Uh? 11 instead of 12m? You do realise X Factor this year averaged 14.1m, right?

Maybe in the later stages, I still say it has peaked. Now I'm not expecting it to do a Big Brother and slump, just a slow decline. Cowell will most likely call time in 2013 when he believes it's run its course.
Now don't get me wrong, TXF has got ratings anoraks like me excited and 20 million is, well, like going back in time to when Maggie was in power and we only had four channels. I think you'd have to go back to when OFAH was shown on a Sunday for ratings like these.

Can anyone tell me why the BBC thinks it's good value to repeat Eastenders OMNIBUS TWICE today as well as murdering Christmas evening itself.

Has the BBC at christmas descended into morbidity for the moronic?

Oh good grief. Just when I think ITV are taking some tentative steps forward they take a stride backwards. They should be focusing on non-crime drama and comedy, not this kind of thing.

BBC1 had a good night, with Upstairs Downstairs doing better than I expected considering the opposition. Saying that Benidorm still held up well. TV Burp was absolutely murdered against EastEnders and I agree with those who say it shoudl have ran before The Mummy, which did alright but not spectacularly.

Countryfile and Antiques Roadshow did reasonably well, though didn't hit the heights of pre-Christmas. I think the Songs of Praise title should've been dropped from the Boxing Day show and have it retitled as 'Carols from The Royal Albert Hall' or something. I tuink it may have claimed more viewers then.

BTW, ITV's Regional News must be pre-recorded today. Just a minor issue but they stated a football match was still being played when it's been postponed, and it was called off about 4 hours before the bulletin. Not exactly up to date...

I think it was just split into two:

11.40-1.40: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Christmas Eve
1.55-3.25: Christmas Day and Boxing Day

Still not brilliant for BBC1 to air an omnibus on Bank Holiday Monday, but saying that ITV1 did the same thing with Coronation Street.

archaeologists in future times will unearth 21st Century man and find him/her clutching a sky + remote and a tv schedule wall to wall Eastenders....evolution...hmmm

Ok....double helpings of sh!te and retaliation sh!te

My license fee has been spent well then


....and I bet it was on a lessor BBC digital channel too

It wasn't very regional either. The story about the Boxing Day Sales and the cricket latest was reproduced on the national news a few minutes later. I hate Anglia News these days, a shadow of its former self. It used to be so good in the days of Tim Curtis and Caroline Oldrey. And don't get me started on the abomination that is ITV weather.

In the old days it split between East Anglia and West Anglia which meant the news could be very focused I remember John Francis and Clare Weller - it used to be better than Look East then.

That would be a good comedy line up for the night, but although it's almost certain Gavin and Stacey would return with a Christmas special, I think the way it left off it actually needs a series rather than a special to move the storyline on.

Completely agree Miranda isn't in a position yet to warrant a Christmas Day slot.


Thanks - what on earth was Christmas Night with the Stars?


Although "Royale Family" is an ITV production. I wonder if ITV make more in the 9pm hour from the BBC or their own advertisers!


Benidorm did a bit better than I expected, but as for everything else I think it was a poor night all round, and certainly proved the point that Countryfile and Antiques Roadshow had no place on Boxing Day - a random film would have pulled in more viewers.

As for Upstairs Downstairs - probably an over prediction but I'd have thought 8m+. I think Rock and Chips would have beaten 7.5m (just) last night.


Think DS is mis-understanding there - more of a Little Britain spin-off was how I interpreted it. And as much as Little Britain died and Come Fly with Me is about as original as the BBC's Christmas Day schedule, I think this would be a good commission for the Royal Wedding bank holiday.


No surprise, however much the Murdoch press tried to spin it as a success. Sky need to realise though they'll never find the "next big entertainment format" as a show on Sky1 can never be the nations "next big entertainment format".


I wouldn't be too surprised if the ratings are similar for a regular weekday on ITV2 considering the ridiculous ratings Jeremy Kyle repeats get (often 500-600,000).


And people (probably including yourself) said the same last year and the year before too. It is undoubtedly a critical year for both Cowell shows this year with his eyes firmly fixed on the US, but I think it's fair to say even if it slumped this year, Cowell wouldn't surrender and just allow it to die - it would be back in 2012 fighting, just in time for ITV to renew it's contract beyond 2013.

The X Factor and BGT will be secure on ITV until Simon Cowell creates the shows to replace them.

With regards the X Facor and Strictly finals next year, in 2005 when Christmas day was on a Sunday they both finished on Saturday 17th so the weekend before Christmas, presumably then Cowell will insist X Factor finihes on Sunday 18th, which if this happens leaves two options for Strictly. Either finish on Saturday 17th and make sure the results part airs after the X Factor finishes, or delay it a week providing the BBC with a huge Xmas eve schedule. Perhaps:

16:?? Family Film
18:00 Strictly part 1 (12-14m)
19:20 Casualty (7-8m)
20:10 Lottery (7-8m)
20:15 Strictly Part 2 (12-15m)
21:00 My Family (7-9m)
22:00 Have I got Xmas News For You (6-8m)

The only issue would be to get the 'stars' to work xmas eve, but this could provide the BBC with a very strong schedule, especially the lead in for My Family (though ideally they could put another comedy there such as Outnumbered as My Family is now quite outdated

Yes another pointless, disposable reality show that no one will remember in 12 months time. I hope this crock stiffs, same as The Biggest Loser.
I was thinking ITV had turned the corner, but they still seem addicted to pointless, throwaway shows to keep their hardcore audience happy. Why not shove all the reality shows, barring IAC, onto ITV2 and concentrate on quality programming on ITV1?

Ah, so I take it you got the east version of the programme then as I don't remember those presenters on the version for the west of the region. But yes it was so much better back then and a proper rival to Look East.

There would have been no point in the BBC airing the omnibus on Sunday afternoon when the follow up to xmas day followed later that evening

This is NOT the first time the BBC have done this and i know plenty of people that don't watch during the week and watch in 1 go in the omnibus
still i guess some would prefer reapts from the 80/90's as usual

Yeah becuase your the only one that pays the fee
There's plenty of stuff on the BBC that i can't stand but i don't moan about it.

EastEnders is popular and if people are watching it then it's money well spent and no the Omnibus is NOT shown again on a digital channel

Yeah - I couldn't believe how much time they dedicated on the county, but they were able to because of the split. Now it's just rushed.

The story came from News of the World. It'll probably turn out to be a feature as part of This Morning or on ITV2

I know its popular...but why must it (and Emmerdale and Corrie) create mutually consentual vacuums where no other entertanment can exist in the evening slots. These shows wipe out a fair proportion of peak time viewing and when they're not on live they do repeats....

X factor is as bad but that's another story (also available as a catch up)


heaven forbid the queen her 3pm slot...can we not swap that out for another enders episode:yawn:

EastEnders takes 4 30min slots during week days primetime
(Corrie and Emmerdale take 5/6)
EastEnders has 1 digital repeat BBC 3 10:00pm (corrie and Emmerdale have handfulls)

EastEnders has 1 showing of the omnibus which pulls in over a million (corrie's is repeated anumber of times)

Normally The EastEnders omnibus is on Sunday afternoons on either BBC1/BBC2

2 Hours of primetime tv and 2 hours sunday afternoon is nothing.
It's not like we only have 5 channels these days

It's not 2 Hours of primetime tv and 2 hours sunday afternoon is it?

Add in the weekdayCorrie hours and weekday Emmerdale hours and 7pm to 9pm just vanishes. It's the desperate ratings nature that over the festive period all 3 just had to nail an episode or two on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day...and heaven forbid loosing omnibuses chuck that in too.


Oh and it's not like we only have 5 channels these days why not put todays omnibus on there then?

to break up this EE "discussion" im going to ask a stupid question

Ive been seeing the Glee promo on C4/E4 etc, would I be right in thinking the Britney towards the end (looking like she did in the Hit Me Baby One More Time video) is a guy?

To be Fair only EastEnders aired on Boxing Day but Xmas eve was just like a normal day anyway.
Christmas day is just obvious
EastEnders is genually the most popular show and ITV are going to want to show their top 2 soaps too.

The Omnibus of EastEnders rates well and there's planty of people that miss the episodes during the week in order to catch up on sunday in 1 go (this week monday)
so of course they are going to show it and have done for the past 25 years

In a normal week EastEnders airs 2 hours in primetime and 2
hours omnibus too

EastEnders looks like this (any week of the year apart from xmas)

Monday 8:00pm-8:30pm Repeat 10:00pm BBC3
Tuesday 7:30pm-8:00pm Repeat 10:00pm BBC 3
Thursday 7:30pm-8:00pm Repeat 10:00pm BBC 3
Friday 7:30pm-8:00pm Repeat 10:00pm BBC3

And Sunday Omnibus
That really isn't alot

The EastEnders marathon on this thread is getting as bad as the one on the BBC over Christmas...................

Depends on how you look at it...and this isn't just Enders as I've said

Total hours....not much....maybe.....BUT 4 Days out of 5 for gawds sake of prime time..only the news does more days

If it wasn't for digital channels then we'd only be able to look forward to ITV and BBC1 soap zones midweek 7 whilst 9

They all "give up" whilst the others have a soap on....mutually consented vacuum

We could a have a repeat if you want.... or do an omnibus tommorow

ps it aint just enders....and the baby jesus aint got sky+