James Bond films in top 10 most watched movies on UK TV during 2003

04-Jun-2004 • Bond News

The British film industry is holding its own when it comes to attracting TV audiences, research suggests, and James Bond is doing his bit.

Recent British films accounted for four out of the 10 most watched movies in 2003, despite making up less than 3% of films screened on terrestrial TV, reports the BBC.

Pierce Brosnan 007 movies "The World Is Not Enough" and "GoldenEye" were among the top ten films screened on British TV last year, with audiences of 7.8 million and 7.5 million viewers respectively.

TOP 10 MOST WATCHED TV FILMS IN UK (2003)
1. Billy Elliot - 12.7m
2. Cast Away - 9.6m
3. The Sixth Sense - 9m
4. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - 8.8m
5. Dr Doolittle - 8.2m
6. The World is Not Enough - 7.8m
7. The Thomas Crown Affair - 7.7m
8. The Full Monty - 7.6m
9. GoldenEye - 7.5m
10. Meet the Parents - 7.4m

Although 2003 saw an increase in British films aired, they accounted for a tiny percentage, with 65 out of 2,339 classed as recent home-grown productions.

A poll undertaken by the UK Film Council also revealed support for British films on TV, with 81% believing broadcasters had a responsibility to support the industry. And 52% of respondents said there were already enough films shown on TV, with 36% saying they wanted more.

The chief executive of the UK Film Council, John Woodward, called for broadcasters to get more involved with the film industry. He said: "Recently, the UK has enjoyed a run of terrific successes with Calendar Girls, Love Actually, as well as Lottery-funded films such as Bend It Like Beckham and 28 Days Later. "But improving the poor record of UK broadcaster investment in the production and showing of new British films is a vital ingredient to building a sustainable UK film industry for the long-term. "Improving the poor level of involvement would benefit our culture and our economy, and as these figures show, it is what viewers want to see."

Thanks to `fadsnake ` for the alert.