... but Christmas viewers snub Hollywood films

BRITONS SNUBBED Hollywood for home grown movies over Christmas, with three of the four most-watched films on terrestrial television coming from Britain.

The films fared well despite the fact that recent British movies accounted for less than 6 per cent of movies shown over the festive period. All of the top 10 films were shown on BBC1, including the American cartoon Shrek, which achieved the highest viewing figure of 9.5 million. The British films Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Bend It Like Beckham and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider were the next most watched, with 22.6 million viewers between them.

The findings by the UK Film Council will increase pressure on the BBC to do more to support homegrown films.