Unfortuantely, this is a sign of the BBC in recent years - running scared of any action that might even be seen as slightly controversial.

Does anyone honestly believe that Sir Alan featuring in The Apprentice would sway the votes of a single person? It would be nice for the press/opposition to treat the public with a bit of respect!

Knowing how awfully weak the BBC are when it comes any sort of pressure I can see this happening. A hung parliament is very likely to occur so I guess the beeb just wouldn't show it, which I reckon would annoy Sir Alan enough for him to stop doing it.

First of all, no one on the thread is useless and everyone has a good contribution to make. (Even me at times )

The football did as I expected last night really. BBC1 had another good night and Life of Riley is revelling in the Wednesday slot. Masterchef did well too.


As long as Sir Alan Sugar doesn't go around yelling 'vote Labour' then I don't think there should be an issue.

The Tories and Daily Mail would be crawling all over the episodes to find something to cry Labour propoganda. Anything red or a word beginning with an L would be a subliminal vote Labour message.

If only the BBC would turn round and give them the V sign...or would The Mail report that as a 'Victory' symbol for Labour?

Haha, thats a good one.

I think the BBC are really running the risk of the production company walking away now.

They must be totally fed up. There were rumours they were considering going to ITV a while ago and with product placement ITV would jump at the chance. The show practically does it anyway by accident - QVC, Ideal World, Topshop, Harrods, etc.

Peter Fincham brought it over from BBC2 didn't he?

It's a very risky thing to do, because you run the risk of the BBC never commissioning anything from you again, but if they delay this series and Junior Apprentice until 2011 (not to mention the fact they had to cancel Sport Relief does The Apprentice) I think Talkback Thames and Mark Burnett will be fuming.

The fact that not only The Apprentice but the Junior and Sport Relief shows have been effected is shocking. The BBC would hate to lose it as it is a massive hit, a decent slot for the next series and it could overtake DOI in terms of series average. I wouldnt be surprised if ITV did snatch it and at least they look after their big hits.

ITV and to an extent Five would be very interested in getting the show as it must skew young but there is always a risk that the viewers don't follow it to another channel and Sir Alan may not even want to make the move although it's unlikely he would quit straight away.

Breaking News... The Bill has been axed!:

It was only a matter of time. As someone who never watches the Bill, I think creatively it's a great decision - they're going to save about £25 million per year and hopefully they can spend it on commissioning more drama and sitcoms. Much better to have a variety of drama in the schedule (even if some flop) than the same failing programme occupying a 9pm slot all year round.

Ironically, last night's episode of The Bill was the most watched since the revamp: 4.5m (20%).

Five cant afford it anymore. Five overpaid for CSI and Neighbours and RTL is trying to exit the UK market. Maybe the BBC will pick it up as they dont have a long running police series.

That is seriously ironic! *sigh* Poor The Bill. Hopefully Five buy it or something.

Regarding The Apprentice, has this been confirmed? I have been looking forward to it.

Does anyone know how Emmerdale did last night?

Please, please don't let ITV anywhere near the Apprentice, they will turn it into another XFactor vehicle and ruin it. Hope BBC can solve the problem.

I'm interested in how Emmerdale did last night. The second episode was amazing. Let's hope for 8m+.

Some ratings from last night:

BBC One
21:00- Inside the Perfect Predator: 3.1m (13.7%)

BBC Two
21:00- Total Recall: the Toyota Story: 1.2m (5.3%)

ITV1
21:00- The Bill: 4.5m (19.9%)
* joint highest rating since revamp
* 2010 average: 3.9m (15.9%)

Channel 4 [inc. +1]
18:00- The Simpsons: 2.2m
18:30- Hollyoaks: 1.3m
20:00- Country House Rescue: 2.0m
21:00- The Air Hospital: 2.3m
22:00- Alan Carr: Chatty Man: 1.2m

Five
21:00- Felon: 1m (5.1%)

BBC Three
21:00- Girls on the Frontline: 382,800 (1.7%)
* below slot average of: 404,900 (1.8%)
22:30- Russell Howard’s Good News: 712,700 (4.7%)
* first series averaged: 596,100 (4.1%)

BBC Four
21:00- In Search of the Perfect Loaf: 422,100 (1.9%)

E4 [inc. +1]
21:00- The Big Bang Theory: 410k
22:00- The Inbetweeners: 290k

Film4 [inc. +1]
18:45- Last Holiday: 130k
21:00- Along Came a Spider: 460k

More4 [inc. +1]
22:00- Brothers and Sisters: 290k

ITV2
21:00- What Katie Did Next: 1.29m (5.7%)

ITV3
17:45- Heartbeat: 503k (2.8%)
21:00- Wycliffe: 433k (1.9%)

ITV4
10:00-19:00: Indian Premier League Cricket: 183k (2.0%)
21:00- Falling Down: 258k (1.4%)

Sky 1
21:00- A League of Their Own: 578,000 (2.6%)

But the thing is the 25m wont be used on new productions. Itv1 are cutting their programme budget by a further 75m next year. The projects being talked about as replacements will be funded from the existing budget not from the savings from The Bill.

There will be less drama and comedy on Itv1 next year.
Expect Amanda Holden and cops on camera to take the slot,






NO Peter Fincham didnt 'bring it over'. When programmes from independent production companies become too expensive for BBC 2 e.g changing rooms,WDYTYA, The Apprentice, Gavin and Stacey they move to BBC one.
The cost of an episode of WDYTYA tripled for series three after bids from sky and ITV.

As long as Talkback Thames and Mark Burnett are being paid[which they are] they wont care when it airs.

Oh and the old rumours about moving to ITV were rubbish and a myth. Like the one where BBC and ITV take it in turn to decide the xmas day schedule. Total rubbish.



I doubt TalkbackThames will be doing many favours for ITV after The Bills treatment today.

The Bill was quite good untill ITV started to mess around with it.
I actually watched it last night and thought it was rubbish
The Camera moves up and down and looks so cheap and tacky.

ITV have ruined yet another long running show
you can not take a show thats been on 27 years and change it the way they did

Its exactly what happend to Londons buring they messed around with it,the ratings went down.the show was axed.

I think the BBC could make a go of it right after EastEnders on a Tuesday night and move Holby to a Thursday at 8:00pm

Fair point that the replacements named in the article (like the medical drama series) are from the existing budget.

But surely some of the money saved from the The Bill will go to new drama productions? Even if it's just £6m, that's possibly two new drama series. I don't count The Bill as a drama - it's essentially a soap and if you're not a follower of it you'll never watch it. I get what you're saying though, that there will probably be more Cops with Cameras style-series.

By the way, no doubt in my mind it's mainly ITV's fault regarding The Bill's demise, not the production company. Just like Heartbeat and The Royal...

Although The Bill's axe is unsurprising, it is worrying now that ITV are not replacing their long-running series with new ones.

We've lost this, Heartbeat, etc etc. They need more bankers. Only Corrie and Emmerdale are left!

I can't believe they axe The Bill and then it goes and gets a rating like that! That share is actually 0.7 higher than the 1st revamp episode, so its the highest ever 9pm rating. I think it goes to show there are still many viewers who would watch it so I just hope ITV don't mess it around in the final weeks and another Broadcaster takes it on. It does say in the article the chances of another broadcaster picking it up are slim though.

In other long-running show commissioning news C4 have stuck with Countdown and renewed it through to the end of 2012, meaning it'll make it's 30th birthday (5000th episode today).

http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/...5875-22139627/

That article suggests an average of 1m watch it. I guess with Countdown viewers aren't as loyal as perhaps we might think - people do dip in and out of it and unfortunately it's only when people are dipping out that it's ratings get reported.


Not to mention actors contracts too - not sure when this series was filmed but most are probably in other roles in the near future and I'd imagine contracts signed would assume a second series would be filmed as around the same point in the year as the first, so hence it would transmit around the same time.

If it gets recommissioned (and The Bill getting axed really does boost it's chances) I'd expect 6-8 episodes around the same time next year.



Firstly Male, and secondly exactly that. I think my comments just somehow got washed in with some pretty rude comments from elsewhere, and I know when one person is attacking you it can feel like everytime someone disagrees with you they're ganging up on you.

Far too much petty squabbling in this thread, which means unfortunately perfectly reasonable debate gets lost in the cross fire.


Always the way. I agree with what you say about some flops being better than a continuous flop, but ITV do need to be looking to make some of these shorter series into long running series.

With The Bill, Heartbeat and The Royal gone they have nothing they can play out 4-6 months of the year (indeed not sure they have much they can play out 6-8 weeks every year), and ITV need at least one or two drama staples in the schedule which can run for 16-24 episodes a year quite easily, in the same way Shameless does (rightly or wrongly) for C4.


I agree the change in style was it's downfall over the change in slot, and the revamp was more last throw of the dice than a genuine desire to improve it. I guess once a show loses the channels backing it's doomed - wonder how they'll end it though. Surely they can't blow up Sun Hill yet again!

Couldn't ITV have slashed its ep number from 52 to 25 or something, then blocked out some specials for gaps in the year.

5-part storylines stripped over a week, 2 parters over two nights, etc, across the year. Make it more like event TV, self-contained blocks. That way it can air in quieter months and disappear for BGT etc.

Worth a try for 2011?

I don't even think ITV will give it a big send off tbh.

The way ITV treated the Bill is the same way CH4 treated Brookside where it's ratings were going down and insted of sorting the problem out they just moved it to Saturday afternoons and then finally late at night on a Tuesday.

I think had this been a show like Casualty the BBC would have tried to actually save it as it seems even with new shows they get a 2nd chance.(Holby Blue as an Example)

Looking at Long running Dramas ITV are now only left with
Corrie and Emmerdale

whereas BBC have EastEnders,Casualty,Holby,Doctors,New Tricks,Spooks?,Waterloo road if that counts

They could try it as a Daytime show or stick it on Early evening.