IAC was down but still good, Horizon did very well matching CSI: Miami which held up against FlashForward, James May's Toy Stories is proving to be a massive hit for BBC Two beating John Sargeant on ITV1. Sea Patrol UK is proving to be a solid hit for Five and Channel 4 had a ho hum night with The Queen in 3D falling half a million and The F Word falling by 0.6m and matching a repeat of CSI: NY.

I think Barb made a screw up with The Wizard of Oz because the ratings is too low and it didn't start until 3pm, I think they have merged the documentary about it with the film.

EE got 11.5m for Peggy's wedding in april

It got 11.46m but that was an error on by BARB who the episode into 2 despite it airing as a one hor episode. The first half got 9.9m the second half got 11.46m but when that is averaged out the result is below 11m hence why the snow day rating is used

Another strong night for ITV1 bar the 8pm slot. I'm not quite sure what's going wrong because every single terrestrial except ITV1 posts very good figures in that slot. Interesting to see a factual programme over 2m in the post NaT slot which doesn't happen often, although I don't think it's often that ITV comission news material to air in the 10.35pm slot. I expect this was for the 8pm/9pm Tuesday slot but there wasn't enough room?

Surprising to see most other terrestrials hold up decently despite IAC attracting over double BBC1's audience. Although CH4 seemed to collapse with a poor performance for Queen in 3D and an alarming decline for F Word which seems to be taking the 10pm slot in future weeks aswell!

0.8m for the IAC spin off seems very high and I'm sure this didn't used to be as popular...have the change in producers perhaps helped somewhat?

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Regarding the officials to see XF at 15m is amazing and for it to be holding that sort of rating week in week out is even better. Although it really does seem that people are staying in to watch this now and it must see TV, because for such a high rating show the timeshift is fairly low in comparison. More people seem to record the Saturday show then watch the Sunday show live.

Also in a world of decling terrestrial ratings it's great to see series (and I think all time?) highs for Doc Martin, Benidorm and Waterloo Road.

Do you think ITV should start to put drama on Tuesday at 8pm, even if they are just repeats?

7:00pm Emmerdale
7:30pm Rising Damp
8:00pm Heartbeat
9:00pm John Sergeant's Tourist Trail
10:00pm News at Ten
10:20pm Anglia News & Weather
10:30pm Fiddles, Cheats & Scams

That could've been the schedule before I'm a Celebrity started, with the quite decent factual programming getting a lead-in from a show which would probably get that kind of audience. It'll mean ITV will be spending little or nothing on the Tuesday slot in the autumn, but because they offer nothing to older viewers during the autumn anymore [the demise of ITV's Sunday night platform], perhaps Tuesday night could be the new platform.

It would cost next to nothing, and could probably get a solid 20% share. Maybe, in time, ITV could set up a drama rota on Tuesday/Thursday nights: 8-9pm. It seems a good place. Older skewed drama on the Tuesday, like Heartbeat/The Royal/Kingdom/Where the Heart Is/The Darling Buds of May, whilst younger skewed drama on Thursday's, with The Bill moving back to the 8pm slot alongside other moves to bring a 16-34 audience to Thursday nights. Maybe 'Primeval' stands a chance there:-

7:00pm Emmerdale
7:30pm The Krypton Factor
8:00pm Primeval
9:00pm Married, Single, Other
10:00pm News at Ten

Or would that flop?

F Word has a better lead in with a Relocation special and the Queen docudrama in coming weeks but I wonder if Channel 4 are seriously considering not renewing his handcuffs deal when it expires in 2011 or at least axe one or two shows and find better formats.

Nice try in lying Johnny King.

Good for I'm a Celeb in the 9pm slot, TBH I expected it to be down a bit. Good night for Five as well.

I really don't know what ITV can do, but I certainly suggest they try out a new genre. The quiz gameshow type programme doesn't work there, factual offerings deliver very mediocre ratings and there's better slots for them.

I think your idea of drama isn't bad and I reckon drama repeats could get between 3.5-4m for ITV even against Holby and would save a lot of money.

Or alternatively rzt I think it was suggested shows like 'Celebrating The Carpenters' could air there. The only problem is that with a weak lead in a lot of shows are going to flop in that slot. Just look at Millionaire which has dropped by around 0.5m viewers since Emmerdale lost the hour long format.

Let's Dance to return - this time 'Sport Relief': http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pre...18/dance.shtml

Does anyone know what Eastenders and BBC News at 10 got last night? Just curious,

When ITV1 are getting just above 3m no matter what in the 8pm slot I think your suggestion of a repeat is a good idea. Its not as though BBC1 don't do it, earlier this year they showed Reggie Perrin at 9 O'clock on both a Friday and Saturday and Life is currently doing well in repeat figures, however how much of ITV1's present drama slate could be shown before 9 O'clock? Only Primeval, perhaps WaH and DM, showing old shows will not attract an advertiser friendly slot, and against Holby City perhaops drama isn't the answer. My suggestion would be to remove TV Burp from Sunday 6:45 and move that and YBF to the 7.30-8.30 on Tuesdays with Grimefighters or other cheapo documentary following at 8.30, and then in the summer show Primeval repeats or some of the better travel documentaries in that slot.

Well, Primeval used to get 5.5-6m in January-March, as that type of audience was more available then, I think. Last year, it was not given a great outing, on too early and against Doctor Who in one week.

With the FA Cup, Primeval cannot get a consistent slot on Saturday, and that's what drama needs. So, for 2010, ITV should spread Dancing on Ice across the weekend and air Pop Star to Opera Star on Friday alongside TV Burp and You've Been Framed beforehand.

Then, put Primeval in the Thursday 8pm slot, putting soaps back where they belong.

And as for Tuesday, repeats of older dramas, as Holby City takes away the rest of the audience, I feel. It is one of the most consistent shows around, it seems. The EastEnders lead-in definitely helps, and the same kind of audience stays for Holby City.

Travel documentaries seem to work when given a lead-in from an older skewing show [think of Martin Clunes' 5.5m for 'One Man and His Dog' after an edition of Heartbeat on Sunday's]. So, they should always be at 9pm. Send in the Dogs, House of Horrors and Tourist Trail could be the exceptions, running at 8pm for the rest of the year in longer series.

How is this going to work?

Sport Relief is in mid-March, this will need to start in mid-late February if they want it finished by then. And they have So You Think You Can Dance? coming up as well.

And Your Country Needs You, the search for the next Eurovision Entry!!!

Also to bear in mind, ITV and BBC1 have the potential of really grabbing the youth market from 7-10pm.

It is the night that most teenagers I know watch TV. There's Skins, Inbetweeners and other shows on E4 at 10pm. What ITV need to do is offer programming from 8-10pm for a youth audience.

What could this be?
- Sci-fi drama like Primeval, though stuff like this and a possible revival of Thunderbirds could be more suited to a more family friendly Saturday audience.
- A weekly music show, hosted by Dermot O'Leary and Holly Willoughby, perhaps half an hour long. Possible names could be Cool for Cats or a revival of Ready, Steady, Go. Instead of focussing on the charts, this show could bring in a couple of well-known acts, plus some videos and some interviews. Could be destined for 7:30/8:00/8:30 on Thursday's. It might start with not many viewers, but it could become cult viewing.
- Comedy like Headcases, Not Going Out and panel games would definitely be more suited to Thursday's. We must remember that stuff like Benidorm is more for adults than for kids. Moving Wallpaper and Echo Beach was a teenager show, and launched on Thursday's with 5 million viewers.
- The Bill already reaches a very good 16-34 audience, so probably needs to stay on Thursday's. It gets a great lead-in, ironically, from EastEnders. Being a London show, it always benefitted from the 8-9pm slot, and it would now more than ever, because BBC1 show crime on Thursday's at 9pm, so it'll pick up some of their viewers, perhaps.
- American drama, like Glee should've definitely been considered. That would've followed X Factor though.
- Stuff like Married, Single, Other is more ITV2 than ITV1, and is probably more adult than teenagery. If it was teenagery, it would be only a girl thing. Something like Trinity could be upgraded to a 9pm Thursday ITV1 slot, and get the pre-Skins audience.

And then on ITV2, there could be programmes for a young adult audience. Katie/Peter, Secret Diary, reality shows, other stylish documentaries. Definitely needs to be for 20-30somethings really.

ITV3 could put some of their best drama, remembering that BBC1 have successful crime drama. Maybe period drama could enjoy some success on this night.

And ITV4 could have UEFA Cup, and The Office: An American Workplace and Entourage.

Potentially, Thursday nights can be a success for all of ITV's family of channels. But, it'll mean there won't even be REALLY BIG figures.

The final of So You Think You Can Dance UK is Saturday 13th February 2010.

So Let's Dance could start the week after and finish the Saturday before Sport Relief. Or it could begin on 27th February and end on the Sport Relief weekend.

No surprises that Let's Dance is back. It's ratings were very good but I can't see the second series rating as well. I think it's a limited format.


Primeval's not back until 2011. And Primeval could definitely have a consistent slot on Saturday nighst regardless of the FA Cup situation. A start time of 7:15pm shouldn't be affected by the football which kicks off around 5pm.

Unlikely, given that the weekend of Sport Relief is also the final weekend of the Six Nations: http://internationalrugby.suite101.c...tions_fixtures

Saturday, 20 March
1430 Wales v Italy - Millennium Stadium
1700 Ireland v Scotland – Croke Park
1945 France v England - Stade de France

All 3 of the above will almost certainly be on BBC One I think.

To be honest seeing how well Collision got last week (6.5m) on Thursday I think it is time the Bill was scrapped or moved to Tuesdays at 8pm. I like the Bill, and am one of the few how have started watching again since the revamp but it is not going down well with viewers and if Collision can prove ITV can get big audiences on a Thursday at 9pm then it is probably best to be put out of its misery.


SYTYVD is only 6 episodes long then? I was expecting a full 3 month run or at least 8 weeks.

Good spot. So it looks like Let's Dance is likely to run between 20th February and 13th March.


There's 6 live shows confirmed starting from 9th January. They'll probably have one or two audition shows before the lives, so it'll be around 7-8 weeks altogether. Yeah, it's a short run but I imagine they'll extend the second series if recommisioned.

Typical BBC regarding SYTYCD, rushing through it in seven weeks. By the sound of it, all the auditions/selections will be done in one episode followed by six live shows. In America, they have 3 x 2 hour audition shows, and 2 x 2 hour 'bootcamp' shows, before 9 (I think) live shows. That may be to much for a first series on BBC1, but I think they should have gone with:

3 x 60 minute auditions
1 x 60 + 1 x 45 minute 'bootcamp (shown on same night)
8 live shows

Meaning that the whole thing would run for 12 weeks, which is about right for a first series, rather than rushing it through in 7 like the BBC always do, and it rarely works.

As for Let's Dance, no surprises it's back, and whilst I doubt it'll do as well as last time, it should still get a great 6-7m.

Regarding last night, excellent for IAC again; well up on last year. Poor for Tourist Trail, and I'm not surprised, as I saw it last night and it was like watching paint dry. Disappointing end to a disappointing run for Around The World and I doubt they'll do another one next year. Terrible for The F Word, considering ust last year it was getting 3-4m. Shame too as I actually think this series is a lot better than last year's lacklustre one.

Meanwhile, UK TV Guide have confirmed that ITV will be showing Batman Begins on Sunday 6th December at 8.30pm. In responce, BBC2 have moved Top Gear back to 8.30pm. Also, IAC: Coming Out is confirmed for Monday 7th December at 9pm, despite rumours of the 100th Taggart airing here.

so what did eastenders get last night anyone know?

I think one of the most successful nigts for BBC1 this year has been Wednesday nights.The Apprentice and Waterloo Road have done very well. I was unsure of WR move to Wenesdays because of the loss of the lead in from Eastenders, however it has paid off.

A very big change in what was once a bit of a flop night.

I think the BBC should continue to build on the success they have had on Wednesday nights.With it being the mid week, many people are at home.

Tits Out took a big knock then last night without its Corrie Crutch. And it's not got one tonight, will be dented by CIN Rocks tomorrow and crushed by CIN itself on Friday.

Maybe the "who will Jordan get her end away with" show isn't going to be as big a draw as ITV hopes?

I see ITV has finally found a Chairman, the ex-Asda chief Archie Norman. I've talked before about the "Asda-fication" of ITV's schedules; looks like that process is now complete. Wonder if they can finally find someone who wants to be Chief Executive now?

Doreen from the cheese counter?


The Royle Family Christmas Special - 10.60m last year.

Good chance something else on BBC1 over Christmas might might do so too, even if its only a news bulletin (5.50pm Christmas Day got 9.44m).


No more limited than a ballroom dancing contest, a ballroom ice dancing contest, a dancing dogs talent show or a singing competition?



Nice problem for BBC1 to have - too many hit Saturday night entertainment shows...


Should give TG, Antiques Roadshow and Small Island a good leg up. I wonder if BBC1 will move AR and Small Island to 7.30/8.30? Or just let people lose interest in Batman and drift over to Small Island at 9?

Looks like we can pencil in Dr Who to start 27th March.

Small Island is 2 x 90 mins so I see BBC1 starting part 1 at 8.30pm so that they don't have to move the News from its 10pm slot. Unless SI is too adult for pre-watershed.

Maybe they could run part 2 at 8.30 for consistency:
6.30 SPOTY
8.30 Small Island