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Donald Duck was Sweden's most watched TV show of 2016

The Local Sweden
The Local Sweden - [email protected]
Donald Duck was Sweden's most watched TV show of 2016
Donald Duck, or Kalle Anka as he's known in Sweden. Photo: SVT

A 1950s compilation of Disney cartoons shown on Christmas Eve looks set to be Sweden's biggest television event of the year, beating the Eurovision Song Contest final into second place.

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The compilation, 'From All of Us to All of You', referred to universally in Sweden as 'Kalle Anka' (Donald Duck), was seen by 3.73 million people when it was broadcast at 3pm on 24th December, according to broadcaster SVT. That's 97 percent of everyone who was watching television at that exact time.
 
In other words more than one in three of Sweden's population of 10 million tuned in to the hour-long cartoon compilation, which also features favourites such as Snow White, Mickey Mouse and Ferdinand the Bull.
 
While some way from the show's record audience of 4.32 million in 1997, the figures were slightly higher than the preceding three Christmases. It was only the second time this century that the cartoon topped the annual ratings. 
 
The show, broadcast every year since 1959, usually competes with the Eurovision Sing Contest Final and the Swedish Melodifestivalen for the top spot. This year, even the fact that Eurovision was held in Stockholm wasn't enough to steal the Disney fest's crown.
 
"It's very pleasing that broadcasting continues to attract such big audiences and to bring so many people together," SVT's acting head of marketing Christer Mellstrand said to SVT News.
 
Donald Duck is so popular that calls to emergency services fall by up to a quarter, something officials call "the Donald Duck effect".

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