This keeps being mentioned but the ratings evidence never backs it up - people dont switch over en mass even if the game is one sided and effectively over. And why would they watch the highlights and not record 5 days? Live events always take precedence in viewers priorities.

I don't know, depends how much of a crossover there is really, doesn't it? It is perfectly possible they could both end up with around 6-7m each, particularly since the overnights take into account those that record and watch later that night.

I was mostly bemused at the fact that people are making excuses about Five Days' performance already, before it has even been broadcast let alone the figures released.

Do we have ratings evidence to support this when a stripped daily drama series that has been averaging over 7m viewers is running on the other side? It's a bit different to the norm. Viewers don't exactly have long to catchup before the next episode, but have invested enough time already to discourage them from giving up on it completely.

How is the football going to affect the Question Time thing?

I dont watch either- I opt to go to work and earn a living.

Ooh, get you! Bit of a misfire if you're trying to imply that I don't. Normally it is quite possible to watch these programmes or part of them before going to work. Depends on what shift you are doing!

Fair point, I just assumed it was a foregone conclusion that it would be heavily dented, I always forget that the recorded figure is included in overnights, good point

I think all the "excuses" started when someone claimed it would fall by at least 2mil on tuesday and I claimed that it was less likely to happen then than on wednesday when the ITV1 opposition was stronger.

K

Then again you could say ITV News at 10 came close to beating shamesless


If the Election is on May 6th then ITVs date will be on April 14th. Champions league Semi 1st leg is down for 21th April. Should be No clash!

Aah, I thought he meant how would tonight's footie affect the ratings juggernaut that is "Junior Question Time" on BBC3

K

I'm glad someone else saw through the selective reporting. MG never gives us the news ratings usually, but as soon as Ch4 has something popular on at 10pm (pretty rare these days) we suddenly get a flurry of 10pm figures. It stinks!

OK for the footy if you're going to compare it with ITV's other Tuesday offerings. Good for Five Days, although I do think it will drop to about 5.5m/6m tonight. Even if it does drop, it will bounce back against The Bill tomorrow... I'm sure of that.

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everything bounces back against the Bill.

I think Five Days will get around 6million tonight. It only dropped 0.5m from monday to tuesday and even though the football is on it will still get a spilt vote of what to watch watch ... sport or great drama.

I think it will bounce back again for Thursday and Friday though.

Doesn't take a genius to work that one out. It's The Bill...

ABC:
9pm – Lost – 9.18m (4.0)
* Falls 13% from last week despite no Olympics
10pm – 20/20 – 5.42m (2.1)
* Lost 1/3rd of audience from 1st half hour to second

CBS:
8pm – NCIS – 19.67m (4.1)
* Steady with last episode
9pm – NCIS:LA – 14.97m (3.1)
* Facing Idol, declines 24% from last episode
10pm – The Good Wife – 13.29m (2.7)
* Falls 13% from last episode
* Weaker lead-in, tougher competition

FOX:
8pm – American Idol – 23.44m (8.6)
* Continues steadily, down around 5% on last year
* Next highest show with A18-49 is well behind on a 5.9 (The Big Bang Theory)

NBC:
8pm – The Biggest Loser – 8.23m (3.1)
* With Idol competition through 2 hours, falls 11%
10pm – Parenthood – 8.07m (3.1)
* Premiere
* Holds audience through the hour

Tvbythenumbers

Leno slipped back a bit from a 5.4 to a 4.6 household rating but was still well ahead of Letterman's 3.1 (up from 3.0). More accurate numbers later today.

Strong night yet again for BBC1 - Five Days' retention is excellent. The football filled a slot for ITV1, and did better than the documentaries they would've aired. Channel 4 had a good time of it all night. Is it me, or is CSI: Miami on the low side? CSI did well, though. Hairy Bikers performed excellently for BBC2, but Horizon shed much of that lead in.

Even if there is a drop in the overnights today peolple will just record it - if they gone with it for 2 episodes they will want to see it out. It will be really interesting to see what timeshifts it will get as well compared to other dramas and especially Collision.

CSI: Miami is a repeat and 1.4m is quite good for a repeat.

Wonder if Jay Hunt has her eyes on moving The Hairy Bikers to BBC One?

Ah that explains it - thanks.


Don't go giving her ideas! They'd have 90 minutes of it on one night, then 30 minutes on another, then an hour on another...

TBH The food shows are very successful on BBC Two and given how successful Nigel Slater and Jimmy Doherty have been, it wouldn't surprise me.

Vey good night all round for BBC One. EastEnders had a good share, even if the overall rating was below 10m, while Holby has enjoyed something of a boost recently with another 6m plus performance. Five Days held onto the audience nicely - I'm stunned (and encouraged) that its performing so well. Tonight's a bit of an unknown, but its got some momentum going so I can't see it collapsing.

About what I was expecting for the strangely placed football on ITV1. Any other night, those ratings would be poor - but on Tuesdays, they don't look so bad.

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Decent premiere for Parenthood on NBC - it matched its Biggest Loser lead-in and thats surely all the network could ask for. Its a shame that BL was held down by Idol. On another week it could have inherited a 4.0 and could potentially have held that.

BBC Press Office has updated its listings for week ending 19th March. Nothing of major note really, apart from:

- Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds begins 16th March, 3 episodes @ 9pm on BBC1.
- Life Of Riley begins 17th March, 6 episodes @ 7:30pm on BBC1.
- Sport Relief – The Million Pound Bike Ride is on 18th March @ 9pm on BBC1. Could easily bring in 6m+ like Kilamanjaro last year.

Why has Hammond been moved to BBC1? I know he's popular, but 3m+ is perfectly good on BBC2, so I see no reason to move him where he'd probably get.. well just a little higher.

EDIT: Just read that on the Monday is a New Tricks repeat and on the Wednesday is I Swear I Can't Help It (repeat).

Maybe ITV should show Sports on ITV1's "Tuesdays are Floppy".