I don't think we should overlook either the shows they are actually up against - Merlin and Casualty obviously both hold solid for the BBC, more so than usual infact. TV Burp is doing OK for ITV, but I think down on where it has been in previous years, and obviously it won't be an option next year. Earlier in the evening though they are struggling to find a show that sets up Saturday night for them against Strictly.

I Think tonight will be 11.0m and 11.4m +1

I dont think anyone would have predicted that three of the four judges on XF would have left after the astonishing performances of last years shows. Indeed many posters on DS blankly refused to contemplate it. But the chemistry of the four and acts like Wagner just compelled people to tune in. That mix has not been repeated and people are not getting what they expect. Added to that is the fact that the end result ie who wins hardly matters at all and the current recipe is seen to shed viewers rather than bring them in.
Obviously 9.9 million is a huge audience but it does not necessarily mean all of them are liking what they see-and surely its impossible for the show to return with the current judges set up.

Great night for SCD which isnt doing much different to last year, but the schedulers have attacked XF here and there and weakened it further-personally I didnt think last nights had the atmosphere of last years Halloween special or indeed the last few weeks this year. Russell was subdued and some of the linking video snippets were quite poor. However the staging is excellent and there is a winning way with it and everyone connected with the show deserves high praise for the way its turned around from the comparatively desperate times of 2009. And with the Wembley Arena week and Blackpool final to come its looking rosy.

Has it been confirmed that Harry Hill won't be fronting another series of TV Burp? It would be a shame, but watching last nights show it does appear he just can't be bothered anymore.

And judging by The Chase's performance up against SCD, it looks like that may be a good companion to XF next year.

I think it was 9.9m including +1. Is that right people?

Well what a surprise. Hoped it would happen but didn't think it could.Strictly doing better in the overnights than The X Factor. The X Factor will pull ahead in the final ratings but this is an incredible achievement for Strictly Come Dancing.

The peak was higher and also BBC1 won the night on share. Incredible!

Jake Humphrey
I love you lot. Yesterday's qualifying figures for the live and re-run combined were 3.9m...for qualifying!! Incredible!! #bbcf1 #bbcrules
2 minutes ago

That will be the live peak + re-run peak almost certainly for the F1 Qualifying, but still good considering the championship race is over.

Re Harry Hill: I read that he is contracted to one more series for ITV which will be in early 2012. I think it is a case of Harry tiring with ITV rather than the other way round.

Yes its encouraging that the interest is still there, however im rather hoping (and I bet Im not the only one) that Vettel's dominance does not continue to the extent it has lately.

Was it ever confirmed that the BBC's highlights next year will be "as live" rather than an just an hour or 75 mins?

Good for The Chase, nobody predicted it would do that well, everyone seemed to think it would be a flop.

This prime time outing may boost the teatime ratings when normal Chase returns.

If it continues into next year, we could potentially see viewing figures drop a bit, but probably not as low as when Schumacher was dominating especially in 2002, when some races were below 3 million.

Hollyoaks is fantastic at the moment and the E4 figures are excellent relative to the C4 episode. Great quality and easily the best soap at the moment.

Poor for TXF last night. A series low and the first time it hasn't cracked 10m (inc. +1). Something really isn't working this year. Next year it nexts a major overhaul.

It does make me laugh how 9.9 is poor for x factor but 9.9m for strictly would be great.

Don't really get the need for a replay for a race at 9.30am - are F1 fans really that lazy!

It's all relative, isn't it. Compared to X Factor's relative successes of previous years where the live shows were frequently reaching 12-13m, 9.9 million is quite underwhelming.

How? it got around 3.5m with a 30 minute headstart on SCD and mostly against a 3 day old repeat of The impressions show, if it was head to head with Strictly it would have been sub 3m.

The National lottery -Secret Fortune got around the same against the X factor a few weeks ago and I didn't see plaudits for that. That was even more impressive as it had a full on clash with the X factor.

I Bet you thought it would get 4m +

but in fact 3.5m is good rating for the show and it didn't flop

Why are you an idiot?

SCD is rating at its highest levels, The X factor is posting large year on year falls. It's not rocket science!

People always talk about Halloween and Bonfire Night but neither really affected the show's overnights last year. Also the audition shows went out in fairly warm weather and still rated higher than last year's ones I think.

Strictly has just been more entertaining and better made this series than The X Factor.

I don't remember ever giving it much thought.
But when a show is posting 2.2m in a 5pm slot with though opposition, its obviously going to get a boost when its a 'Celebrity' version moved forward an hour with very little opposition for its first half. Thats just being rational

Only because last year was so high. look back at 2009 where week 4 got 10.34m thats only about 0.5m up from last night

Yeah Sam it has no problems at all, everything is perfect
I was wrong, you are so right like you were with Red or Black,

I won't waste anymore time on a Cowell stalker.

I'd agree that its not entirely surprising that the BBC has beaten ITV in the share. ITV's Saturday night schedule is a one show schedule and if you took The X Factor away then I suspect it would not be a pretty picture for ITV at all. In contrast I imagine that the BBC1 schedule would likely hold up relatively well without Strictly powering it.


Its not just the relative expectations but the difference in momentum and direction. The X Factor is losing viewers at a time when traditionally it should be gaining them.

Yeah but Sam every week you expect it to be up - are you really saying that its all fine now?
Fact is Strictly didn't get 9.9 anyway - it got 10.3 and a massive peak!

It also started off very very well - its dropped over the weeks - thats bad.
Its not even like DW where once things are in perspective its doing about the same as usual.

Its down on 2009 as you point out - hardly 'yeha!'

How often do we hear the phrase 'its only down half a million viewers'? Not very often I'd guess...

But as I said before the issue isn't just the year-on-year drops but the week-on-week drops. The X Factor is losing viewers at a time when we would traditionally be expecting it to be growing heading into the big finale. Can anyone remember if The X Factor has ever dropped week-on-week during the live shows?