I sound ghastly? Maybe you should re-read some of your posts. Also, now your an employee of this site are you allowed to speak to posters in this way?

Getting back to ABC1s. My point was that compared to the ITV competiton (Taggart), Sherlock's ABC1s were higher than Taggart's entire audience. I didnt say that was good or bad for the BBC, just noticeable.

Now, to solve Corrie's scheduling problem I suggest ITV air it on Wednesdays at 7:30 again and have ITV ring Uefa and make them put Champions League games back 15 mins.


Yes I have noticed that. He would look better if he just gave a rubbish excuse to defend himself but just ignoring the replies looks far worse.

I must be getting old as change is starting to irritate me. Iv already lost my old large interest in Cricket because of Twenty/20. I used to have a fascination for the charts but I just have a mistrust of downloads and it just isnt the same when every record is effectively available all the time. There was an unhealthy look to the charts last Autumn when X Factor was prompting alot of the selling. With this though, and the frenzy that seems to follow all of the acts around, it could be the charts are dominated even further. People used to moan about the influence of Top of the Pops but Cowell has filled the vacuum now with his own virtual factory farm and an influence far more than it should be.

I don't see this has being that spectactular, it sounds like they're just gong to release the soundtrack from the show, bum notes and everything, and I dunno if anyone's that interested in that to pay for it? Surely you can just watch it on YouTube for nothing?

Otherwise you'd have to re-record it, which would take ages and would completely negate the point because surely the prize is to release records, which would seem pointless if you were going to record and release one every week. Sounds a bit too much like hard work.

This sounds like some journalist getting a bit over-excited. Much like when they re-released all the Elvis number ones and announced Elvis would be number one for the next six months, but only three got to number one, with the lowest sales figures ever.

As for Radio 1 playing the chart, Radio 1 can do what the hell they want. Do we not remember Relax?

Chris, I saw a chart show last night and it was all bland pop, dance and r and b. No doubt come Christmas the X Factor production line will be cranked up.

*walks in thread*

Sees no actual ratings for Saturday and instead some other discussion....

*walks back out*

Nothing new in talent contests deciding chart outcomes. Going back to my youth Opportunity Knocks, which had twice as many viewers as the X Factor, used to produce a lot of singles from the likes of Peters and Lee and Lena Zavaroni as well as spawning a winners roadshow.

No ratings?

Yes some people here have got the ratings but aren't revealing them

While we're waiting, this is what topped the ratings in 1986.
Eastenders
*aggreggated 25+ 28 Dec 1986 BBC1 30.10
2 Just Good Friends 25 Dec 1986 BBC1 20.75
3 Coronation Street 25 Feb 1986 ITV 19.25
4 Only Fools & Horses w/e 05 Oct 1986 BBC1 18.80
5 Prince & Princess of Wales In Private and in Public 22 Sep 1986 ITV 18.45
6 World Featherweight Championship (Barry McGuigan v Denilo Cabrera) 15 Feb 1986 BBC1 18.30
7 Blind Date 22 Nov 1986 ITV 18.20
8 Last of the Summer Wine 05 Jan 1986 BBC1 18.10
9 People Do The Funniest Things 10 Jan 1986 ITV 17.85
10 Duty Free 08 Jan 1986 ITV 17.35
Note the old myth about Eastenders getting 30 million viewers on Christmas Day has been busted: it aggregated 30 million with the first showing on Christmas Day and the omnibus. With football in terminal decline at the time, other sports attracted the viewers and big fights became very popular in the mid 80s. Also royalty seemed to be the in thing at the time.

So how many watched EE on Xmas day? 25 Million?

Cool, it's like a cliffhanger

Anyway, ratings are, err, over-rated

Wow Blind Date was a huge ratings puller for a Saturday night, compare it to the 2.5-2.8m that the last few weeks ITV saturday shows have been getting

Bit of a strange question, but can anyone tell me if ITV has shown any new episodes of Benidorm this year?

Don't forget when looking at ratings from 20 to 30 years ago that there were only 2/3 channels - nowadays there's 200 to 300 to choose from.

No they haven't - the last series aired in October/November last year, and the next series is due early next year. There will be a Christmas Special this year (yes, ITV actually making a Christmas Special of a popular series, first time for everything) but that will be the only new episode this year.

Thanks, Score. Will be interesting to see whether they put it on Christmas night!

I remember reading a Guardian report about shows on the BBC that advertisers would love to put commercials in. At the time Noel's House Party and EastEnders were high up on the list because they got such good ABC1 scores. Advertisers want to reach these allegedly fairly well off people and ITV is trying to change its programming to get more of them.

I doubt they will, and in fairness I don't blame them as if The Royle Family also plays there it would spell trouble, so as it'll be one of ITV's (probably very few) Christmas highlights it would be a waste. Boxing Day is probably a likely option, especially if BBC1 plumps for another film (Transformers?) or I wouldn't be too surprised if they show it a little earlier than Christmas itself and put it on after the Sunday X Factor final results to boost exposure for it.

Seven
18:00 Seven News 1.27m
18:30 24 Hours After: Asteroid Impact 0.73m
19:30 Seven's Rugby Union: Bledisloe Cup 0.45m

7TWO (achieved record 8.4% share)
19:30 Heartbeat 0.32m
20:30 A Touch of Frost 0.40m

Nine
18:00 Nine News Saturday 1.09m
18:30 Australia's Funniest Home Videos 0.87m
19:30 Movie: The Golden Compass 0.71m

Ten
14:00 Saturday Afternoon AFL 0.49m
18:00 News 0.66m
18:30 Before The Game 0.36m (not shown in Brisbane)
19:30 Saturday Night AFL 0.51m

ABC1
19:00 ABC News 1.04m
19:30 Doc Martin 1.41m
20:30 The Bill 0.75m
21:20 NEW The Prisoner 0.42m

Really low rating night with even the sport on offer logging low numbers. Ten can't be happy with how the AFL rated- only in Melbourne did it log respectable numbers.

Meanwhile The Prisoner got off to a predictably rubbish start for the ABC - and 7TWO broke a record for highest ever share for a digital channel.

I presume that's the remake that should never have been made?

Yep, now with so many other channels the main 5 dont get anywhere as near as they used to.

Yeah, Boxing Day could be a good slot under those circumstances, but, like you say, I can see why they might prefer to show it before Christmas.

Does anyone know if New Tricks will be back this year?

They did actually make a Christmas special of Doc Martin a few years ago, which went out on Christmas Day at 9pm.

Didnt do too well though as it only got 5.9m in the officials compared to the 9m+ it was and still is getting for normal episodes.

1 Gavin and Stacey (01/01/10) BBC One 10.25m
2 Rock and Chips (24/01/10) BBC One 8.42m
3 Outnumbered (13/05/10) BBC One 6.75m
4 Life of Riley (17/03/10) BBC One 5.93m
5 My Family (16/07/10) BBC One 4.78m
6 Last of the Summer Wine (25/07/10) BBC One 4.77m (overnight)

Notes:
* Repeats (narrative or achival) not included.
* HD simulcasts not included.
* List currently stops at 6 due to there being no official figures for The Old Guys, which would probably be number 7!

Please let me know if I've forgotten any sitcoms over 4.77m. I don't envisage the list changing much in the next month or so, although Summer Wine might move ahead of My Family when the officials come out tomorrow.