About Five's big announcement, I think Cent's suggestion looks possibly the most realistic, and I can't think of anyone else.

Off topic, but is anyone else having problems with posts not appearing?

Been a problem for a while now. However, in the 'Add a reply' screenie scroll down and then you can see other posts.

Re: product placement, I don't agree that all the US versions of it are subtle (the SUVs on Desparate Housewives spring to mind) but I do think that it was a needed "break" for the commercial channels. I'd limit it to "background" visuals (ie. the products can appear but mustn't be zoomed/focussed in on or referred to in the script.

Consumer advice programmes on commercial channels will have to end, in my opinion. There's already a suspicion (in this forum at least) that The Gadget Show is "The iGadget Show" and, if PP is allowed in it, any remaining trust in the independence of their advice will die.

As to whether it will just redirect income away from the spot ads, it's an interesting question. Presumably, some of the income will go directly to the producers, instead of the broadcasters being able to take their cut. So, if the total ad income remains static, the income that ITV are able to make use of themselves will fall. I'm sure in the short term the total ad income will rise, but longterm who knows?

K

Even though the iPod lost in a recent test of music players on the Gadget Show? The manufacturer wouldn't be happy if the product they were promoting lost lol.

It's not suspicion, it's paranoia.

Now that's not how product placement works and you know it. It's quite simple - everyone at the auditions will have to sing The Fast Food Song by Fast Food Rockers. Altogether now: "McDonalds, McDonalds. Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza Hut"


If the cups are as big in real life as they are in the mocked-up photo in the paper this morning, then I support it, because if placed properly on the table, they would block out Simon and Louis' smug faces. (Although I have my own very effective way of blocking out their faces. It's called "not watching the X Factor.)


If this is true - brilliant. Also, they could give it the 45 minute slot prior to X Factor's 75 minute slot at 7.00 on Sunday and dump Family Fortunes back on Saturday to sacrifice it agains Strictly.

Precisely, so the worry is that their direct involvement with paying for the shows production stops that happening. It's only a suspicion/paranoia now, it would become a real problem if PP was allowed in shows of that type. Fifth Gear would also have the same problem.

K

I think ITV try to avoid putting Vernon on against Tess. It's only ever happened once I think. Maybe he asked not to go up against Strictly, because for a long time they actively pushed the show out the way of it.

Perhaps the big news is five are having a new set of idents..with celebs in them...hummm I'm sure I've seen that somewhere before...lol

Is Peter Fincham definitely leaving ITV?

So, The X Factor. 2 episodes a week from next week for the rest of the series I take it?

Last auditions next week, then Boot Camp the week after, Home visits the week after that then live shows from the 9th? I wonder if the clash situation will be resolved.

X-Factor averaged 10m last night...

Could anyone tell me how well 'Pointless' is doing in ratings, compared to others in its slot? It's a great little show and I would love to see it do well.

Thanks.

Down from last week's high, but still not bad given it ended 5 minutes early and was back at 7pm again. Also, the weather was great when X Factor came on, which will have dented the first half.

Do you have The Cube's rating?

The Cube did 4.8m.
Xtra Factor 1.3 on ITV2

Dubsj, Do you have The Weakest Link and Casualty?

Cheers dubsj. Do you know how Casualty and BBC Proms did also?

X Factor down from last week, but still a good rating as it was shown in an earlier slot. The Cube did quite well as it was up against Casualty.

Cheers Dubsj.

The Cube seems to get about the same whatever The X Factor gets before it. I think it'll do OK next week.

TXF still up on last year's equivalent as well.

ITV will be glad that after 4 episodes The Cube is holding a solid 5m whatever rating the XF gets. It will be interesting to see how it performs next week, but I think it will definetely be returning whatever the next 3 episodes rate like.

As expected for the XF as it benefited hugely last week from a number of factors which last nights episodes didn't have.

Next weekend I think sees some of the biggest television battles we've seen all year as the big guns are out for both ITV1 and BBC1 on Saturday & Sunday.

dubsj, do you know how the F1 Qualifying did? 12:10 to 14:15, BBC1.

OK for X Factor, good for The Cube.

Maybe Five have won the rights to show England's World Cup qualifier against Ukraine.

Could it be Matthew Wright quitting The Wright Stuff?

I suggested the TV Burp to 45 minute thing earlier in the thread. I've not seen it backed up anywhere else.

I only suggested it as ITV are spreading their shows more thinly this year. As has been said earlier in the thread, X Factor needs another format alongside it. Perhaps Take Me Out or The Whole 19 Yards should have been brought forward.

On ITV generally, this article from the thisismoney.co.uk website seems to paint a rosier picture at ITV than some of the bleak forecasts of late.

Tony Ball is due to take over the reins at ITV and the question is will he turn the broadcaster around, or is it already turning?

Michael Grade's time at the top has brought the air of a showbiz impresario but he has won concessions from Ofcom to cut unprofitable regional news and trimmed costs by £100m in two years, with more to come. ITV is far leaner than when he arrived. Overlay 2007 revenues on 2009's projected cost base and it would produce £383m profits. The market is already pricing in a heroic recovery for ITV after 14% industry-wide advertising drop this year, this should flatten off in 2010 and ITV shares have outperformed the FTSE All-share by 15% this year.

The prospects of an immediate rights issue are being played down and a sale of ITV's production business looks less likely than it did. The biggest prongs of strategy must now be to put ITV on to pay-TV platforms and get the production arm producing hits. Shares are trading at up to 100 times this year's earnings. That only makes sense if investors are looking to good performance in 2011.

Perhaps Five have nabbed some more talent.

Paul O'Grady Show perhaps ?

Ant & Dec ? (surely not)

I don't think Ant and Dec would ever go to Five, Paul O'Grady is a possibility. I'm going to put a fiver on Matthew Wright quitting