off Christmas episode on BBC1 starring David Jason as Granville attracts a peak audience of 10 million
The return of Sir David Jason as grocery shop worker Granville in a one-off Christmas special of Open All Hours was the most popular programme on Boxing Day, attracting a peak audience of 10 million.
The success of Still Open All Hours, which aired nearly 30 years after the last episode of the original Ronnie Barker sitcom, meant BBC1 scooped the Christmas honours, airing the most popular shows on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
The comedy, which sees Granville and his son inherit the business from the late Barker's domineering shop owner Albert Arkwright, managed an average audience of 9.4 million and a 35.5% share of all TV viewing between 7.45pm and 8.15pm. The show's peak audience briefly touched 10 million.
The success of the show marks a welcome return of form for Jason after last year's sitcom The Royal Bodyguard...
The return of Sir David Jason as grocery shop worker Granville in a one-off Christmas special of Open All Hours was the most popular programme on Boxing Day, attracting a peak audience of 10 million.
The success of Still Open All Hours, which aired nearly 30 years after the last episode of the original Ronnie Barker sitcom, meant BBC1 scooped the Christmas honours, airing the most popular shows on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
The comedy, which sees Granville and his son inherit the business from the late Barker's domineering shop owner Albert Arkwright, managed an average audience of 9.4 million and a 35.5% share of all TV viewing between 7.45pm and 8.15pm. The show's peak audience briefly touched 10 million.
The success of the show marks a welcome return of form for Jason after last year's sitcom The Royal Bodyguard...
- 12/28/2013
- by Mark Sweney
- The Guardian - Film News
The Royal Bodyguard will reportedly not be returning for a second series. The Sir David Jason comedy has been dropped by BBC One after poor ratings, The Sun claims. The show premiered on Boxing Day to around 7m viewers but the audience dropped to 2.8m for its final episode. "Unfortunately the show just did not work out," a source said. "Ratings fell and it got a mauling in the press. It is highly unlikely that it will return." Jason has previously confessed (more)...
- 2/15/2012
- by By Catriona Wightman
- Digital Spy
Sir David Jason has admitted that his show The Royal Bodyguard was flawed. The 71-year-old actor, who plays hapless security chief Captain Guy Hubble, believes the show was not executed as well as he had hoped. "You can't get it right all the time," he told BBC News. "We tried, we had a good go, we enjoyed doing it, and yeah, perhaps I think we didn't quite bring it off and it came in for quite a lot of harsh criticism. "But there you are - (more)...
- 2/1/2012
- by By Paul Millar
- Digital Spy
The series premiere of Whitechapel exceeded 6.2m last night on ITV1, according to overnight data. The crime drama managed a decent 6.21m (24.8%) in the 9pm hour (+1: 383k/2.1%) - up from 5.42m for the 2010 premiere - to comfortably lead the channel to primetime victory. Cornwall with Caroline Quentin took 3.96m (15.8%) earlier from 8pm (+1: 194k/0.8%) and That Sunday Night Show drew 871k (5.7%) late from 10.35pm. David Jason's The Royal Bodyguard closed out the series with a lacklustre 2.81m (11.4%). This was followed by Mrs Brown's Boys (5.39m/21.2%) and preceded by an instalment of Panorama (2.11m/8.3%). Quiz show A Question of Sport attracted 2.67m (17.9%) from 10.35pm. BBC Two began primetime with a lineup of Home Cooking Made Easy (1.15m/5.2%), A Question of Taste (1.1m/4.7%), University Challenge (2.93m/11.7%) (more)...
- 1/31/2012
- by By Ben Lee
- Digital Spy
Above Suspicion eased ITV1 to primetime victory last night, overnight audience figures indicate. The 9pm drama notched up 5.69m (21.9%) with a further 208k (1.1%) on +1 to beat BBC One's lineup of The Royal Bodyguard and Mrs Brown's Boys in the same timeslot. 8pm's Cornwall with Caroline Quentin was watched by 3.85m (14.7%) with 165k (0.6%) on timeshift. The Royal Bodyguard continued to struggle as it amused just 2.61m (10%). The David Jason series started with 7.1m back on Boxing Day. Mrs Brown's Boys took 4.73m (18.2%), with The One Griff Rhys Jones getting 2.19m (8.3%) from 8.30pm. Quiz show A Question of Sport entertained 2.32m (15.7%) from 10.35pm. BBC Two opened primetime with a lineup of Baking Made Easy (1.27m/5.6%), A Question of Taste (1.23m/5.1%) and University Challenge (more)...
- 1/17/2012
- by By Ben Lee
- Digital Spy
Above Suspicion eased ITV1 to primetime victory last night, overnight audience figures indicate. The 9pm drama notched up 5.69m (21.9%) with a further 208k (1.1%) on +1 to beat BBC One's lineup of The Royal Bodyguard and Mrs Brown's Boys in the same timeslot. 8pm's Cornwall with Caroline Quentin was watched by 3.85m (14.7%) with 165k (0.6%) on timeshift. The Royal Bodyguard continued to struggle as it amused just 2.61m (10%). The David Jason series started with 7.1m back on Boxing Day. Mrs Brown's Boys took 4.73m (18.2%), with The One Griff Rhys Jones getting 2.19m (8.3%) from 8.30pm. Quiz show A Question of Sport entertained 2.32m (15.7%) from 10.35pm. BBC Two opened primetime with a lineup of Baking Made Easy (1.27m/5.6%), A Question of Taste (1.23m/5.1%) and University Challenge (more)...
- 1/17/2012
- by By Ben Lee
- Digital Spy
Mrs Brown's Boys was the only bright spark in BBC One's comedy lineup last night. The Brendan O'Carroll sitcom averaged 4.67m (18.6%) at 9.30pm, despite a dreadful lead-in from David Jason's The Royal Bodyguard, which slumped to 2.94m (11.7%). Now in its third week, Royal Bodyguard has lost over 4 million fans, having premiered with 7.1m on Boxing Day. Jasper Carrott's return to stand-up, in The One Jasper Carrott, was seen by 3.4m (13.4%) at 8.30pm. Elsewhere, series four of Lynda La Plante's Above Suspicion opened with 6.31m (25.1%) on ITV1 at 9pm, adding 256k (1.4%) on +1, prior to which 8pm documentary Cornwall with Caroline Quentin interested 3.83m (15.1%) and 147k (0.6%) on timeshift. BBC Two's University Challenge educated 2.99m (11.7%) at 8pm, then the audience dropped (more)...
- 1/10/2012
- by By Paul Millar
- Digital Spy
David Jason sitcom The Royal Bodyguard suffered a dip in the ratings week-on-week, overnight figures indicate. The show was watched by 4.5m (17.3%) from 9pm last night, compared to 7.05m (28.4%) seven days previously. Meanwhile, Mrs Brown's Boys grabbed 5.2m (19.8%) from 9.30pm, while Match of the Day scored 3.2m (17.3%) from 10.30pm. ITV1's Endeavour guided the channel to primetime victory, averaging 6.51m (26.9%) from 9pm (+1: 259k/1.5%). Cornwall with Caroline Quentin attracted 3.88m (13.8%) earlier from 8pm (+1: 225k/0.9%). BBC Two began with a lineup of Baking Made Easy (1.53m/6%), A Question of Taste (1.34m/5.1%), University Challenge (2.72m/9.7%) and An Island Parish (2.29m/8.2%). Armando's Tale of Charles Dickens from 9pm was seen by 924k (3.5%), before 720k (4%) caught Revolutionary (more)...
- 1/3/2012
- by By Ben Lee
- Digital Spy
Sir David Jason's The Royal Bodyguard pulled in over 7 million viewers last night, according to the latest overnight data. The BBC One sitcom premiered with 7.05m (28.4%) at 9.30pm, after which Mrs Brown's Boys amused 6.61m (28.1%) at 10pm. Christopher Eccleston drama The Borrowers took 5.38m (22.2%) between 7.30pm and 9pm. Over on ITV1, 3.22m (14.7%) watched The Unforgettable Ernie Wise at 7pm, while Agatha Christie's Poirot captivated 4.21m (17.6%) between 9pm and 11pm (+1: 287k/1.5%). Channel 4's screening of Home Alone was seen by 1.57m (6.7%) from 7pm. (+1: 182k/0.7%), then the audience rose to 2.21m (8.7%) for Bear's (more)...
- 12/27/2011
- by By Paul Millar
- Digital Spy
David Jason in The Royal Bodyguard
N Conrad
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Over the Christmas period BBC One’s line-up of shows has been reminiscent of a wedding. We had something old (Absolutely Fabulous back after 20 years), something blue (The Tardis), something borrowed (duh! The Borrowers) and now finally something entirely new: The Royal Bodyguard.
David Jason is of course no stranger to the Beeb but it has been two decades since we last saw him as Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses so his return to BBC One is long overdue. In The Royal Bodyguard Jason plays a bumbling self-important guardsman named Guy Hubble who was handpicked by the Queen to be her bodyguard after he saved her when a couple of runaway horses threatened to drag her to her death.
Hubble of course is ill-equipped...
N Conrad
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Over the Christmas period BBC One’s line-up of shows has been reminiscent of a wedding. We had something old (Absolutely Fabulous back after 20 years), something blue (The Tardis), something borrowed (duh! The Borrowers) and now finally something entirely new: The Royal Bodyguard.
David Jason is of course no stranger to the Beeb but it has been two decades since we last saw him as Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses so his return to BBC One is long overdue. In The Royal Bodyguard Jason plays a bumbling self-important guardsman named Guy Hubble who was handpicked by the Queen to be her bodyguard after he saved her when a couple of runaway horses threatened to drag her to her death.
Hubble of course is ill-equipped...
- 12/27/2011
- by admin
Sir David Jason has revealed that he was thrown into mud and wrapped in cellophane for his role in The Royal Bodyguard. The Only Fools and Horses actor, who debuts in the new BBC One sitcom tonight as the hapless Captain Guy Hubble, suggested that the "visual", "old-fashioned" nature of the comedy will appeal to all ages. The 71-year-old told What's on TV: "I get thrown into mud, pulled into tanks of water. I had to swing on pipes, jump down a chimney, I get covered in soot, mud, water, and even wrapped in cellophane. "The humour is quite visual, and we tried to make it so no-one would be worried (more)...
- 12/26/2011
- by By Paul Millar
- Digital Spy
The Royal Bodyguard
N Conrad
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On Boxing day, Only Fools and Horses star Sir David Jason returns to the BBC after an absence of two decades. He takes on the role of Captain Guy Hubble, an ex-guardsman who is appointed as the royal bodyguard after he saves the Queen’s life. Jason’s character has a number of run-ins with his boss Colonel Dennis Whittington who fears that the mishap prone captain may place the monarch’s life in jeopardy.
The new sitcom is written by Mark Bussell and Justin Sbresni and produced by Jimmy Mulville for Hat Trick Productions. Appearing alongside Sir David Jason are Geoffrey Whitehead, Tim Downie and Timothy Bentinck. The first episode will air at 9.30 p.m. on 26 December. On BBC One.
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N Conrad
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on Twitter.
On Boxing day, Only Fools and Horses star Sir David Jason returns to the BBC after an absence of two decades. He takes on the role of Captain Guy Hubble, an ex-guardsman who is appointed as the royal bodyguard after he saves the Queen’s life. Jason’s character has a number of run-ins with his boss Colonel Dennis Whittington who fears that the mishap prone captain may place the monarch’s life in jeopardy.
The new sitcom is written by Mark Bussell and Justin Sbresni and produced by Jimmy Mulville for Hat Trick Productions. Appearing alongside Sir David Jason are Geoffrey Whitehead, Tim Downie and Timothy Bentinck. The first episode will air at 9.30 p.m. on 26 December. On BBC One.
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- 12/5/2011
- by admin
'EastEnders' and 'Downton Abbey' will go head-to-head on Christmas Day (25.12.11). The BBC has made a last-minute change to its schedules, pushing back David Jason's comedy 'The Royal Bodyguard' from the 9.30pm slot to Boxing Day (26.12.11) in order to move their flagship soap to a later 9pm time, meaning it will go up against the two-hour special ITV have scheduled for their popular period drama. A source said: "This year ITV bosses knew thy had 'Downton' up their sleeve as a secret weapon and they are pulling out all the stops with a two-hour show. The BBC have been chopping and...
- 11/30/2011
- Virgin Media - TV
BBC Christmas 2011
R Feeney
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The BBC have revealed more details about their 2011 Christmas line up. Details of the Doctor Who special and the Borrowers have already been announced but the network have now confirmed that Great Expectations will air this Christmas rather than next year. The adaptation stars X-Files actress Gillian Anderson alongside Poirot star David Suchet.
Only Fools and Horses funny man David Jason returns to BBC1 in a comedy show called The Royal Bodyguard. Stephen Fry is set to star in the Victorian era sit-com The Bleak Old Shop Of Stuff and Jennifer Saunders et al return to the Beeb in two new episodes of Absolutely Fabulous.
Luther actor Steven Mackintosh, Eddie Izzard and Geoffrey Palmer will appear in a modern day Manchester based fairytale called Lost Christmas. Meanwhile, All Creatures Great and Small...
R Feeney
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on Twitter.
The BBC have revealed more details about their 2011 Christmas line up. Details of the Doctor Who special and the Borrowers have already been announced but the network have now confirmed that Great Expectations will air this Christmas rather than next year. The adaptation stars X-Files actress Gillian Anderson alongside Poirot star David Suchet.
Only Fools and Horses funny man David Jason returns to BBC1 in a comedy show called The Royal Bodyguard. Stephen Fry is set to star in the Victorian era sit-com The Bleak Old Shop Of Stuff and Jennifer Saunders et al return to the Beeb in two new episodes of Absolutely Fabulous.
Luther actor Steven Mackintosh, Eddie Izzard and Geoffrey Palmer will appear in a modern day Manchester based fairytale called Lost Christmas. Meanwhile, All Creatures Great and Small...
- 11/21/2011
- by admin
Absolutely Fabulous will lead BBC One's festive lineup, it has been announced. The Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley sitcom, which has been revived for two 20th anniversary specials, is expected to feature in the channel's Christmas Day schedule alongside Doctor Who, EastEnders and Strictly Come Dancing. David Jason's first new BBC comedy in 20 years, The Royal Bodyguard, will also air over the winter period. Despite The (more)...
- 11/21/2011
- by By Paul Millar
- Digital Spy
Pictures of David Jason in costume on the set of his new BBC One comedy The Royal Bodyguard have been revealed. The Royal Bodyguard features the Only Fools and Horses actor playing Captain Guy Hubble, a soldier on the verge of retirement placed in charge of royal security. He will team up with producer Jimmy Mulville on the project, which BBC One controller Danny Cohen (more)...
- 7/20/2011
- by By Alex Fletcher
- Digital Spy
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