It would be a good fit for Channel 4 although I'd imagine they would want to air it on E4 then repeat on Channel 4. Channel 5 should have a look at it because it would boost 5USA or 5*. But unlike The Simpsons, it's not really repeatable outside of primetime as it would have to cut heavily.

I do wonder how The Simpsons would have done on Channel 5, I think it would be an interesting block with Neighbours at 5.30, H&A and The Simpsons at 6.30pm, would have solved their woes although I believe Channel 4 paid a lot of money to get The Simpsons.

I don't think they would have been able to afford both. They broke the bank getting Neighbours. I'm sure a lineup like the above was probably the dream but with limited funds and unlimited interest from competitors in both shows it wasn't to be!

I don't quite know why this strategy of buying in established shows is criticised. They have to build audience share somehow in a tough market and it's a perfectly legitimate way of going about it. In Big Brother's case, Channel 4 were done with it anyway.

If Strictly's ratings do flag this autumn at any point, they could always take some guidance from the Argentinian version of the show:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...e-Dancing.html

Particularly if it involves the girl off Waterloo Road or Holly Valence.

Strictly pulled in very good numbers as did the X- Factor although its about context with ratings isn't it. I feel X-Factor will do well without the clash and perhaps even better than before. I feel there's a bit of buzz around it like never before, even if the whole thing is absolute rubbish really!




I will definiatley be tuning in for this programme, I've heard some good things abit it. Hopefully it will deliver in the ratings- Big Brother has been very disappointing so far and Hotel Inspector was down on would have been expected.

Toy Story should do well for the channel aswell. The movies at the weekend have been the much needed good news that Channel 5 will want.

just as well Edwina Curry has gone home then so. That would have many people bringing their tea back up.

Final BARB ratings from Saturday 1st October.


8.75m (43.8%) - Strictly Come Dancing (+1.25m timeshift)
7.67m (32.0%) - Doctor Who (+1.57m)
6.40m (25.0%) - Merlin (+1.20m)


3.70m (17.3%) - All Star Family Fortunes (+0.1m timeshift)
11.23m (43.3%) - The X Factor (+1.57m)

I wouldn't put that down to anything other than Monday nights being really tough at the moment. It will get progressively easier for it now and the ratings should rise. If they don't, there's a problem.

But note that from tomorrow night's episode it is being billed on the EPG as "New Hotel Inspector." This seems to be a popular method of drawing attention to it in the EPG and has worked wonders for other oft-repeated shows like Emergency Bikers and Cowboy Builders previously.

Dancing for a Wet Dream would be a more appropriate title.

For anyone interested:

Doctor Who: Series averages (2005-Present)

Overnight Series Averages:

7.3m - Series 1: Overnight average (13 episodes)
7.2m - Series 2: Overnight average (13 episodes)
7.0m - Series 3: Overnight average (13 episodes)
7.2m - Series 4: Overnight average (13 episodes)
6.0m - Series 5: Overnight average (13 episodes)
5.7m - Series 6: Overnight average (13 episodes)

Average Timeshift:

+ 0.64m - Series 1 (2005)
+ 0.51m - Series 2 (2006)
+ 0.55m - Series 3 (2007)
+ 0.85m - Series 4 (2008)
+ 1.73m - Series 5 (2010)
+ 1.79m - Series 6 (2011)

BARB Series Averages:

7.94m - Series 1: Final BARB rating average (13 episodes)
7.71m - Series 2: Final BARB rating average (13 episodes)
7.55m - Series 3: Final BARB rating average (13 episodes)
8.05m - Series 4: Final BARB rating average (13 episodes)
7.73m - Series 5: Final BARB rating average (13 episodes)
7.52m - Series 6: Final BARB rating average (13 episodes)

Average weekly BBC3 audience:

+ 0.68m - Series 1 (2005)
+ 0.95m - Series 2 (2006)
+ 1.24m - Series 3 (2007)
+ 1.53m - Series 4 (2008)
+ 0.92m - Series 5 (2010)
+ 0.93m - Series 6 (2011)

Total weekly TV Reach:

8.62m - Series 1: Total weekly TV reach average* (13 episodes)
8.66m - Series 2: Total weekly TV reach average* (13 episodes)
8.79m - Series 3: Total weekly TV reach average* (13 episodes)
9.58m - Series 4: Total weekly TV reach average* (13 episodes)
8.65m - Series 5: Total weekly TV reach average* (13 episodes)
8.45m - Series 6: Total weekly TV reach average* (11 episodes)

iPlayer:

0.51m - Series 4: Average iPlayer requests per episode (13 episodes)
1.47m - Series 5: Average iPlayer requests per episode (13 episodes)
1.34m - Series 6: Average iPlayer requests per episode (11 episodes)

* The total weekly TV reach is comprised by adding 95% of the BBC3
repeat figures to the final BARB rating (excludes iPlayer)

Three more ratings from yesterday:

BBC One
05:00 - F1: Japanese Grand Prix Qualifying Live: 660k (26.1%)
13:00 - F1: Japanese Grand Prix Qualifying: 1.97m (20.3%)

ITV1
05:30 - Rugby World Cup 2011 Live: 1.77m (44.3%)

Super rating for the Wales/Ireland game for that time of morning.

Just for the sake of curiosity: final rating of Merlin S3 finale last year: 7.67m.


And if Wikipedia is correct, Merlin was almost equal to last year (6.49m in 2010).

Strong debuts for SCD and Merlin then, despite the heatwave. Be interesting to see if those timeshifts are maintained for last night's shows, or were larger because of the weather.

Can anyone kindly give me the ratings for all showings of both Steps reunion episodes on Living?

Would be much appreciated thanx

Don't know what to think of X Factor tonight some people won't be happy about the girl that has left. I think it will get good ratings tonight. Strictly was good with the right person IMO Leaving that should get 9m and Countryfile should get 6-7m

I think the problem with Channel 5 is they don't put the viewers first. They know that some areas are unable to get thier channels yet they refuse point blank to stream online like the BBC/ITV/Sky do.....

They just don't listen to the viewers.....

Was just a stupid, not thought out twist. We lose Amelia but keep some talentless twerps.

Wow some very strong ratings for the programs there. I see the sun is right and Doctor Who is in serious crisis.

True. And Jonny staying is a joke. We keep him and lose Amelia. Some fans are not going to be happy.

Thanks for the Doctor Who numbers, Andy Parish.

Pretty much conforms to the general wisdom. Overnights are down sharply - but time shifts and repeats mean consolidated TV viewing is down only very modestly. And in general terms thats made up for by nearly a million extra iPlayer viewings added between S4 and 5.

In conclusion: only the most paranoid of Doctor Who fans could get themselves concerned about the shows future, going by those numbers.


I think they'll be more or less sustained. As Andy's figures show, the Who time shift for the finale was actually slightly below the series average. So no reason to assume the weather had much of a boosting effect on them. Bodes really well for Merlin - that show hasn't half hit it's stride over the past couple of seasons.


P.S: Would we mind awfully complaining about TXF twists in another relevant forum. We could discuss it if it really had an impact on numbers, but extensive experience over the past few years has rather proven the old adage to be true when it comes to that show: "Any publicity is good publicity".

Its not about access but specifically about the public image of grabbing another Channel 4 show so quickly after Big Brother. As a channel they desperately need to find their own identity and there are a wealth of comedy imports they can buy (and buy much cheaper than Big Bang Theory).


They don't need to take a risk on a new comedy though.

Parks & Recreations and Community will both have nearly 70 episodes by the end of this season and both are basically locked in for another season next year to push them syndication. Parks doesn't (as far as I'm aware) have a UK broadcaster and Community airs on Viva. I imagine they could pick both of those shows up much cheaper than they could Big Bang Theory.

And if they're going to 'steal' comedies from anyone else I'd probably point them in the direction of Comedy Central rather than Channel 4. Mike & Molly, Two and a Half Men, The Office and 30 Rock (which Five had the rights to at one point I'm sure) could all go nicely.

If they were to take a shot on a new comedy Up All Night is the obvious choice that hasn't yet been picked up by anyone in the UK. Or Suburgatory which I don't think has a UK home yet. Both of those will get 20+ episodes this year and I'd be amazed if Up All Night doesn't get a second season at this stage.

Plus with new episodes (and a movie) of Arrested Development apparently in the works Five could do worse than to chase the rights for that. There's a lot out there nobody is buying or that only relatively small cable networks are buying and most people aren't seeing and not just on the comedy front but drama as well.


People are reading a lot into the BBC saying they won't renew the rights to Family Guy at any price.


But as we've seen with BBC3 it doesn't need to air in primetime. The stripped late night repeats do fantastic business for BBC3 (and fantastic business in the US).

I think if the BBC do end up dropping Family Guy or being outbid for it then they should look at replacing it with Cartoon Network's Adult Swim stuff. That would likely see similar results and I imagine be a lot cheaper. In fact I don't know why E4 (who are clearly looking for a Family Guy of their own) haven't just brought the Adult Swim stuff.

ITV have to be careful. They had a nightmarish spell in the noughties where ratings went through the floor and whole genres of programming were sacrificed on the altar of soaps and reality. OK they have fought back and some of their dramas and factual shows are good, but they do have a habit of flogging their biggest shows into the ground.
Op Knocks was a monster ratings hit in its day, pulling in 24 million viewers at times( obviously this wouldn't be possible in a multichannel world), but it was never overkilled and ran for 45 minutes each Monday night for five months of the year. TXF would benefit from being a 90 minute Saturday show, with maybe the semis and the final running for 120 minutes. The whole overkill with Sunday night shows, Xtra Factor and Sunday afternoon repeats is a bit much.

The BBC don't need to move SCD forward to avoid clashes. Their 6pom scheduling proves they are scheduling to avoid clashes. It's ITV who seem intent on creating some kind of clash!

You never here people complaining they can't get Channel 5 though!

It really does have an identity crisis though and everytime it just about establishes itself the channel management shake things up again, so it's gone from the home of credible US crime drama to the home of trash reality TV in the space of a year. Even if they don't show another reality show other than Celeb BB until Big Brother returns next summer they'll struggle to shake off that image.

BBC One are starting Strictly at 6.25pm next week. If they had stuck to 6pm it would have finished at 7.50pm - only five minutes into The X Factor.

Parks and Recreations and Community while critically acclained are low rated and I imagine wouldn't do well for Channel 5. Up All Night I agree would be a good buy if they picked it up but I imagine it would end up on 5*.

Speaking of cable drama, wonder if there any interest in Dallas? It was very popular in the 80s on BBC One so I wonder if it get any interest from the terresrials.