Some more ratings from last night:

BBC Two
20:15- Dad's Army: 1.82m (7.2%)
20:45- A History of Ancient Britain: 1.24m (5%)
21:45- QI XL: 1.5m (7.2%. )

Channel 4
19:45- Time Team: 620k (2.4%)
20:45- World War II: The Last Heroes: 790k (3.2%)
21:45- Die Hard 2: 1.07m (6.7%) , +1: 197k (2%)

Channel 5
19:55- NCIS: 562k (2.2%)
20:55- NCIS: 598k (2.4%)
21:55- Big Brother: 886k (4.6%)

ITV2
21:55- The Xtra Factor: 605k (3.1%)

Primetime Shares
ITV1: 29.8%
BBC1: 27.4%
BBC Two: 5.7%
Channel 4: 3.5%
Channel 5: 3.1%

Source: DS

That's Big Brother's lowest rating of the series so far, if not ever. Also a low rating for Xtra Factor.

Thanks a lot rzt.

That's a very good overall result for ITV indeed - they should be very pleased with that.

we can only hope not.

Made in Chelsea is not believable as fiction or real life, I can not for the life of me work out why people watch it.

If its fiction, its really bad fiction, its its real life, why are they all so unlikeable, I dont give a flying toss about these peoples "complex" love lives.

Well you could add this is how reality has evolved from the noughties variety where a group of has been celebs were thrown together in a kitchen, a love island, etc. TOWIE isn't that bad a show actually.

I never really pay much attention to the share tbh unless they stand out.
I would say that +1 can't really be used for the share. But then again timeshifting does!
I won't say much about it though - for me shares arn't what I'm particularly interested in. Its probably fair to include +1 as any recorded shows ARE included in share for overnights.


Certainly for soaps where they are compared in overnights in that fashion and frankly - I find it hard to believe anyones going to repeat the soaps just due to their nature - we probably should include the full days worth of figures for that episode. Its a much better description of overall viewership.

If the early signs in the US is anything to go by, 2010-2020 could be the decade of the Sitcoms. Hopefully the broadcasters here realise that soon and commission more from the genre!

I 100% agree if 2010 is all about Made in Chelsea/Only way is essex i will turn off my TV

I expect big, but 'possibly' down on last year. The overall quality of the first series was a bit poor (I suspect the 2nd series will really improve though)

But its definetly a mainstream hit - and will be giving most of the networks a good beating I think.

But its defoes one of those 'wait and see' things for me. It did very very well last year - thats all I can really say!

ITV desperately need some comedy - BBC and Ch4 are basically the go to broadcasters for it.

I actually think drama will be getting a second wind though.
Look at ITV's biggest shows this year - drama is doing very well for them.

Sitcoms in the US are certainly the only things NOT getting cancelled. I think its going to take them a while to break out of the 'BIG concept' dramas that are falling apart withing weeks.


On TOWIE/MIC - these shows don't actually do that well. For their respective channels - sure.
But not really 'big' in the grand scheme of things.

Well some people like to know the theme to see if it will be interesting my friend who doesn't like strictly watched this week because of the broadway theme.

I'm js if it was Big Band iand they announced it tonight a wider audience will enjoy it and want to tune in

to be fair, that is alot easier said that done. It isnt too hard to pull a "The Only Way is ...." out of a hat, much harder to commission a successful sitcom.

I think Strictly was excellent in their set for the theme - everything stunk of a Broadway theme.

X Factor did not have a theme. It just didn't - its so general that you honestly couldn't pin point it at all.
They need to follow Strictly in making things more concrete - X Factor is all a bit too serious about it, make it a big fun night every Saturday! And make sure the theme is identifiable within 2 seconds of looking at the set.

These simple things just make a show look more fresh. And it was Strictly that was freshest this week. A big change from 2009 - and we all know how that turned out.

That is somewhat worrying for Big Brother, even though it was a Saturday.
BUT you can't lose that many people in 24 hours from 1.61m to that.... tonight it will be around 1.2-1.3m.

Think about it, Xtra Factor logged one of its lowest ratings I remember.

Or the ITV drama revival with hit shows like Downton Abbey, Wild at Heart and Doc Martin that will long be a staple on ITV3 when they finish on the main channel. It seems to me that reality shows are evolving into soap opera type programmes and TOWIE isn't a bad little show if you get into it.
BTW, how does The Wright Stuff rate against This Morning and Auntie's antique programmes?

yes thats a new record low for Bigbrother.
Channel 5 have created so many enemies.Makes you wonder how Endemol feel about being in bed with them.

Bigbrother had a hardcore following of around 1.8 million,thats now dropped to 1.3 million under C5,Channel 5 wanted to aim the show more at casual viewers and sadly thats whats being seen now.When theres something better on they simply dont bother with Bigbrother.

Ouch for BB, that rating was shocking. It does make you wonder if Channel 5 should axe it and just concentrate on CBB, which did good business for them. Also away from the Desmond owned press, none of the celeb mags and the other redtops seem bothered now. I always thought an ideal home for it would be one of the Sky channels like Living.

Well if we look at drama in the last 30 or so years, the early 80's was a good era for drama with Howards' Way, Bergerac etc.

The mid-late 80's to the late 90's was a golden era for populist drama like Casualty, London's Burning, The Bill, Soldier, Soldier, Peak Practice. The early 90's signalled the end of such shows as Bergerac.

The 90's IMO will be known for the evolution of some excellent crime dramas like Inspector Morse, Wycliffe, Kavanagh QC, Cracker, A Touch of Frost etc.

The late 90's signalled a decline for the populist dramas like Casualty, London's Burning and The Bill as they no longer became event television, and their ratings declined. Casualty dropped from 13 million in 1998 to around 11 million by the end of 1999. The Bill had also dropped from 11 million in 1997 to around 8/9 million in 1999. London's Burning dropped from 12 million in 1997/98 to just 9/10 million by the start of its twelfth series in 2000.

The 2000's IMO has seen a return to crime drama and thrillers like Waking the Dead. The late 2000's (2007 onwards) has seen shows like Cranford, Lark Rise to Candleford, Downton Abbey and Upstairs, Downstairs become popular household shows regularly achieving 7 million +. The precursor to this IMO was the success of Bleak House in 2005 which was stripped like a soap opera. IIRC earlier that this, The Forsyte Saga did quite well in 2002 with 9 million initially.

Populist dramas have continued to decline through the 2000's - resulting in The Bill being axed and London's Burning being axed in 2002. Casualty still plods on but how will its ratings hold up in the next decade or next few years?

But with the advent of period dramas, which genre of drama will be king in the 2010's? Will we see a further revival of crime dramas seeing as we have lost The Bill, Taggart etc?

i thought you said that it had a diehard audience?

Does anyone know the Peek for X Factor last night

The peak hasn't been reported yet.

Poor for Big Brother, what Channel 5 have to hope is that with better casting and by changing the slot to early Summer maybe that some viewers will return. Otherwise BB:UK is as good as dead.

I do still think a million people will watch it regardless, but last night shows BB is struggling. I wonder if Des will re negotiate his deal with Endemol to ditch the non celebrity version. Ideally BB has a future, but not on a main network.
Speaking of reality shows, I wonder how Shipwrecked will do today on Channel 4 as it has been cancelled twice before and it is a brave move to revive it for a third time.

I think every channel will be disappointed with last night's ratings apart from BBC One. Dad's Army had been capable of 2m+ but has dipped in a slightly later slot for BBC Two though A History of Ancient Britain and QI XL held up reasonably well.

Channel 4 had a poor night with an old film being the only programme which grabbed over 1m viewers.

I wonder if Big Brother in the inadvertent victim in the scheduling between BBC One and ITV1 with people simply watching The X Factor on +1 (or Sky+/Tivo etc.) and missing the show out entirely? That's a poor rating for it whatever and the crime dramas are struggling in the earlier slots.

Some people simply do not know when they have flogged a dead horse. BB is well and truly dead IMO. Some people shold know when a concept is not original and is a bit tired, it should be rested before the concept or show suffers more embarrassment ratings-wise. Channel 5's gamble has not worked, and merely vindicates Channel 4's decision to axe it in the first place.

Someone mentioned product placement earlier...with the current rules how much product placement can be used?

Just thinking about The X Factor; they obviously could have branded cups on the judges desk like American Idol; they also have three massive screens for silent adverts while Dermot's talking; they could redesign the judges desk to take on rolling adverts (like football stadiums); they could have sponsored music videos again like American Idol; they could run skits inside The X Factor House using special promotions from brands.

Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks could use proper brands in their shops instead of made up companies; real brewerys could take over The Rovers Return (though I can see people getting upset at the departure of Newton and Ridley!), The Woolpack and...whatever bar Hollyoaks has now (); billboards could be erected advertising products which can be caught in shot; people can wear brand clothing.

Big Brother must have missed out on an opportunity - again, the big screen could be used during live shows; branded products as part of the shopping list; allowing the Housemates to wear branded clothing (for a fee from the brand) and maybe getting companies to sponsor tasks for a namecheck. I'm A Celebrity could go down the same route (bar the big screen).

Dancing on Ice could use the judges desk again as a rolling advertising board; install a big screen for simple adverts; maybe even use the ice to promote brands and of course, the branded clothing for Phil/Holly/the judges and cups on the desk.

It may be a bit full on but I'd accept it if it meant less adverts.

But next Summer there's Britain's got talent, Queens jubilee, Euro 2012 Olympics then of Couse X Factor will start again. Big Brother will probally have to face some of them and it could be a disaster