For it to be worthwhile, it would need to go to Syfy (highest BBCA rating the other week was under 400,000 for Being Human). But it did so badly on NBC I'm not sure that Universal would be interested in passing it to a sister channel. I suppose if they could significantly cut the amount of money they put in.


Just had a look at its ratings and it was fairly mixed in an early slot but not as bad as I thought. It might do OK, but it'll probably be down on last year. Some of the episodes were a bit lower, the 4 weeks where it led the schedule it had a 5.76m average and included the 3 lowest ratings of the series. For the other 9 weeks, it had 6.57m.

But BSkyB's share in the multi-channel viewing summary falls from 8.7% the previous week, to 7.8%.


http://www.barb.co.uk/report/weeklyViewingSummary?_s=4

Just read on Twitter, ITV has recomissioned Whitechapel.

Source: http://twitter.com/derrenlitten (Benidorm creator and mate of Steve Pemberton).

What took so long?!


Could the X Factor work by starting around 9pm on Saturday nights (half an hour earlier for 2 hour shows)? The results shows last year used to finish past 10pm, and although it's not the most ideal situation it would avoid Strictly.

So?

Not all multichannel stations are owned by Sky.

Your point caller?

Just making it clear, because many people might assume the BSkyB share would also have risen that week.

The results didn't perform all that well, especially when on later so I'd agree that it's not ideal. It's also not possible unless they put back the new episodes of Piers Morgan's Life Stories which would have been planned for about 10pm.

Assuming a rough BBC1 schedule of:
Hole In The Wall - 6.15pm
Merlin - 6.45pm
SCD - 7.30pm
Casualty - 9.00pm

ITV should go:
All Star Family Fortunes - 6.00pm
Harry Hill's TV Burp - 6.45pm
The X Factor - 7.15pm (first break done before SCD starts)
Piers Morgan - 8.45pm

Although that misses out any Lottery programmes on BBC1. Does anyone know if there are any planned? Everything on ITV is about 45 minutes earlier than would be ideal. But I think it's the best they have.

They could really use something stronger than All Star Family Fortunes for winter.

Although an alternative would be:

6.15pm - You've Been Framed
6.45pm - Harry Hill's TV Burp
7.15pm - The X Factor
8.45pm - All Star Family Fortunes
9.30pm - Piers Morgan's Life Stories

I think Who Dares Wins is supposed to be back for eight weeks this autumn.

So I'd assume Strictly is going to move earlier, then. Maybe:

5.30pm - Hole In The Wall
6.00pm - Merlin
6.45pm - Strictly Come Dancing
8.15pm - Who Dares Wins
9.05pm - Casualty

Tbh, I'd have ditched Who Dares Wins. It's the weak link of the schedule and because of the draws, it can't be early in the evening and generally squanders the lead-in.

ITV response:
(2 hour X Factor)

6.30pm - You've Been Framed
7.00pm - All Star Family Fortunes
7.45pm - Harry Hill's TV Burp
8.15pm - X Factor
10.15pm - Piers Morgan's Life Stories

OR

(90 minute X Factor)
7.00pm - You've Been Framed
7.30pm - All Star Family Fortunes
8.15pm - Harry Hill's TV Burp
8.45pm - X Factor
10.15pm - Piers Morgan's Life Stories

Which would work pretty well for Strictly and X Factor plus Piers Morgan. Merlin would be unopposed at 6pm. The big losers would be Casualty and All Star Family Fortunes.

ITV might be reluctant to run Piers Morgan past 11pm, I suppose. And having the 6pm hour so weak isn't a great situation either.

I think it was filmed in june. In it to win it starts recording again soon.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/b...o_win_it.shtml

family fortunes is confirmed for sundays.
They might delay who dares wins till December as outnumbered ran in the 9.30pm slot last year when the lottery show finished. From the autumn press pack, I dont think they have any comedys suitable for that slot this year.

Strictly is going to run for about two hours from week 3 as there is 14 couples dancing.[the 90 minute show for the first two weeks includes only 8 dancers]
Last year scd ran for 90 mins with 12 dancers and that was quite rushed.
If the 14 dance over 90 minutes, then lines open for 15 minutes and then the dance off will take another 15 mins.

ITV aren't happy by the BBC's scheduling:

I don't think it's aggressive, they're just doing the best thing to maximise Strictly's audience. ITV should have waited and scheduled X Factor after the BBC confirmed their schedules. Besides, ITV scheduled Emmerdale agaisnt EastEnders for months which is aggressive!

Well it is aggressive, really. They're not doing it because it's the best thing for the viewers, are they?

Agreed.

I'm sure both shows will still do very well on Saturdays, and the BBC schedulers have given ITV a clear run with The X Factor's results show on Sunday nights.

I don't think ITV has ever had a better situation with SCD. In the past they've always had to schedule around two SCD shows. Now, it's only one show.
Last edited by Pizzatheaction : 09-09-2009 at 20:00

It's better for viewers of Strictly as the show will now be on at a decent time. 6pm starts were way too early for a flasgship show like Strictly, it really does deserve to be the centre piece of a schedule.

The fact that the X Factor results will be on Sundays this year means that the Saturday clashes won't be as bad as previous years. Viewers will have plenty of time to catch up via PVR or the numerous repeats on ITV2 before the results are even aired live.

The Sunday X Factor shows are basically being given an easy ride by BBC1 anyways, what with Antiques Roadshow currently against it which has a completely different audience.

I think their primary concern is to dent the performance of The X Factor after its success last year. Even Brucie seemed to be irked by that. There are also many people who watch both and will now be forced to choose. And they're going to choose the show without the ad breaks.

But it certainly makes sense for the BBC to push Strictly into the centre of the schedule now that it only has one show a week, but we all know The X Factor will suffer as a result on Saturday nights. It might 'do well' but it will be stifled. Hopefully ITV will be a bit more clever and work around it by scheduling it before Strictly rather than in the middle of it...

Yes, there's certainly plenty of room for them to do that.

The X Factor could get a monumental share against Walk on the Wildside and repeats of As Seen on TV.

I don't really agree with that. Primetime viewing has always (rightly or wrongly) started around 6pm on Saturday nights, and the audience is generally there for the big programmes. Whilst for ITV there is an advantage in airing The X Factor later rather than earlier, for both channels neither benefit from direct competition.

But Strictly gains kudos for triumphing in a clash which I suspect is what the BBC would prefer.

The BBC are not fulfilling its remit by combatively scheduling. This is a disgrace if you ask me.

I'm glad the License Fee is under review because the BBC's TV is more commercialised and populist than ever and BBC One is the "nastiest" channel.

Considering The X Factor is airing at 7pm this week it is a piece of stupid scheduling from ITV, as 7pm would have been great for this week. To me it looks more like they're trying to protect The Cube by putting it against Merlin rather than after a 7pm X Factor, which would mean it starting midway through Strictly.

The X Factor will be expanding to 90 minutes for bootcamp the following week, and I think ITV need to be clever in where they put it. 7/7.15pm would be perfect.

If the Sunday 7.45pm slot is The X Factor (which I thnk it is) then that is an excellent bit of scheduling, as it'll have a solid lead in, and a great lead out, and is at a brilliant time, all of which is the opposite of Saturday.

England winning 2-0; don't think this will get 8m+.

I'm not sure Strictly will come out on top. I thought The X Factor might have peaked (ratings-wise) with the 2008 series, but on the basis of the first few weeks of the 2009 series, it's every bit as strong as last year, and probably even stronger.

"Nasty" how, exactly?

I think people would opt for the ad-free show over The X Factor though - TXF would probably rake viewers back via the repeats but it's the first-run ratings that get the headlines.

That what I thought, The BBC may be funded via license fee but it can't just let ITV trample over it, they have to be competitive and have populist otherwise people would complain that there's nothing entertaining on BBC One. The remit is Educate, Entertain and Inform not just Educate and Inform, it would be very dull if it was just news, documentary and the odd hard hitting drama.