the BBC or any other TV company can not afford to sue anyone else for having a similar reality TV format.

If one company does sue another, it will open the flood gates, and everyone will loose the bulk of there formats.

The Sunday repeats do tend to rise if the Saturday show rates lower than normal. Here's some recent BARB figures:

w/e 07/2: Sat- 7.35m... Sun- 3.64m... reach: 10.99
w/e 14/2: Sat- 5.35m... Sun- 4.35m... reach: 9.70
w/e 21/2: Sat- 5.82m... Sun- 3.81m... reach: 9.63
w/e 28/2: Sat- 5.92m... Sun- 3.95m... reach: 9.87
w/e 07/3: Sat- 4.8m*... Sun- 4.4m*... reach: 9.2m (*overnight figures)

The last 4 weeks, the reach has basically been the same despite the Saturday figures fluctuating. You're just making assuptions that people are putting it on as "moving wallpaper" - the fact is that many more people are watching TV Burp at the moment than a year ago.


Yeah, but that's completely normal. The Autumn runs get more viewers than the Spring runs - let's compare the Autumn '08 BARB figures to Spring '09: Autumn '08: 6.37m... Spring '09: 5.89m.

The Spring '09 numbers were down by 0.5m compared to the previous series. The current run is also down by 0.5m compared to last Autumn - it's a perfectly normal trend.

Fair enough. Then (considering the number of years it's been since Strictly Ice Dancing) I wouldn't see too big an issue if the pros did start choreographing routines.

The Business Inspector arrives on Wednesday 17th March at 8pm. Self-made millionaire Hilary Devey helps advise struggling businesses across the country.

Meanwhile FlashForward returns with a double bill two-parter at 9pm on Monday 25th March, almost a year exactly since The Mentalist launched on the channel.

Looking forward to both of these!

Should be interesting to see what Married Single Other does tonight. I know it has easier competition but I'd not be surprised if it actually went down. I get the feeling it's going to be like their 2008 dramas all over again and just keep falling.

Also, with Doc Martin and Benidorm not returning until 2011, I wonder what might get the Sunday 9pm slot after The X Factor?

It's unfortunate that it came up against Fove Days last week. Is it an easy to dip in and out of drama? Could viewers watch it one week, miss one then catch the next without missing too much of the plot?

I feel the same as you TBH - I think it could fall further, which is a shame.

Business Inspector sounds interesting, I assume this is a la Gerry Robinson Saves...

Are you really looking forward to Flashfrorward? Or just watching because you feel the need to see it through?

I think it'll improve, but not by much to around 4.5m. It really should do better than last week as the competition is very easy. No excuses if it drops any further.

If MSO has anything going for it, it's that it's pulling in a good number of viewers in the key demos. The first week had 1.1m (16-34) and 2.8m (ABC1). To put that into perspective, last year only Whitechapel and Wild at Heart had more than 1.0m among 16-34s for ITV drama. Last week, it fell to 0.7m - but still that puts it among the top 7/8 ITV dramas. Even a 4.5-5.0m series average could earn it a recommission, I reckon.


Head of ITV drama said in an interview last year that new drama Downton Abbey will take the slot. I think they've got high hopes for it as there's some really good talent involved.

Wow, half decent scheduling from ITV1 - a drama that could do with a good lead in actually being given one.

What are ITV playing at? They've got more 16-34 viewers sitting on a Sunday night than any network has ever had in years, probably quite prepared to watching something entertaining after The X Factor and ITV give them... a period drama.

What else could ITV show in that slot? I would say Benidorm, but a full series isn't back until next year.

It's not all about 16-34s anyways. X Factor has a huge ABC1/upmarket following (4.5m), and I suspect ITV will be hoping that these viewers try out Downton Abbey as period drama traditionally get a high % of ABC1s.

Yep, I'm rather enjoying it. It's intriguing.

I don't expect it to survive beyond this season however as its performance in the States has been too underwhelming.

It's better this way anyway provided they can wrap it up properly in the one season.

They need to show some new stuff in that slot.

I think that's the wrong demographic for ITV to target. ITV are the biggest commercial network in the UK, yet their hold on the most lucrative demographic is weak at best.

I like FlashForward too. I agree, it always seemed like it would suit one season anyway.

I'm just pleased they're trying a new programme out instead of something which does well without a boost anyway (like Doc Martin). I guess they could've held back Married, Single, Other if they'd planned better - but otherwise do they have much 16-34 programming at the moment to air?

Perhaps, but Downton Abbey is a big commission for them and they'll be wanting it to get the best audience possible.

I agree with you in theory but until they actual commission the kind of programming that you're talking about (and if we're being honest the cupboards are looking a little bare atm) then I think it's a good move to launch DA in that slot.

Downton Abbey could have launched on Sunday then had a second episode the next night and settled into the Monday post Corrie slot from there on.

The problem just now is that as Agent F says, ITV aren't commissioning anything worthwhile for that slot so they might as well put on their biggest commission. FOX commissioned Glee with American Idol in mind (no other network would have taken it anyway) but ITV don't seem to be on that level of thought.

After seeing it, even Married Single Other seems more suited to post Corrie than post X Factor (and Britannia High seemed more suited for CITV). If they can't do 16-34 drama then at least have a go at comedy.

Business Inspector sounds interesting but it could go either way but it is not easy to replicate the success of the Hotel Inspector which itself reinvented itself when Ruth Watson left to go to Channel 4

Downton Abbey launching on a Sunday is a good idea as like rzt says, they'll be hoping that the 4.5m ABC1s who watch The X Factor will give it a go. It's a massive commission for them, and is set to cost £1m per hour (although only £700k of that will come from ITV) and has some all star talent involved so they'll be desperate for it to be a hit. Sunday night is the perfect night for period drama, and Monday just wouldn't work as well. Besides, ITV will have Law & Order running on Mondays in the Autumn.

So downton Abbey is 7 episodes in total and X Factor runs for 2 Sunday deitions for Bootcamp/ Judges houses and a further 10 for the live shows. That leaves 5 slots spare. Presumably the final will have another SUBoesque show and 3 slots for IaC. So it looks like Sundays are full for ITV in the Autumn

Where can you get a list of the ABC audience and 16-34 audience figures? Sorry I'm a stats nerd, I'd love to have a look at them, Thanks

Blue Murder has been axed by ITV after poor ratings.


You can't. Well, you can, but they are rarely included in reports - and are only posted if you are lucky.

So how do you get them? Do you work in advertising/PR?

According to Broadcast, DOI's (slight) drop in ratings is due to a loss of 16-34 year old viewers, Oh-oh! Expect to hear ITV announce they're axing the series any day now.

Looks like the youngsters defected to Got To Dance on Sky1, but they haven't come back now that GTD has finished.

They aren't going to hire a 17 year old now, are they?

Erm, most are posting on this thread from time to time. I'll post a few below:

ABC1's
The X Factor - 4.5m
Hustle - 2.6m
Law and Order - 2.1m

16 to 34
The X Factor - 2.5m
Doctor Who - 1.8m
Hustle - 1.0m
So You Think You Can Dance - 1.0m
Take Me Out - 0.5m (episode 1)
Law and Order UK - 0.4m

Some of the above are from memory, so maybe slightly wrong.