Core Facts
London, 19 December 2008: Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special is set to top the Christmas Day viewing charts, according to a poll conducted by Freeview to celebrate the launch of its new online TV Guide.
 
For the 38% of viewers who like to plan their TV viewing over a week in advance, the Freeview website now includes a TV Guide listing programmes up to two weeks ahead. Not only does the guide allow visitors to view by date and time but it also has the option to request email reminders to avoid missing a show and search for programmes or your favourite stars - a useful function for the 63% of TV viewers that choose to watch a programme because it features a celebrity or actor they like.
 
For the 52% of respondents who would like to watch Cheryl Cole over Christmas, according to the Freeview TV Guide she will be appearing in The Xtra Factor: The Winner's Story 2008 on ITV 2 this Sunday.
 
With nearly a third of respondents saying that they now prefer to record programmes and watch them at their leisure, the Christmas Day clash of BBC1's Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death (voted as the second most popular programme respondents would like to watch) and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkhaban on ITV 1 (fifth place), won't cause a problem.
 
Another feature of the Freeview TV Guide is that viewers can set the TV region to see when programmes are on wherever they are in the UK over the holiday period.
 
Stats from the Freeview poll include:
 
- Over 1/3 of people plan their TV viewing a week in advance
- 63% of viewers will choose to watch a programme because it features a celebrity or actor they like
- Only 40% of people prefer to watch live TV, whilst nearly a third of respondents prefer record programmes and watch them at another time
- 75% of viewers admit to arguing over what to watch on TV
- Top 5 Christmas programmes viewers are most likely to watch on Christmas Day (in order):
1. Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special (BBC 1)
2. Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death (BBC 1)
3. Blackadder's Christmas Carol (BBC 2)
4. Eastenders (BBC 1)
5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkhaban (ITV 1)

TV Genius search data, including searches on the Freeview TV Guide and a number of other online TV Guides (this week):
 
- Top 5 shows people want to be reminded about:
1. Top Gear
2. Coronation Street
3. Eastenders
4. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
5. Doctor Who
 
- Top 10 Most Searched for Shows:
1. The X Factor
2. Britannia High
3. Eastenders
4. Coronation Street
5. Harry Hill
6. Football
7. Top Gear
8. Heroes
9. Films
10. Harry Potter

Quotes
"Freeview's TV Guide is designed to be simple to use and will help you plan your Christmas TV viewing in advance," Adrian Mack, Online Manager at Freeview.

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