Ah I see. I know that it's Scotland's actual parliament elections so that's been pretty important around here and I just assumed that all the votes would be counted at the same time. I know its off topic but can someone fill me in on when the AV results will come in because that's what interests me the most, to be honest.

Easter 2009 had Lewis as the most popular show with 6m, Countryfile was BBC1's biggest audience with 4.3, the 9pm show was under 3m and even Corrie could only pull 5.4m. Those figures dont suggest that there was a huge amount of interest in watching TV on that day.

Admittidley, last year saw better ratings for Creek and Frost but neither got spectacular numbers.

OK!TV Sunday between 10:15-11:15 averaged 88,500 (1.0%).

It was about half of what Channel 5 rated in the same slot the previous Sunday, when they had 167,000 between 10:15-11:15.

Quite a few people unhappy with the camera angle used for the football tonight on ITV1. Wonder if many turned off because of it.

More likely to have turned off due to the score line to be fair.

I was watching to test out the HD channels for the first time. Quality of picture was superb on both the football and MasterChef.

I doubt a noteable number of people turned off simply due to the camera angle. There might've been a few thousand people but not nearly enough to make a significant dent in the overnights. It's a bad angle but just about bearable. More likely viewers would've have turned off due to the scoreline - it was pretty much a dead rubber at the start of the game anyway, but once Real scored I suspect more viewers switched off. Not much ITV can do about the camera angle because it was a UEFA decision to have it lower so that all their sponsors' logos could be seen - they've had that camera angle for other Spurs European home games too.

Gosh, you've got HD now, how exciting.

Impressive isn't it!!

Can you understand why the majority of people paying extra for HD equipment, never ever put an HD channel on?

From BBC website. Might get some good ratings.

Do you get commission on that?

LOL. That's hilarious.

Have to congratulate the British public in their sensational taste. Didn't watch Live From Studio Five, now not watching OK! TV.

Remember when Channel 5 used to show porn films on Friday nights? How long before Desmond reintroduces them? Perhaps he'll replace OK!TV with Penthouse TV. Or will he just go for live porn on Big Brother?

Yeah, this could be huge! I hope they pair it with another new sitcom and not just Have I Got News For You or a QI repeat.

I wonder if BBC1 will give it the Come Fly With Me treatment and premier it on Christmas Day.

I really hope they do. A brand new David Jason sitcom launching on Christmas Day, providing it's decent, could be huge, and the biggest sitcom hit in a long time (do we classify Come Fly With Me as a sitcom or sketch show btw?).

On another note, it was the BGT press launch today, and from what I can see it's gone down very well, and all the articles/posts seem to think it's a big improvement on last year, and that the new judges (especially McIntyre) are great. I get the feeling that even if it does start a bit lower it could grow a bit over the course of the auditions this year if the public take to it like the media have today.

They could!

David Jason could be a big draw on Christmas Day

David Jason's new sitcom is nailed on for a Christmas Day launch, I reckon. Not sure if there'll be a Royle Family lead-in this year or not, but if it does get a Xmas Day slot I think The Royal Bodyguard may well get 10m+ like what Come Fly With Me got last Xmas. And that'll set up the rest of the series very nicely, indeed, even if it does drop viewers over the remaining episodes as it'll begin at such a high base level.

Yay, Christmas talk in April.

Here's my ITV1 prediction for Christmas Day, I reckon they will have the soaps, Mamma Mia! and Downton Abbey

A Christmas Day launch would be perfect for The Royal Bodyguard. The BBC1 schedule is already locked in for most of the night (show wise if not time wise)...personally I think I'd put it at 9pm with The Royle Family at 10pm.

6.00 EastEnders
6.30 Doctor Who
7.30 Strictly Come Dancing
8.30 EastEnders
9.00 The Royal Bodyguard
10.00 The Royle Family

ITV1 can't really argue against the schedule, or try and 'spoil' it simply because they don't stand a chance on Christmas Day. They'd have to go with something like:

5.30 All Star Mr. and Mrs.
6.30 Emmerdale
7.30 Coronation Street
8.30 Poirot

Which, as with every year, will be thrashed.

It's not Christmas talk, it's new-David-Jason-sitcom talk.

Can't see why they would chuck Downton Abbey on Christmas Day when it can claim 9m on the Sunday before it. Then again, they did put Doc Martin there one year I suppose! Mamma Mia may be a good bet - as it'd be a repeat it won't be such an embarrassment when it limps in with around 3m.

Why do people keep bringing that up, it's axed isn't it ?

Fern has gone, and ITV don't need another Philip Schofield fronted show.

Christmas Day - ITV1 - they may as well air a repeat!

OK then, All Star Family Fortunes. Not that it matters much.

I'm sure she'll be back very soon

Life of Riley may be boosted also.

I think the BBC see this as a replacement for My Family, it's quite similar (except with even less laughs of course)

I think we're getting ahead of ourselves here!

CFWM did spectacularly because of who was behind it, and the demographic that it was likely to appeal to. I'm not convinced a new David Jason sitcom launching on Christmas Day would necessarily match that. He's not the draw he once was due to the stodgy dramas he's been involved in over the past few years. One assumes it would be getting a pre 10pm slot, but that would throw it into a potentially more competitive slot. And we don't know whether this is a traditional sitcom, modern laughter-track-free comedy, a comedy drama, 6x30m, 6x1hr etc.

But it's a nice idea - perhaps sandwiched between EE and The Royle Family. And particularly as Miranda, tragically, doesn't look like going into production till early 2012.

Can we enjoy summer first, though, before we turn our minds to Christmas...?


At least the result won't be calculated by AV!

Can't believe I'm being dragged into this discussion in April...

I suspect The Royal Bodyguard will go at 10pm after The Royles. However, if they're feeling very confident about it they could split EE around it ie. 20:30 EE Part 1, 21:00 The Royal Bodyguard, 21:30 EE Part 2. The Royles (or whatever other sitcom they choose) could then go at 10pm.

As for ITV, they haven't got much of a chance. I'd just suggest a teatime repeat of Mamma Mia, Corrie, Emmerdale, Family Fortunes (it did quite well last year) and The Dark Knight at 9pm. In 2007 a repeat of Love Actually (it premiered in 2006) got nearly 5m for them at 9:30pm, so the premiere of a big movie like that could get 5m or so as a genuine alternative. Downton could go on Boxing Day as there's no point in showing it on Xmas Day.

As for Mr & Mrs, I think it's axed, but there hasn't been any announcement. I guess it was a consequence of Fern leaving This Morning as the ratings weren't bad.