Regarding The Bill and ITV axing it (sorry if you have all already covered this) but why didn't ITV try moving it to a new time slot? Maybe try it out on a Saturday or Sunday evening? Make it like what Casualty is for BBC One

It would have been worth a try at least.

Even if BBC1 moved Casualty from Saturdays, they still wouldn't move TW, DW and OTR to later slots because they'll want to keep them all away from BGT

(That's enough initials. TTFN )


Dixon Of Dock Green ran for 21 years which was amazing given that the star, Jack Warner, was too old for the police force when the series began! He was 80 when the series ended, although Dixon retired from the police force a few years beforehand. (I should blooming well hope so!)

Push The Button hasn't been a total disaster but I guess we have different expectations when it comes to Ant and Dec.

Very good for a Harry Hill repeat.

It was on Saturday nights a few years back. Didnt do well ratings wise

Ah ok didn't know that.

They should have still tried something before axing.

The Bill has really been compromised now by the image of failure.

Any hope of rescue has to rest on a new series with Bill cast members but not specifically The Bill. Just sufficietly 'son of Bill' to bring the ardent fans with it.

That was why I framed the Sun Hill Emergency concept in the way I did. It has to attract Bill fans but be different enough to bring new viewers as well.

So a timeslot move, another revamp etc would not work. Only a reimagining and a genuinely fresh start would have a chance.

The good thing is that this will work better if there is, say, a six month break following the ending of The Bill. So there is time for someone to commission Sun Hill Emergency yet.

Bring back Pokerface!!!

Yep, and 'The Bill' was ITV's highest non-sport 9pm program in over 4.5 weeks - weekdays that is.

Not sure how rumours of a cut in the number of episodes of their premier entertainment show equates to ratings-chasing?

Your using logic in the DS ratings thread regarding the BBC - you should know better

I agree!

I can see that it might boost the ratings a little bit for each edition, but losing five weeks' worth of shows more than wipes out that boost from an overall point of view!

Predictions for tonight:

Countryfile - 6.7m
Antiques Roadshow - 7.2m
Lark Rise to Candleford - 5.5m
Enid - 3.4m

Ultimate Movie Toons - 3.5m
Dancing on Ice Final - 9.1m
* peak: 10.8m

Don't see the Dancing on Ice Final breaking 10 million, but will be surprised if it does. Peak should be over 10 million though.

Ultimate Movie Toons I think will flop to be honest, I remember we had high predictions for Cheryl Cole's Night In, and they never materialised - I expect the same here, but worser.

BBC One should benefit between 6pm and 7:50pm and as thus expecting good things again for Countryfile and Antiques Roadshow. Lark Rise to Candleford will be dented though, and as for Enid, I think BBC will be pleased with whatever figure it gets seeing as it is essentially a repeat.

I'm surprised we haven't had some of the regulars to this thread complaining about the BBC putting a BBC4 repeat on against the last hour of the DOI final rather than hitting it hard with the new series of Ashes To Ashes or Doctor Who or the new Jonathan Creek or a specially-commissioned brand new episode of Only Fools And Horses

They did try this in the early 90s IIRC - one of the 3x30m weekly episodes was moved to Saturdays to try and stop the BBC's Casualty-backed dominance of later Saturday evenings. But after The Bill's ratings for the 3rd ep sank from 16m to 9-10m, they quickly moved it back.


Possibly viewers tuning in for a reminder of how good the show used to be when it was a TV clips review?

Any hilarious "Knitted Garment Factor" clips in last night's best of comp, perchance...?


ITV1 will be safe, surely?

Mind you with Crozier's golden touch...

I found last week's new show much funnier than last night's compilation. Also, last week's new episode had more viewers than last night's repeat.

Just seen an advert for Married Single Other during the break of Dancing on Ice on ITV1, in which it was promoted as the final episode.

While technically true as the series hasn't been recommisioned, I hope it doesn't mean that ITV have already made a decision about axing it - the wording, "final episode" suggests just that.

Saying the "last in the series of Married Single Other" would have been better.

By the time they get put to bed tonight, most DoI viewers probably won't remember what day it is tomorrow let alone what's on ITV1 at 9pm...

was just reading this , thought it might be of some interest.


http://www.people.co.uk/news/news/tm...name_page.html

not sure how true/reliable it is , but with possible changes to Friday's 2nd Corrie , there could be more changes planned i.e Emmerdale moving too, perhaps? I still think Friday 9pm is most likely though.

I wouldn't pay any attention to that. 7pm isn't referred to as 'tea time' and they wouldn't have him hosting once a week at 5pm. His show is obviously going to be at 9pm.

He says the show will still feature children and dogs though - hardly sounds like 9pm stuff.

A headline in the Telegraph mentions a 7m figure for Over the Rainbow - presumably a peak, cited as "the BBC's own figures".

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/t...n-viewers.html

Seems like a long way above the average but the share they mention would seem to tie in. I guess it was a long show so might have peaked highly at the end. It'll be interesting to see how it fares next week with lots of viewers from the beginning thanks to the Doctor.

He also says he wants it to be more 'adult' so something is going to have to give.

I think he'll want to keep some of the things that made the teatime show work so well. And he's taking a Corrie lead-in on Friday as well. So it's not going to be too "edgy".

£8m is a lot of money. I guess it must be the budget for the show as well as his salary? Any word on how many weeks he will do?

If they can get Fridays at 9pm sorted out then I'd like to see them focus a bit on Thursdays at 9pm for a second string of drama or their better factual shows.

I wouldn't say (as someone suggested earlier) that ITV1's schedule fell apart after TV Burp finished - Push the Button still got 5m+ though Ant and Dec are expected to pull in better than that. Poker Face is a better programme IMO.

BBC1 had a good night - I still think Casualty appears a bit low though, but it won't rise again by much as the summer's now approaching. Who Dares Win is performing excellently.


I hope Married, Single, Other does get another chance. I thought it might get another six episodes considering it's held up well with the key demographics.


Or the six o'clock news? ITV might put the regional news back to 5pm (it's position when they had Home and Away IIRC) with the national news at 5.30pm, then offer an alternative to the BBC at 6pm leading into Emmerdale?