I'm having a senile moment.

Years of working for ITV has dumbed-down your brain, George!

OK, you're thinking of Mad Men, but you raise an interesting point.

Looking at Atlantic's officials, especially for Boardwalk, I can see no reason why Mad Men will suffer as much as many were predicting.

Shame they're coming straight in with season five, without a 1-4 catch-up.

Marchlands has had a great run for ITV1, and really dismisses any doubts we might have had about the Thursday slot. Probably aided by poor opposition across terrestrial in the time slot too. Not great for the Comic Relief doc, but then I didn't think it would make particularly appealing 9pm viewing.

Terrible for Skins at 10pm - it got murdered by EE and Celebrity Juice on multichannel. Bet they're regretting the two series order now. S6 will have no viewers left at this rate.

From DS, ITV orders two new documentaries:

- When Kate Met William (1 x 60)
- Charles and Diana: The Wedding of the Century (1 x 60)

It's just typical though isn't it - all those people complaining last year it was too dark and too heavy on the drama soon ditch it as soon as it moves to a lighter tone. In hindsight E4 should perhaps have protected it by pairing it up with Glee on Monday nights - and it certainly doesn't help Thursday night is the night all digital channels seem to choose to play out their highest rating content.

I also think with the two year turnaround concept people are probably now thinking what's the point in investing time in this lot when they're going to be ditched in a year anyway. I really think they needed an extra series out of each generation as it's only in the second they begin to develop as characters - and the nature of Skins means that six episodes into this series we've still barely been introduced to some characters at all - and those who were centre stage early on are quickly forgotten.

Frankie looked to be the central character of this cast when the series launched, but that hasn't turned out to be the case and it's really been an ensemble piece and is missing the central role that Tony then Effy had in the earlier generations.

Marchlands did very well, not sure if it can come back as it ended without a cliffhanger but I imagine they'll give it a shot, I'm surprised neither Collision or Murderland got a second series that could kept the format but a new story. Monroe should do decently for ITV1 especially when the only real competition is football which will be over by the time it's on next week.

Channel 5 had a fairly good night especially it's filler between football weeks, Love Thy Neighbour did blah for Channel 4 even with plus one while The Spice Trail seem to have benefitted from no Masterchef.

Can't wait. The TV's going to be full of documentaries like this by the time the end of April swings around. I can't see any of them rating too well just because of the sheer number of them - all saying the same thing.

Bad night for Channel 4 and E4. Less than 2m between them at 9pm for two heavily promoted shows. They will be bitterly disappointed with both of those results.

The concept alone of Love Thy Neighbour left me cold, but I thought it would break 2m at least based on how similar shows have performed. And Glory Daze as I predicted couldn't match what the repeats of The Big Bang Theory were getting- it really ought to have done more than that with all the promotion it's had. (including advert under the E4 DOG all day yesterday)

At 10pm things got worse with a combined average across C4 and E4 of not much above 1 million. Absolutely pitiful for first run content on a Thursday night.

The Charles and Diana documentary sounds interesting but I really dont want any more William and Kate documentaries.

Actually the run up to Royal Wedding itself would make an interesting documentary similar to the Queen's Castle and The Royal Family at Work. Those sort of documentaries, I'm surprised they haven't done one about the workings of Downing Street,

The premiere of Death Race (Channel 5) that was originally supposed to air on March 13 has been moved to week 12.

So it appears it will air on March 20 at 9pm - that is, unless they move it again. Just letting people know as I gave duff info last time. (not entire my fault, it was in the press pack, but they obviously had a last minute change of heart)

Probably a rights or clearance issue, it does happen, Heston's show was meant to be on Wednesday but was moved a week back to Tuesday due to Masterchef on BBC One.

I think there are showing TMNT as a terrestrial premiere, the info a bit muddled on Digiguide which I think has it down as the 90s film and Spy Kids and Superman III seems to have cut to an hour but I think that's a mistake and it's just Spy Kids.

colour me unsurprised.

Very little on US TV last night - Sweeps is over, repeats have kicked in.

But American Idol was on and getting rid of the boring, drawn out semi-finals has definitely worked. Last nights results show to select the top 13 had an 8.1 rating - well above the 3 semi-final results shows last year which had 6.4, 6.5 and 6.3 ratings. The 8.1 is also a season high for the Thursday episodes - in contrast to the Wednesday episodes which have logged 6 consecutive week-to-week declines.

Overall, comparing this "top 24" week to the 3 semi-final weeks last year, Idol averaged a 7.8 rating - equaling the average for last years semi-final stages. That compares to a 13% loss in the auditions & Hollywood stages.

Historically, the semi-finals have seen declines in viewership and sent the show into the live finals losing momentum in contrast to the judges house stage of XF which has typically done the opposite. So this is definitely a (long overdue) change which has worked out.

Idol seems to have stabilized without Simon, I think it will remain on air for a while unless they decide to end it on a high. It does put enormous pressure on The X Factor to perform well for FOX but two singing contests might cannibalize each other.

Some new ITV1 factual 30 min commissions (presumably for slots against Eastenders), as TV vet Steve Leonard signs for two new series for ITV1.

Safari Vet School (12x30)
Tracks the fortunes of student vets, as they come face to face with Africa’s ‘big five’ for the first time during a life-changing and action-packed 16 day summer placement at the 15,000 acre Amakhala Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

Animal Kingdom (6x30)
Animal Kingdom will see Steve Leonard following wildlife stories from inside one of Africa’s most beautiful and diverse games reserves, the Erindi Game Park, which lies between the Namib and Kalahari deserts, in Namibia.

Also the Alan Titchmarsh Gardening Show (title to be confirmed) is apparently 12 x 30 and will start at 8pm on Friday 10th June.

ITV have quite a breadth of these returning factual formats now, like The Dales, The Lakes, River Monsters, Childrens Hospital, Countrywise / Kitchen, and erm.... Grimefighters

I actually think ITV1 do 'popular' factual better than BBC One now. Who mostly have this kind of content now within The One Show (oh and of course Countryfile - probably the best of it's type).

On the day that Neil Wilkes leaves Digital Spy, here's a vintage ratings report from the main main himself:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/...ads-bbc1-to-pe

Nearly 16m combined watching Holby and Millionaire. Oh, how times have changed. Or is it just tastes?

The problem is it's not that light a content, and that's what people wanted. Also, let's be honest. It doesn't deserve superb ratings anymore. It's just not that good. I am on the verge of stop watching the show after 4 years.

Do American networks still do this as I recall them ending such huge rating shows as Kojak and Starsky and Hutch after four series, or have they gone down the British route of squeezing every last drop out of a show as occured over here with Blind Date and Big Brother, both of which should have ended years earlier than they did?

Well ITV did one thing right on Comic Relief night, unfortunately they didn't do the other thing right...

19:00 - Emmerdale
19:30 - Coronation Street
20:30 - FILM: Die Another Day
22:00 - ITV News at Ten
22:35 - FILM: Die Another Day
23:30 - Take Me Out (R)

What would be wrong with:

19:00 - Emmerdale
19:30 - Coronation Street
20:30 - FILM: Die Another Day
22:55 - ITV News
23:30 - Take Me Out (R)

Strange move.

Why is it strange? ITV nearly always split movies up with a news bulletin. It's their favourite hobby. That and slotting in unwarranted extra episodes of Coronation Street all over the schedule.

Edited to add: ITV News at Ten may actually do okay for once that night, since it won't have to compete with BBC NaT and the movie viewers will presumably stick with.

ITV can't win with News at Ten. First it's said they're wrong for moving it about the schedule to fit in films etc. then they're wrong for NOT moving the news about. They can't do both things!

Talking of ITV - quite a good night for ITV1. Coronation Street beat EastEnders again on a Thursday though EastEnders had the better share. Marchlands has performed very well. The Comic Relief Special didn't really work for BBC1 ratings wise.

More to the point, why have the BBC seen fit to move their 10pm bulletin ? Comic Relief or not I thought the 10pm bulletin was sacrosanct on the BBC.

Anyway, that Bond film is sure to rate terribly.

ITV News at Ten at 22:55 would be unacceptable on a day that isn't a holiday