ITV probably won't mind too much. A strong year on BBC1 usually means their share of commercial TV goes up - a key figure for them in terms of ad revenue.

I have idea for how to genuinely reinvent Dancing on Ice... ditch the celebs.

At this point, the celebs are barely celebs anyway. And they're limiting the show. Ice skating, let alone dancing, is difficult. Every time I tune in it looks so clunky when it can genuinely be quite incredible looking. The series with Chris Fountain and Suzanne Shaw was quite good but I've never really stuck with it since.

Members of the public - pre-screened to ensure some of them are quite proficient (and maybe some comedy duds!). Stick a £100,000 prize at the end for the winner. Maybe do it as a kind of X Factor/Voice style thing with Torvill vs Dean. Who says you can't have an auditions episode for it? People falling over, knocking each other over... could be a laugh. You've Been Framed has run for decades doing it.

Basically, tear up the rule book rather than play around with the judges. Take "ice dancing" and make a new format using an established brand. DOI is a couple more duff series away from cancellation, so do something bold.

They won't do it, of course. But it's just an idea.

I quite like the idea of Torvill vs. Dean, but I'm not sure they have the personality to be on screen very much - they are pretty dull.

Celebrities do help get the show some press. But the auditions idea is interesting. They could use some of the outdoor rinks set up in cities across UK in November/December before they open in the mornings. But it would be a big risk ditching the celebrity format.

Another thing they need to ditch are these endless promos they force on people through Daybreak, Lorraine, This Morning, etc. It's just embarrassing for everyone concerned - going "live to the practice rink for the latest drama" - it puts people off, its so fake.

It sounds a bit dangerous considering the people who apply to be on tv talent shows - I am surprised none of the celebs on DOI wear flat rubber safety headgear like road cyclists wear, it would have avoided several nasty injuries over the years. I don't think it would be a ratings hit - ITV1 would enjoy saving celeb fees, but the show production costs would still be very high for 5m viewers maybe?


You just summed up ITV1 so succinctly there. I just watched some of The Biggest Loser Live on NBC - it was so cheesy, but US shows can get away with it - they are American after all. ITV1 needs to remember we aren't all jazz hands here and mom's apple pie - keep it simple and entertaining, no need for sob stories and faux arguments that get tabloids in a frenzy. (Of course there is though sadly - and it keeps viewers from deserting tired shows that little bit longer.)

Looks like ITV have been reading this thread then!

Oh, wait, we've been suggesting it for at least the past three years...

So, if this is true, ITV either have a masterplan for Sunday nights up their sleeve - or, now that Wild At Heart has been axed, no idea what they're going to broadcast in Winter 2013 ...

You think ITV ever has a Masterplan?, seems more like they bumble along hoping for the best while trying to do down the BBC rather than do whats best for themselves.

Looks like Sunday's in the Winter/Spring 2013 is the new Tuesday, personally i'm constantly baffled by ITV's ever more stupid decisions over the last 10 years, they used to have the best programmes, you certainly couldn't say that now.

Sam Hodges on Twitter

#BBC1's average peak audience (18.00-22.30) of 5.3m was 2m higher than any other channel last night. #EastEnders led the way with 8.1m

#Crimewatch averaged 4.6m at 9pm last night, while Meet The Romans with #MaryBeard averaged 2.0m on #BBC2 (inc BBCHD)

usually when he comes out with something as vague as this, it means BBC1 did less well than usual for the night

I take it to mean that ITV1 averaged 2.9m outside of Emmerdale, from 18.00-22:30 - which is approximately in line with our predictions on the RPG for William & Kate and BL documentary. Well done for ITV1 showing almost 3 hours of factual, even though viewers didn't really snap it up.

2.1m for The Hunt for Bin Laden
3.7m for Will & Kate 1st Year

Will & Kate more popular than Bin Laden shocker!

Bin Laden Shoot to kill rated 2.3m on Channel 4 in September, so I guess that's a big chunk who have already watched the topic?

Decent enough for Will & Kate, think I went for 3.5m but low for BL doc, it was a bit too long, 90 mins would have been better.

I'm sure ITV's masterplan currently consists of finding a drama with babies in it.

DS were a day late but it had 759k/3.1% excluding +1. Obviously not where they'd like it to be, nearly 25% below the target of a million, but it's only a drop of about 100,000 on last week against the highest rating league match of the season. I expected it to be dented a lot more than that.

On the same Monday last year it had a lower share of 3% and a near identical audience of 774k against more mundane competition, but it was much further into its run. At its lowest point during this run last year, it had only 538k/2% opposite the BGT semi-finals, a challenge it will have to face again next week.

I think the worst you could say about its figures at the moment is, it hasn't really improved upon the old figures. But with a much shorter 6 week run there is every possibility that the lows of last year will not be repeated.

Manchester derby set records for Sky Go as well, which was watched by 250k people on Monday night - presumably that is the equivalent of a reach figure on TV.

If DOI is moving back to Saturdays for the main show (and now that Wild at Heart's gone), it's definitely time Corrie was reinstated on Sundays or they're going to fall apart all year apart from when XF lives are on.

I thought it was always a mistake they moved CS from Sundays. Emmerdale doesn't need to necessarily return there if execs think it's better as a double on Thursday.

Clearly the "weekend of entertainment" which was the reason for the soaps vacating Sunday nights has failed - apart from the XF results and DOI (though that flagged this year) Sundays are pretty poor. Even Saturdays are struggling.

Why not make Sundays a more 'powerhouse' night?

A Sunday night schedule they could use this year:

6.45 All Star Family Fortunes
7.30 Corrie
8.00 X Factor Results
9.00 Downton Abbey
10.00 The Jonathan Ross Show

A varied schedule, including light quiz, Corrie episode, live entertainment, drama and a chatshow.

When XF isn't on, DOI can air its results or 2-hour dramas could air from 8pm.

While it's true Corrie would probably rate lower to start off with on Sundays, once viewers got into the routine I think it would perform well in the ratings. It wouldn't be getting in the way in the 7.30pm slot, leads nicely into 8pm as a platform for live results shows or new dramas.

Corrie still definitely feels like a Sunday night show. If it could return to Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, keeping its double helping on Mondays, it would be best for ITV overall IMO.

Would leave the Friday 8.30pm junction open but there's plenty they could do with that - and actually, that seems a more sensible slot for new sitcoms than Thursdays at that time... ITV would be better off launching new dramas on Thursday at 8pm.

Does the 2.1m for the Bin Laden documentary include +1 or not? If so, then that could have been another sub 2m primetime ITV1 figure to add to the record books.

I thought it was an interesting decision by ITV; I feel loathe to criticise when they put a truly PSB/highbrow documentary out in 2 hours of prime time, but it was odd to air it there - as opposed to say 10pm on a Sunday or after News at Ten.


The opening/end song is brilliant, as are the titles.

The rest of it - distinctly meh. It was obvious why this ended up post -news. Then again, the pilot was rather good I think and looked nothing like the actual series. I thought the purpose of a pilot was to improve and make tweaks when the series proper starts....?

Interesting that DOI might be spreading to Saturdays and Sundays - the sort of thing you'd do when the show is at its peak, on fire and raking in the cash. Not when it's clapped out, tired and jaded, and being trounced by a drama about 1950s midwives....

It does strike me as a desperate way of trying to dent series 2 of The Voice which will presumably be up and running in January/February next year? Or try and get the same bounce that BGT got from being brought forward and engineered into a clash to whip up some extra PR?

Not everything is a conspiracy Robbie. Clearly they need to DO something, as this year was a disaster for them. And I can actually see The Voice staying where it is next year anyway.

Agreed. We'll see Doctor Who VS DOI, which quite frankly is a good mix on a Saturday night.

DW should do well, and ITV am afraid will just do what DOI did last year, but at least they have a Sunday show to boost profits from (I consider this to be the point, Saturday pays for the show, Sunday gets the profit).

Who will run Jan/Feb/Bit of March - with The Voice likely launching as soon as we hit March.
None of this is confirmed, its just guesses ofc.

But with Who on Sats (likely) and Call the Midwife on Sunday...it might be a more negative move...
Already I think BBC is keeping the 5 episodes of Who for 2012 (well 6 I suppose counting Christmas), for either a Strictly lead or to go against Red or Black The Second Attempt where ever it pops up.

Someone asked for Monday's Gadget Show ratings, from DS:

2.4m for Bin and 4.2m for William & Kate incl. +1

It was an above average performing CSI Tuesday for Channel 5.

9pm: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: 1.97m (8.8%)
10pm: CSI: New York: 1.27m (7.4%)
10.55pm: CSI: New York: 846k (8.9%)
11.55pm: CSI: Miami: 435k (9.3%)

Earlier in the day:

6am: Milkshake!: 129k (2.6%)
9.15am: The Wright Stuff: 336k (6.3%)
11.10am: Live with Fern: 119k (2.2%)
3.15pm: The Cradle Will Fall: 577k (6.6%)

Neighbours averaged 699k (9.2%) at lunchtime and 1.02m (6.8%) at teatime.
Home & Away averaged 262k (3.3%) at lunchtime and 794k (4.5%) at teatime.

5 News at 5 was cut short by a fire alarm at ITN that forced the building to be evacuated. The 10 minute bulletin at 5pm averaged 755k (6.5%). 5 News at 6.30 averaged a further 161k (0.8%).

Finally the new series War Hero in My Family began with 1.1m (4.8%) at 8pm.

Oh no, what was said to be the Harry Hill replacement has actually been commissioned! http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press...a/default.html