Hmmmm, I think its an expense worth paying for, and they haven't altered them at all. I pass about 2 on the way to work everyday and it just annoys me lol!

I pass one on the way into Peterborough but I just laugh, its Channel 5s mistake, makes little differnce to me if they get it right or not.

Put it this way unless Desmond gives me a job at BigBrother, its not my job on the line, so its not my problem if the show isnt succesful.

Well, I'm not that bothered either, I just wanted to point out the mistake really.

So why the 75 minuter this weekend?

Is it so they can introduce "the next generation" to an expectant nation?


Well the Beeb numpties have done it a disservice with the godawful trailer. What were they thinking? Epic Fail for that...

It's not that much a different time slot compared to the 4.30am sign language repeats it gets twice a week. Cheap filler when hardly anyone is watching. IIRC CITV didn't rate well in that slot on Bank Holidays over Christmas so might as well try something different


I'm sure on nights like Tuesdays and Wednesdays a lot of people watch it.

And I think it was designed to catch viewers who wouldn't normally watch a full news bulletin, similar to 60 seconds on BBC3. The sort of people the BBC should be making an effort to reach. Plus there is the regional news update for which the existance of the News Channel is meaningless

Really, I can't see it does any major harm, and I think people have got used to the 7.30pm programme starting slightly earlier to accomodate it

Does anybody have the rating for Only Connect last night?

Only Connect: 636k (2.7%) inc HD

I suppose you'd have left it where it was and let it lose 1m+ viewers up against Twilight just so that the billboards were correct instead of a single day out?

Just curious. I think they acted in the best interests of the show, even if it's created a bit of embarrassment.

If people on this thread said C4 are bound to ruin the launch by putting something big on, then the C5 schedulers surely would have known?? If they didn't their obvioulsy incompetent. That doesn't explain why they didn't just put "Coming Soon?" Either that or put the billboards up a little later? It'd be like ITV putting up billboards advertising X Factor it as starting Friday!

They knew it was possible, hence why they waited until the eleventh hour and had alternative arrangements in place to quickly change to when Channel 4's intentions became clear. I guess the mistake was not planning it for the Thursday all along and putting Channel 4 off the scent with the Wednesday date. Oh well, t'is done now. Not much more they could have done.

In my defence, when I complained I didn't realise it was on the actual date - I thought it was random filler.

I would argue there is a slight difference between airing a Royal wedding programme on the run up to a Royal wedding and airing a 9/11 programme so close yet so far away from 9/11.


They should've just said 'coming soon' and kept Channel 4 guessing rather than (seemingly) playing games in public with the date.

More scheduling news (thanks to Elgin)

Watchdog returns on Thursday 1st Sept at 8pm, whilst Mrs Brown's Boys gets a repeat run at 11:05pm from Friday 2nd.

Louis is still there because he's actually impossible to replace! I suppose it's a bit like the Idol revamp as well where they kept the only remaining original judge (Randy Jackson) although they transitioned him into a more "Cowell-like" role whereas Louis just seems to be doing what he always does!

The past few years suggest that there's no predicting XF premiere ratings. It always seems to start a bit slow on the publicity front - Cheryl Cole seems to get more publicity sitting in a hotel room than X Factor manages just now! But once things get going that ought to change. In 2009, it premiered a bit lower than expected but then matched that rating in week 2. In 2010, it was surprisingly high then had a lower week 2 rating. The obvious moral there is "wait a bit to get a better picture" although it could also be "stop premiering your biggest show in August".

I still think they could have done more to push the premiere this year but I guess coming up with a strapline for the new series is as much effort as ITV are likely to make. I'd expect a press screening later this week might push things up a gear (assuming there is one? IIRC in 2008 they wheeled out all the judges as part of the screening and did loads of press interviews as well).

It is completely unpredictable. The one thing they have done this year is scheduled the premiere well. 8pm is the perfect start time for it (in 2009 they put it at 7pm so they could launch The Cube at 8:30pm). The trailers look good (and the latest one is more OTT than ever!) and stories do seem to be trickling out (the shock bootcamp twist being the latest). I think it's on for about 10m or so this weekend, and might well get a similar launch rating to BGT earlier this year. Where it goes from there depends on how well the new panel is received, but the signs are good. Also apparently the talent is good this year which will help.


That's happening today, and all the judges will be there. They've invited members of the public as well as the press (Applause Store were offering tickets). There should be interviews with the judges etc released later today.

Why because it makes EE look like a waste of money? NT has a assured future.

Hopefully that means the new series will begin on Friday 14th October at 9:30pm.

You'd think that. But in the corridors of power some are quite funny about it. But then the ratings come in and they have to shut up.

C4's Seven Dwarves got 2.25m last night (2.9m inc +1)

My Hoarder Mum (BBC1, 10.35pm) got 3.4m

From Attentional:

BBC2 - 20:00 - The Great British Bake Off: 2.8m (12.7%)
C4 - 21:00 - Seven Dwarves: 2.5m (10.6%) + 384k (1.9%)
BBC3 - 22:30 - Wilfred: 216k (3.7%) + 503k (3.7%)

Instead of running back to back factual, ITV ran a drama repeat last night at 9pm, exactly the same as many here have been demanding for months.

I wonder if this will have an effect on the usual Tuesday ratings?

Really good and there was a lot of talk about this show which must of helped it.

Good start for Seven Dwarves, a possible hit for C4 there if it can maintain those numbers in the next few weeks. Also, excellent rating for My Hoarder Mum.

I'm a bit surprised they repeated Unforgiven though. Even though it rated really well first time around, gritty mini-series dramas like this one don't usually repeat well. They could've chosen more repeatable-friendly dramas to air last night.

Unforgiven bombed, with 2m/8.5% (2.2m inc +1)

X Factor press pack reveals 'extra audition shows' which I assume means the Sunday shows will start earlier.

Well it was a big success the first time it was on. Expected more for the repeat, but it's a repeat so just some filler.