Agreed 100%. Really sad that it had to end this way.

It's hard to believe now that this is the same show that was pulling in audiences of 15m+ in 2002.

Very fluid game of footie underway on Five at the moment. Plenty of chances in the first half, surprised it's still goalless but it's been entertaining nonetheless.

When Five HD launches will they be able to show Europa League games in HD?

I was in Australia 4 years ago and no one I spoke to watched Neighbours. I had to add very few people in Britain did either. Perhaps maybe it's time for the soap to be axed or moved into daytime. Even in Britain now ratings struggle to hit 2 million when all the showings are added together.

I really hope they let it go now. I can't even imagine that there's much value in syndication for the new episodes without most of the old cast.

They've got a new comedy block now, best to just work on that next year.

just having a look at Neighbours competition on Freeview

http://www.tvtonight.com.au/category/news

these are the standard channels and apart from ABC 1, I dont think any of those shows ever change.

its very easy for TEN to win the 16-34 demo with that as competition.

and the "freeview channels"

ABC 3 is basically CBBC, Full House, Scrapheap Challange & the Jetsons, the competition does not seem that strong.

Actually this article

http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2010/03/...akes-hold.html

talks about the effect of the freeview channels on ratings in Australia.

The question for TEN is, is Neighbours suffering more than anybody else due to the freeview channels?

Sky is welcome to a Corden sketch show

That's why I said it only explains some of the decline. There's no obvious rival to Neighbours in that lot, especially with the younger demographics.


I can't quite believe someone at sky1 watched him hosting Buzzcocks and thought "he's so good at this he deserves his own panel show."

Still at least this time only a handful of viewers will be exposed to his lacking presenting skills!

I agree, I dont think the freeview channels can explain the total loss of viewers. New episodes of Scrapheap Challenge might dent it a little bit, but I would not bet on those episodes being new.

As seen from the demographics I posted earlier, Neighbours continues to do well in the 16-39 demo, Top 13 most days in that demographic, top 10 sometimes as well, its total numbers where Neighbours has the biggest problem.

Ratings are generally going up, but I think that increase is in line with Australian TV generally.

The line up offered by the freeview channels alone does not account for where all the viewers have gone.

Or Life Of Reilly. Or My Family.

I think TV Burp would have been a very high profile "get" for Sky, im not sure what is out there, show or talent, that would work as well as TV Burp would have.

Coronation Street, Eastenders, Dr Who, X Factor, Simon Cowell.....

A few bits of commissioning news from Broadcast:

- Two new episodes of Inspector George Gently to be filmed and aired later this year on BBC1.
- New 90-minute one-off drama for BBC1 called Toast, based on Nigel Slater's childhood. It's going to be the "Billy Elliott of kitchen", and will get a high profile Christmas slot.
- The new ITV1 comedy pilot They Drink it in the Congo, if officially commissioned, will go in a weekend slot. They might add "gameshow elements" to it.
- Jason Byrne’s Beer And Pizza Club is a new comedy panel show for ITV4.
- ITV1 are looking for more serious factual programming for the Tuesday 9pm slot, unlike the Amanda Holden stuff. They've ordered 2 high-end factual programmes from award winning documentary filmmaker Leslie Woodhead.
- New 5x60 series on C4 called Heston’s Mission Impossible, in which Heston Blumenthal "attempts to raise the standards of hospital food".
- Sir David Jason to appear on a documentary for Five called The Show Must Go On, in which he mentors an amateur dramatic society. Show will air in May.

There's an Hour-Long Eastenders on Thursday 1st Aprill
it's making up for next Fridays episode which is not on due to Sports relief and it's the shooting.

I wonder what ITV are going to do with Emmerdale this time?

Re: Neighbours. It's ratings were in decline long before Freeview came along in Australia. Blaming that for it's position now is like blaming Gordon Brown for the Falklands War.


Weill it wouldn't be on the Tuesday - but knowing the BBC they'll probably have a 20th anniversary special sometime in 2013.


After what happened at the Fat Duck I'm not sure that's wise!

given that Archie Norman is looking for more ITV Productions to air on ITV, he wont be selling off Corrie to the highest bidder.

X-Factor & Cowell would die on Pay TV, the TV shows work best in the social environment that is Freeview TV, where people are free to discuss the show with everyone, and airing on Sky would cut phone in votes.

Eastenders & Doctor Who, if the worst happened and the BBC was forced to sell off shows that could be supported by commercial media, it would be limited to "free to air" channels, so whilst EE under those conditions might well go to ITV, ITV has proven it cant fund Doctor Who, with Primeval. My point is that the BBC will not be allowed to sell off shows to the Pay TV market.

There is also the further complication of the fact that EE & Doctor Who are not produced by independent production company's, so there is no chance for Sky to bid on those shows, shows like Hustle or Spooks on the other hand.

ITV could fund Doctor Who. If Primeval had the same ratings that Doctor Who had then it would never have had a problem.

debatable, I don't think that is the case.

They could, as Primeval actually costs more per episode (both 45 mins without adverts) than Doctor Who. It was Primeval's lower ratings that made ITV initially pull the plug.

Nice. If ITV are going to get low ratings, they might as well make something they can be proud of; something that might win them a few coveted awards.


Is that in Eastenders or Sports Relief?


Me was joking. Hence the

Harry Hill has clearly put maximum reach over maximum money, as we all hoped he would. Simon Cowell, also, I believe, likes being able to attract the maximum ratings. His two shows able to attract the size of ratings we thought was impossible these days outside of the biggest England football matches. But he wouldn't be able to do that on Sky.

what do you think?

I like the way the BBC are doing these Hour-Longs On Thursdays despite Emmerdales on at 8:00

I thought the one in the birthday week made up for Sport Relief. Not that they should make them up - Sport Relief, Comic Relief and Children in Need are staples in the schedules and really there is no reason why the episode can't just be dropped and a few hundred thousand quid saved.

The same goes for scheduling around the World Cup, Olympics and other regularly scheduled events - at least ITV can justify squeezing them in everywhere and anywhere in the schedules due to the commercial benefits, but there is absolutely no justification for the BBC shunting them around the schedules (sod the other shows) just to get the 4 episodes a week out!


I just know come 2012 we're still going to be in a situation where those watching the Olympics will be forced to switch to BBC2 for half an hour just to accommodate EastEnders.

I wouldn't be surprised if they rated higher tbh. ITV seem to think very little of their audience!

Brilliant news about Harry Hill!

No that was just an Extra episode(which is very unusual).

The wednesday episode on the 24th was to make up for the Friday episode that was missed due to the rugby and this Hour-Long is to make up for Sports relief.

I don't see the problem tbh becuase there's rubbish all on BBC1 at 8:00pm on Thursdays anyway and they never move EastEnders out of it's slot unless they have too.
And it's worse if it was ITV because they have 2 soaps which are on more as it is and no doubt both Corrie and Emmerdale will be moved for BGT

I noticed someone had said BBC1 was getting a 'flopzone'. I think ITV1 would love a 'flopzone' with the lowest rated programme at 3.6m! Stead, Unspectacular but I don't think they were expecting anything more.

BBC2 had a pretty strong night. Lambing Live is doing much better than I expected - it's obviously tapping into the Springwatch/Autumnwatch audience. Rhod Gilbert also put in a good performance at 10pm.

Excellent night for ITV1. I doubt they'll have another strong performance like that with club football until the Champions League final, unless two English sides meet there before then. News at Ten seemed to hold up after the football better than usual.

The Simpsons is till a consistent performer fo Channel 4. Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA and Desperate Housewives are performing quite as well as I thought they would. Shameless did alright for a repeat.

Neighbours is getting around double the audience here compared to Down Under, while Home and Away has about 0.1m advantage at home compared to away on Five viewing. Yet again, a poor early evening (I read they were trying to find a replacement for Melinda Messenger for Live from Studio Five. The question is why - surely there must be another PSB show which could perform better there?!). NCIS did really well.



I'm going to guess that Blood and Oil will spread across the Sunday and Monday, with Ashes to Ashes on Thursday. As others have said - if ITV1 think The Bill is struggling now...


I thought she pulled out ages ago - or was that just the interview part of it?


Like what? Doc Martin repeats?

Actually, on second thoughts...


What did it get last time? In the mid 4m's wasn't it? I'm astounded that they didn't move Emmerdale last time and I'll be surprised if they don't learn their lesson and swap it around with Tonight.

Considering the BBC have the Wednesday night free can I start an argument and say that they should be using that slot for EastEnders rather than overlapping with another soap?

Well id have rathered them use the wednesday slot but to be fair
For years the BBC had been having Hour-Longs on a Thursday to make up for missed episodes and it seems that
the BBC are sticking by that and i say good on them
and maybe ITV will get a taste of what it was like when Emmerdale was an hour every Tuesday clashing with Enders.

I think the hour episode is the climax to the Archie storyline and also the shooting will take place so i guess if promoted a little it could do well.

I reckon ITV will move Emmerdale this time