<P> Several episodes received extremely high audience figures, especially the first series . This was partly due to the fact that the main rival channel to BBC One channel in the UK, ITV, was in the middle of a long protracted strike which started in early August 1979, which saw nearly all of the local ITV companies go off air and no programmes being aired from the network (except Channel Television in the Channel Island), leaving only BBC One and BBC Two as the channels left for the British public to watch until Wednesday 24 October 1979 when ITV returned to air, with the strike ending in a pay agreement . However many viewers remained with the BBC and shows such as To The Manor Born, as ITV took some months to get going again with new programmes . For the first month after the strike had ended, ITV found it hard to win back viewers who preferred to remain with the BBC, as ITV was airing repeats and filler programmes until new content was made from November 1979 . This gave To The Manor Born a huge advantage with the viewing public . In 1979, the last episode of the first series received 23.95 million viewers, the fourth - highest figures for any programme in the UK in the 1970s, and the highest for a non-live event . The following year, 21.55 million people watched the last episode of series two, the fifth - highest viewing figure for the 1980s . The final episode in 1981, when Audrey and Richard marry, received 17.80 million viewers . The 2007 Christmas special garnered 10.25 million viewers and ranked as the 6th most watched programme in the UK for that week . </P> <P> The theme tune for To the Manor Born was composed by Ronnie Hazlehurst, the BBC's Light Entertainment Music Director who composed the theme tunes for many sitcoms around this time . </P> <P> Writing in the Sunday Express on 30 December 2007, Marshall Julius described the 2007 Christmas special as "so cosy and old - fashioned that I could easily have dismissed it with a cynical wave". However, he says he found himself enjoying it "about halfway through" and said "it was a real pleasure to see Peter Bowles and Penelope Keith, for both of whom I feel great affection, once again sparring on the small screen". Julius finished his review by commenting "Not that I'm saying I'd like a whole series of it but as a one - off event it was surprisingly welcome". </P> <P> The British Comedy Guide was more critical saying that "whilst it gained great viewing figures it really wasn't a patch on the original episodes ." This opinion was reflected in the voting for The Comedy.co.uk Awards 2007, in which the show picked up the title "The Worst British TV Sitcom Special 2007". </P>

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