Good to finally clear this one up 2 years on.


EE has a long tradition of extended episodes for key storyline climaxes. It's just a bit difficult now for one hour episodes with ITV wrapping Coro St and EmFm tightly around EE as a crutch for the rest of their schedule.

So if the odd EE episode now overruns Coro St and grinds it into the dirt, then tough. ITV has to reap what it sows.

Not sure if it's previously been mentioned: Martin Clunes has filmed yet another documentary for ITV: 'Martin Clunes and The Lion Man', examining the lives of lions in Tanzania (2x60').

Has Caroline Quentin been packed off on another "passage" to somewhere or other, after her recent ratings triumph?

I won't be surprised if ITV run Coronation Street beyond 8pm so they're able to start Baboons late and allow that to run until around 8.32, therefore Coronation Street'll start at 8.35, once EastEnders has finished.

Just seen the trailer for BBC1's Exile. Looks very good.

Is May the right time to air it though?

Trailing Exile more than 2 weeks earlier than TX - that's a bit early compared to when the BBC usually start plugging most of their dramas. Looks like they'll be promoting it a lot. I read that they're going to strip the 3 episodes on consecutive nights which might be better in terms of retention than doing it weekly. The one concern for it might be that ITV apparently will be launching a new drama that week too so there's a possible scheduling clash there - let's hope both broadcasters see sense and ensure there's no clash.

Critics who saw it at the preview screening were saying Exile was brilliant and quite similar to State of Play, but I'm not sure if it'll rate too well due to the subject matter. State of Play had pretty average/poor ratings - about 5m in the consolidated ratings in 2003 which wasn't great at the time, to say the least. This might go the same way - a huge critics favourite but it might not get stellar figures, although as I said above, it would help it having it over 3 consecutive nights. As always, ideally it would be better to have had it shown in the Winter months, but maybe the post-production stuff wasn't done until for a April/May showing at the earliest.

Any idea what that might be ?

The Reckoning looks like a potential enoyable (if not slightly ludicrous) 2 parter.

Will be interesting to see how it fares in the plum Monday night slot without drama opposition.

On another note, I see ITV3 giving Downton Abbey another full airing over the May Bank Holiday - it's 2nd full rerun I think. I thought this would be nailed on for an ITV1 repeat in the summer, but probably not now.

Wonder what primetime drama repeats they'll air in the summer.

Case Sensitive: Point of Rescue (2x60'). I read on another forum that they might show it in that week and the DVD was due to be released on 9th May (suggesting it'd be shown in the week beginning 2nd May), although now the date's gone and it says "Coming Soon" so plans might've changed.

Doc Martin in preperation of the autumn series? They might give the latest series of Law and Order a go against weaker opposition.

The Suspicions of Mr Whicher is getting some good reviews, and it's a drama that STV will be showing.

It's been scheduled well so has every chance of a decent rating.

Exile looks really good and I hope it does well. The reviews certainly suggest that it's good but good reviews don't always equal ratings success so we'll see how it does.


I'd be tempted to give the last series of Taggart a Friday repeat run. It only got about 2.5m on Tuesdays against Silent Witness and BFGW so surely it'd grab a few more on Fridays, even in the Summer as just last Summer an episode got 5.1m (admittedly on a Sunday).

This will be Downton's third repeat run (New Year weekend on ITV1, Winter Wednesdays on ITV3) so I can't see it getting another on ITV1. They repeated the last series of Doc Martin last Summer so I doubt they will again, and whilst Law and Order could do OK (Tuesday repeats only got 2.5m, but with the Corrie lead in it could do 3m+ on Fridays) but new episodes will probably be on in July/August so I can't see them running repeats too. Expect loads of Midsomer repeats on Wednesdays, and possibly some other 2 hour drama repeats too (Lewis repeats well).

I think they might air Case Sensitive on the Monday and Tuesday like The Reckoning as I read that Home Is Where The Heart Is (3 parter) is due to begin the following week on Tuesday 10th, so they'll probably run another 3 parter on Mondays (don't know what they've got though) until BGT week.


It must be good if STV are showing it!

It looks very good in fairness and in that slot I think it could top 6m. I remember reading that it could come back as a full series if it does well so they'll be hoping it does.

It'd be the Strangeways documentary which is a 3-parter. In a very similar slot and time of year that Wormwood Scrubs was shown last year and did well. I think, however, if there's a potential scheduling clash on the Monday with Exile, it might be better to delay Case Sensitive and bring Strangeways/HIWTHI forward a week and show CS in late-May.

I agree, they'd probably be better off running Case Sensitive on the 23rd/24th if Exile does start on the Monday. Strangeways should do well as Wormwood Scrubs got 5.1m for both episodes last year (admittedly it was against High Street Dreams though!).

Has Whitechapel series 1 ever been repeated ?

I was thinking that series 1 & 2 put together, as a 6 parter might rate ok as a drama repeat in the summer ?

Or maybe they'll rerun DCI Banks ahead of the new series.

When is it getting aired ? I only ask because it looks very good and I don't want to miss it. It'll also be one of those rare occasions when I'll be watching STV and not ITV London, honestly I think I watch ITV London more than STV

Easter Monday 9-11pm.

They've never repeated Whitechapel, but again it'd probably do alright at 3-3.5m. Repeating DCI Banks could be a smart move ahead of the full series.

Easter Monday, It looks good, I think they make it a series if ratings are good. Case Sensitive is another one that could become a series should the two parter do well.

Honestly, I am not shocked about AMC's cancellation, since it was always the lowest rated soap, in recent months. After As The World Turns and Guiding Light finished, it was a tight race between OLTL and AMC. Even with the cancellation news of Guiding Light, AMC still managed 4th or 5th.

That being said, CBS should be worried about their remaining soaps too. Just look at Y&R numbers! Big comparison with what they had two years ago (downwards, obviously). At least DOOL is safe, since NBC renewed the show for at least a few more years. What happens after, well... General Hospital should be lucky that they are safe, as they have been improving slightly in recent weeks.

It looks like next year's Daytime Emmys will be the last proper year for acting categories, before they either shrink the nomination numbers from 5 to 3, or assumingly get rid of the "Younger Actor", "Younger Actress" category. The game, talk and lifestyle shows will be competitive, as usual.

I think the CBS soaps are safe although both skew older compared to the other soaps. The replacements like the gameshows and talkers have similar ratings and are much cheaper to make.

With Oprah ending this year, I wonder who'll take the main for highest rated talk show. Both Anderson Cooper and Katie Couric are planning to launch shows from next year onwards.

Isn't the highest rated daytime show Judge Judy or is Wheel of Fortune?

In regards to US ratings, it's one month until the Upfronts and I have no clue what shows will be renewed, axed or picked up. CBS' has so many solid shows that it is difficult for them to decide which shows to axe in order to make way for new shows. ATM the shows I think are defiently goners are Medium which was already cancelled, The Defenders, Bleep My Dad Says, Mad Love and Chaos. CSI: NY, Blue Bloods and The Good Wife skew very old despite decent total viewers.

FOX is in a similar situation but its problem is more due to having three or four slots taken by The X Factor and Terra Nova. My guess is Terra Nova gets 13 episodes and something replaces it at midseason.

US Morning Shows

Average audiences week of April 4:

1. NBC Today 5.36 million
2. Good Morning America ABC 4.79 m
3. Early Show CBS 2.59 m

Season so far: Today -2%, ABC + 7%, CBS + 1%

c Neilsen

Must admit I am not a regular on this thread, but I would be interested in any figures anyone can give for the IPL Cricket on ITV4
Thanks

A few overnights from Attentional:

The Animal’s Guide to Britain (BBC2): 1.8m (7.9%)
Misbehaving Mums to Be (BBC3): 1.0m (4.4%)
Monroe: 4.0m (17.7%) excluding HD

Source: Attentional

So Monroe will end up at ~4.3m with HD and +1. That's its recommission chances down the toilet then.