Isnt the Biggest Loser primetime in the USA?

Especially when you think that 1 in 5 watched Mad Men on BBC HD and EE only gets 1 in 300.

Episodes should have been a simulcast. US stuff has consistently done well on BBC HD, no doubt due to the high concentration of Sky customers, who appreciate US programming more than most.

ITV have axed regular episodes of Who Wants to be a Millionaire: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/...-episodes.html

And Piers Morgan to visit death's row for a new show: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/new...-itv-show.html

Both good decisions there. Normal Millionaire was becoming stale and ratings were continuing to fall in the Tuesday slot, but I can see why they are keeping the specials. I would guess they will have around 4 specials a year, perhaps two at Easter and two at Christmas or something like that?

And the Piers Morgan show looks like it could be a factual success, similarly to how stuff like Holloway has performed.

overnights...

Emmers - 7.32m
EE - 9.94m
Holby - 6.4m
HO - 1.17m
Neighbours - 1.18m

Secret Med - 3.21m
MotD - 3.49m
SW - 6.84m
Taggart - 2.58m
Secret Millionaire - 1.47m
Shameless - 2.68m
CSI - 2.02m

I don't have ITV1 +1 or HD, so no idea how much more Emmers, Taggart may have got

So BBC2 presumably beat ITV1 from 19:30 to 22:00 last night? Wow, good rating for the Football there.

Shockingly poor for Taggart - +1 and HD would probably only take it just above 3m. Very good night for BBC1, their usual reliable Tuesday line-up doing the business once again.

Good also for Shameless, which will be above 3m in the officials.

Very bad for Taggart last night, that is worse than what The Bill was getting in that slot.
Very good ratings for Eastenders, Holby and Silent Witness. Holby 6.3m + for the 4th week in a row

Be interesting to see a run down of ITV1 +1 later to see how that did (quoted separately of course, not bundled in).

Taggart tanked really badly - must be its worst rated episode ever for a new showing (for most of the UK). It was terrible scheduling by ITV though to put it up against the 2nd part of Silent Witness which had locked in ~7m. It's as if ITV wants to get rid of it or deliberately wants ratings to go so low that they want to force STV to cough up all the costs of making another series. Good ratings for BBC1 yesterday - the two parter drama strategy had been working fantastically so far. BBC2 also rated superbly for the football.

Thanks Mike. Apart from the football, everything as expected there really, but considering how high the football rated I'm surprised it didn't appear to dent BBC1 at all. Holby is on fire atm, pulling in regular audiences of 6m+ and SW pulling in another fantastic audience.

ITV only have themselves to blame for the Taggart situation. It was obvious it was going to be so low, because a) Silent Witness had the advantage b) it was up against the season premiere of CSI c) the last drama to air in that slot, The Bill, flopped with similar numbers & I don't think that had drama competition d) Taggart has become an ailing brand anyway, because of the erratic scheduling. Silly, silly scheduling. TBL would have probably got similar, if not better figures in that slot, because I would guess it is more female skewed. Taggart would have got around 5m in the Monday slot. Rant over.

Shameless continues to perform well, probably around 3m inc +1. It's great to see CH4 have a big drama success, but I just don't see why it's so popular.

CSI did as well could be expected against two dramas, and a football match which rated well. It was starting to fall last season anyway and I can see a bigger decline this season too. Neighbours really struggling to establish itself after the Christmas break too.

wasn't The Bill shown on Thursdays? - except Scotland of course

I just wish ITV and STV would sit down and sort out the petty war and start showing programme wholly across the network

having said that Taggart's past it's glory days, I don't think I've watched it in over ten years

It was originally shown on Thursdays, but when the axe was announced it was moved to Tuesdays where the Tuesday programmes switched to airing in the post Corrie slot, to boost them. ITV obviously thought there's no point in using the Corrie lead in to boost an axed show.

Looks like a similar thing is happening now with Taggart-purposefully killing a show. It happened to Heartbeat. But i do agree Taggart is well past its sell by now. Stupidly the one time they show a proper series of episodes (I think there's 6 this time), instead of airing 2 or 3 episodes at a time is in the worst slot of the week.

I agree they should sit down and sort it all out but you really can't say it's past it's glory days. Being Scottish or not, this series of Taggart is the best I've seen in years! Its really gripping this time around and if people continue to watch it they will soon find out there is a story growing in the background that comes to a head at the end! brilliant!

Even more irritatingly they broadcast at 10pm on BBC HD alongside the SD showing on BBC3

That is awful scheduling!

wasn't really having a go about its writing quality (or Scottishness), more that it's ratings have been low for the last few years

The Bill still had great stories towards the end of its run, the problem was nobody cared to watch the show. Not helped by the annoying revamp and "scheduling issues"

1) no I didnt, but this is hardly the first Biggest Loser to catch my attention, I am aware of the format.

2) Im quite sure if it had been on the BBC, we would have the Daily Mail pointing out how that kind of weight loss is not healthy, and how dumbed down the BBC is.

There may well be a place for weight loss advice shows on the BBC, but it isnt 9pm.

I thought that was the point tbh

lol no not at all i just meant cause i was Scottish I was expecting some folk to say i was bias

Yeah i agree they have been but thats cause the last few series imo have been getting weaker - this one seems to be back to its roots sort of thing. Its just a shame about the scheduling.

ITV planning on having a new reality show based on, err, Downton Abbey?:

pinch

of

salt

Taggart should be on Thursdays imo or failing that Sundays

I dont know about that, speculation articles, dont normally come with a production company attached.

Sounds more like Celebrity Upstairs Downstairs to me.

I also recall the Racist Celebrity Big Brother, started with the celebritys being servants to the Goody family.

well I really hope Daily Star is lying or has got it wrong

can't think of a better way to taint what was a good breakout success for ITV

they need to stop default relying of "Celeb" shows. I'm still annoyed that factual programmes can only exist if they have a star name attached to them

Re Millionaire, live specials now and again is perhaps the best way to go. TBH I would have stripped that live special across that week before Xmas. It'd need to be done sparingly though.

Live Millionaire only at Christmas would be good, as said above stripped across the week. The idea of possibly creating a millionaire at Christmas would be good and i think could draw in lots of viewers. Although i guess it will only be celebs.

MTV are doing a UK version of Jersey Shore with Lime Pictures

The title....I kid you not...Geordie Shore

(no prizes for guessing where it's filmed)

Casting folk have been around the pubs and clubs and the Student Union bar at Northumbria