True although they may want to hold back some of that group for the following year when the big Pixar and DreamWork offerings will be this years bunch (Cars 2 and Kung Fu Panda 2).

That looks pretty decent in fairness. I've got a feeling they'll show the premiere of The Dark Knight over Christmas too, perhaps on Tuesday 27th instead of the Mamma Mia repeat? That could go on Christmas Day at 3:10pm where it could do quite well, particularly if BBC1's choice of move for the slot is weak.

Also, I wonder if they'll show the Morse spin off Endeavour on New Year's Day as has been suggested? I think it could do really well if they do. Perhaps Poirot could go on the 18th with Just Henry on another day between Christmas and New Year - Wed 28th at 8pm maybe? If Sherlock does indeed premiere on NYD then they might duck out of showing Endeavour there, but their options for it are then a bit limited as DOI will be back on Sundays. I suppose it could go on Monday 2nd as it's a Bank Holiday but NYD itself would be much better for it.

Benidorm have filmed a Christmas special for this year, so that would be new on Tuesday 20th, but I suspect that will end up where Jonathan Ross is currently scheduled, maybe with Jonathan Ross at 10pm.

Well if Arsenal go out as well, then it becomes a football anoraks tournament and ITV1 will be left with a tournament only 2 million viewers will be interested in. I wonder if the latter stages were dominated by teams from Eastern Europe if coverage would be pushed to ITV4. However, as it's only every couple of weeks from next February, it's not so painful and maybe they could show some films that might pull in 3 -4 million viewers.

There isn't a Benidorm special this year. There is an extra episode in the next series instead (7 instead of 6).

Arsenal qualified tonight.

Ok, didn't realise there would be a chance Endeavour might be ready for New Year.

Something like this would be ok for ITV1 on Christmas Day, although I'm not sure they'd put Mamma Mia there.

3.10pm Film : Mamma Mia
5.20pm ITV News
5.30pm All Star Family Fortunes : Benidorm v TOWIE
6.30pm Emmerdale
7.30pm Coronation Street
8.30pm Downton Abbey
10.30pm ITV News
10.45pm Film : Love Actually (isn't it always that one)

Suppose only Arsenal are left in the next round and they go out. I reckon ITV1 wouldn't be willing to show a live match involving two East European teams and most likely would consider moving it to ITV4. Remember- the Super Cup final in 2009 was one of ITV's lowest ever rated programmes.

I think they are contractually obliged to put Champions League on ITV1.

I think Endeavour is being timed to air around the time of the 25th Anniversary of the first episode of Morse, which is 8th January. However unless Dancing on Ice starts a week later than last year it won't be able to air on the 8th so NYD looks like a decent bet.

That Christmas Day schedule looks pretty solid for them. Mamma Mia could get 3.5-4m with Family Fortunes on 4-4.5m. Emmerdale and Corrie should do c7m and c9m whilst Downton would get a decent number (could be anything from 6 to 12 million!). Love Actually is a good shout for the late slot, it airs on ITV1 at least once every year (if not more) and about a gazillion times on ITV2 over the fortnight.

I wonder if there will be a Christmas Day special of That's Britain..lolol

The words "hedging" and "your bets there" spring to mind.

Yep, that's exactly what I'm doing! I really have no idea whatsoever what it'd get on Christmas Day.

It's a possibility, but it will go out with a whimper I reckon.

That's Britain's last 2 episodes will be up against Basel v Man Utd & The Royal Variety.

Ah, the wonderful, marvellous, blissful Christmas of 1993.

Happy memories, as I lost my virginity and, perhaps more notably, ITV's schedule delivered some MONSTER ratings:

- One Foot in the Algarve 20.01m
- Only Fools & Horses 19.59m
- Birds of a Feather 19.39m
- Film: Ghost 18.53m
- Keeping Up Appearances 17.07m
- Casualty 17.00m
- BBC News 16.66m
- Noel's Xmas House Party 15.96m

and so on...

Monster ratings - for the BBC...

http://www.tv-ark.org.uk/mivana/medi...o1993&type=mp4

http://www.tv-ark.org.uk/mivana/medi..._1993&type=mp4



Long enough for BBC1 to clean up.

I hope they push the boat out, along the lines of my fantasy schedule last night.

I've been looking at this thread long enough to know that That's Britain will rate well, probably over 4m.

It was trending on Twitter although pretty much all comments were negative. I hope someone has access to the AI index for this!

I was just thinking how many people on this thread appear to have been watching, and wondering if we have a representative cross section of the country posting on here...!

I only caught the last 3 minutes. I thought it looked ok.
























Only joking!

I've tweaked my Christmas Day suggestion now it looks like Downton Abbey at 8.30pm is happening.


I could see Doctor Who winning the day if those were the competing line ups. Mrs Brown could do very well at 10.30, assuming the BBC have the confidence to air it on Christmas Night.

Think we could see some record timeshifts this Christmas Day with Downton pitching up uninvited...

ITV Press Centre must have been a bit slow off the mark.

Thursday's Daily Mail, front page 1st edition: "Downton vs Strictly - the big Christmas Day battle".

A couple of sources are saying that ITV1 will show one-off drama 'Just Henry' on Christmas Day. One of the actresses in it tweeted it'll be shown on Xmas Day and a talent agency states that too.

So maybe the Downton Abbey on Xmas Day thing isn't so guaranteed yet? Seems a bit weird if true that a new one-off drama would get a Christmas Day airing, but didn't ITV do that a few years ago with that Booze Cruise show?

Edit:

...Or maybe just ignore my last two paragraphs !

Edit2: Here's the article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...stmas-day.html

According to the article, SCD and DA won't actually go head to head. DA, they say, will air at 9pm, with SCD in its usual earlier slot.

"Darkness at Daybreak" on The Times. That could make for an awkward newspaper review tomorrow morning.

I still can't quite understand the logic (from ITV's perspective) of putting Downton on Christmas Day. It just looks a lot like throwing money down the toilet and not because people won't watch it but because I can't see advertisers paying top drawer for it in this slot. There's also the potentially embarrassing possibility that 'the nations biggest drama' doesn't rate any better than the Agatha Christie drama last year and gets beat down by the BBC.


So even by The Mail's standards that's a pretty ridiculous headline then. I'd also point out that currently the subheading claims:

Downton Abbey to be screened at 9pm while Strictly Come Dancing airs later

So apparently Strictly is airing after 10PM this Christmas...

Ridiculous article. Strictly won't be going head to head with Downton.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...=feeds-newsxml

BBC1 and BBC2 are between them almost certain to air well in excess of 100 hours of repeats in the fortnight up to December 30, including a Royle Family special and the Two Ronnies.

ITV will air something like 120 hours of repeats and old films including Santa Clause: The Movie, Polar Express, E.T, Miracle on 34th Street, Towering Inferno, Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets and The Railway Children.

Channel 5 is also set to break the century mark for repeats over the period, with tens of hours also expected for Channel 4 as well.

Pretty sensible schedule. Only thing I would say is I doubt Michael McIntyre would go out so late, maybe dropping Mrs Brown and bring everything 30 mins earlier. Not that I wouldnt like a Mrs Brown Christmas Day episode.