I'm Sorry what do you mean it's a sign of times. A Sign that papers won't write about X Factor and it will get lower and lower or a sign that it will do a Strictly and get 8-9m without all the press writeup

Have you noticed Yesterday are repeating Last of the Summer Wine on Sundays nights, Pizza?

I seem to recall that being a personal favourite of yours.

It does seem judging by ratings that people want entertainment. The top three shows this year- SCD, TXF, BGT_are all entertainment shows and the soaps aren't such big hitters as they were a few years ago. I think, just as in the harsh economic climate of the seventies, people want programmes to cheer them up not depress them like Eastenders. I would say now is the right time for a comedy revival.
As for ITV's track records in sitcoms, there were some real horrors in the Monday sitcom slot, but they also had some huge hits in the seventies and eighties like On The Buses and Duty Free.

Sign of the current feeling certainly. I think once Russell goes the show may lose some momentum. I've watched it from the start and I'm finding it a chore at the moment...but it seems to be attracting casual viewers.

On the other hand I'm enjoying The X Factor (which is not as reliant on one contestant as Strictly IMO) more this year yet the casual viewers tend to be tuning out.

I like going against the grain.

I can just see The Sun pitching a fit and telling viewers what a bad move all out product placement would be if it happens.

The Daily Star will say it's brilliant, though.

Not due to personal interest at all, of course...

Ouch, Channel 5 should maybe consider pulling the Saturday editions. How may weeks are left of this expensive flop?

Maybe it is low because Desmond & his papers have turned their attention to trying to flog the Health Lottery instead of going on about Big Brother all the time.

I just think it's interesting that's all.

This time last year the tabloids were all over X Factor. Every week there was some sort of scandal of controversy dominating the front pages and taking up masses of column inches.

This year it's all very flat. The papers are clearly responding to the general apathy towards the current series.

They don't have the controversial edge this year...I guess that's why they wanted Goldie but I'm glad she pulled out.

I honestly thought they would've got Gamu to audition again this year, but maybe that'll be next time round...especially if Cheryl returns!

Yep. They had a little dabble in the summer, and now they're repeating more noughties episodes at weekends, and they're repeating it from the pilot episode on weeknights.

Just as well, because I doubt BBC One will ever repeat another episode of Summer Wine (or My Family).

I Do think She will return next year. There is somthing about her that the press love so that would probally get the ratings up. I also think Danni will judge Britain's got talent

You're probably right about LOTSW. I wouldn't be surprised to see My Family pop up at Christmas however in an afternoon slot.

I was reading the Sunday Mirror in the pub a month ago and their critic really savaged The X Factor. However, it still does well in the ratings and the Daily Star seems to feature it on its front page most days.

EE timeshifts equal to SCD (well it did on barb figures w/e 2/10/11) CS, DM & DA timeshift above 9m/9m/10m respectively. Some viewers wants live family entertainment, others want quality drama and some want regular soap episodes 52 weeks of the year. It is best for viewers to have variety - some viewers will totally avoid certain programmes. If a show has high production values and general appeal the viewers will tune in.

ITV1 comedy has really hit the buffers, if only they could remake something similar to Rising Damp, Duty Free could easily be retweaked, shows in the 70's 80's had a captive audience - only 3 channels up to Nov 1982, there was literally nothing to do in the late 70's except watch tv. The fact that a tv show can even approach 10m viewers in 2011 is amazing. Not many shows in the US can get near a 10% share of the population watching (TXF USA is getting around 3.5% for comparison). Some shows here can score 20%+ population share. 10m viewers here would be approximately 16.7% population share.

I know alot of people thought all the controversy was good for the show but maybe it did put people off. Now i now Strictly is a different show to X Factor but that doesn't need all of this controversy to get big ratings.

X Factor's supposed 'fall from grace' sounds like wishful thinking to me.

LOL people complain when The X Factor is all over the papers, blaming ITV for feeding them stories all the time, saying how the programme is annoying because it's in your face even if you don't watch it, and now people are complaining that the programme isn't in the papers enough. You can't have it both ways.

Kevin O'Sullivan was equally savage this week:


http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv-entertain...vin-osullivan/

It appears the 'joke' acts work well though...Ann Widdecombe/Nancy Del'ollio/Russell Grant (though he can dance...sort of) - Chris Parker really kicked off the franchise because he was so dire yet finished second.

It's the same with The X Factor - the show really started snowballing with Jedward and Wagner kept it going. That's why the producers are trying to turn Johnny into the joke act but he can sing, so they're finding it difficult and I think they may abandon the idea and take the subsequent hit.

For all the XF vs Strictly comparisons, it's worth noting that both shows are down year-on-year so far. TXF is down -6% (11.0m vs 11.6m) on where it was at this stage last year, and Strictly is down -5% (8.6m vs 9.1m) So the declines are actually pretty similar (although they'll probably get slightly further apart as we approach Xmas) and both are still doing really well.

Hey, I'm not complaining. I think it's great to see the return of news on the newspaper front pages. About time Fleet Street cut down on this lazy 'journalism' every weekend.

You avoided the savage treatment of Strictly then?


http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv-entertain...vin-osullivan/

I was reading an interview with Noel Gallagher in The Times yesterday - apparently, Cowell asked him to be his replacement on TXF before turning to Gary Barlow. Worryingly, it sounds like The Chief was considering it too - but it was learning about the "judges' houses" round which meant he would have to "have a fat lass from Bradford standing in me daffodils singing Flying Without Wings" that put him off.

Apparently his 11 year old daughter has disowned him though.

Could have been interesting from a ratings perspective. Might have brought some fans of credible, proper, non-manufactured, "hard graft" music to the show.

Hell, even I might have tuned in...

There isn't really any point using TV critics as a benchmark, there will be at least one slating all the biggest programmes every week.

The strange thing is Strictly's decline is being glossed over (bar by Kevin O'Sullivan) completely, simply because The X Factor is down as well. I'm not saying Strictly's decline is awful - it isn't - but it's only 1% better off than The X Factor's.

Indeed. Kevin is paid to be 'savage', it's very rare that he will print a positive review, and when he does it's usually tucked away. He hasn't been very kind about Strictly either - it's his job.