Countryfile now provisionally at 8pm on Thursday 17th December.

And the Sunday afternoon schedule for the 13th has been tinkered with.

I wonder if Sports Personalty of the Year will start at 6.30pm.

A bit OT but did that Devil Wears Primark doc that was pulled right at the last second ever get shown?

I wonder if CountryFile will get a Christmas special? It is one of TV's most popular shows after all...

C4 needs major attention, and some new creative thinking. The last thing I watched was the Derren Brown lottery thing.

Some of these figures are ridiculous for The X Factor final. 20 million is not achievable. Once Jedward go the figure will be down at least a million and SPOTY, despite not a powerhouse, will do a decent 5 million or so. Ill go for 17.5 million overnight with Robbie posting on here as early as possible to brag about the disappoiting numbers.

CH4 "did an ITV" in concentrating too much on the same money-making shows (and spin offs) "Location etc", Gorden Ramsey and so forth.

They also stuck with the toxic "Big Brother" which made cash but drove people away from the CH4 brand.

I think you'll find 20m is achievable. I have connections with the advertising industry and their forecasts are very good.

Maybe as a peak but im talking about show average.

Looks that they might run SPOTY 6-8pm though - and bank that enough will stick around in the last half hour for the main result, rather than cross to watch the opening fluff on TXF.

Would seem like a sensible enough move to me. Countryfile, Doctor Who and Family Fortunes have proven over the autumn that the audience does exist at that time of evening.

May I ask what has been tinkered with?

UK TV Guide has a blank at 1pm and that is it. I guess its possible to shift everything forward an hour maybe...

Royal Variety 2009 is Wed 16th @ 1930-2200 tbc.

Not sure if this has been pointed out, but instead of its normal show (which finishes two weeks today), 'Harry Hill's The Best Of TV Burp' is on the 5th, 12th and 19th December. Not sure whether that will dent its audience slightly.

As expected as there's no football on that night. BBC1's had it on Wednesday nights in recent years and it's rated well.

Sorry to ask again, but what's currently pencilled in for Monday 14th December at 9pm?

deleted

Provisionally: Out of My Depth 9pm
Amanda Holden: Fantasy Lives (3 x 60′) – Amanda Holden attempts to make it as a Parisian showgirl, LA stuntwoman and Nashville singer.

Thanks. I'm very surprised that's going to be taking the Monday 9pm slot. I thought it definitely would have been a drama such as Taggart which has 4 episodes still to air. Amanda Holden: Fantasy Lives sounds like a 'Tuesday Flopzone' show .

Is this the start of ITV giving up for the rest of December?

ITV's Christmas always seems to be 3/4 weeks earlier with both I'm a Celebrity and The X Factor.

The week or two before Xmas is them just 'recycling' crappy documentaries.

Thats quite a sweeping statement. SPOTY is steeped in history and is certainly not a non-event in my eyes nor to the millions who have tuned in over the years. At the end of the day its a recognition of great skill and endeavour-not a bauble for winning a Karaoke competition.

Given the crap weather this afternoon, I'm expecting Saturday series highs for The X Factor and probably Strictly.

I thought Taggart would have there too but I suspect ITV have taken one look at Fantasy Lives, thought 'crap' and are burning it off as soon as possible over Christmas when advertising revenue isn't particularly high.

The Channel 4 3 D week has flopped, through bad planning.

Putting the glasses in one supermarket only and telling them to put them by the door (as a store told me when I tried for the second time to get a pair) resulted in many would be viewers getting turned away in frustration that they made it so hard for them. And it led to kids taking bags full and selling them on the net making Christmas money for them and low ratings for Channel 4 as the audience faced paying for them or not watching.

How they planned this without arranging to give these glasses away via a newspaper or TV listings mag where they could reach viewers easily and all over the UK needs a big inquest as it was disastrous planning.

Yes, those in the advertising industry/ITV whose job it is to sell advertising to companies...


Hope not - that's handing viewers to TXF on a plate. Don't think Antiques Roadshow will be strong enough for the TXF final.

Presumably people will have been sent their tickets for SPOTY already? They can't just start it at 6pm on a whim, it's only 3 weeks off.

The prinmary purpose of the extended show for CiN is to maximise BBC1s ratings & share. They could raise more money with less airtime if they chose to.

Concede graciously or be exterminated!