And nail on head.

That's the thing with quality and lack off. It's not an overnight thing.

Quality needs to be consistently good over a period of time for ratings to increase bit by bit.

Likwise, quality needs to be consistently bad for ratings to decrease over time.

Even if I can agree that this year is stronger than last year, if it's still below average in terms of quality, viewers will turn off.

People need to be entertained and then they'll continue to watch. If they're not, they'll turn off.

EastEnders has been consistently below par two and a half years now. I'm not at all surprised to see this reflected in the ratings.

EE does have a huge moutain to climb however and like I said, there is no overnight quick fix. It's going to take time winning viewers back. My guess is 2014 before the show see's a noticable turn around. Lorraine does have her work cut out.

Well Lorraine's interview sounded really good I think 2013 will be a really good year for Eastenders we will have Ava and her son Dexter and Janine will be back in March

For me seeing is believing.

I remember BK spouting alot of crap but in the end, his words meant nothing.

I genuinely wish her the best but ANY producer will have a uphill struggling getting the show back to the quality it should be, and to see that reflected in the ratings.

Winning old viewers back, gaining new ones will not happen overnight. It's a process. EE needs alot of work. It needs to be seen to be consistently improving.

This is why I say 2014. Not saying next year will be crap but it's guesswork on my part that it will take 2 years to see that significant change.

Well we can't make a judgement about Christmas ratings for Eastenders Im sure lots of Eatenders fans will tune in to see Derek die and to see what Max's secret is

Well I'll watch because I always watch EE on xmas every year. Plus my family are fans of the show so there is no avoiding it for me on that day.


Anyway I'm not suggesting that people won't tune in. EastEnders has always faired well on xmas day, even during its weakest peiods so I do expect it to be a decent draw for the BBC. I'm just not confident that it will do aswell as previous years (it may well be its lowers figure yet). We'll see.

Not really bothered either way. I never was one to obsess over ratings. It's just an observation on my part based on current ratings for the time of year coupled with the current quality.

What ever it gets, I hope it drasitcally improves.

2004 wasn't a good year for Easteners and they still won the Christmas Day ratings and Eastenders part 2 Christmas Day episode beat Coronation Street in 2006 and 2006 was a poor year. We don't know if the episodes will be poor in the next few weeks next weeks episodes sound good and so do the weeks after and the week when Alfie finds out who Kat has been having an affair with

We'll have to agree to disagree I'm afraid. The next few weeks don't sound good to me at all.

Even if EE does win the xmas ratings - it still needs alot of work. One day of 'good' ratings doesn't reflect the quality of the show.

Like you said 2006 xmas won the ratings that year. That didn't mean that show was in a good place was it? Pauline's death was one of EE's weakest xmas episodes EVER IMO. Don't give a fig what number it got. :sleep:

Anyway I'm hitting the sac now. Nice talking to you.

Well don't judge them until you have seen them

Who's judging?

I'm not saying they will be crap but given that I don't enjoy the current storylines, I doubt I'll very much like what's coming up.

It's not a judgement. It's a prediction.

If you don't like a story, loath it even, what are the chances that you are going to enjoy it's climax?

If I'm pleasently surprised, fair enough. I somehow doubt it.

Well the Phil, Lola, Sharon and Jay stuff sounds good next week and Tanya going for a cancer scan sounds good and Abi comforting Lauren on Tuesday sounds really good

None of that interests me.

Horses for courses though.

Well the acting will probably be good in alot of the episodes like Steve McFadden will be good and hopefully Danielle Harold and Jamie Borthwick and Jake Wood and Jo Joyner should be good on Christmas Eve Eve and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and Boxing Day and the 27th December and the 28th December

and EastEnders gets 6.8 million for last nights episode!

Has that ever happened at the end of November? Genuine question.

What's worse is that it was thrashed by Corrie, by two million and Emmerdale - the third rate soap - beat it.

There is clearly a problem. These kinds of figures you expect in Summer.

Is that definite?

Actually it wouldn't be

Overnights Xmas Day 2000

The ten most popular programmes on Christmas Day:

1. Coronation Street (ITV): 13.7 million
2. EastEnders 8.50pm episode (BBC1): 12.1 million
3. Who Wants to be a Millionaire? 22.20 (ITV): 11.1 million
4. ITV News at 22.50 (ITV): 10.8 million
5. EastEnders 5.15pm episode (BBC1): 10.1 million
6. Titanic (BBC1) 9.9 million
7. Who Wants to be a Millionaire? 22.50 (ITV) 9.6 million
8 = Emmerdale (ITV): 9.3 million and You've Been Framed at Christmas (ITV): 9.3 million
10. The Royle Family (BBC1): 8.3 million

2003 Only Fools was number 1 on Christmas day

2006 Vicar of Dibley was number 1 on Christmas Day

Not sure. It's what I read from another ratings thread on DS that ended up closed.
Sorry, I should really have a source.

Yes, it was true: http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showp...postcount=1126

13:15 - Home and Away: 190k (2.8%)
13:45 - Neighbours: 559k (8.1%)
17:30 - Neighbours: 929k (5.5%)
18:00 - Home and Away: 738k (3.9%)
18:30 - Hollyoaks: 858k (4.3%)
19:00 - Emmerdale: 6.98m (33.9%) , +1: 122k (0.55%)
* peak: 7.42m (35.2%) at 19:20
19:30 - Coronation Street: 8.72m (40.3%) , +1: 108k (0.46%)
* peak: 9.11m (41.2%) at 19:50
20:00 - EastEnders: 6.81m (30.6%)
* peak: 7.19m (32.3%) at 20:15
20:30 - Coronation Street: 8.78m (37.7%) , +1: 185k (0.75%)
* peak: 9.24m (38.6%) at 19:50

Thank you D M N

Although the ratings are shocking for the time of year, I really shouldn't be surprised given the quality. The last year (actually two and a half years) has been bad but the last six months especially, the show has sunk.

Impressive figures there for Corrie- the Tyrone and Kirsty storyline is clearly gripping viewers right now. a 40% share on a Friday is brilliant too.

Emmerdale: 7.63m (35.8%) [+1: 135k (0.5%)]

Eastenders: 6.42m (24.9%)

EastEnders obviously dented by The Royal Variety Performance.

Shouldn't it be the other way round?

Well the Royal variety performance is only on once a year

Perhaps, but then shouldn't Corrie be denting Strictly and CIN? Barely any mention of Sunday's figure and CIN was being touted as the excuse a few weeks back.

Awful for EastEnders.