"Tell me have I got a second series? Have I got a second series?"

"Yeah, give me a second series you shit"

"Smell my cheese.....!"

Thanks. All the evidence the Beeb need to grow a pair and stand their ground. It's in TXF's best interests for there to be no clash. It won't hurt Strictly as much as moving pre 6pm.

Yeah, the SCD breakdown for that night showed that TXF clash probably dented it a little bit too:

18:45 ….. 9.3 (41.7%)
19:00 ….. 9.7 (41.8%)
19:15 ….. 9.9 (41.3%)
19:30 ….. 9.3 (36.1%)

Notice the 0.6m dip in the final quarter. Had it not clashed against TXF, that quarter probably would've rated a million more and it dented the episode average by about -0.2m. But TXF was definitely dented more as it went from 8.5m in that clash quarter to 10.7m for its 2nd 15-minute period (though some of that would've been a natural rise it always experiences anyway).

Safe to say that SCD wouldn't have bettered 9.3m, or got anywhere close, in the 1745-1800 slot had it started 15 minutes earlier. So without a TXF clash last year, SCD would have surely rated lower by starting earlier. Year after year, we see how rapidly SCD's audience builds in the 6-7pm hour, even for the Final - the later the start time the better, clearly.

So it's a no brainer for the BBC - give it a regular, fixed, post 6pm start time, and avoid Sir Bruce having to tell viewers to "do your shopping early". And let ITV worry about TXF - but if they stick to 8pm or later, then they will never clash, and you will have fulfilled your public service requirements and your commitment not to engineer a clash.

I think its become pretty clear at this point that Five need to rethink their Big Brother strategy. After a promising start with the Celebrity version the bottom has well and truly fallen out. At this point they should probably be thankful that it appears to be steady albeit low. They need to go back to the drawing board next year if they intend to continue the deal because what they've got now clearly isn't working and I refuse to believe this is all down to the increased Autumn competition.

On this Strictly/X Factor clash situation I honestly think the whole thing has been blown out of proportion and I think its near impossible to have two big mass audience shows that have run times as long as both shows and expect them not to overlap at some point. Its not realistic to expect the BBC to start Strictly at 5:30 and its not realistic to expect ITV to run The X Factor until 10:30. Audiences (and both broadcasters) will just have to accept a small clash for a week or two because in reality it seems fairly inevitable given how big both shows have become.

some say it matters not where the BBC stick Wrinkly Come Dancing. Ratings are irrelevant as It'll get soundly beaten by the XF and it'll obviously lack the Widdecombe hype this year.

As we're about 3/4 through the year, let's take a look at the official consolidated series averages for the BBC1 and ITV1 dramas which have aired so far this year. All these figures include HD. In brackets, next to the programme name, is the change compared to the average for the show the previous year:

BBC One
1 – 9.24m – New Tricks… (+18%)
2 – 7.97m – Silent Witness… (+4%)
3 – 7.63m – Doctor Who*… (-1%)
4 – 7.30m – South Riding… (NEW)
5 – 7.15m – Lark Rise to Candleford… (+3%)
6 – 7.14m – Inspector George Gently… (+23%)
7 – 7.02m – Waking The Dead… (-2%)
8 – 6.79m – Hustle… (+5%)
9 – 6.43m – Luther… (+28%)
10 – 5.85m – Silk… (NEW)

11 – 5.70m – Zen… (NEW)
12 – 5.31m – Exile… (NEW)
13 – 5.30m – Case Histories… (NEW)
14 – 5.17m – Torchwood*… (-22%)
15 – 5.15m – Candy Cabs… (NEW)
16 – 5.11m – Atlantis… (NEW)
17 – 4.19m – Stolen… (NEW)
18 – 3.79m – Rock & Chips… (-48%)
19 – 3.29m – Outcasts… (NEW)
20 – 2.23m – The Field of Blood… (NEW)
21 – 1.96m – Sugartown… (NEW)


ITV1
1 – 7.92m (inc +1: 8.09m) – Wild at Heart… (+3/+5%)
2 – 7.36m (7.74m) – Scott & Bailey… (NEW)
3 – 7.22m (7.60m) – Benidorm… (+11/+16%)
4 – 7.15m (7.41m) – The Suspicions of Mr Whicher… (NEW)
5 – 6.98m (7.35m) – Marchlands… (NEW)
6 – 6.67m (6.95m) – Lewis… (-11/-15%)
7 – 6.63m (6.63m) – Above Suspicion… (-15%)
8 – 6.43m (6.71m) – Midsomer Murders*… (+8/+13%)
9 – 6.35m (6.60m) – Vera… (NEW)
10 – 5.78m (5.98m) – Kidnap & Ransom… (NEW)

11 – 5.66m (5.95m) – Injustice… (NEW)
12 – 5.65m (6.02m) – Case Sensitive… (NEW)
13 – 5.59m (6.00m) – Appropriate Adult… (NEW)
14 – 5.45m (5.66m) – Monroe… (NEW)
15 – 5.20m (5.51m) – The Reckoning… (NEW)
16 – 5.06m (5.35m) – Law & Order: UK… (-2/-7%)
17 – 4.66m (4.85m) – The Royal… (-3/+1%)
18 – 4.58m (4.67m) – Primeval… (-6/-8%)
19 – 4.54m (4.72m) – Agatha Christie’s Marple… (-13%/-16%)
20 – 3.45m (3.79m) – Taggart… (-21/28%)
21 – 3.43m (3.63m) – Single-Handed… (-4/-9%)

All individual episode ratings: http://i55.tinypic.com/24fh8bd.jpg

Notes
- * = series which are currently airing so there will be changes to the average once all episodes are broadcast.
- For the ITV dramas, I've put the ITV1+1 included figures in brackets for people who want to see the series averages including +1.
- Some dramas did not air in Scotland so bear that in mind if directly comparing a non-Scotland drama with another drama as the non-Scotland drama would be at an -8% automatic deficit. Examples are: Benidorm, Lewis, Atlantis, Marple, Taggart, and a few episodes of Midsomer Murders, Law & Order UK and Case Sensitive. Waking The Dead also experienced small regional opt-outs for a few episodes which would've depressed its average a little bit.
- Appropriate Adult and Single Handed's averages are in italics as they're estimations due to the fact I haven't been able to get the HD-included numbers for one episode yet. Ratings for all other shows are 100% correct.
- Waking The Dead, Torchwood, Benidorm, The Royal y-o-y comparisons done to their last proper series which aired in 2009.
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Analysing it: in terms of returning dramas, BBC1 has had quite a good year. Six of their ten returning shows have grown y-o-y, impressive growths in particular for Luther and George Gently. In terms of new shows, it hasn't been the best year. 3-parts serial South Riding did really well but apart from Silk which did pretty well, a lot of mediocre performances there. As I said this time last year, they need some more 6-part series officially averaging 6m+ to replace the shows which are/have ended (4 of that Top 10 will be gone in a year's time). In fairness, Luther did manage it and that's been important for them, but they'll definitely need more of them. As for ITV1, more of their returning shows have dropped ratings-wise (7 out of 11). Some of those are the effect of not having STV on board this year compared to last year, others just didn't couldn't cope against the competition they faced. Returning dramas have done well: 10 new shows of which 8 have done well, 2 done okay. As ever they could do with a few popular new non-crime drama series coming through in the next year or so. Also looking to next Autumn, without Doc Martin, they look slightly weak and I'm not sure what they have in place to go there (maybe Scott and Bailey?).

Poor for Big Brother. And next Friday, it is versus Strictly...

Nobody is forcing anyone to move anything.


I doubt there is any agreement at all between the BBC and ITV regarding the scheduling of anything (other than the Euros/World Cup). There may be an agreement within the BBC not to put Strictly against The X Factor - and vice versa, but ultimately why shouldn't they clash. There seems to be an acceptance now if one has something good the other must show something crap - but how about a bit of genuine viewer choice. After all for the 90's people either watched the Generation Game/House Party/Casualty etc. or Gladiators/Blind Date/Stars in their Eyes.



For once I absolutely agree with you.

A surprise to see that BBC1 has 7 dramas rating over 7m, whereas ITV1 only has 3.

I've stripped out Benidorm from your list, as it's clearly not a drama, not in my book anyway.

you said it wasnt a comedy either - so make for your mind up!

Forget about the cost and the hype and that doesn't look so bad - I guess it depends how scared of Simon Cowell they are whether it gets a second chance.


The Gadget Show was already falling on Mondays though wasn't it? I can't see ratings suddenly recovering because it's moved back to it's old slot!

Good news though is once again Big Brother was 100% up on it's lead in!

Is Strictly Come dancing still having it's Sunday results show?

Don't forget though that includes all of BBC1's big hitter 7m+ dramas. ITV1's two biggest hitters airing in the Autumn are yet to chart in, both of which will be above 9m, perhaps 10m. So once the year is out, it'll be more of an even comparison. Also it seems like ITV1 has had more in the 6-7m category this year (5) compared to BBC1 (2). Lewis would've been over 7m had STV not opted out.

It's a documentary isn't it?

A fly on the wall account of ITV's core demographic on holiday?

But you do raise a good point. It's not funny, and not particularly "dramatic". I really don't know what it is!

A bit of weather late next week, and not the weather you would expect for this time of the year - will almost certainly affect ratings: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/se...summer-weather

Yep, the Sunday results shows will probably begin on 9th October, in the 7.30pm slot like last year.

The average might not look bad but how much of it is inflated by the two Saturday airings which were themselves inflated by The X Factor? It seems to me the only way they could justify bringing Red or Black back would be to pair with with The X Factor on Saturday night were it can pull a decent(ish) 5 million depending on what's on BBC1. Of course by the same token ITV can put the infinitely cheaper Family Fortunes in that slot and get the same result and really just about anything in that slot and get the same kind of result so you have to wonder if its worth it.

And of course if by some miracle BBC1 were to find a decent Saturday night schedule over the next year everything we've seen suggests Red or Black would collapse against it.

Can't see any particular ratings impact. It's not going to affect sunset times.

It will still be dark by 7pm, it's not as if everyone will suddenly be dining al fresco and going for long evening walks....

Lets just agree to call it a ratings success

Why would Danny Cohen say there was an agreement if there wasn't one. For years they've agreed not to schedule Corrie and EE against each other.

Definitely agree with this. Any channel in this country should be able to schedule any show they want at any time they want.

There's a difference between agreeing not to put Strictly firmly on TXF's "turf" like they did a couple of seasons ago with mixed success, and agreeing to make sure on no accounts does SCD overlap with TXF, wherever ITV decides to put it in the schedule from week to week.

I suspect it's not an "agreement", it's a bit of white flag waving by cowed BBC bosses that has meant SCD has to start around 6pm to get out of TXF's path.

And despite the constant references to it, I have yet to see any evidence, anywhere, of an agreement re Corrie and EE. I suspect there's an implied understanding, it's common sense for them not to do it. But it has happened, and isn't without precedent.

And one of life's great mysteries....

I can't see this indian summer affecting weather, it is getting dark at 7 now and although in the summer people were still out in the dark, I can't imagine it being the case now. People will just enjoy the warmth through the day and be inside from when it starts dropping dark...