Maybe the BBC are planning a 5th Episode on a Sunday so would make sense to have an Omnibus on a Friday night

I don't think there's any chance they can switch to that kind of scheduling now and I'm not sure it would have worked at launch either. In fact I think that kind of repeat rotation would have been even more uninspiring than the schedule they launched with and currently have. Ultimately what the channel desperately needs is more original content and there's really no way around that. Out of interest does anyone know why they aren't airing Smash yet? Surely with Glee on hiatus this would have been the perfect time to launch what will inevitably be labelled 'up market Glee'? That would also have given them another centrepiece original drama for during the week – Game of Thrones Monday, Mad Men Tuesday and Smash Wednesday. [EDIT – I've just seen that Smash launches on Atlantic on April 21. A Saturday which feels a little odd]

Thinking about it maybe Sky should consider switching to a seasonal US style schedule for Atlantic? A burst of original content across the week from September – early December then again January – late May (maybe push the second block a little later to line-up with Thrones on HBO?). Then fill in the downtime over the summer and Christmas with repeats, films and an HBO mini-series or two. In theory with the content they'll have access to they should be able to do that or something close to it relatively easily. It would however mean they couldn't stick with the 'next night' (or close to it) scheduling for some of their imports but rather keep them on the shelf for a little bit. And maybe moving some of the more premium content from Sky1 to Atlantic (like Spartacus).


Critical acclaim is usually the kiss of death for a new network drama but comedy tends to be one of the few areas where being a critics choice and award winner actually helps. Two and a Half Men is really the only comedy hit of recent times that was almost completely panned by critics but still exploded. For the most part critics and awards tend to get it right with comedy (Modern Family being the obvious example at this point) but spectacularly wrong with drama. In terms of audience popularity that is.

And I'd just say that Community and to a lesser extent 30 Rock are victims of their network. Although Community is currently NBC's second best rated comedy despite going head-to-head with Big Bang Theory. In fairness that says more about NBC's comedy performance this season than Community's strength but still...

Spartacus would not work on Atlantic, it is entertaining but it's a little lowbrow with the violence, sex and nudity, I think Boss or Magic City would be appropriate,

I think some shows like GoT would benefit from next night whereas others like Blue Bloods, The Borgias can be held up a month or two. I think one of the nights could be dedicated to comedy both British and American. They've got their first original drama coming up, Hit and Miss although that could have easily aired on Sky1.

Two and a Half Men isn't liked by critics because it's lowbrow and a bit crude and it has won awards for the actors like Jon Cryer, just not the writing. I think there was a time when the multicamera comedy got a bit of a beating by critics on both sides of the Atlantic who were raving about single camera comedies like The Office but there's been a resurgence in multicamera comedies due to the success that CBS has had with The Big Bang Theory, HIMYM, 2 Broke Girls etc TBH it doesn't really matter if a comedy is multicamera or single camera as long as it's funny.

30 Rock's acclaim and awards has kept it running longer than the dramatic counterpart Studio 60 which launched the same season, I do wonder if Tina Fey's Sarah Palin hadn't received so much attention whether the show would still be on air, given NBC's troubles, I would probably say yes.

Another assertion but again no attempt to post any actual figures!

You say it's "staggering" and "utterly absurd" but the reality is it's absolute peanuts in the context of Sky's business.

Sky's own advertising budget is approx 2% of revenues from memory (another poster posted the figure a few weeks ago). That covers everything - all channels, HD, broadband, phone, the lot. So I'm sorry but the amount spent on advertising Atlantic is not staggering - it's peanuts.

This whole debate is like saying it's absurd for a millionaire to fly British Airways when he could gave gone Easyjet. The costs are very, very small as a % of Sky's business.

How much it is achieving is obviously hard to measure precisely but it only has to achieve very, very little to be worthwhile - X-ref earlier post re entertainment programming as a whole.

That's it - economically it makes sense.

You say it would be better to push Sky 1 content but how is that going to be more effective at generate extra subs? A key way that Sky generates new subs is by creating new niches to suck in new and different types of people. Sky Atlantic can be projected as a different niche.


It most certainly could be the only reason. I'm not saying it is the only reason but if it was it would be justification in itself. It gives Sky the scope to show content exclusive to its platform. That's a very important weapon to have.

The Daily Mail are jumping on the bandwagon now, working out the cost per viewer of Mad Men, based on overnights and guessing what it cost!!


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...st-47-000.html

Well luckily for you then you've got hundreds of channels catering for the lowest common denominator with their mass appeal bilge. I hope you really enjoy 'Keith Lemmon's Lemonade'.

It's really nothing new. It's always been the case that quality stuff like 'The Killing', 'Mad Men' & 'The Wire' tends to rate pretty low while dross like Downton Abbey' and 'Coronation Street' are the most watched show on tv.

Coronation Street is better quality drama than The Wire or Mad Men.

Winner - Post of the Century.

My flabber is well and truly ghasted.

Bar GOT, Saturday has been the best night for new acquisitions on Atlantic. Boardwalk, Borgias and Mildred Pierce, all doing well.

A few overnights tweeted so far:

- Fraud Squad stole the 9pm slot for #itv last night with 4.9m (4.6 excl +1)
- #CelebJuice averages 1.8m peaks 2.1m (with +1)
- NEW #House averages 267,000 Sky1(HD)

Sources: John Williams, Mike Large

Fraud Squad did pretty well for ITV there - I know they're only airing the one episode for now but in the synopsis it said 'new series' so hopefully they've got a few more episodes in the can as ITV could do with a returning factual hit.

Also, this list shows that the first episode of BGT got a consolidated rating of 11.57m (inc +1), which is up on last year's 11.42m. Pretty impressive considering the clash and the general decline of 2011. That's a monster timeshift too - Doctor Who level!

Hardly.

Thursday 5th April Overnights
BBC One
13:45- Doctors: 1.45m (18.9%)
19:30- EastEnders: 7.25m (34.9%)
21:00- Land of the Lost Wolves: 3.5m (15.1%)

BBC Two
21:00- White Heat: 988k (4.3%) inc HD

ITV1
19:00- Emmerdale: 6.42m (32.2%) , +1: 130k (0.6%)
20:00- Emmerdale: 6.52m (29.6%) , +1: 189k (0.8%)
20:30- Coronation Street: 7.45m (31.4%) , +1: 290k (1.3%)
21:00- Fraud Squad: 4.58m (19.79%) , +1: 275k (1.48%)

Channel 4
18:30- Hollyoaks: 939k (5.2%)
21:00- One Born: What Happened Next?: 2.05m (8.9%) , +1: 290k (1.6%)

Channel 5
13:45- Neighbours: 727k (9.4%)
17:30- Neighbours: 872k (6.2%)
18:00- Home and Away: 633k (3.9%)
19:55- Live Europa League: 770k (3.4%)
* peak: 1m (4.4%)

Ratings include HD and are tape-checked where necessary

Multichannel
5*
19:00- Home and Away: 444k (2.5%)

BBC Three
22:00- EastEnders: 760k (3.7%)

E4
19:00- Hollyoaks: 444k (2.2%) , +1: 123k (0.6%)

ITV2 (inc +1)
22:00- Celebrity Juice: 1.8m

Sky 1
22:00- House: 267k

Sources: Broadcast, DS

From Broadcast:

Week Ending 25th March
- Consolidated Ratings: Ranked by Gain

Week Ending 1st April
- Demographic Focus
- Top 30 multichannel programmes
- Top 100 (the 99th show gets you 2.12 million!)



As for last night, soap ratings look poor. Good for Fraud Squad; poor for Land Lost of the Wolves.

The overnight was 9.86m (full slot), the official rating was 11.57m, so a +1.71m timeshift, which is about what Doctor Who usually does.

There's a modicum of truth in that. Mad Men must be the best ever example of a niche programme beloved of metropolitan media types with trendy glasses but which is all a bit "emperor's new clothes" for the mere mortal rest of us. I never got into it when the Beeb had it, really couldnt see what all the fuss was about.

The Wire was similar, admittedly not helped by the BBC running the show 4 nights a week at its core target audience's bedtime....

Aren't you aggregating the ITV1+1 repeat though, making the BGT timeshift artificially higher?

Poor soap figures last night, especially the shocker for "Emmerdale in Crisis" at 8pm. It was hardly bbq weather...

This chart poster by D.M.N gives BGT a timeshift of 1.24m, third equal highest of the week behind Titanic and Gypsy Weddings and level with Scott & Bailey.

The link you offered itself says the time shift was +1.24
Your forgetting the 9.86 is without +1, that includes it.


EDIT: Anyone else thinking that someone ballsy should look to introduce a new soap? The others have been showing signs of tiring for well over a year now.

I don't think its all down to the producers atm (though they share the blame) but also down to the culture of the shows themselves.

Don't seem to reflect the times really.
(*cough*and Corries audience may be dying off*cough*)

Just a wee thought.

Even if you don't bother with +1 the timeshift was still +1.6m.



The comparison with the overnights is often wrong on that list (the actual consolidated numbers are always correct though) - the 9.86m did include +1 (or it was 10.0m tapechecked). Remember this is for week 1 of BGT not week 2.

It will be outrageous if the BBC gives us a piffling 75 mins total coverage of the Bahrain GP after promising 90 mins minimum. They have nearly given us 75 mins of actual highlights in the 2 highlights shows so far, so that provisional schedule suggests about 45 mins of highlights.

Not that I expect the Bahrain race to happen anyway...

I should have saved the link you posted last week to compare the overnight chart with the consolidated.

Not poor enough. Dreary, depressing rubbish

Can't wait for next Friday. Would I Lie To You followed by Have I Got News For You followed by Not Going Out followed by Twenty Twelve followed by The Graham Norton Show. Upbeat, feel-good overdose.

ITV2 awaits you my friend.

So basically you deem them to highbrow for you? Well good day to you sir. Cough