By Simon Cable and J J Anisiobi PUBLISHED: 07:59 EST, 26 December 2012 | UPDATED: 20:20 EST, 26 December 2012 Maybe it was on too late. Or maybe it was on too long. Whatever the reason, thousands of viewers snubbed Downton Abbey on Christmas Day. Although it had been tipped to be a runaway ratings success, the ITV1 drama was beaten by five other shows. The period drama recorded its lowest ever viewing figure and was watched by almost a million fewer people than last year’s Christmas special, managing only 7.3million. Unforeseen: Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) and his wife Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) and their baby in TV drama Downton Abbey. Matthew had just left the maternity hospital when he was killed in a car crash
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ITV period drama pulled in 7.3m viewers compared to 9.4m for EastEnders
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Downton also trounced by Coronation Street and Strictly Come Dancing
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Fourth year in a row EastEnders has triumphed in Christmas Day ratings
Better luck next year: @placeholder were very close but ended in second place