Is my memory playing tricks or were the Sunday repeats getting 4.5 or 5m last autumn?!

Good news for ITV that TXF is not taking a break next year.

I think they'll have the same format as this year for both BGT and TXF, both running nearly identically as they have this year (i.e. TXF from late August-December). I reckon Cowell will fly back and forth from the US during the Autumn for the ten weeks. Obviously it's not ideal for him but I'm sure he'll manage it and it means in the Winter and early-mid Spring he'll have a lot of free time so it swings about.

On TXF, he doesn't actual 'mentor' his contestants that much. I believe he goes in for the Friday rehearsals and then has a chat with them after the Sunday results show. Other than that, he employs other people to do the mentoring for him. Assuming Fox airs XFUSA on Wednesdays and Thursdays, Cowell could manage it by doing:

Saturday: judging on XFUK performance show
Sunday: judging on XFUK results show, and later 'mentoring' his acts
Monday: fly back to USA
Tuesday: all day mentoring his acts on XFUSA, record VTs for XFUSA
Wednesday: judging on XFUSA performance show
Thursday: judging on XFUSA results show, and later 'mentoring' his acts
Friday: fly back to UK, record VTs for XFUK
etc

Or something like that anyway! It means that he probably can't be at the rehearsals for XFUK but so be it. I think the suggestion of having XFUK from a US studio is extremely unlikely. There would be so many different issues doing it that way.


Yeah it was getting about 4-4.5m in the overnights iirc, although that was at the slightly later start time of 18:45. TV Burp overall has lost about 2-3m per week compared to last year. It seems to have peaked.

1. Strictly I doubt will clash and will be scheudled like this year has been so far. DW will do better against X Factor than it did earlier in the year anyway.

2. Could have been the plan anyway that DW being scheduled from the start of September.

3. If Merlin moves to Jan 2012 then it would probably help it and I really doubt a clash with Primeval is going to be a worry.

You to seem to be suggesting that the BBC's plan has been ruined which just isnt the case. DW got overnights of 4.5m in the summer, even if it did face X Factor, its overnights would be at least 5.5m with a huge timeshift on top.

Facing 25 degree temperatures in June at 6pm is worse than facing X Factor at 7:30pm in the Autumn.


My last post just gave you four key answers to that question.


Your memory is spot on Pizza. It was getting between 10 and 11m over its two showings and is now getting just over 8m. Harry on the slide maybe?

You do realise there are only 6 episodes of Who being shown next Autumn. Both shows can easily be kept away from The X factor easily.

I don't even read the Daily Star. I just presumed it was taking the Merlin slot, to be honest.

The BBC could easily schedule DW and SCD next Autumn without facing TXF:

Doctor Who: 27th August to 1st October at about 7pm
Strictly Come Dancing: 8th October to 24th December at about 6pm
Merlin: 8th October to 31st December at about 7:30pm up against TXF where it does fine anyway.

Doctor Who will potentially strengthen their September schedules which is a bit weak at the moment.

Well yes-during the non SCD, XF audition stage.

Disappointing official figures for episode one of Thorne and disappointing overnights for episode two.

Less of a "nail in the coffin of FTA drama", more of a rusty drawing pin.

Despite the fact that many seem to think so, Cowell doesn't spend any time in the US from the autumn these days. But I guess he just has better things to do from Monday-Thursday than mentoring his acts! The only issue is the travel.

If he does decide to travel, he'll probably go straight from X Factor on Sunday night allowing him to see XF US rehearsals on Monday.

There's also the issue of the producers - who are meant to be working on XF US as well. Obviously it depends how many of them he takes.

Well they did go and schedule it on a Sunday night, traditionally a drama night on the terrestrials. It would have been less exposed in the week.

Cowell deal worth £20m according to this article :

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010...-talent-cowell

The Guardian saying what has been widely speculated, that Cowell will only appear on the latter rounds of BGT.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010...-talent-cowell

Might be an idea for him not to be on BGT at all, would avoid him becoming 'over-exposed', allow him to really focus on XF and give them the opportunity to completely refresh BGT.

Also worth noting this week they seem to have basically dropped the contestants from it completely, talking to more minor Z-listers, wanabee celeb journalists and the "peoples panel", but doing nothing other than a few minutes on the stage on Saturday with the actual contestants.

Also think the judges phone calls format quickly became tiresome last year and they should axe it at least one night, talking to the judges in the studio instead.


Cheryl is definately easily replaceable IMO - but Nicole is likely to be tied up with the US version too. Dermot though is actually a more difficult prospect - their actually aren't many hosts around who can handle such a show with apparent ease, but Holly would definately be the number one choice. Christine Bleakley would be an absolute car crash.

Thanks, both. I'm not surprised the Saturday figures are down on last autumn, because now Strictly has more of a head-start, but I expected the Sunday figures to hold up. Maybe things will change when the clocks go back?

It's been a poor weekend for TV Burp. I must say I watched on Sunday for the first time in ages and I didn't find it very funny. Surprised by how much the figures have dropped YoY though.

So, the third show ITV are getting from Cowell's company will just be the American version of X Factor???

Aha! Bit of an anti-climax that one then!

I'd imagine it will do pretty well for ITV2, but with American Idol as well it might be overkill. I don't know if they will run them at the same time, or one after the other?

Of course, it maybe that people just tuned into ITV by default on Sundays, as thus having TV Burp on the background, with not much to attract them on BBC1.

But now with the Strictly results on, people are default tuning into BBC1 until 8pm (hence the very good Countryfile figure), only turning over to ITV1 at the start of X Factor.


Press release suggests same time.

I wonder how many shows there will be this autumn and winter? I think the last couple of years have seen eight or nine in the autumn, another eight or nine in the winter, with four or five "Best ofs" in the middle.

He's supposedly doing fewer shows this time.

Maybe there will be something else, but there's no mention in the articles.

Grease is the word might be recommissioned

It's a job for Sinitta i suppose

Simon would only have to travel back and forth for 5-6 weeks as XF won't go live until mid-October and XF US will end in November sweeps.

Good for ITV as XF moving from it's slot would have been very problematic.

I think there will be something else - maybe the new Ant and Dec show Fincham mentioned at the ITV Upfronts for next Summer?

Also, with X Factor, IAC, Downton Abbey, Doc Martin and possibly a new Caroline Aherne sitcom ITV look set for a very strong Autumn next year (and this year's is going pretty well overall)!

Let's hope it's more of a Royle Family than a Dossa and Joe!

Yep, also the XFUK live shows will most likely start 1 week later than recent years to coincide with the Christmas Number 1 which will be announced on the Sunday. So that'll be 1 fewer week for him to travel.