Last night 11.9 million people tuned in to see the Halloween special.......the highest of this series so far.

On the forum we have had threads about how people hate the changes etc etc....and claiming the increased viewing figures are only because of the show not clashing with X factor. I think this is wishful thinking.....if the greater viewing public didnt like the changes the viewing figures would be falling week on week but dont seem to be.

It does seem to be soaring ahead this year. Last night's average ratings of 10.4 million was the same as the final result last year and we are still only in October. The slightly later start time last night helped off course but without clashing with XF Strictly is doing very good this year. Reactions to the show outside of this forum are much more positive for as far as I can see.

As far as the BBC is concerned, that is the bottom line, so no matter what forumites (or even the public) think of the show, if enough TV's tune in, its a success.

Comparison to last year would have to take into account the benefit of not clashing with X-Factor.

Yes but that final number from last year didn't clash with X-factor as that had finished by then IIRC. It did affect the build-up of ratings and the overal averages of the other shows earlier on in the run.

The celebrities on show this year are a million times better than the Z listers they had last year. From that perspective it's no shock ratings are up.

You really can't overlook the impact the scheduling has had on the ratings. I'd agree that this year's crop of celebs are rather better known than usual but I'd say the time change (and the non or hardly any clash with "You Know What") is the principal reason ratings are up.

Unfortunately, it also coincides with the increase in faffing/glitzing up/using everything and the kitchen sink so the producers have an excuse to think that lots of people love all that while ignoring the simpler reason for the higher viewing figures. And they might be right of course. However, they may not.

The show got higher ratings for the first half of series 7 (when the show clashed with X Factor) than every other series of Strictly. Then in the second half, when the BBC bosses moved the show away from X Factor, the ratings went off the boil compared to previous series.

IMO the clash with X Factor never had very much to do with any ratings decline. The ratings decline was very much to do with the public not really being as interested in the show as they had been. Now they are again, and the ratings are annihilating, by about 2 million viewers, anything they've achieved at this stage before. My one concern is that it's primarily being driven by Ann, and if(/when) she goes, they might struggle. The recent series of DWTS in America is a prime example. They started off with their best ratings ever because the cast was front-loaded with controversial and A list names (Buzz Aldrin, Kate Gosselin) who couldn't stay the course. When they left, the ratings tumbled.

this is excellent we didn't even get past 10 million last year did we ? i swear i remember it constantly around 8-9 million throughout the whole series. i loved the changes and last nights show was one of my favourite ever !

i'm really enjoying this series, much better than the rubbish last year,

I can just about cope with a one-off themed week. But should BBC think it should be repeated next year, I would be very, very bored indeed.

Ratings tell some story. I believe keeping it away from time clash with chav-factor must have something to do with it, at least partly.

I seem to recall one week getting 8.8 million and it was apparently a rise on the previous week. We may have reached 10 million at some point, but I don't think it happened often.

Either way, I think the ratings this series are already quite a step up from last year.

Well done to the producers who have devised a really good line-up this year and deserve a pat on the back. The new executive producer deserves all the credit, she can get.