So even catch up viewing of the instant repeat is down, a mere 0.2m.

Great for Merlin to be up at 6.0m. Wasn't it 5.3m last week? Be interesting to see how it does for its last 2 eps without TXF!

Wow you would think X Factor is the flop of the year looking at some of these comments. Why would they be glad that this series is coming to a end. It's still ITV's biggest program and they don't have anything else that can get them 9-10m a week.

Nice dig at Sky, and those deserting the BBC F1 team for the big bucks from Murdoch...

Bad year on year drop for X Factor but still staying (just) above 10m. I'm really enjoying this series personally but guess its just on the slide like a lot of reality shows before it.

I love some of the comments on here though even if X Factor got 20m people would be able to put a bad spin on it . Strictly is doing very well this year.

Is your TV permanently stuck on BBC?

ITV might not be glad but I was talking about the producers of the show and Syco, who will be glad to see the back of this run.

I see your point, it won't be the total panic stations that some people seem to be thinking it will be, but they will be thinking about what they need to do for next year, change of judges ect. There is nothing really that they can do about ratings for this series now.

Still having an audience of 10m+ obviously shows there is still a massive base to build back upon next year

No but Robbie's views are.

I moan about it but I think if him and Dancc went my reading of this thread would be a lot less entertaining

I'm pretty sure it was 5.9m last week...

Strictly and X Factor both down significantly year on year. I wouldnt want to be launching a new singing contest in the New Year with the public seemingly o/d ing on these contests.

Shows would kill for The X Factor's ratings, by their standards are down but still high. I did see that The X Factor's quarter final rating is the lowest since 2007.

Okay, I'll bite. What is your problem with my perfectly legitimate comparison to previous years at this stage of the series? Is the problem that it's not showing what you'd like to see, perhaps?

Whoa chill your beans, I didn't mean about the X factor I meant your love for C5/BB and Robbies love for BBC keep me entertained. Was actually a back handed compliment

since you ask...............................

problem is you dont do it CONSISTENTLY especially with Five's shows and when you do mention y-o-y's for Five there is always an excuse (eeer reason!) for the drop - no Liverpool in the Europa's, global decline in the CSI franchise, etc, but such reasons are never accepted as valid in connection to ITVs shows

Maybe more people watched SCD last week due to the fact that it was, for the first time, at Wembley? Maybe there was also a Russell Grant effect?

You could look at it the other way. And say because there's been less interest and a general dislike towards TXF this year, there's more of an apatite among the public for a new fresh singing talent competition. Put it this way: I don't think The Voice would've been able to cope launching earlier this year or last year just after the record-high rated XF series but now that XF's had a bad series, it's probably a better time for it to launch.


5.9m was indeed the full-slot average for Merlin last week. The tape-checked average was 5.7m.

As you've acknowledged I have discussed declines at Channel 5 many times. And I make no apologies for attempting to explain some of the reasons behind those declines, I'd say that was an attempt at analysis and people can make up their own minds from that.

All you do CONSISTENTLY is spin pretty badly for ITV. Attempting to liken Strictly's y-o-y decline with what we've seen with The X Factor is quite frankly ridiculous, and nobody is buying it.

According to the Sunday Express today Channel 5's Christmas Day highlights will be an old Morecambe and Wise Show and an old Tommy Cooper show, presumably both from Thames:sleep:

My personal opinion is that part of X Factors decline is due to it becoming more like The Voice is purporting to offer - so less theatrics, pantomine antics from the judges, less novelty acts, a bit joyless and tedious really.

Maybe thats becuse the judges just arent very good at hamming it up for the show, but what the public SAY they want to watch and what actually gets them watching are two different things.

So TXF trying to merge into The Voice and The Voice trying to glitz up like TXF spells mediocrity for both.

One thing is clear - Cowell wont be back full time in TXF in UK next season but he needs to find a decent set of judges. Maybe somebody from the record industry or a promoter to sit on the judges panel rather than 3 pop stars plus Louis.

He wasn't talking about that comment, but your overwhelming bias towards C5. I agree with him, if you went then this thread would be far less entertaining.

BBC Two is repeating similar classics on Christmas Eve.

Overall it's probably the best Christmas lineup on Channel 5 in years. But they're obviously not going to put the best stuff on Christmas Day because they accept they can't compete on that night.

Full details on what's planned over the entire period are here: http://about.channel5.com/node/1528

one mans analysis is anothers spin.

Whats so ridiculous about highlighting that both Saturday night shows are down y-o-y. Next you will be trying to tell us that there is no competition between them? Did I just read 5,000 pages of ratings thread for nothing?

Surely the only reason The X Factor is down this year is because the weather is so lovely.

you are kinda right


you are right, a 2nd wholesale change in judges upsets stability, (same could be true for X-Factor) of the show, and a 3rd you might as well axe it.

Strictly won again last night, im really pleased for it, it really deserves it.