More likely to be Max Clifford

Not allowed.

I still think we'll see Silent Witness this autumn.

Someone posted last week that the Gavin and Stacey S3 DVD is out on Nov 23rd, so the schedulers need to hurry up with that.

Thankfully there'll be no more Friday shows this series. It was a bad idea to have 2 editions of Strictly that featured no public vote or dance-off.

Hopefully, things should start to pick up, if not, the changes to the format/schedule will be one big cock-up and will hurt the show.

Only time will tell.

Generally less people watching TV last night - only 22.2m people watching in the 9pm hour - so everything down really:

Friday 25th September 2009
BBC One
20:30 - Strictly Come Dancing: 7.59m (34%)
* last week: 8.44m (35.7%)

BBC Two
20:00 - Mastermind: 2.21m (10.7%)
20:30 - Gardeners' World: 1.63m (7.3%)
21:00 - The Tudors: 1.48m (6.6%)

ITV1
20:00 - Tonight: 2.53m (12.3%)
21:00 - Rebus: 2.98m (13.4%)

Channel 4
20:00 - Jamie At Home: 835,000 (4.1%)
20:30 - The Big Food Fight: 533,000 (2.4%)
21:00 - Derren Brown: How To Be A Psychic Spy: 1.82m (8.2%)
22:00 - Peep Show: 1.23m (6.9%)

Five
20:00 - Brighton Beach Patrol: 923,000 (4.3%)
21:00 - NCIS: 1.03m (4.6%)
22:00 - Law & Order: Criminal Intent: 1.15m (6.8%)
23:00 - Law & Order: Criminal Intent: 853,000 (8.2%)

ITV2
18:45 - The X Factor: 549,000 (3.2%)
20:00 - The Xtra Factor: 441,000 (2.2%)
21:00 - FILM: Die Another Day: 606,000 (3.8%)

Source: DS

Even though SCD is down, the main mention has to go to Brown, a big drop from last week's 3.5m figure - it appears the publicity has ended - for the moment.

Do you think it was Strictly Come Dancing that pushed Benidorm back?

Must have been a last minute thing for ITV given that it was advertised as coming next week in the TV mags.

I assume they just realised that SCD was doing Friday shows and quickly pushed Benidorm to the week after they finish.

I think there are a few more thorns in the side of SCD this season. On the positive side though-the BBC have had a couple of thumping Friday night wins sharewise.

Yeah, I seem to remember it being advertised in the TV mags as starting in the same week as The Fixer (so it would have been 4th September). They must have got wind of SCD's Friday shows and delayed it. Good idea as SCD would have slaughtered it, whereas it should get 5.5m or so next week.

DMN just beat me to it but that's a sharp fall for Derren Brown. It was expected last week, and I think for many of us held up better than expected, so to lose half of last weeks audience (which from comments I'd seen actually seemed slightly better received as a few people claimed to be "glued to their seats") is surprising.

BTW, checked the schedules earlier and Rude Tube takes the slot for three weeks once Derren Brown has finished. Seems odd to put it out that early - usually it's an 11pm programme. I thought Ugly Betty might have returned there, but obviously not.

Well we know from The X Factor slanging match that ITV schedulers aren't the brightest of people, but Strictly's Friday night editions were hardly top secret - it was announced months ago (when Arlene was sacked IIRC) the first two weeks would have Friday night episodes.

Medium got off to a good start (for a Friday) on CBS with a 2.0 rating and 8.78m viewers.

CBS:
8pm - Ghost Whisperer - 8.6m (2.2)
9pm - Medium - 8.8m (2.0)
10pm - Numb3rs - 7.9m (1.8)

FOX:
8pm - Brothers - 2.8m (1.0)
9pm - Dollhouse - 2.6m (1.0)

NBC:
8pm - Law and Order - 6.3m (1.3)
9pm - Dateline NBC - 5.8m (1.5)
10pm - Jay Leno - 5.7m (1.5)

ABC:
8pm - FlashForward (R) - 4.6m (1.5)
9pm - Comedy Repeats - 4.2m (1.5)
10pm - 20/20 - 7.1m (2.3)

CW:
8pm - Smallville - 2.5m (1.0)
9pm - Next Top Model (R) - 1.2m (0.5)

CBS typically solid on Friday. Medium only lost 9% of its 18-49 lead-in and actually beat Ghost Whisperer in total viewers. Plus, it beat Numb3rs as well.

ABC did pretty well out of its repeats. Dollhouse was worse than expected for FOX and Brothers got off to a rubbish start as well. NBC finished 3rd behind repeat heavy ABC and seeing a FlashForward repeat beat Law and Order in the demo can't be pleasing for them.

http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/09/26...ns-night/28502

I'm REALLY surprised that Dollhouse even got a renewal. It's ratings were poor during its first season, so it's not surprising that they're continuing into the next. Pleased for Medium's start on CBS.

How bizarre that Medium ended up winning the night.

only in overall viewers... 20/20 wont the night really with a 2.3

CBS was a bit low last night in viewers... towards the end of last season GW and Numbers were getting around 11m viewers!

Smallville also low, it had above 4m at some points last season (on thursdays)

Bad for FOX/NBC

ABC did well, i just hope Ugly Betty can come a close 2nd in the 9pm hour (being beaten by Medium) a good 7m viewers and a 1.8 ish would be ok

I wouldn't have thought so.
For me it seems to be the type of gentle cosy comedy drama that is traditionally made for older people.

Strictly up to the same trick that didn't work last week. 8.58 (7 minutes from the scheduled end) and Jamie Cullum's just finished his guest spot. Another late finish to stop X Factor getting a 16m peak at five past nine. Tut, tut, tut.

I think XF will be down anyway. Awful show tonight (IMHO).

Can't say I agree that it's not primarily aimed at 16-30somethings, it started life on BBC3 after all and all my mates endlessly quote from it.

I thought it was one of the best this series!

Interesting. I thought it was dreadful - badly edited (which is rare for XF as it's usually one of the better edited shows on TV) and far too rushed, with too little time spent on acts (with some not appearing at all) as well the bizarre decision to have the top 50 reveal halfway through the show - and then ending with a corny 'tug at the heartstrings' performance that isn't really needed now we're out of the auditions stage. In fact it did just feel like another auditions episode dressed up as bootcamp.

And it's not often I find fault with The X Factor but I just couldn't enjoy it tonight.

People seem to love or hate Boot Camp. I've seen a few comments (admittedly possibly all from the same person!) saying it's usually the worst show of the series, yet for me it's the time I begin to tune in as I can't really stand the audition stage. Personally I could live with them not filming the auditions and just spending the first six weeks showing the performances from the Top 50.

It was a strange show tonight though, feeling like the first part of the next show was tagged onto the end of this show. They could probably have spread Boot Camp over three one-hour shows, with the first being the cut from 200 to 50, the next being the top 50 performances and the final one being dedicated to revealing the top 24 (with a bit of filler, but heck, they can do filler!)

I completely agree. Tonight's edition was just a mess really.

It did feel more like another auditions episode. Especially at the beginning when they did the whole "oh, what a bad morning we're having" thing they do on virtually every audition episode. :yawn:

I usually like bootcamp though but it was a poor show tonight. And the point of the audience was? I can live with them at the auditions but they were unnecessary tonight.

That could be me!

I don't think they've ever got it right. I thought last years show was poor. And despite all the hype (and time) that American Idol puts into it, the format there still isn't much better. It's just a necessary evil to reduce the numbers.

Tonight, the first 45 minutes were arguably worse than last year. The last half hour was miles ahead but they couldn't have just done good acts for the whole 75 minutes.

Yeah, I agree with you, it's never been great, although I prefer it will all the acts and judges together rather than each category done separately (series 1-3). Tonight, the first 40 minutes were appauling, because they were far too rushed, and the groups idea didn't work. I thought the last half hour, however, was good, and about as good as bootcamp is ever going to get really, which bodes well for tomorrow's show. I did notice that it got good just as the filler was starting on SCD, and when the ratings shot up last week.

I much prefer judges houses though, as you get to see all the acts in full for the first time. Btw, what time did SCD end tonight?

The groups only work if they're going to do it like American Idol and play up the conflicts and follow them rehearsing. But they don't really have time to do that.


When X Factor stated doing their "tomorrow night" preview. So there won't be a huge last minute peak for X Factor.

Same show last year had 8.2m and 36% share (which was the second lowest share of the whole series).