All these ITV reality shows are just getting tired now. DOI, IAC and BGT are all quite dull now and just offer nothing new or interesting..

This year averaged 10.4m last year 10.6m. I'm guesing you looked at the figures without ITV1+1, which didn't exist last year.

The other openers averaged, from memory around 4-5m, 8m and 10.3m, making this the second most watched launch ever

I think the whole premise of the show is just not what people expect. There's only so many acts you can have (i.e. after the first couple of series) before it gets 'samey'. But that's to do with the whole concept/definition of "talent". There are thousands of different things people can do to be classed as talented, but it's not all suitable for the Royal Variety or a TV programme in general.

Someone playing the drums really well can be classed as talented, but you can't get to the final of a 'variety' TV competition just doing that. There's no solo drum acts around making names for themselves. And that's what I mean by it all becoming 'samey'. There's only so many things that can be seen as 'talent' with regards to a TV competition which will have enough variety to win and then still be different enough at the Royal Variety. That's why you see the same acts over and over again. It's not because the TV show itself has passed its prime, it's just that people don't have a good understanding of what it's there for.

You can't take the 'talent' word in the title so seriously. At the end of the day, it's an entertainment programme. That's why there's not much 'talent' on it. It's there to amuse and sell advertising. The same as any other TV show.

Regarding the criticism of the new format/judges, I didn't think it was any less entertaining. In fact I enjoyed it more. I love Michael McIntyre, and David Hasselhoff is just a fruit cake. Simon Cowell is a bit bland (he just says the same things over and over again) and Piers Morgan is (or at least comes across as being) too arrogant to judge people in this format. I think the new judges interacted very well with each other and the contestants, and I thought they made it a lot funnier because of this.

Lighten up, people - the premise of the programme isn't to find talent, it's to provide entertainment.

its easy really....if you dont like it you pick up that shiny oblong thing called a remote control and hey presto! you change channels.
i will agree the acts last week were on the whole pretty poor but we have to give it a chance,its only week two.

Shame Simon didn't take the show away with him.

I don't think it's correct to say that the show is about entertainment, and not talent.
The show is about attracting massive viewing figures to sell advertising.
Most peoples best memories of BGT are when they heard Paul Potts or Susan Boyle for the first time, or when they saw Diversity perform fabulous routines, not Mrs Murphy playing Dixie on a Tin whistle stuck up her nose.
People like to be entertained, but by quality performances that blow them away.
Hughie Greene had the first long running, and hugely successfully talent show "Oppertunity Knocks" decades ago, and not by shoving rubbish acts onto the tv screen.
You can quote viewing figures with or without itv+1 etc.
The forums tell the story. Most people were very disappointed with the first show, and many saying they would only watch it from recordings from now on so that they can skip the crap.
Even here on this forum the intrest is very low with less posts than on the x-factor forum or big brother...... And theyre not even on the air now.
Clearly the producers have it wrong. People don't like the drivel that they are being shown.

I am still enjoying the show - with or without Simon.

Very true. We shouldn't dismiss the show just because it failed to deliver last week. We should give it a chance.

I am really enjoying this show so far. The atmosphere is far more relaxed without Simon Cowell.
There is a sense of fun about it and the judges critisims are kinder.
The stand up comedian woman was a bit too defensive to start with.
Loved the singing dog and his owner, the matrix man body popper and the creative nursery rhyme singer.
Apart from Kevin Webster I didn't recognise all the people the impressionist did but he was good too.

The show was generally better last night and I am already getting used to the two new judges but I still miss Simon even though I don't particularly like him!

My general complaint (and it has been going on since series 1) is the irritating editing during the audition stages of constantly showing the judges reactions and the audience reactions. I don't mind it when it is obvious that the performer on stage is rubbish, but during the really good and entertaining acts I WANT TO SEE THE ACTS not some open gobbed response from Amanda that was probably filmed at an entirely different time to that we are seeing.

For example yesterday I felt we were missing vital seconds of the Matrix dancer's routine as the camera regularly showed the judges reaction. Just once please if you have to. Not every few seconds! Grrrr really annoys me.

How could you not recognise his prolonged impression of Ant and Dec?

To be fair the second show was a little better..... Still not up to the mark, but better

I disagree, I thought last night's show was even worse, the worst I've ever seen. I think after four series and two episodes of this fifth, I'm out.

Paul Potts, Connie Talbot and Diversity all seem like another age entirely.

Having Morgan and Cowell both leaving the show was a mistake. One new judge may have been ok, but two and it isn't working. Having said that, maybe the show has peaked.

I still think it's a good show. Maybe it might not get 18 million viewers again, but it still does very well in the ratings.

Oh I got them (but only after he mentioned phone numbers. I am a Geordie myself but he could have been impersonating Cheryl Cole for all the depth he gave that impression!) I also got Ross Kemp because he told us who he was doing but I missed Alan Sugar and I think there was someone else in there too before Kevin Webster.

yeah I was amazed that people were so impressed.(including ant and dec) and how much they loved the kevin webster character.
I thought it was all shite really

in fact this is the 1st year I have watched since simon cowell has left.

me too..........
I am looking forward to this weeks show.....really hoping for a suprise act, something different....like a badly dressed fat guy that turns out to be ok at singing, or else a trained dog that can stand and shuffle around on its hind legs.
in fairness the only way is up!!

I just don't think threre is nothing now, which you have not seen before.
If you sing go for X Factor!
(That narrows it down a bit)

This series NOTHING really special. I mean last years winners, were not exactly raw, hot, new talent. Brillinat yes, in their 'Proffesion'.

The novelty of all these staged 'talent' shows is simply wearing off. I used to love BGT, but last year's series was boring, and this year I'm not interested in it at all and haven't even bothered to watch any of it.

It's crap
It always has been crap and it always will be crap

How constructive.

I think the ratings for Im a Celeb were up? And Dancing on Ice did very well. The ratings for BGT are still huge compred to most other shows.

I dont think it is a question of ratings, which although I think they have peaked, are still very good in todays terms. The difference is that now people are saying its not so good, on the slide, very samey etc etc. The press arent quite so fulsome in promoting it and the other problem is that people maybe watch expecting another Subo moment and are almost certainly waiting in vain. BGT is far more about acts than XF where the judges are like pantomime characters-the acts though dont seem to be very good.