With the ads taken out, it was about 6 mins of post-match analysis tonight. Okay, that's 4 mins less but it's not that much. Also worth noting that ITV's pre-match coverage is usually longer than what it used to be on BBC1 a few years ago - tonight, for e.g. there was 40 mins of pre-match stuff (about 30mins excluding the adverts), whereas on BBC1 for Saturday teatime matches it used to be about 10 mins. So the duration of coverage overall is about the same, if not longer, than what it used to be a few years ago.


Yeah true - apart from Life Stories they haven't had much success in that 9pm slot apart from the obvious talent shows!

Saturday Night Predictions

BBC1
1800: Total Wipeout - 4.5m
1900: Lets Dance for Comic Relief - 5.9m
2020: TNL Secret Fortune - 5.6m
2110: Casualty - 5.7m

ITV1
1635: FA Cup - 6.1m
1915: Harry Hill's TV Burp - 5.9m
1945: Ant & Dec's Push the Button - 5.4m
2100: Take Me Out - 4.5m

How about this for ITV1.....

1800- You've Been Framed
1830- Harry Hills TV Burp
1900- Ant & Dec's Push the Button/Beat the Star
2015- Take Me Out/All Star Family Fortunes
2130- Benidorm/PM Life Stories
2230- News

I find that perfect, in terms of slot timings.

Let's Dance is a show that does well because of the contestants. The hosts contribute nothing to the show. Ant and Dec get insults from some quarters but they work because they have a bit of personality. A darn sight more than the light entertaining presenters we have now.

I still don't think they can hold a candle to Barrymore, Cilla or Noel or Brucie at their peaks but Ant and Dec are good.

The four I mentioned could make a format really shine by the way they hosted it. There are no good L.E. presenters anymore. We have competent presenters like Tess Daly, Nick Knowles, Steve Jones, but they are not competent and entertaining.

I look at Let's Dance and wish Paul O'Grady was fronting it or Chris Evans. They have some personality.

Why do these shows have to be so bloody long though. Why can't we have hour long shows anymore?

Tomorrow's NOTW reports that Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole have both quit the UK edition of the X Factor.

Must say I would be very surprised if ITV didn't seek assurances that Cowell would be involved prior to signing the new three year deal and I still expect him to be involved when the line up is finally confirmed.

I havn't given an opinion.

yes how manny times are we going to discuss this on this therad, every week a cheap rag claims that Simon has quit the show, but it never seems to be true, why is it suddenly true this week?

I know there was a chance he wouldnt do it, due to focusing on the US X-Factor, but im sure even ITV would sign for the show, without him signing to present it.

ITV will surely have replacements in mind.

Michael MacIntyre and Katie Price?

Chiles and Bleakley?

Richard and Judy?

finally they can apply there flop making magic to something we actualy want to flop.

I agree about the tabloids continually reporting contradictory stories about the potential judging line ups, chances are tomorrow we will get a 'nothing has been decided' style statement from SyCo.

that kind of statement is not helpeful, if I was ITV (and when im doing flogging myself) I would be making a big bold statement, that its 100% confirmed and not to believe what you read in the papers.

What's Pete Waterman up to these days?

He could take on the pop svengali role vacated by Cowell I guess? He's more likeable too.

Dont mean to be funny but you gave your opinion that SallyLinz's opinion wasnt valid.

Speaking of Simon Cowell...

They don't have much choice. Nothing is confirmed. ITV have the rights to BGT & XF for 3 years. Based on previous years, it's usually not until March that all the Executive Producers go out to LA to discuss their plans for the next series. Going back to 2008, it was 8 days before the auditions that Cheryl Cole joined the panel.

I don't even think the new showrunner has joined yet.


You'd think there would be something in the whole Olympics/sport talent show idea - although nobody seems to have nailed it yet. I once heard from a Head of Development at a UK indie that just about every production company was trying to get some kind of Olympic tied format off the ground a few years ago but the relevant bodies just weren't interested and that was making it difficult.

For some reason - and I haven't noticed this before - my entire Facebook news feed is populated with statuses about Take Me Out. Never seen the appeal but notice it's also trending heavily on Twitter.

But what does Twitter mean - pretty much nowt.

I don't really get how you can do a sports-based talent show. I mean, I'm sure they'll find a way, but how? Do they focus on one field such as sprinting or include different sports? Not sure if it'd work in terms of primetime TV entertainment.


I think with Twitter/Facebook, if something is trending, it's possibly popular with 16-34s (which Take Me Out is). But it doesn't really indicate how programmes rate in terms of total viewing figures we look at.

Think your prediction For push the button is v optimistic, found it unwatchable, but maybe you're right, ant and dec are very popular, so maybe they can present anything and it will be a hit.

I stated fact.

Lets not pretend that somebody who actively slates Coronation Streets big 50th annivesery episodes as " a waste of money and effort" isn't anti- Corrie?

I think it would have to be multiple sports or else it would risk being too niche. Plus, with multiple sports they can try and cash in on the Olympics by getting some high profile UK medal winners involved. Finding an exact format is where it's really tricky, I'd imagine. I'm sure many have tried. I know there have been a few for football.

maybe in 2010, but BgT surely can't be described as the 2 biggest shows in uk. Strictly gets that no 2 title!!!

If you're looking at shows from every genre, EastEnders would be in the top two from 2010.

Ridiculous scheduling from the two main channels tonight with their football highlight packages. They have the early part of the late evening to schedule one so there's no clash yet have still managed to clash the programmes.

Yeah, however they were close in the series averages last year. BGT averaged 11.05m in 2010 compared to SCD's 11.24m - not much difference really. I suppose it sounds better for that "source" to say he's got "the two biggest shows" instead of "the biggest show and 3rd biggest" reality show!

Only if you consider the highest individual rating. I'd guess that by average, Strictly, BGT and possibly I'm A Celebrity would be ahead.

Just looking at those BGT ratings on BARB and it really was a monumentally bad scheduling decision. The live shows actually rated lower than the auditions! I know Mr Moat didn't help things but even the Monday & Tuesday results weren't great.

That's true.

I can understand the logic behind ITV's approach and I'm not sure if I'd mind if they did the same thing this year - except it should only be on for an hour for the main show, half hour for the results and used to promote a new half hour show in the 9pm slot.

Otherwise they should go back to the 8.30pm-10pm approach they had in 2009.