£1m seems way too much, surely? BGT is about £700,000 and much of that probably goes on the judges and hosts.

Give that GN is the face of light entertainment at the BBC and that ALW is desperate to defect to ITV with the BBC's second most popular LE show-where does this leave the proud tradition of Saturday night entertainment? Precariously in the hands of Nick Knowles it would appear.

This period must be one of the all time lows in this area for the BBC. Its hard to see where the next name or show is coming from.

How much does the "star" cost?

Apparently it was ITV's most expensive entertainment show in years (some of the more physical games must have cost a lot to build/run). Didn't stop it being shit, though!

Have Ant & Dec renewed their ITV deal ?

I notice that their was an article on here about their new family entertainment show for ITV next spring, but thought their current deal ran out at the end of this year.

If ALW manages to get out of his BBC contract (how it's until 2011 ? don't contracts mean anything anymore ?). Wonder who would get the presenting gig on any potential ITV show ?

I imagine ALW would want Graham Norton to present it hence the whole non exclusivity thing that was bandied, TBH I can't think of another presenter who would pull it off as well as Graham. Zoe Ball on Grease is the Word wasn't bad but the show was terrible in comparison to Any Dream Will Do.

Does John Barrowman have a handcuff deal with the BBC or is he free to work for other broadcasters.

Christ I hope so. I don't want him infecting any other network.

Ha ha. just what I was thinking!

Perhaps it would have been cheaper to still make it but keep it on the shelf for a few years - the preferred cost-saving option of ITV's bean-counters it seems...


Richard Hammond?

...and Jeremy Clarkson for Eurovision - sorted!

K

Heres a subversive thought - how about trying someone unknown/new instead of using the same old tired and 'oh no not them again' band.

Absolutely

There are five acts/names who can/maybe hold an audience in todays market pre watershed market:
Ant and Dec
Simon Cowell
Vernon Kay
Philip Schofield
Harry Hill
(pitiful number compared to the seventies and eighties)
Who do they all work for? All not coming to a public service broadcaster near you.(I could have added in Graham Norton and even old Bruce Forsyth but that would have spoiled the ITV link)

Your right. Instead of drafting in Richard Hammond and Nick Knowles the BBC should scour the country for the next Ant and Dec. Actually that might solve the problem- isnt there a reality format in there?

Framed did reallty well, while Wuthering Heights held on to the Sunday night's audience. Soaps did alright, though EastEnders does seem slightly on the low side.

Regarding LE entertainers, I think BBC1 may have missed a trick with Alesha Dixon. She's young, bright, sassy, confident - I think she'd be a half decent presenter, but instead the BBC have lumbered her with a judging job.

Not surprised ITV have axed Beat the Star. For that cost it was not bringing in the viwere's required. I think they should start thinking about bringing back older gameshows rather than looking too deeply into new formats.

If Beat the Star is no more, ITV should give Vernon another run of Gameshow Marathon. Perhaps use real people instead of celebs. Think it could do well.

Looks like ITV will have a raft of new shiny floor shows into 2010 with Take Me Out, It's All About You (being piloted) The Whole 19 Yards and Ant & Dec's new show to come.

If they manage to get ALW from the BBC, to add to Dancing on Ice, X Factor, Britains Got Talent, I'm A Celeb, All Star Mr & Mrs and perhaps The Cube, ITV could have light entertainment pretty much sewn up.

Won't it be difficult for anyone other than the BBC to make an ALW show, as dont the BBC own the rights to the format?

I think ITV should consider bringing back Gameshow Marathon as a way to see what old gameshow could come back.

Didn't ITV1 do a pilot of the WWTBAM spin-off 50/50? Wouldn't be a bad idea to do a series when WWTBAM isn't on to see if it has an audience.

ITV ran a Grease show against Any Dream'll Do - it did badly, but the scope is there.

ITV have done a musical show before so obviously not.

From ITV Insider on Twitter...

The second series of the Fixer launched with 3.8m viewers and a 17% share, winning its slot.

Mehhh I was hoping for more tbh. I thought it was really good...still at least it won its slot I suppose.

I suppose that's OK for The Fixer given that it was against Motorway Cops (usually gets 5-6m), Jamie (got 3.11m including +1) and The Choir (around 2.5-3m last year), but I was hoping for more, and will struggle for a recommission at that level.

Still, it was better than ITV's usual Tuesday night performance I suppose (and would have got over 4m on Mondays).

Surely ITV knew though that The Fixer was never capable of getting more than 4m on a Tuesday night, traditionally ITV's weakest night? It was up against a crime drama and 2 new shows on BBC2 and CH4 which were guaranteed to get big viewers. It would easily get 4m+ on a Friday night and I can't see the theory in putting it on Tuesdays when Fridays are completely free. It seems as if ITV are doing a Heartbeat and want it to be axed.

No, putting it on Fridays would be a complete balls-up as Strictly Come Dancing will be airing on two consecutive Fridays in a couple of weeks, which would have sent The Fixer crashing below 3m. It was never going to set the world alight on a Tuesday, but it's the best slot for it, as Sunday/Monday have Waking The Dead, Wednesday has football, Thursday has The Bill and Friday will have SCD, so if anything they are protecting it, and trying to nurture it. They'll be OK with last night's result, as the last series ended with 3.3m (and the previous episode got 4.0m), and will probably promote it a lot to try and get people to stick with it.

I can see ITV showing more drama on Tuesdays in the future as they don't have football there any more. I can see the next series of Doc Martin airing on Tuesdays too, and doing very well there.

Millionaire being beaten by Coast is a bit of a surprise though, although it still did OK.

Motorway cops was an repeat last night.

That never normally makes much difference!

True that