Interesting betting odds from Paddy Power for the First Election Debate ratings. They have 11-14 million as the favourite at 7/4.

That's very high ! Debates have done well in other countries recently, so maybe they've loosely been basing their odds on that?

USA ('08): 63.2m, France ('07): 20.1m, Australia ('07): 2.4m

Those three ratings include simulcasts (many in the USA, and 2 channels aired the Fr./Oz debates at the same time). Those debates were one of the top 3 most watched programmes of the year in their respective countries, I think.

Paddy Power also has the BBC debate as the favourite to pull in the most viewers at 1/2. ITV are 6/4.

Does anyone know what's following the debates? Since there aren't any adverts during the debates themselves, I am guessing the overspill would be where the money is. I'm also thinking ITV and SKY could go onto the next program on a cold open.

the news on both BBC & ITV, if Skys debate is limited to Sky News, then the news.

I reckon more people will watch the Sky News debate on BBC 2, than on Sky News, can the debates be branded by Sky, ITV or BBC?

Blimey!

If it gets a 14m overnight, surely it'd become the second most watched show of the year so far?

I did hear in one advert earlier "the drama of the week, on ITV1"... I imagine the BBC website will be running a live commentary on their website. The ITV News reporter said that "millions are expected to watch", but I don't think they'd ever want to quote a particular figure in case the debate bombs (which it could do).

The opposition isn't *that* bad, Liverpool on Five and HIGNFY and Outnumbered, but enough to dent ITV1.


I wouldn't be surprised if ITV's overruns into the 10pm. Not that it matters much.

Blimey! Where are these odds on the website? I can only find the one for the highest rated debate.

You're not wrong. It's Monday in Leeds and Thursday (I think) in Liverpool.

If ITV NaT does not win the news war on Thursday, they might as well give up.

They must've taken the odds off the main website in the last few hours. Here's a website which reported the odds: http://www.bettingpro.com/category/P...2010041200133/


According to the TV listings, Five has Nature Shock and Welcome to the Jungle this Thursday up against the Debate.

Really? I'm not expecting much more than 4 million. I really can't see these debates being the massive draw the media are making them out to be.

Same, it's like the Gordon Brown interview with Piers Morgan. Lots of media hype, uninspiring ratings.

So, it's definitely a safe bet.

The equivalent show in 2005 got 4.4m - where the three leaders appeared on Question Time from 8.30pm to 10pm.

They didn't debate each other obviously and there was very little promotion/hype.

I'd expect 6-7m for the first one - mostly people curious as its never happened before. And it has a Coronation Street lead-in.

Really glad the Masters golf held a steady audience all evening (nice hd figure aso), I had it on in background for 4 hours+ a shame Westwood couldn't get the green jacket.

Good barb results for opening episodes 1 & 2 of Cougar Town (Courtney Cox new comedy show) on Living/+1/+2 (but not including HD or reruns later in week)

COUGAR TOWN 551k/215k/36k = 802k
COUGAR TOWN 2 565k/259k/46k = 870k

Hope to see Eastenders back up to 9million viewers soon, also will the new lesbian storyline in CS keep the viewers hooked.

Live exchanges between party leaders are happening every week these days with Prime Ministers questions, and debates have raged on Question Time for many years. However there is something of a first about this and people do like to be there for firsts, so I reckon we could see 7 or 8 million.

I don't think anyone really knows how the debates are going to perform. Has it been used for the DSRPG? I'd be interested to know an average of what people went for?!

I honestly think it could land anywhere between 6 and 9 million. If 4.4m sat through a simple Question Time format then I would think 6m is the least we would expect for the first, massively hyped face-off.

Mind you, if - as a lot are expecting - the debates turn out to be intolerably dull, the final BBC debate could sink below that. The only way I can see it topping the first one is if something controversial happens in the run-up to it and things start to get dirty.

I can't see the debates hitting 10m somehow, let alone 14m! Maybe this election is interesting people once again.

Coronation Street performed better than I expected last night. Foyle's War performed worse, I thought it'd hit at least 6.5m. Over the Rainbow struggled slightly but A Passionate Woman did reasonably.

We're getting a real mixture coming through on the DSRPG with a range in the region of 8m!

I'll confirm the average for you tomorrow when all the predictions are in.

Why not have a go yourself? Always delighted to welcome new players to the fray.

Great. That should be really interesting.

And yeah, I should start playing again. I stopped after about 3 games. I'll get some predictions in tonight and put my reputation where my mouth is.

No-one know where its being held yet? Manchester, Liverpool, Blackpool?

Channel 4 News said last night that each party has been holding rehearsals - with Alistair Darling playing David Cameron for Labour and Damien Green playing Gordon Brown for the Tories. They also said that there were going to be full dress rehearsals on Wednesday - whatever that means.

Absolutely agree the debates won't get anything like 10m. I do think ITV's might do OK due to the novelty factor, but as people will then realise it's three rather dull people talking about rather dull policies, repeating the same stock quotes to the same questions and taking every opportunity to attack each other rather than answer the bloody question I'm guessing interest will wane with each passing debate.

Manchester according to the Telegraph.

Yes i would love to know how the negotiations went for the dividing up of the shows. ITV have gone for the hyped first one which will have the most curiosity value and you have to say, the best chance of the highest ratings. I wonder if it was accepted that ITV would get that one, or whether there was any argument over it. Like you say, if its dull, its likely to have a detrimental effect on the others.

Oh sorry, I completely forgot you used to play. After 9 seasons you lose track!

It would be great to have you back in that case.

I think its the common sense way of dividing them up.

ITV is concerned with commercial operations, highest ratings. Even though there are no adverts during it - there will be before and after and it keep their share high.

It makes sense for them to go first - that will most likely get highest ratings.

The BBC wants the biggest one and failing the first, they get the last one - the one where they get the last chance before the election to change things.

Sky want to show people they are a big player and not just a sideshow - if they went 1st or last people would talk about it being the small pre-show or post-show debate, they are bang in the centre now.

Yes I think you summed that up very well-are you sure you werent actually involved in the negotiations?

It's fascinating that Sky are only bothering to promote the HD coverage of the debate.

I know it's a bit of a first for them in more than just the one sense, but isn't it a bit daft not to mention the SD broadcast at all in the advertising?

Also according to the advanced listings information Sky News are doing their usual and dividing it into half hour slots even though it's a 90 minute programme:


So in theory this should be reported the next day as 3 separate slots, more especially in the officials. It will be interesting to see if it goes up or down throughout.