BBC New Year's Eve specials
New Year Live title card from 2012–13
Also known as
  • New Year Live
  • New Year's Eve Fireworks
  • The Big New Year's In
GenreNew Year television special
Presented byVarious (see below)
Opening theme21st Century Renaissance by Dave Hewson and Bill Baylis
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Production
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time90 minutes (2005–2008)
30 minutes (2009–2012)
85 minutes[lower-alpha 1] (2013–)
Production companyBBC Studios Events
Original release
NetworkBBC One
BBC News (UK feed)
BBC News (international feed)
Release31 December 2004 (2004-12-31) –
present
Related
BBC Scotland's Hogmanay

BBC One's New Year's Eve specials have aired in varying formats; in 2000, and since 2004, they have prominently featured live coverage of London's New Year's Eve festivities, including the midnight bongs of Big Ben, and the fireworks show on the River Thames and London Eye.

From the 1950's through the 1980's, the BBC's New Year's Eve programmes largely originated from Scotland, and were themed around the country's Hogmanay festivities. The practice largely ended after 1985, following the poor critical reception to that year's special. A Scotland-based special briefly returned for 1998–99, but was also poorly received.

For 2000, the BBC led the global 2000 Today consortium, which televised coverage of New Year's events from around the world, and served as the host broadcaster for coverage of festivities from the United Kingdom. In 2004, the BBC began to broadcast New Year Live, which primarily featured live reports from the South Bank to cover the countdown to midnight. From 2006 to 2009, the special also featured music performances.

Beginning in 2014, BBC One began to air concert specials as part of its New Year's Eve programming. The specials are divided into two parts, with an intermission approaching midnight for the live broadcast of the London fireworks.

Other BBC channels also air New Year's Eve specials; since 1993, BBC Two has aired Jools' Annual Hootenanny—a concert special spun off from Later... with Jools Holland, while BBC One Scotland opts out to air Hogmanay (formerly Hogmanay Live).

Format

Early specials

The earliest recorded commemorations of the New Year by the original British Broadcasting Company began in 1923–24, and often featured performances by dance bands; a special was broadcast from the Savoy Hotel in London, featuring performances by the Savoy Orpheans and Savoy Havana Bands, and a religious talk by Archibald Fleming. The BBC also began its practice of broadcasting the chimes of Big Ben. 2BD in Scotland opted out to broadcast its own programming. The following year's broadcast also included a speech by the BBC's first director of education J. C. Stobart, and a broadcast from Royal Albert Hall after midnight until closedown.[1][2] The 1925–26 broadcast featured the chimes of St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate, and music by Jack Hylton's band from Royal Albert Hall. It also marked the formal dissolution of the British Broadcasting Company and its transition to the public-service British Broadcasting Corporation.[1]

1929–30 featured The Birth of the Year, which featured coverage relayed from New Year's festivities in other countries in Europe, and the United States.[1] The BBC Television Service began regular broadcasts in 1936, but closed down at 10:15 p.m.; the channel broadcast retrospective clip shows on 31 December 1936 and 1937, before extending its broadcast day to 12:05 a.m. for 1938 to broadcast a special presented by Leslie Mitchell from Grosvenor House Hotel.[1] BBC Television was suspended due to World War II in September 1939, while the BBC Home Service carried a watchnight service prior to closedown at 12:05 a.m.[1]

After television service resumed in 1946, BBC TV New Year's specials continued to vary, ranging from footage of a dinner party at the Grosvenor Hotel with the Dagenham Girl Pipers (1947) prior to closedown at 12:05 a.m., to London watchnight services, and in 1949, scenes of sleeping babies at St Thomas's Hospital.[3] In 1952, the BBC broadcast a special presented by Richard Dimbleby from St Thomas's Hospital, with appearances by Donald Peers and Janet Brown.[3]

Hogmanay specials

In 1953, the BBC began to network Hogmanay-themed specials from BBC Scotland as its New Year's Eve programme, beginning with that year's Hogmanay Party presented by comedian Jimmy Logan and singer Kenneth McKellar from Glasgow, and later The White Heather Club. The duo quickly became synonymous with New Year's Eve programmes on the BBC, with Andy Stewart and Moira Anderson also becoming noted fixtures. The specials (as well as competitors established by ITV) were divisive among critics, who felt that they perpetuated a stereotypical portrayal of Scottish culture,[1] and questioned the relevancy of making a distinctly Scottish celebration the forefront of networked New Year's Eve programming.[4][3] Comedy historian Graham McCann noted that most of these Hogmanay-centric specials were likely intended to help the BBC meet quotas for networked programming produced outside of London.[4]

By the 1980s, the specials were being presented from increasingly downmarket venues (such as local hotels), and often featured drunk, rowdy audiences, and comedy acts whose material relied on regional in-jokes that were obscure to an English audience, and jokes that made fun of the other Home Nations.[4][3] The Hogmanay format was retooled for the 1985 special, Live Into 85, which attempted to feature guests and performers with a broader, UK-wide appeal. It was presented by Tom O'Connor from the Gleneagles Hotel, and was scheduled to feature appearances by Chic Murray, Name That Tune singer Maggie Moone, and Bucks Fizz among others.[4][3] Bucks Fizz dropped out after the band's members were injured in a tour bus crash, and were quickly substituted by Modern Romance.[3]

A number of crew members arrived late due to the cold weather. The BBC had not secured exclusive use of the hotel, meaning that the ballroom was filled by an audience of rowdy revellers that were often seen staggering into shots, disrupting cameramen, and caught on microphones. A visibly drunk John Grieve stumbled into laughter when attempting to recite a poem, while Chic Murray—who served as the traditional first-foot—missed his cues because the autocue was blocked by one of the pipe band members (who had stayed the ballroom due to the cold weatherr); the special would be his final television appearance before his death the following month.[5][3]

The special was widely panned by critics; Norman Harper of The Press and Journal wrote that "you could hear the toes curling; you could feel the heat of embarrassment as the whole show whirled gaily down the plughole. Putting it out on the national network compounded the felony. The whole of Britain was watching us make fools of ourselves." McCann noted that Live Into 85 was "so stupendously awful that it killed that deeply dubious broadcasting tradition [of Hogmanay] stone dead". The BBC would replace the Hogmanay specials (subsequently relegated to regional opt-outs on BBC 1 Scotland)[1] with other formats, including specials featuring BBC Radio personalities such as Terry Wogan and Clive Davis. In 1987, BBC 1 broadcast a New Year's Eve episode of EastEnders.[4][3]

A BBC Scotland-produced New Year's special would briefly return for 1998–99, with its current Hogmanay Live format being retooled for national broadcast as New Year Live; it was hosted by comedian Fred MacAulay and television presenter Carol Smillie from Edinburgh Castle and other locations, and headlined by Duran Duran. Prior to broadcast, critics raised concerns that the BBC were "anglicizing" Hogmanay and downplaying its traditions, while Smillie conversely stated in a promotional interview that she thought Christmas was more important to her than the New Year.[4] MacAulay made several off-colour jokes during the telecast (most of which surrounding Smillie having been named "Rear of the Year" for 1998), while the telecast was once again plagued by technical issues. The stage was briefly invaded by a group of attendees wielding axes. The special was derided by local critics, who criticized MacAulay and Smillie's hosting, felt that its comedy sketches and musical acts were poor, and that the special presented a diluted and anglicized version of Hogmanay.[4]

2000: 2000 Today

For 1999–2000, the BBC broadcast 2000 Today, a telecast covering global New Year's Eve festivities marking the arrival of the year 2000. The telecast was produced as part of a global consortium led by the BBC and WGBH,[6] and was designated as one of five projects undertaken by the broadcaster to mark the arrival of the 21st century.[7] The special would feature coverage of the opening of the Millennium Dome,[7] and London's New Year's fireworks show on the South Bank.[8][9]

Alongside the television broadcast, BBC Radio 1 aired One World, an international electronic music event featuring DJ sets by Carl Cox (who would open the event from Australia during a special Radio 1 Breakfast, and then be the final performer in Honolulu, Hawaii), Dance Anthems host Dave Pearce (who would host a show from Glasgow for the countdown to midnight in the UK), Pete Tong, Paul Oakenfold, and Fatboy Slim among others. Emma B and Scott Mills hosted the main block of the event, Millennium Dance Party, which ran through the evening of 31 December to the following morning.[10][11] BBC Two provided a retrospective-themed "Nineties Night".[1]

2004–2013: New Year Live

The programme initially covered the New Year's Eve fireworks in London in 2004. In 2005, the format changed to include commentary from celebrity guests. The format changed further in 2006, to include live performances from music artists and the programme was extended to air for between 60 and 90 minutes. This format remained until 2009.

From 2009 until 2013, the programme returned to its original format of one presenter interviewing the general public on the streets of London, leading into the New Year Fireworks.

2014–present: Concert specials and New Year's Eve Fireworks

Beginning in 2013, BBC One began to air concert specials from Central Hall Westminster on New Year's Eve; the specials are divided into two parts, with a segment featuring live coverage of midnight celebrations from London (billed in programme guides as New Year's Eve Fireworks) airing in between. The first special, Gary Barlow's Big Ben Bash, was headlined by Gary Barlow.[12]

During the 2014 event, drones were used to film the firework display. For the 2016 and 2017 events, the firework display was also streamed in 360-degree video.[13]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, the London fireworks were held as a broadcast-only event for 2021 and 2022. For 2020, BBC One's New Year's Eve programming was promoted under the blanket title The Big New Year's In. It included a titular special hosted by Paddy McGuinness and Maya Jama live from Dock10 studios in Salford, Greater Manchester, a New Year's Eve edition of The Graham Norton Show, the concert special Alicia Keys Rocks New Year's Eve (which was filmed in Los Angeles), and the live fireworks presentation from London.[14][15][16][17][18]

The previous concert format returned for 2022, with BBC One airing The Big New Years & Years Party. At this point the special began to be filmed at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith.[19][20] London's New Year's Eve fireworks were once again conducted as a "live broadcast spectacular"[21] for BBC One (similar to the previous year, which included an appearance by Giles Terera, and a performance by the West End Musical Choir at Shakespeare's Globe), with the city having cancelled a planned in-person celebration at Trafalgar Square due to SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant concerns.[22][23] Singer-songwriter and Eurovision Song Contest 2022 runner-up Sam Ryder hosted the 2022–23 concert, Sam Ryder's All Star New Year's Eve.[20] Rick Astley was announced for the 2023–24 special, filmed at the Roundhouse.[24]

Ratings

The first show in 2004/05 attracted 6.35 million viewers, growing to 6.43 million for 2005/06. Ratings dropped to 6 million for 2007's arrival, but peaked with 9.6 million viewers at midnight. The 2007/08 show dropped to a new low of 5.35 million viewers, then 5.83 million in 2009. The show changed to a 11.45–12.15 slot for 2010's arrival, with 7.65 million watching, peaking at more than 10 million. The 2011 show grew to 9.3 million viewers watching, peaking at more than 11 million at midnight. 2012 was the most-watched edition so far, at 10.6 million, peaking at more than 12 million viewers. The 2013 show got 9.7 million, with 13.3 million at midnight.

As the show changed again to a concert, the fireworks achieved success with 13.52 million, peaking at 14.1 million. Gary Barlow's concert afterwards was boosted to 10 million viewers, dipping to 8.8 million. For 2015 the fireworks had 12.5 million viewers, and Queen + Adam Lambert's concert 10 million, dipping to 9.4 million. Viewers dropped in 2016 to 11.4 million, but Bryan Adams' concert pulled in strong ratings, getting over 6 million. 2017's arrival saw a drop to 10.8 million, while 2018 had 10.4 million. However, for the first time since 2015's arrival, the 2019 show got more than 11 million, at 12.3 million.

Broadcasts

The programme is broadcast on BBC One in England, Wales and Northern Ireland whilst BBC Scotland's Hogmanay airs on BBC One Scotland with celebrations based in Edinburgh. Both, however, are available to watch anywhere in the United Kingdom on digital television and online on BBC iPlayer.

Presenters and guests

No. Year Presenter(s) Guest(s) Ratings
(millions)[25]
New Year Live
1 2004–05 Natasha Kaplinsky Un­known[26] 6.35
2 2005–06 Clare Balding, Andrew Marr and Doug Segal 6.43
3 2006–07 Natasha Kaplinsky and Nick Knowles Jamelia, Connie Fisher, The Feeling and Sophie Ellis-Bextor 6.06
4 2007–08 Nick Knowles and Myleene Klass Gethin Jones, Katie Melua and Richard Fleeshman 5.35
5 2008–09 Nick Knowles and Kate Silverton Gethin Jones, Matt Baker, Alesha Dixon, Russell Watson, Craig Revel Horwood, Jodie Prenger and Rita Simons 5.83
6 2009–10 Myleene Klass — 7.65
7 2010–11 Jake Humphrey 9.37
8 2011–12 10.62
9 2012–13 Gabby Logan 9.73
New Year's Eve Fireworks
10 2013–14 Susanna Reid Gary Barlow's Big Ben Bash (Gary Barlow)[12] 13.52
11 2014–15 Greg James and Gemma Cairney Queen + Adam Lambert Rock Big Ben Live (Queen + Adam Lambert)[27][28] 12.50
12 2015–16 Ore Oduba Bryan Adams Rocks Big Ben Live (Bryan Adams)[29][30] 11.48
13 2016–17 Melvin Odoom Robbie Rocks Big Ben Live (Robbie Williams)[31] 10.83
14 2017–18 Roman Kemp Good Times (Chic with Nile Rodgers)[32][33] 10.40
15 2018–19 Stacey Dooley and Joe Sugg Madness and The Kingdom Choir[34] 12.39
16 2019–20 Roman Kemp Craig David[35] 10.84
17 2020–21 Paddy McGuinness and Maya Jama The Big New Year's In (Owain Wyn Evans, Jordan North, Shirley Ballas, Chris Kamara, Frock Destroyers) and Alicia Keys Rocks New Year's Eve (Alicia Keys)[36] 10.75
18 2021–22 Years & Years The Big New Years & Years Party (Years & Years, Kylie Minogue, Pet Shop Boys)[37] 10.10
19 2022–23 Sam Ryder Sam Ryder's All Star New Year's Eve (Sam Ryder, Melanie C, Sigrid, Justin Hawkins, House Gospel Choir)[38][20] 11.22
20 2023–24 Rick Astley Rick Astley Rocks New Year’s Eve (Sharleen Spiteri, Rylan, House Gospel Choir)[24] 11.41

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ↑ Since 2013 the programme consists of a musical performance, then a segment of approximately 15 minutes showing the fireworks, then a second musical performance.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Ring in the New". BBC. 31 December 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  2. ↑ Macdonald, Peter (2004). Big Ben : the bell, the clock and the tower. Stroud: Sutton. ISBN 0-7509-3827-7. OCLC 56657409. Retrieved 1 December 2023 – via www.worldcat.org. A few days earlier a microphone had been set up on the roof of a nearby building, No. 1 Bridge Street, just opposite the Houses of Parliament. As the time approached midnight the chimes of the Great Clock ringing out the old year were followed on the hour by the twelve deep strokes of Big Ben ringing in the new, and broadcast, by means of a temporary line running to the control room at Savoy Hill, to listeners tuned to 2LO, the BBC's first radio transmitter, then barely a year old.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 McCann, Graham (30 December 2021). "Gang Aft Agley: The Day TV Broke Hogmanay - Comedy Chronicles". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Guide, British Comedy (31 December 2023). "Hogmanay Hell: The BBC's New Year Live 98 - Comedy Chronicles". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  5. ↑ Murray, Scott (24 December 2008). "Joy of Six: Memorable Christmas and New Year TV events". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  6. ↑ "2000 TODAY". BBC. Archived from the original on 7 March 2006. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  7. 1 2 "BBC News | Entertainment | BBC uncorks its millennium plans". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  8. ↑ "London New Year's party cancelled". BBC News Online. 20 November 2000. Archived from the original on 11 August 2003. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  9. ↑ "River of fire' dubbed a flop". BBC News. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  10. ↑ "Carl Cox Q&A". the Guardian. 27 April 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  11. ↑ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (18 December 1999). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  12. 1 2 "BBC criticised for Gary Barlow New Year show". The Independent. 2 January 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  13. ↑ "Revellers to enjoy 360-view of New Year's fireworks from home". 9 December 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  14. ↑ "These are the best things to watch on TV tonight - as the UK prepares for a New Year's Eve at home". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  15. ↑ Lydall, Ross (18 December 2020). "London's NYE fireworks to be replaced by TV show of 2020 highlights". www.standard.co.uk. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  16. ↑ "Khan defends New Year light show tribute to NHS, Captain Tom and Black Lives Matter". The Independent. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  17. ↑ "New Year's Eve: UK sees in 2021 with fireworks and light show". BBC News. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  18. ↑ "Fireworks, lighting and drones help London welcome 2021". London City Hall. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  19. ↑ "Years & Years: Olly Alexander on performing BBC New Year's Eve concert". BBC News. 31 December 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  20. 1 2 3 Skinner, Tom (22 November 2022). "Sam Ryder announces special New Year's Eve concert for BBC". NME. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  21. ↑ Janes, William (19 November 2021). "Trafalgar Square event to replace London's New Year fireworks". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  22. ↑ Salisbury, Josh; Howie, Michael (1 January 2022). "London welcomes in 2022 with fireworks and spectacular light show". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 31 December 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  23. ↑ "London rings in New Year with spectacular show". London City Hall. 1 January 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  24. 1 2 Aubrey, Elizabeth (11 November 2023). "Rick Astley to perform New Year's Eve' concert on the BBC". NME. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  25. ↑ "Weekly top 30 programmes - BARB". www.barb.co.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  26. ↑ "New Year Live - BBC One London - 31 December 2004 - BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. 31 December 2004. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  27. ↑ "BBC - Queen and Adam Lambert to perform New Year's Eve concert broadcast on BBC One - Media Centre". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  28. ↑ "BBC One - Queen + Adam Lambert Rock Big Ben Live, Part 1". BBC. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  29. ↑ "BBC- Bryan Adams to perform at exclusive BBC New Year's Eve concert". BBC. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  30. ↑ "Christmas 2015: best TV on today, New Year's Eve". Radio Times. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  31. ↑ "Robbie Rocks Big Ben Live confirmed for New Year's Eve on BBC One". www.bbc.co.uk.
  32. ↑ "Nile Rodgers & CHIC will be bringing Good Times to BBC One this New Year's Eve". www.bbc.co.uk.
  33. ↑ Moore, Sam (22 November 2017). "Chic Feat. Nile Rodgers announce special New Year's Eve gig". NME. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  34. ↑ "Stacey Dooley and Joe Sugg take One Step Beyond the ballroom as they join Madness at this year's New Year's Eve celebrations on BBC One". BBC Media Centre. 18 December 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  35. ↑ "BBC New Year's Eve music performer confirmed to be Craig David!!". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  36. ↑ "BBC One - Alicia Keys Rocks New Year's Eve". BBC.
  37. ↑ "Years & Years set to shine in an all star show this New Year's Eve on BBC One". www.bbc.co.uk. 24 November 2021.
  38. ↑ "Sam Ryder's All Star New Year's Eve: Start time, line-up and tickets". Radio Times. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
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