I think ZoeM summed up my feelings to a tee. The fact she even did the introduction to Daybreak seems pretty blatant and it made me cringe inside.

Please ITV let Harry do his own stuff.

I know Itv can be stupid sometimes but you don't actually think a single person could possibly think that brief appearance would increase ratings on Daybreak by even 1 more viewer?

There was nothing promotional about it. It didn't promote the show in any way. I cannot believe anyone at itv is stupid enough to think that would be helpful.

Of course know one is going to think "hey im going to watch Daybreak on Monday after seeing that". But, I genuinely dont see any other reason than ITV asking Harry to have Christine come on the show and mention Daybreak.

Exactly! Fair enough they said she was the new face of The Cube (that was rather funny), but what was the point of her introducing Daybreak? Because it certainly wasn't to raise any laughs..

ITV are desperate - she's in Coronation Street tomorrow

X Factor peaked with 13.2m (51%) last night. One million up from the equivalent show peak last year.

Source: Syco on Twitter

Oh but thats the peak... meaning it will be like 12m average.

The first 15 minutes will be dented significantly from Strictly, so don't be surprised to see an average in the 11m/11.5m ballpark.

Last week, when SCD didn't clash with X Factor, they brought her on just before TV Burp started.

Just coming back to this, seeing as I didn't comment on it earlier - surely the only way they'd 'steal' the Big Brother 16-34 audience is if they put a show on at 10pm?

The only way that'd work is if they axed News at Ten... again. Because Big Brother was primarily on at 10pm. Not sure just what they're thinking about putting Ant and Dec as hosts of a 'Big Brother replacement' show, because when I hear Big Brother replacement I think along the lines of a live version of 71 Degrees North, or the return of Love Island (god help us with the last one!).

Next year is going to be an interesting year, because there is a lot of scheduling changes, the ones out of the top of my head are:

BBC1
- Doctor Who split series
- Merlin knock-on effect
- no Andrew Lloyd Webber talent show (ITV now?)
- new channel controller, risk-taking changes(?)

BBC2
- Top Gear returning in new year

ITV1
- The X Factor and/or Britain's Got Talent moving
- Knock on effect for numerous shows, which could be damaged in the process
- New Ant and Dec 'Big Brother replacement show'
- Coronation Street scheduling changes(?), although Thursdays is showing signs of turning around

C4
- Big Brother axed, 100+ hours of new programming

C5
- I imagine more attempts by them to steal BBC's and ITV's talent, will be interesting to see what happens here

BBC's changes are fine, it's ITV in my view that could be in for a problem - because I don't forsee the changes going smoothly. They need a replacement to fill the void left (temporarily) by Britain's Got Talent and/or X Factor - and without a Britain's Got Talent and/or X Factor lead-in/lead-out several programmes could be left damanged.

I do fear though, that the move around in ITV's schedule has the potential to go disastrously wrong.

Anything I've missed in the above?

In the last four years, I think BB was on at 9pm more often than 10pm. So I sort of understand what they mean - there's going to be a gap in the market for a stripped entertainment show next summer for 16-34s.

I wouldn't be surprised if that show they're planning is a version of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here, with members of the public. Obviously that would be overkill of the IAC format, but at the end of the day, other channels are doing spin-offs of their main formats too (Junior Apprentice, Junior/Celebrity MasterChef, Celebrity Come Dine with Me etc) so maybe ITV think it's worth trying. ITV desperately need to find a hit summer show especially next year when they're no World Cup/Euros to prop up their averages.

Speaking of IAC, ITV have submitted plans to the local authories in Oz to make the show until at least 2014. So it looks likely it'll be on air for a fair few years to come.

Reviving Survivor then with Ant and Dec might work in the summer.

2011 will be an interesting year as stated above for Channel 5.

"I'm a Member of the Public... Get Me Out of Here!" doesn't really have the same ring to it though.

Although yeah, it wouldn't surprise me, as you say.

There will undoubtedly be a new breakfast show on ITV next year with new presenters, it looks like that will happen after Christmas.

Saturday 16th October 2010
BBC One
18:00 - Strictly Come Dancing: 9.29m (41.2%) inc. HD
* peak: 10.35m (42.1%) at 19:15
* 19:30 to 19:45 - 9.90m (37.5%)
19:45 - Merlin: 5.29m (21%)
20:45 - Casualty: 3.77m (15.1%)
22:00 - Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow: 4.19m (19.9%)
22:30 - Match of the Day: 3.87m (25.0%)

BBC Two
19:30 - Dad's Army: 1.26m (5%)
20:00 - Renaissance Revolution: 636,000 (2.5%)
21:00 - Have I Got a Bit More News for You: 1.10m (4.4%)
21:45 - QI: 1.16m (5.3%)
22:30 - The Rob Brydon Show: 856,000 (4.5%)

ITV1 (inc. ITV1 HD)
17:45 - All Star Family Fortunes: 2.76m (15.0%)
18:30 - You've Been Framed!: 3.60m (16.5%)
19:00 - Harry Hill's TV Burp: 5.15m (21.9%)
19:30 - The X Factor: 11.36m (47.2%)
* 15-minute peak: 12.57m (49.0%) at 20:15
* 5-minute peak: 13.2m (51%)
* 19:30 to 19:45 - 8.74m (33.8%)
* 19:45 to 22:00 - 11.65m (48.7%)
22:00 - Piers Morgan's Life Stories: 3.90m (19.6%)

Channel 4
18:30 - FILM: Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World: 863,000 (3.6%)
21:00 - FILM: The Pillars of the Earth: 1.92m (8.7%)

Five
19:15 - The Mentalist: 399,000 (1.6%)
20:05 - NCIS: 635,000 (2.5%)
21:00 - CSI: 537,000 (2.2%)
22:00 - CSI: 697,000 (3.4%)

Primetime Shares
ITV1 - 37.4% (inc HD)
BBC1 - 22.1%
C4 - 6.6% (Inc +1)
BBC2 - 4.0%
C5 - 2.4%

Good ratings for Strictly and Merlin, in particular for the former - but really not good for Casualty. However, it is not even comparable to The Bill situation - Casualty actually manages to get 3.8m against ~12m viewers, whereas The Bill struggled to get 3.8m against 4m viewers on the other side, so the two are not comparable, and Casualty is not on life support.

Family Fortunes needs to get out of that slot, its not doing well, but I suspect good repeat ratings inevitably means it'd get recommissioned by ITV. TV Burp did well against Strictly, while X Factor, down considerably on last week, but that's partially down to the Strictly clash.

Channel 4 did well with the 9pm film, while Five's line-up appears squashed when up against X Factor, quite frankly.

Has it actually been said that the Ant and Dec show will be a replacement for Big Brother, or just an entertainment hit, something at the weekend most likely. A stripped show over the summer holidays could work every night at 9, its not like ITV have any successes their over the past few years, apart from Doc Martin repeats. The Bill, Monday Monday and Identity all failed over the summer time in the past few years.

I like the idea of a return of Survivor but it would have to have different hosts to Ant and Dec otherwise it would be too samey to I'm a Celebrity. The only thing is what talent do ITV have? Christine Bleakley could be potential i suppose

Very poor for Casualty , FF and Framed.

They can employ anyone who isnt on golden handcuffs anywhere else!

BTW RWC is in 2011 too - that will boost ITVs off peak share quite a bit in Sept & Oct.

Very poor for casualty, on a par with what the Bill was getting on a Thursday. It really needs to be shortened to 40 episodes maximum a year (though 26 epsiodes January to June is probably more appropriate) and taken off air when X Factor is on. A 2 week break in early September is not long enough for a series to end and then re-begin.

Can I do the Casualty on life support gag now?

X Factor up 5% in viewers (+500,000), 12% in audience share (+5 share points).

It's obviously doing exceptionally well to be up on the massive ratings from last year. Although I do think it's safe to say that the wildcard & extended shows aren't working - at least for the ratings averages. The year-to-year increases aren't as huge as they were through bootcamp and judges houses. But they're probably making ITV more money.

Not a good night for Five to.

Oh dear, I can't remember Casualty falling that low before apart from when facing a BGT final.

Highest rating of the series so far for Strictly Come Dancing, which is really good. It beat TXF when head to head too, which it wasn't doing last year. Merlin still holding up very well, about par on last year's figures but timeshift seems to be bigger this time round. Decent for McItnyre and MOTD.

Family Fortunes and YBF are being hurt from their earlier starts and a stronger SCD. TV Burp also isn't up to previous series standards but I still think 5m+ is decent in that difficult slot. TXF's rating is okay - 5% up from last year - but it looks like the live shows aren't going to be significantly up from last year's figures like the bootcamp/judges' houses stage. Piers Morgan's show rated quite low, second worst rating for a post-TXF episode, but I suspect that'll be his lowest rating of the series as the celebrities coming up are 'bigger names'.

Pillars of the Earth did very well on C4, it must be said. What a shame it wasn't in a better slot where it would've got 2m+.

Am I not exactly clued up on what ratings mean etc. but does anyone else think that relatively speaking SCD is doing a lot better than TXF? Of course TXF is getting bigger ratings but I would expect it to- it's been on the front pages of the tabloids for most of the week.

Regarding Piers Morgan's Life Stories, the next two subjects are Cheryl Cole and Susan Boyle, so no doubt they will do very well indeed.

Wonder if 71 Degrees North will get recommissioned, though I imagine they'd stick with celebs.


Happy Pillars of the Earth found an audience - thought it could be sub-1m. Still think though it would have got a million more in a less competitive slot.

IMO C4 are a bit foolish with their recent pledge to boost weekend programming considering the state weeknights are in at the moment. Sort them out first and just let the usual films play out at weekends where you can get away with them.