I don't think you can accuse the BBC of throwing in the towel with that alternative. Casualty? A programme whose best audience this year is 7m. It's no slouch in the ratings but last year against BGT Final it had 3.12m in the overnights and 4.00m in the officials, so that proves that there's no point in the BBC competing hard against the BGT Final (just as ITV1 don't compete hard against the Strictly Final.)

I worry about you, Robbie, getting so annoyed when ITV gets a good audience or the BBC gets a poor one (and I worry about GeorgeS who does likewise but reverse the channels). Calm down, dear, it's just television.

Have you noticed that the Friday night repeat of the hour-long One Show has been moved to around 1.30 in the morning, after the late film. Looks like one scheduling experiment that's turned into a bit of a flop. Anybody got any figures for it?

That would be the perfect kind of series to launch as the filler in the BGT sandwich and it could really benefit from the exposure. A shame really ITV are airing Fool Us over the summer - it's good enough to warrant an autumn/winter slot.


Primeval crashed anyway so it's better it loses against Strictly than something like The Magicians. I'd imagine the audiences are quite different anyway so it could benefit from being opposite Strictly.


Have to agree - it is one of the best shows around at the moment and amazed it's so low - should be getting at least twice that audience really.


It's an England game though. If they win analysis never goes beyond "this proves England can win the World Cup", and if they lose it's all Fabio Capellos fault, but still somehow proves they can win the World Cup!

I assume they don't want to over-expose Jonathan Ross.

Shit, I'd forgot it involved him too - although thankfully very much in the background compared to Penn and Teller and the acts themselves.

One thing not noted - Injustice is stripped on ITV1 from Monday 6th June to Friday 10th June at 21:00.

Also, is the fact that Primeval is airing at the bizarre time of Tuesdays at 8pm on Watch a clue where ITV1 may dump the Series 5 episodes later this year seeing as it almost certainly won't be recommissioned?

That's the slot that no ordinary family has been airing in for it's first showing and getting around 500k in the officials easily it's best rating

Why is that a clue to where ITV1 will screen it ?

It's probably the best slot possible for Watch, given that to show it on a Saturday night it would get totally lost amongst all the offerings from the main channels.

ITV however no doubt will show it on a Sat or Sun night. If it is to be shown later this year, I think Sunday teatime might be a better slot for it.

It is a show ITV will show grudgingly as it is their worst nightmare, an expensive cult show with low ratings. It's just something that doesn't fit with the modern ITV.

A few ratings from yesterday:

BBC One
18:30- Regional News and Weather: 4.9m (28.6%)
20:00- EastEnders: 7.9m (37.8%)

ITV1 (inc +1)
19:00- Emmerdale: 6.5m (36.3%)
19:30- Coronation Street: 7.9m (40.0%)
20:30- Coronation Street: 7.9m (35.0%)

Ratings include HD and are full-slot averages

Everything else yesterday rated at 4.9m or under, although I don't have the actual numbers for them.

I'm virtually the opposite. I find there is so much filler in a show like X Factor that I can whizz through it in a fraction of the time if I let it start first. It can be different if you have it on as a backdrop and everyone is talking over/about it.


SCD is another one with way too much filler. I don't actually watch it any more, and was never a big fan, but even when I did watch, I'd be getting through it in half of the time.

Soaps running neck and neck with 7.9 million viewers. It does seem that the big two have as many fans, but people who like Coronation St mostly don't seem to like Eastenders and vice versa. Indeed I would say Emmerdale fans seem to have more in common with Coronation St than Eastenders.

It's BAFTA TV Awards night tomorrow, does anyone (rzt ? ) have the ratings from the last few years to compare ?

I think it ought to get the better of Vera.

Lol, here are the previous BAFTA TV Award overnight ratings:

2004- 6.4m (n/a)
2005- 4.5m (19%)
2006- 4.0m (18%)
2007- 5.0m (21%)
2008- 5.6m (22%)
2009- 4.4m (18%)
2010- 4.2m (17%)

Seems to fluctuate a bit - last couple of years it's been in the low 4's territory, although the previous two years it was in the 5's. I think this Sunday's one will most likely rate better than last year's ceremony which was up against Soccer Aid which had almost 7m during that 8-10pm period, probably more than 1m more than what the BAFTAs will face this Sunday (Vera).

Friday 20th May Overnights
BBC One
20:30- A Question of Sport: 2.56m (11.6%)
21:00- Have I Got News For You: 4.41m (20%)
21:30- Outnumbered: 3.39m (15.5%)

BBC Two
20:00- Petworth House: The Big Spring Clean: 1.15m (5.5%)
20:30- Gardeners' World: 1.86m (8.4%)
21:00- Dirk Gently: 1.12m (5.1%)

ITV1
20:00- Baboons with Bill Bailey: 2.55m (12.3%) , +1: 127k
21:00- Paul O'Grady Live: 3.63m (16.5%) , +1: 128k

Channel 4
20:00- A Place In The Sun: Home or Away: 1.17m (5.5%) , +1: 200k
21:00- The Million Pound Drop Live: 2.17m (10.1%) , +1: 186k

Channel 5
20:00- Eddie Stobart: Trucks and Trailers: 1.4m (6.5%)
21:00- The Mentalist: 1.64m (7.5%)

Primetime Shares
ITV1: 22.2% (+1: 0.5%)
BBC One: 20.7%
Channel 4: 6.5% (+1: 0.7%)
BBC Two: 5.3%
Channel 5: 5.3%

Source: DS

Ouch, a lot less people watching TV last night, only 22m. O'Grady and Drop appeared to take viewers away from HIGNFY, not too sure why.

Friday 20th May - Soap Overnights
BBC One
13:45- Doctors: 1.53m (22.7%)
20:00- EastEnders: 7.86m (37.8%)

ITV1
19:00- Emmerdale: 6.43m (36.5%)
19:30- Coronation Street: 7.93m (40.2%)
20:30- Coronation Street: 8.27m (37.3%) , +1: 211k

Channel 4
18:30- Hollyoaks: 740k (4.3%)

Channel 5
13:45- Neighbours: 687k (10.1%)
17:30- Neighbours: 1.19m (8.7%)
18:00- Home & Away: 863k (5.4%)

Ratings include HD and are tape-checked where necessary

Multichannel
BBC Three
22:00- EastEnders: 784k (4%)

E4
19:00- Hollyoaks: 285k (1.6%)

5*
18:30- Home & Away: 400k (2.3%)

Source: DS

Oh dear for Hollyoaks, being beaten by the two Aussie soaps. I wonder how much longer Channel 4 will persist with this show as no matter how much they try with it, ratings seem to be falling. Maybe hiring some decent actors instead of models would help.

I didn't watch SCD for the first few series, but I do now, and I watch most of it live, although the later stages of the show are slightly timeshifted because I usually need a tinkle halfway through.

Too much information?

Last week the John Sullivan tribute had 1m more viewers than last night's HIGNFY lead-in, A Question Of Sport. Plus last week's Have won column inches and had novelty value because it had two hosts for the first time ever, the Masterchef presenters.

(First time ever and last time ever too, probably. What may have been an interesting idea on paper was a silly and pointless idea on screen.)

A good night for Channel 5 there.




On another note, I wonder which UK broadcaster will pick up the rebooted "The Flintstones" TV franchise in 2013. It has a really high regard in historical memory so I can see it being a high rating animated series. Possibly even higher than Family Guy in the US (assuming it is a decent adaptation). UK wise it should be strong enough to go on one of the main 5 channels I reckon, perhaps paired with The Simpsons on C4 if Hollyoaks ends. I hope someone has the money to outbid Sky for The Flintstones anyway!

I reckon should Hollyoaks end, and it seems to be getting the same ratings as Brookside in its death throes, then an American hour with the Simpsons and The Flinstones would work well for Channel 4 in the same way the Aussie hour on Channel 5 works for them. Also it would be cheaper than Hollyoaks.

I wonder whether C4 will move Drop back to 10pm for it's autumn series - seemed to do better there than at 9pm. Of course too it'll also want to avoid The X Factor on Saturdays, but then again, this is C4 so god knows.


Well it would take along time to build up enough new episodes to air it nightly - but I think the real opportunity here might be a channel grabbing the rights to the original. The BBC still show it from time to time, and I think Boomerang might have the digital rights, but you would think there would be renewed interest in the classic series when the new series arrives, plus whether the new series succeeds or fails, surely those airing the original can only benefit.

True, but then they may face the embarrassment of Davina losing out to her former show on the channel next door...

Edit: And possibly I'm a Celebrity (with Jedward and Imogen Thomas the rumoured 'stars' so far) although I hope Channel 4 are not stupid enough to air it in November.