particularly Radio Times critics!

Friday 18th November - Soap Overnights
BBC Three
13:45- Doctors: 1.62m (21.9%)

ITV1
19:00- Emmerdale: 6.92m (30.2%) , +1: 117k (0.5%)
* 19:00-19:25
19:30- Coronation Street: 7.74m (31.8%)
20:30- Coronation Street: 6.92m (25.9%) , +1: 129k (0.5%)

Channel 4
18:30- Hollyoaks: 1.08m (5.3%)

Channel 5
13:45- Neighbours: 602k (8.1%)
17:30- Neighbours: 1.24m (7.2%)
18:00- Home and Away: 1.1m (5.7%)

5*
18:30- Home and Away: 527k (2.6%)

E4
19:00- Hollyoaks: 505k (2.3%)

Ratings include HD and are tape-checked where necessary

Source: DS
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That's quite a good rating for Home and Away's 6pm showing for recent standards. Can't remember the last time it had 1m+.

I think it's just been a learning curve to be honest with you. The focus this year has been very much on establishing Big Brother. And perhaps because of that they've been guilty of taking their eyes off the ball a bit with regard to other programmes and the schedule as a whole.

I'm sure next year they will learn from their mistakes and create a smarter more consistent offering around it. The signs are already there in what they've been commissioning, which I've highlighted a few examples of in recent weeks.

One thing is absolutely clear: they cannot rely on CSI/Law & Order any longer. Those programmes, as good as they are and mainstays of the C5 schedule for so long, are not proving as popular as they once were. And a few of the programmes within those franchises have been/will be cancelled. So the channel has to move forward and evolve, and doing so successfully will take time.

It's not all bad news then! That has to be H&A's highest rating in months. No idea where that came from.

Er, the similar and much trailed Models, Misfits and Mayhem drew only 140k on ITV2 a few weeks ago.

http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/rating...033194.article

Doctors doing well but could be better in terms of ratings and Qualty right now

I didn't see yesterday's H&A but did anything big happen?

Corrie and Emmerdale did well despite being against The One show/CIN

BBC ONE Christmas Schedules (rumoured):

XMAS EVE
645PM TBA
745PM Merlin Finale
830PM Casualty
925PM National Lottery Draws
930PM Absolutely Fabulous
10PM NEWS
1020PM TBA
1120PM Midnight Mass

XMAS DAY
10AM Morning Service
11AM-2PM TBA
2PM TOTP
3PM The Queen
310PM FILM TBA
445PM Lapland
615PM BBC NEWS
630PM Doctor Who
730PM Strictly Come Dancing
830PM Eastenders
930PM The Royle Family
1030PM BBC NEWS
1045PM Michael McIntyre Comedy Roadshow

BOX DAY
730PM Eastenders
8PM Outnumbered
9PM Great Expectations
10PM NEWS
1020PM Mrs. Browns Boys

Except no split EastEnders at 40 mins each.

Nope. It was a pretty standard episode, so I'm a bit baffled by the sudden rise.

Hopefully dave09 will be able to fill us in on the last time it was that high. I don't track the soap stats but I think he does.

EastEnders is on Xmas Eve. The sneak peak was on the Official website and we got to read parts of the scripts which said 'Saturday 24th Dec'
The BBC also confirmed there is NO Royle family this year

I only saw Monday & Tuesday's episode so wasn't sure. Very strange in that case.

Thanks

I wouldn't know where to start for the Christmas fortnight, but I'll have another go at Christmas Night.
BBC One:
5.45pm News
5.55 EastEnders
6.30 Doctor Who
7.30 Strictly Come Dancing
8.30 EastEnders
9.00 The Royal Bodyguard (two episodes joined together as one. 9pm in schedule, but actual start time of 9.05pm, due to losing closing credits of episode one and opening titles of episode two.)
10.00 The One Jasper Carrott
10.50 News
11.00 On Christmas Night
11.05 Film

ITV1:
5.30 You've Been Framed
6.25 News
6.30 Emmerdale
7.30 Coronation St
8.30 Poirot
10.30 News
10.35 Film: Wimbledon ()

Yes, I would treat these "rumoured" schedules with a pinch of salt. Highly likely to be a fantasy schedule by an anorak!

There is at least one poster on here that could probably give us something more concrete, but they'd have to kill us first I'd imagine.

We'll get a sneak peek at the real thing in a few days time anyway. And no deaths have to occur, which is a nice bonus.

Didn't that get denied on Loose Women (re: Royles)

EastEnders doesn't have to air where the official site's script teaser says so there's no guarantee there is a Xmas Eve EastEnders. Thats not to say we won't see an episode set on Eve, just could be transmitted on the 23rd.

There was also one for Thurs 22nd,Fri 23rd and Sun 25th
so unless the BBC plan on having a Double on the 23rd (where would it go?) i think it's safe to say their will be an Xmas Eve EastEnders.

Im sure it was Ricky that comfirmed it on the one show wasn't it?

Yep, the poster who put up the supposed official Christmas schedule last year got it completely wrong.

This week's Radio Times.....
Reporter Emma Cox: "Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a Royle Family special. Will there be another?"
Ralf Little: "I had a central role last year, but one year I didn't appear at all because Antony was babysitting! Whenever Craig wants to wind me up, he says they've written the first line and it's "Oh isn't it a shame about Antony dying in that freak accident? Let's never mention him again!" Whatever they write, it's such a joy to turn up on set and see everyone again. For me, that's not work. That's just fun. But I saw Craig last night and he just said "I know, I know, we need to write it!""

Hold on a moment!

It's certainly true that the worse all other non-BB programming does then the more cost effective BB looks - as the incremental additional audience and revenue from BB would be greater.

But as you say, you can't just look at one or two nights where competition may not be typical.

My point was looking at C5's ratings over the whole of BB and comparing to the whole equivalent period last year (using rzt's analysis) it looked highly doubtful whether BB was a worthwhile investment.

Looking forward, there is still nothing to suggest that C5 can't get an overall average 4% share with cheap programming based on EPG position (and brand as one of the "main 5 channels"). Not every single night regardless of competition (obviously!) but across the year as a whole.

The thing is (and I've said this a lot before) Five already have the rights to some great shows that could breathe some new life into their schedule but they've buried them on the digital channels. I cannot for the life of me understand why Sons of Anarchy and Justified aren't airing on the main channel or why Alphas didn't land on Five.

It seems to me that they need to take a new look at what shows they've brought and where they can best be used. With shows like Law & Order and CSI not only dwindling in popularity but also at the very least knocking on the cancellation door in the US why not move them across to the digital channels and rotate in stuff like Alphas, Sons and Justified which will match up much more with the chasing of a younger audience.

More bad reporting from The Daily Mail re: Oprah Winfrey's struggling cable network OWN in the US:

No, she did not. It was always in the pipeline that she would have her own shows on it, because I remember reading it when the channel launched!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...N-network.html

I wonder how the rumoured test screen of Royal Bodyguard went today (alongside Outnumbered)?

Of course if it's pants, it still may get a plum Christmas Day launch. Come Fly With Me was (mostly) a stinker and still got 12.5m viewers on Christmas Day last year.

One assumes it is definitely being launched over Christmas, given it was due to start in November and hasn't done. Even the BSI wouldn't hold it back till December, and then launch it on Wednesdays anyway. Would they?

This might work for BBC1, regardless of whether DA or Poirot is the ITV oppositon, and whether DA/P airs at 8pm or 9pm:

3.10 Film TBA
4.50 News
5.00 The Borrowers
6.30 The Gruffalo 2
7.00 DW
8.00 SCD
9.00 EE
10.00 The Royal Bodyguard
10.30 Mrs Brown's Boys
11.00 News
11.10 Macintyre

Borrowers/Gruffalo/DW could be swapped about a bit depending on whether the EmFm/Corrie double starts at 6pm or 7pm.

Robbie you should work for BBC. That schedule for Christmas day looks fantastic

I doubt Off The Kerb would want MacIntyre on as late as 11.10pm, and they seem to be in bed with the beeb.

Of course, once upon a time all TV was live including the Christmas telly, And as most episodes of The Royle Family take place in real time.....

The Beeb would be embarrassed to put out that strong and varied a schedule, in case ITV went bleating to the Daily Mail...

They gave up at half ten last year, so expect the same again, and Mrs Brown and Macintyre to be held back for other late nights and smaller audiences. And The Borrowers can be held over for Boxing Day when everyone is out at the shops, or early evening when it can clash with EmFm and Corrie.

Oh, and its Sunday, so they will need to pop a Countryfile Winter Special in...

According to Tim Bentick (from The Archers) who is in the show, The Royal Bodyguard starts "Christmas or Boxing Day".

http://twitter.com/#!/timbentinck

No matter if its Poirot. If it's Downton, then:

3.10 Film TBA
4.50 News
5.00 The Gruffalo 2
5.30 The Borrowers
7.00 DW
8.00 EE
8.30 SCD
9.30 EE
10.00 The Royal Bodyguard [would probably win the night in that slot with DA finishing at 10]
10.30 Mrs Brown's Boys
11.00 News
11.10 Macintyre