We may be generous but we still love a Kiwi classic

Telethon 1985 reigns supreme as NZ's most successful ever. Photo / Supplied

Two million people may have tuned into telethon - but the fundraiser was still beaten in the ratings battle by an even older TV favourite, Country Calendar.

TV3 was "delighted" with overall viewer numbers for last weekend's Big Night In, said marketing director Roger Beaumont.

About two million people watched at some time during the 23-hour broadcast, but during peak viewing time from 7pm to 8pm on Saturday, "slightly" more people tuned into TV One's Country Calendar, he added.

Later in the evening, TV3's viewer numbers were up 24 per cent on previous weeks. And the final hour, between 5pm and 6pm on Sunday, attracted double the number usually tuning in.

The Big Night In raised 45 cents for every person in New Zealand - a similar result to the last telethon in 1993.

But it's a modest tally compared to the telethons of the mid-1980s. The most successful was in 1985, when $6m was raised for the Child and Youth Development Trust, representing $1.85 per head of population.

KidsCan founder Julie Helson said she'd like to continue with the Big Night In concept, once it was proven donations were well spent, and she would also like to benefit other charities.

No formal complaints were received by TV3 about the broadcast, though Beaumont said there were numerous informal calls including one about a stunt involving throwing loaves of bread.

The Broadcasting Standards Authority had received some complaints but none would not be dealt with unless TV3 didn't resolve them.