In the 8pm slot, When Killer Whales Attack (911k ) rated -4% lower than the Thursday 8pm channel slot average of the year so far (950k). It did, however, manage to build +66% on the time-period average for the same day last year (Megastructures: 549k).

At 9pm, The Big Celebrity Swim (596k) pulled in the lowest rating in that slot this year, down -59% vs. the slot average (1.5m). It was the second lowest 9pm rating for Channel 5 on any weeknight so far this year (lowest is 587k for Justin Lee Collins- 7/9/11). Year-on-year the show was down -53% vs. the equivalent day last year (US Marshalls: 1.26m).

At 10pm, Big Brother (1.31m) was +22% ahead of the year-to-date timeslot average of 1.07m. Big Brother, however, pulled in its lowest overnight rating for a 10pm-11pm episode this series, down -9% vs. the overnights series average thus far (1.44m). Big Brother was marginally ahead (+4%) of the slot average on the equivalent Thursday last year.

C5's primetime share of 3.7% was one of C5's lowest primetime shares this year, certainly its lowest since C5 started showing CBB/BB, and was down -10% vs. the primetime share it had on the same Thursday last year (4.1%).

Yikes, you make my skin crawl. To remind you of your own prediction:

"3m for the launch, 1.5m for regular shows"

Err, yeah. You really told us Brekkie. About as accurate as picking numbers out of a hat. :yawn:

I'm not even going to entertain the other bit about it being a flop. If it makes you feel better, think that. But the actual numbers tell a different story about how CBB performed.

The show is in its third season they shouldn't have needed to sell it to anyone but just let the existing audience know it was going to be on a different channel. I don't think fast tracking should restrict the promos. The US networks all manage to promo the same shows with the same amount of footage. With Glee in particular you'd think Sky would just be able to nick the US trailers anyway.

Although it has to be said I think they did a real good job of promoting Glee. The trailers I saw were all pretty good.

But isn't that Big Brother's job? Channel 5 didn't buy the show to just settle with the lead in, whatever it happens to be. It bought it to be a big draw viewer wise for the channel.

Also, it was always going to rise slightly on last week considering it started later last week with a poor lead in from the football summary (though that lead in couldn't be much worse that last night's, admittedly).

Celebrity Juice and Big Brother have two different roles for their respective channels; ITV2 never created it to be the attraction it is (though they did want it to do well with the 16-34s). So, for me, comparing them like for like is slightly unfair on it.

All good points, well made. My thinking on Up All Night was more about protecting the show itself than boosting another night. As you said, if they can find a replacement comedy that works alongside it at 8.30, then they'll be fine. I just worry if they don't then one of the only potential "successes" (and how sad a 2.3 has become a success...) could be abandoned a little bit in an absolute stinker of a Wednesday schedule. I suppose I'm making assumptions about Whitney dying - but its probably not an unreasonable bet!

I agree with you about the drama. They're in a terrible state, really. You can probably add the revival of Fear Factor to that list of replacement shows - I read that it was being prepped this summer with an eye on slotting into the fall schedule in case the NFL lockout did actually see off Sunday Night Football. So that can probably be available at relatively short notice elsewhere now. I doubt its going to set the world alight, but might prove useful if only for padding Fridays while Grimm or Chuck are redeployed.

If anyone replies I hope you give them due credit when you submit your work.

Even the final 5 minutes of last week's Europa League coverage had 1,035,700 between 10pm and 10:05pm. Last night they were below 600k across the 9pm hour.

What's this, point out the obvious Friday? Of course they did, but lead-in makes a difference whatever the show.

It's hardly fair to claim that BB narrowly beating Celebrity Juice (and it might not have done during the actual clash) is a real positive for BB, as ITV2 are blatantly going to be much happier with the result. 1.2m (1.4m inc +1) is a terrific result for them, but 1.3m isn't a great result for BB on Channel Five. It's all relative to them. I don't really think it's fair to say that 'all that crude humour' put people off Celebrity Juice when it was flat week on week. When you consider that Celebrity Juice gets another 0.7-1m for its Saturday repeat, it really is an incredible performer for ITV2, whereas BB is a decent performer for Channel 5 (and disappointing considering the amount they spent on it).

Elsewhere, ITV2 were probably more pleased with X Factor USA's debut than FOX were - 1.4m is a great result for them. Billy Connolly dipped but still did really well. Mediocre night elsewhere really, with the Swim bombing badly for C5.

I've been told to keep a track of ratings/shares for the channels for the next week so I might stick around for that time if that's okay?


I take your point, but what is expected of Big Brother from Channel 5 and what is expected of Celebrity Juice from ITV 2 are different. I think there's a much bigger expectation from BB as I believe Channel 5 spent the money to bring in a lot viewers (eecially younger) to the channel and that's not really been seen yet. This expectation is not needed nor particularly saught after by ITV 2.

Oh god, I sound like my stasts teacher!

I'm not the one so desperately trying to compare the two every Friday morning, so don't have a go at me.

If I understand your point correctly, then that's arguable - The X Factor has achieved a greater figure for both of the Sunday shows than the Saturday shows despite the fact that the lead in was lower. 71 Degrees North performed better last Tuesday even though it's lead in was lower than the previous Tuesday.

I apologise for my inaccuracy - I was obviously far too generous in my prediction!

Really Dancc give it a rest - why don't you put your efforts into defending something more worthwhile of your support. Your spin of Channel 5's efforts is akin to that of the sidekicked of doomed tyranical loonatic dictators.


Nobody ever talks about the lead in to The X Factor. And nobody ever talked about the lead in to Big Brother when it was on C4.

But the reason why the two are being compared are obvious...hence it's called Point-Out-The-Obvious-Friday.

The problem with putting The Voice on Tuesdays is that if they decide to add a results show (looks like a pretty good option right now) it'd be against Idol, which would really harm it. I don't see the problem with Mondays for it - CBS will be back at normal levels and when it debuts ABC will have The Bachelor rather than DWTS. I think Parenthood looks pretty safe to get a full season order so unless that moves Awake will have to go elsewhere. I still think Tuesdays at 9pm out of a Voice results show could really work. Prime Suspect is officially a dud though, and Whitney won't last, so I agree about putting Bent in the 9:30pm spot. I still think The Voice Results followed by Awake followed by SVU would be good on Tuesdays, so perhaps Parenthood could take the Thursday 10pm slot. Wednesdays could be Up All Night at 8pm with the Chelsea Handler show at 8:30pm leading into a 2 hour Biggest Loser at 9pm. 30 Rock could go on Thursdays at 8pm (giving Parks a better lead-in) with Community shoved to the Summer as it isn't strong enough for the main season.

As for the Fall, Playboy Club, Free Agents, Harry's Law and Prime Suspect should be given a couple more weeks but if they don't improve or stabalise then the 3 dramas should go on Fridays with the Brian Williams thing on Mondays, Chelsea Handler on Wednesday at 8:30pm, Chuck on Wednesday at 9pm and Grimm on Thursday at 10pm. I don't expect Grimm to last and Chuck would rot in that slot, but they'd only have to endure 5-6 weeks or so in those slots before wrapping up at the end of November and starting afresh in January.

Elsewhere, good for The X Factor to be so stable. That's still a really good rating for FOX, and they'll be particularly pleased to win the 9pm slot. Disappointing for Peron of Interest and The Mentalist and very poor for Charlie's Angels. As I've already said, Community and Prime Suspect stunk for NBC, whilst Whitney will drop. Good for The Office at least and I actually think Parks did alright to grow a bit out of Community and hit a 2.0. It'll probably go up to a 2.2 or so next week without BBT on CBS, and with a better lead in from 30 Rock or something could be a mid-2s show, which would be really helpful for NBC.

Ha, yeah, that was because it was on at 8 most nights trying to provide a good lead-in for other shows even though it's an adult programme.

Sorry, I didn't mean it to come across like I was having a go at you. I do think some of your comments about Celebrity Juice were a little unfair but I know you weren't desperate to start comparing them, although as they're so close in the ratings and are both going for the 16-34s, I guess comparison is inevitable.

I'm not surprised the Swim bombed, it wasn't advertised at all, witn a bit more promotion it would have broken 1m.

X Factor USA did well and should do good tonight.

It was advertised all over the channel and featured two of Channel 5's best known stars.

Same show on BBC One would have cleared 4 million at least. Just another example of viewer snobbery.

the BBC One show might also have had David Williams

The BBC would also attach it to Comic/Sports Relief or Children in Need and promote it across their media outlets; something that no commercial broadcaster has at their disposal. The BBC also have viewer loyalty which has been built up over the years which Channel 5 hasn't had the chance to develop yet - at least to the same extent.

I think TXFUSA will lose a lot of viewers, there is no Cheryl factor and it wasnt actually all that good.

Looks like BBC's and ITV's respective scheduling departments will be having a few... erm... conversations, this week:

Saturday 8th October 2011 - Provisional Schedules
BBC One
4:50pm - BBC News
5:05pm - Celebrity MasterChef
6:05pm - Strictly Come Dancing
8:00pm - Merlin
8:45pm - The National Lottery: Secret Fortune
9:35pm - Casualty
10:25pm - BBC News

ITV1
5:30pm - New You've Been Framed!
6:00pm - All Star Family Fortunes
7:00pm - Harry Hill's TV Burp
7:30pm - The X Factor
10:00pm - The Jonathan Ross Show
11:00pm - ITV News and Weather

Thankfully for BBC, there's no Premiership Football that weekend, so no Final Score so they can - reluctantly - move their schedule half an hour back, although ITV can do exactly the same too. We shall see. Big Brother is down at 9pm, Million Pound Drop is down at 9:30pm. One would imagine that both will change. If that stays the same, it also means the rumour of three hour shows for X Factor is false.

The X Factor Results show sticks at 1 hour on Sunday's. Jeremy Kyle's High Stakes is down for Tuesday's at 8pm, that one has one outcome. New Midsomer Murders on 12th October.

Big Brother's rating really stands out against the rest of the night for Channel 5. The Big Celebrity Swim performed very poorly in the 9pm hour, but Killer Whales Attack did ok if not brilliantly at 8pm. I do think the channel's big problem is a loss of momentum at 6.30pm. Considering the big two channels have news programmes, surely they could do something better to try and sustain an audience over that time...controversial, but maybe they should pitch Neighbours against Hollyoaks at 6.30pm and air the hour long news at 5pm and an hour long show at 7pm? I'm just not sure what PSB requirements the channel has.

A reasonable night from ITV1, though Coronation Street does suffer from starting mid junction. I think the Thursday night episode would work better of it began on the hour than half way through Watchdog. Billy Connolly's Route 66 saw a drop, but should offer an alternative to BBC One's drama from next week. Emmerdale did pretty well; especially the first episode's share.

Watchdog yet again did well against the soaps for BBC One. Crimewatch is a show that can pull in near 6m, or below 4m depending on the night; it's just used as filler when required. EastEnders performed very well and The One Show benefited from the lead out; it seems to be stabilising now after a shaky summer period. Question Time is a very consistent performer in the post news slot.

Country House Rescue saw a slight dip when compared to last week though Educating Essex and Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares attracted better figures than The Killing - saying that, neither performed that impressively. Hollyoaks was slightly low compared to other recent nights but still above the 1m mark.

It was an unspeactular but average night for BBC Two. Mock the Week seems slightly out of place in the schedule which is documentary orientated. Still, the channel remained above the 6% share for the entire evening.

ITV2 had a good evening with both The X Factor USA and Celebrity Juice performing well for them. Glee struggled for Sky but it appears to be joining Doctor Who in the 'timeshift is key' category. I know it'll never happen, but I wonder how the EastEnders repeatr would do at 10pm on BBC Two?

I thought The Big Celebrity Swim would flop:

1. as it sounded quite similar to the Robson Green swimming show he did for ITV1 a couple of years ago which rated badly for the channel.
2. recently shows with a charity angle, apart from the already established programmes such as Comic Relief/Children in Need, generally haven't rated well on any channel.
3. for whatever reason, programmes on C5 (obviously apart from a well known brand like CBB) which feature celebrities and are out of the usual factual/US crime/movie genres which C5 traditionally specializes in normally don't do well. There's a few exceptions such as Robson Green's fishing show and Paul Merton's travelogues, but on the whole, they don't seem to do particularly well for C5.