Smash appears to have hit stable ground. I'm sure there are those out there moaning about the retention but 2.3 (it was adjusted down a tenth in finals) is a huge win for NBC at this stage. I believe I'm right in saying that's more than double the slot average for the season so far.


It can't possibly do worse than the alternatives...


Saturday is without question burn off. That its airing the first three hours on the same Saturday is not a good sign. To make matters worse I'm not convinced their schedule is likely to be packed with originals in April either so I'm not sure we can even make the argument they don't have space for it.


I wouldn't be entirely convinced it'll win Saturday. It certainly should but its not impossible Fox will take it depending on what's repeating out of Cops.


It seems to me like a clear attempt to make sure Touch isn't DOA and ultimately that's where their priority needs to be. Running it out of Alcatraz and then House on Monday nights opposite The Voice, Dancing with the Stars, and the CBS comedies just because its the old 24 slot was madness. Particularly when a fading Grey's, Office and struggling Person of Interest means Thursday 9PM is wide open for the taking for the first time in years.

Although moving Bones to Monday now will give them a foothold on the night for the next season which they're currently lacking.


Who knows what's going on with the 24 movie (I'm still incredibly unclear how that works but that's another story....)

If Touch is a success then I suspect it'll be on the Fall schedule especially if they plan to keep it on Thursday. Holding it back until midseason just invites everyone else to try and launch something in the slot and that'll make Touch's job much more difficult midseason. If they intend to move it to Monday then I can see it being held back though.

Hmmm, slightly different then!

I'm starting to get the feeling that period drama is going to be to the 2010s what reality television was to the 2000s. Downton Abbey and Call The Midwife have already taken off; Upstairs, Downstairs is more like the 'Dancing On Ice' of the period drama world in that in trails behind the big two. I wonder if this new programme will take off...could it take Downton's slot with Downton moving to another night - possibly Monday's?

They were said to have high hopes for this when it first surfaced and IIRC it's an ITV Studios production as well. From what I remember it does sound like Mr Selfridge is ripe for TV drama - I wonder if we'll see a British actor doing a dodgy American accent (we get the opposite so often!).

It seems extremely sensible to try something else in this area. If anything it has taken too long. There's clearly an audience for this kind of thing on ITV1 not to mention the potential for international sales which must be hugely appealing for a project like this in light of Downton's success.

I believe the 24 movie will be the first hour will be not in real time but the second hour will be. 24: Redemption which was a TV movie was actually in real time so I think having a two hour film in real time could work but the first idea allows more freedom. I think they're shooting it between April-June for a 2013 release.

In other news, BBC America is developing two drama series with Clerkenwell Films which will be a co-production with a UK Broadcaster should commision either project, the first is a sci-fi drama called Wired and the other is a crime drama called The Dead Beat, the latter sounds like Randall and Hopkirk Deceased mixed with Ghost Whisperer and Medium.

BBC America does seem to be getting actively involved with original shows that are bought in from the UK.

So two period drama based on Department stores eh?



This has history as Andrew Davies who is doing the ITV period department store drama originally wanted to do 'The Ladies Paradise' and 'Shopping, Seduction and Mr Selfridge' is basically just a London version of it.

UK TV is moving away from being a service for everyone, it should be renamed "FemVision"

Talking of original ideas - how about a soap set in a street in Manchester with life revolving around the local pub and factory. Perhaps I should give Granada a ring

Which was announced nearly a year ago. Didn't the BBC do a drama documentary about Mr Selfridge too?

Ring BBC first, just so they can turn it down

It was actually on Mondays at 8.10, up to 1985, which did of course mean it also went up against World In Action on ITV, so BBC2 would put on light entertainment and get about ten million viewers in that slot. I've said this before but in the IBA Yearbook 1986 they do a piece on scheduling and ratings and it says the average audience for Panorama in the first six weeks of 1985 - its last six weeks at 8.10 - was 3.4 million, so it was hardly doing very well when it was in its prime.

I suppose by the law of averages two channels are going to come up with the same idea every now and then - usually it seems to be ITV who pinch the BBC's ideas

Panorama hasn't been a big show in ratings for years except for a really major investigation here and there, like most famously the Princess Diana interview. But it still is vital as the edition into care homes proved.

Last night's Horizon on BBC2 pulled 3m viewers

BFGW - 4.2m (5.2m with +1)

The final episode of The Exit List got 1.5m and a 6.8% share (1.6m with +1).

And here's the ITV press release on Mr Selfridge. Andrew Davies is doing it so I'm definitely watching.

http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press...e/default.html

3m for BBC2 is fantastic. BFGW is up after facing The Brit Awards.Do you know what Prisoners' Wives got last night?

BBC1

TOS - 5.1m
EE- 8.3m
Holby - 5.6m
Prisoners' Wives - 4.1m
News - 4.2m

Thanks Bushmills.

I can honestly say that Prisoners' Wives is one of the best shows people aren't watching. The title doesn't help it.

Agreed, it got a terrific write up in this weeks Sunday Times Culture supplement, saying that the ratings were suffering against BFGW(not sure that this is the case!) and it was one of the best written and acted dramas of late, with subtle humour. I think the name has put people off, pity as it's excellent.

The Horizon figure of course includes Welsh imperialists/Paxman fans...

Caught a bit of PW last night. Not bad, but the stupid title put me off, expecting something trashy like Footballers Wives...

I hope the BBC give Prisoners Wives a second series. Thing is when you look at EastEnders which is only getting like 8 million an episode thesedays it makes ratings of over 4 million for any drama look impressive but then at the same time highlights that EastEnders needs to be performing alot better.

1.5m for TEL. Primetime ITV light entertainment.

Does that break any records?

Prisoners' Wives is a good TV show hurt by a bad title. People think it'll be trashy but it actually has depth and substance to it.



Should be closer to 9m but I think people know they can watch later on BBC3 so go there. If the show did engage them they'd be watching the first showing in higher numbers I reckon.

The Diana interview in November, 1995, was watched by 22.78 million according to BARB, probably the biggest audience ever recorded by Panorama.

5million watched the first two episodes of Prisoners Wives. The show is good but maybe not good enough for many of the 1m viewers who havent watched the last 3 weeks.

Both BBC One and ITV1 showing Queen's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations in June. The latter has Phillip Schofield and Julie Etchingham presenting: http://www.imediamonkey.com/itvs-jul...lip-schofield/

Is Huw Edwards doing it for BBC One?