So they're basically saying Don't Scare the Hare and Hole In the Wall are surplus to requirements...I guess that makes sense!

Just to clarify (though I think you realise this from your OP) - I'm against the BBC broadcasting large entertainment programmes...I just don't think The Voice is the right one for the channel.

Why compare overnights? The consolidated/reach figures are what matter to the BBC and they are currently up on last year.

After 3 episodes:

6.76m (2011)
6.26m (2010)

The question is if Merlin can grow as much as last year. I hope so.
By the way the new series timeshifts better (1.3m vs. 1.0m).

I'm sorry, that should be I'm NOT against the BBC broadcasting large entertainment programmes.

I wasn't suggesting (or didn't mean to suggest) that it was saying the BBC should not do large scale entertainment (or indeed entertainment as a whole).

What I was drawing to attention was that DQF lists 5 overall priorities which are described as "the heart of the BBC", none of which is entertainment.

One of the 5 is "UK drama and comedy" which some may consider to be a subset of entertainment (though the document is written in a way that deals with them separately).

One of the 5 is "coverage of events of national importance". I doubt that the likes of SCD and The Voice come within that definition but no doubt you will correct me if I am wrong.

The document then goes on to refer to cuts in sport and entertainment with the clear implication that those areas are lower priority than the 5 areas mentioned in the previous paragraph.

The decision has then been taken that in order to achieve the necessary cuts in entertainment (as a whole) there will be "reductions in entertainment programmes which have lower impact than the big events on BBC One, as well as some entertainment on BBC Two" (11/57).

So yes, "landmark" and "event" entertainment is being protected but the point I was making (or attempting to make) stands - entertainment is not one of the 5 overall priorities.

Link (for all shows): http://adage.com/article/mediaworks/...v-spot/230547/

Sunday Night Football has dominated the ad price this season with $512,367 per 30-second spot this season! This is then followed by Idol with $502,900 for their Wednesday show and $468,100 for their Thursday. X Factor price tag is $320,669 for Wednesday and $283,034 for Thursday.

Some highlighted show prices (these are per 30-second spot):

Returning Shows:

DWTS: $233,482 (performance); $216,703 (results)
The Voice: $206,500
Desperate Housewives (final season): $149,556 (way down from season 7)
House: $263,500
The Simpsons: $254,260 ()
Family Guy: $264,912
The Good Wife: $137,457
2 1/2 Men: $252,418
Castle: $121,914
Glee: $267,141
Modern Family: $249,388
CSI: $135,350
Grey's Anatomy: $203,078
The Big Bang Theory: $198,348
The Office: $178,840
Fringe: $57,589
The Mentalist: $154,781

New Shows:

2 Broke Girls: $166,678
Surburbgatory: $124,718
Revenge: $119,382
New Girl: $125,488
Terra Nova: $167,854
Persons of Interest: $174,574
Pan Am: $131,892
Once Upon a Time: $134,217
Prime Suspect: $93,092

Cancelled Shows:

The Playboy Club: $74,273
Free Agents: $78,010
Charlie's Angels: $69,640
How To Be A Gentleman: $128,147
H8R: $34,743

Yet-to-be-aired Shows:

Alcatraz: $160,000
Smash: $154,000
Apartment 23: $98,100
Hate My Teenage Daughter: $151,300
Scandal: $92,800

According to The Sun, Strictly beat X factor in the ratings on Saturday.

Strictly: peak 11m, average 9.5m
X Factor: peak 9.6m, average 8.8m

Can anyone tell me which cunning technique The Sun has used to manipulate X Factor's ratings? Or are they just plucking random figures out of the air?

Lol I bet they're talking about while they clashed for 15 minutes

The people who write about TV in The Sun demonstrate daily that they know little about TV so no set of figures would surprise me.In their TV listings today they've failed to include schedule changes announced by the BBC three days ago They are only outshone by the Sunday Express which managed to print the C4 schedules twice in the same column yesterday

Strictly's figure is BBC1 and BBC1 HD.
X Factor's figure is ITV1, but excluding ITV1 HD and ITV1 +1.

Tut tut.

pathetic I know they want to exagerrate the crisis but to not even have the fair figures up
Tut tut indeed

Also Dm reporting Millions more desert TXF, its making it sound like week on week 2 million are leaving.


And why do they never report Sunday night viewers?

Also what are the officials for Last Saturday if anyone knows?

Channel 5 Data Report: Sunday 23rd October

06:00 Milkshake!: 114k (2.1%)
09:45 Bupa Great Birmingham Run: 178k (1.6%)
13:15 IRT: Deadliest Roads [Rpt]: 364k (3.3%)
14:15 Only You: 500k (4.0%)
16:25 Daddy Day Camp: 1.11m (6.7%)
18:05 Toy Story 2: 2.57m (11.3%)
20:05 5 News with Louise Beale: 631k (2.2%)
20:10 Paul Merton's Adventures [Rpt]: 712k (2.5%)
21:00 Big Brother: 1.26m (4.5%)
22:00 Two Weeks Notice: 732k (5.4%)
00:00 Extraordinary People: Growing Up Without a Face [Rpt]: 318k (6.6%)

Thats good I think for TS

Fantastic rating for Toy Story 2.

Thanks Dancc.

A couple of tweets:

With my rubbish quick maths X Factor got 11.1m average last night (not including +1) and and a 12.3m peak. But I only got a B at Maths GSCE. Strictly keeps going from strength to strength. The results show peaked at 10.1m last night, when Rory Bremner exited the show.

Spooks ended last night with 5.13m (18.4%).

Sources: Broadcast, dsrealitybites

Well this is not accurate reporting.

13.5 million peak audience (13.3 million excl +1) for #XFactor. That's over 3m more than any other show on TV last night.

Huge 6.7 million peak audience for the #RWC2011 Final - 52% share of viewing at 10.40am.

Source: James Macleod

Peaks are staying similar good thing.

I think they need to get on with results more though 3 guests was too much for me

Same peak as last week so it isn't dropping at least. The same show last year had a 5 minute peak of 15.0m (down from 15.2m the previous week) so the peak is -10% down on last year.

Awesome peak for the RWC. Spools did well for its finale and probably dented Downton a bit.

No problem. Peaked at 2.97m whilst Strictly was on, just shy of the magic 3mil.

Very strong figures for the rugby in daytime.

Will the papers report that TXF got 3.4 million more than strictly at peak? I guess not

Doubtful. Doesn't fit the current narrative.

what was the average for the Rugby?