ithink the BBC have a good line up tbh
I think the whole point of the double EastEnders is to help out DR who a little plus it's something that seems to happen on new years Day a double bill of EastEnders.
Still it will get back to normal next week and the next Extra Episode will be xmas.

We do know that the BBC specifically asked for Jonathan Creek at Easter as they didn't have enough money for it this Christmas.

Maybe something else fell through for New Year's Day though, meaning the BBC had to drag things from every bit of the schedule to make up for it?

Gavin and Stacey absolutely deserves that slot, but they need something else after it.

What's wrong with trying to give a boost to QI's ratings on New Year's Day (particularly as it has to face Corrie the following Friday)?

Live At The Apollo took over 6m when it followed on from the Structly final, and so did Outnumbered last year.

Also QI had a decent 5.72m on Xmas Eve, not so far down on Victoria Wood's 6.85m. If it can match that figure on New Year's Day, then that will be a result.

As a viewer who is interested in the ratings and how well programmes do...I really don't get this BBC1 vs ITV thing like it's some boxing match...I watch both as I have the choice (at the moment)...I think both channels are as equally guilty in making their fair share of crap..I don't get this "BBC1 viewer" and "ITV viewer"...can't people watch both without being labelled..we live in the 21st century I though channel sobbery was from the 60's 70's..I like Living TV cos they show the best programme on the box "Most Haunted Live!"..hehehehe ok I will get my coat and leave this thread via the back door!!!..

I wasn't complaining about the double episode of Eastenders - I simply forgot to include the first episode in the schedule I wrote earlier on. Although I don't watch the soaps, I do appreciate that they (for some reason) have a special place in the nation's hearts.

What does confuse me is just the lacklusture line-up post 9pm. Gavin & Stacey deserves the slot it's been given, especially after its performance on Christmas night, but after that, there's nothing all that special, hence why I suggested broadcasting the Sherlock pilot there.

Last year saw the return of Jonathan Creek and 2008 saw the first part of a new Sense and Sensibility adapation, although I remember that year they put Holby City on New Year's Day @ 8:10pm, which was a major mistake.

EDIT - Oh, and this primetime/not-primetime debate is starting to become extremely tedious.

Ignore.

It's the same reason why QI doesn't get an outing on Christmas Day. They should be putting on the programming people love rather than giving other shows a 'boost'.

Horrible rating for ITV's drama last night. I was expecting the 9pm bank holiday clash to be a lot closer than that!

Stunned it barely managed 2m.

I'm not. It's about as un-ITV a drama as you could possibly find. It was cracking though. Best thing they've done all year... ironically.

The question is how ITV are supposed to get out of the crime circuit they're stuck in if people don't try the dramas outside that genre. Of course, they themselves are partly to blame for their predicament, but then it's not the current management's fault that so many of their non-crime dramas were axed.

Strong night for BBC1 - even Big Top out of it's usual slot defeated what it got a couple of Wednesday's ago, and against arguably tougher competition. ITV1 did ok until nine.

Couldn't agree more. However, some of it was pretty heavy-going for a post-Christmas Bank Holiday, and I can see why viewers gave it a wide berth.

They missed their real chance with X Factor as has been said several times before. I'd take a guess that young viewers just don't think to watch ITV drama (it's partly a marketing issue as well).

So one way is to launch something alongside X Factor. Another is to try and make either a drama or a sitcom with a star cast that appeals to a younger audience. However, the big names in UK acting right now seem to be very much older skewing. ITV2 got some great numbers out of Michelle Ryan in Bionic Woman but they didn't follow to Mister Eleven. So, off the top of my head, I couldn't really make a lead cast of 4-6 people with any real pull to that younger demographic short of trying to see if Cheryl Cole can act!

One slightly riskier way is to make an adult sci-fi show of some description. These tend to skew very young but they are expensive. However, there's no reason why ITV couldn't split the cost with a US cable network (like SyFy). Often these shows can be set on a global scale, I'm sure someone could link London and New York. Heroes was originally set across several countries.

The final suggestion would be to be outrageous and noisy. Young people appear to gravitate to controversial shows. The only shows with any controversy on UK TV just now are reality shows. But lets say ITV put an HBO style show like True Blood or Sex and The City at 9pm on a Thursday... that would get press coverage! Footballers Wives did this for ITV years ago. But nothing has since.

It's not that it was a non-crime drama though - the subject matter just wasn't for a mainstream audience.

I completely agree with you. I don't get the whole BBC v ITV thing. To have a fair debate, I think people need to see objectively when ITV and the BBC, or any other channel have all performed well in ratings, but also to recognise their flaws too because every channel have their strengths and weaknesses.

To be so biased and defensive for one channel won't make a discussion very interesting..

They've done that. It's called The Prisoner (remake).

And I'm not indulging in hyperbole when I say it's one of the worst TV shows ever. Seriously.

that Prisoner remake has been talked about for a couple of years now, I had wondered why ITV had not gotten around to airing it yet.

I see Heads Or Tails has reached the Celebrity Special already. And look who one of the celebrities is - John Thomson.

So tonight it's:

7.00 BBC1: Big Top featuring John Thomson
7.30 FIVE: Heads Or Tails: Celebrity Special featuring John Thomson.

Somebody needs a new agent. "I used to star in Cold Feet and The Fast Show, you know".

Strange to think Big Top could actually win its slot tonight considering it's up against Grimefighters.

It's actually quite good, it just completely differs from the original. I liked it, but I can see it's going to piss a lot of people off. I can't see it doing well on ITV at all, but from those who have seen it, there's been a generally decent reaction.

I don't think it will. Grimefighters has shown it can pull in 5m up against weak competition, when it was one of the top 10 shows of the week in August Even a repeat on ITV2 a few weeks ago when there was Big Top and pre football talk on the big two managed 0.5m! It only seems to suffer up against EE, so should pull in at least 4m tonight.

29.12.09

BBC ONE
Eastenders 9.5m / 40.6%
Holby City 5.9m / 24.7%
Triffids 5.6m / 24.2%

BBC TWO
June Whitfield 2.4m / 10.3%

ITV1
Emmerdale 6.1m / 27.2%
The Bill 3.2m / 13.5%

C4
FWord 2.1m / 9.0%
Alan Carr 1.5m / 9.1%

Bloody hell, that's a brilliant rating and share for EastEnders! Triffids quite a bit down on last night, but I think that was to be expected. Surprised that The Bill wasn't below 3m though after last week's performance. Another poor rating for Emmerdale though.

a slight improvement for theBill total viewer wise, but none in terms of share, which is what ive been looking at for these two Tuesday episodes.

I think Triffids did ok for the 2nd part of a 90 min drama. I am told it was an improvement on the 1st part. Eastenders is great at the moment IMO - never used to watch it but hooked now; maybe its getting new viewers?? And how long for the announcement that the Bill will be axed? Should start a countdown...

Brilliant for EastEnders, and Triffids did really well too. Poor again for The Bill, and moving it permenantly to Tuesdays would be a big mistake. I wonder if You've Been Framed outtrated it at 8pm, as that would be the biggest blow of all for it - to be beaten by a cheap home video clips show. Shame to see F Word dip again after it's 2.7m last week but it's still better than the ~1.5m it was getting a few weeks ago I suppose. Chattyman did badly, as usual, and I think the only reason C4 keep recommissioning it is to keep Alan Carr at the network.