I guess bbc George won't be drawing attention to audience shares today... While The Voice might have picked a bad weekend to describe itself as the biggest show on tv, I don't think BGT should do it this week either! There's not enough to suggest a trend yet, so it could easily change this weekend. ITV/Cowell will probably just be relieved The Voice has stopped growing.

As for some figures posted, The Voice Us didn't vary much in season one for the live shows - although it didn't grow either and had a good lead-in. And the 40% this year wasn't an overnight drop when the live shows started, it was over 7 weeks of declines starting in the battle rounds.

X Factor series 4 dropped early in the lives largely due to missing a week for the rugby world cup then some very early (one at 5:30) starts head-to-head with Strictly.

I've stopped watching. Feels like someone else has got involved that doesn't understand why it was popular in the first place.

The characters have not moved on or developed. And yet its all about them, as oppose to how they interact with a case.

Seems to me that they tried to merge it and Waking the Dead. Dreadful result.

For the first live show of series 4, ITV switched the start time very late in the day from 5.45 to 5.30, either to get a headstart on Strictly or go head to head. In the results show, Sharon threatened to quit as she believed the late move disadvantaged her acts - two of them were in the sing off.

Most Watched Shows of 2012 [Top 20 - Officials]
01 - 12.20m - CORONATION STREET (23/01/12) - ITV1/HD
02 - 11.99m - THE VOICE UK (14/04/12) - BBC1/HD
03 - 11.54m - BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT (31/03/12) - ITV1/HD*
04 - 11.41m - CALL THE MIDWIFE (19/02/12) - BBC1/HD
05 - 10.98m - EASTENDERS (02/01/12) - BBC1/HD

06 - 10.66m - SHERLOCK (01/01/12) - BBC1/HD
07 - 9.29m - DANCING ON ICE (08/01/12) - ITV1/HD
08 - 9.11m - EMMERDALE (05/01/12) - ITV1/HD
09 - 8.41m - TITANIC (25/03/12) - ITV1/HD
10 - 8.31m - MRS BROWN'S BOYS (04/02/12) - BBC1/HD

11 - 8.05m - THE APPRENTICE (11/04/12) - BBC1/HD
12 - 8.00m - WILD AT HEART (08/01/12) - ITV1/HD
13 - 7.97m - ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS (01/01/12) - BBC1/HD
14 - 7.93m - SILENT WITNESS (01/04/12) - BBC1/HD
15 - 7.87m - UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS (19/02/12) - BBC1/HD

16 - 7.86m - ENDEAVOUR (02/01/12) - ITV1/HD
17 - 7.61m - SCOTT & BAILEY (12/03/12) - ITV1/HD
18 - 7.59m - COUNTRYFILE (05/02/12) - BBC1/HD
19 - 7.41m - ANTIQUES ROADSHOW (15/04/12) - BBC1/HD
20 - 7.32m - ABOVE SUSPICION (09/01/12) - ITV1/HD

* 7th April episode may well be slightly higher given that including ITV1+1, it had 12.0m

Most Watched Multichannel Shows of 2011 [Top 20 - Officials]
01 - 2.85m - LIVE FORD SUPER SUNDAY (05/02/12) - Sky Sports 1
02 - 2.74m - CELEBRITY JUICE (09/02/12) - ITV2
03 - 2.16m - TREASURE ISLAND (01/01/12) - Sky1
04 - 1.96m - LIVE FORD FOOTBALL SPECIAL (11/02/12) - Sky Sports 1
05 - 1.94m - THE BIG BANG THEORY (19/04/12) - E4

06 - 1.68m - LIVE CARLING CUP FOOTBALL (25/01/12) - Sky Sports 1
07 - 1.68m - MAD DOGS (19/01/12) - Sky1
08 - 1.67m - LIVE FORD MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (06/02/12) - Sky Sorts 1
09 - 1.53m - TOUCH (20/03/12) - Sky1
10 - 1.53m - THE ONLY WAY IS ESSEX (29/02/12) - ITV2

11 - 1.47m - FOYLE'S WAR (21/01/12) - ITV3
12 - 1.42m - STELLA (06/01/12) - Sky1
13 - 1.42m - SUN, SEX AND SUSPICIOUS PARENTS (22/02/12) - BBC3
14 - 1.42m - EASTENDERS (16/02/12) - BBC3
15 - 1.35m - THE BIG BANG THEORY: ACCESS ALL AREAS (05/04/12) - E4

16 - 1.35m - FILM: SHREK THE THIRD (08/04/12) - BBC3
17 - 1.34m - DOC MARTIN (21/01/12) - ITV3
18 - 1.30m - ALCATRAZ (13/03/12) - Watch
19 - 1.30m - HAWAII FIVE-0 (22/01/12) - Sky1
20 - 1.27m - JUNIOR DOCTORS: YOUR LIFE IN THEIR HANDS (07/02/12) - BBC3

Source: BARB. Excludes +1, Includes HD for Terrestrial Chart. Only 1 programme per 'show', i.e. only one Ford Super Sunday game.

After the OTT praise and hype we know have reached the OTT reaction to a "low" rating for The Voice.

Does an overnight of 8.6m really warrant an "ouch", "yikes", "wheels have come off" comments?

This isn't the lowest rating for years, its the lowest rating for about 4 weeks. And this was a pre-recorded Sunday results show. Not that I have much of a problem with it being pre-recorded, you would have had to search high and low for the names of who went. The biggest issue is sandwihcing it in no man's land between Countryfile and Antiques Roadshow. The Beeb would be better off putting it at 8:30pm and giving the 9pm show a very good lead-in. But its still a learning process for the Beeb, it took ITV and X Factor 5 years to really work out what worked best in terms of producing a live show and results show yet the Beeb have had 1 live show and 1results show that didnt quite hit the mark.

The ratings for Once Upon a Time are disappointing. However, did it fall like this in the US?

It started brilliantly, but is already in danger of just becoming the 'origin of the fairtyale of the week' type of series without enough continuation of the sub plot.

I enjoyed this week's episode but you can see why if there are other things on people might feel they would not miss much if they gave one week a miss....which can quickly become two, then....

And putting it on a night where it has been forced to appear in three different time slots (8 pm, 9 pm and 6 pm next weekend) over just the first half dozen of 22 episodes is hardly a clever way for a channel to retain viewers.

Mild hysteria here regarding The Voice ratings, a recorded results show rating 8.6m disappoints many. This of course is due to the hype factor and unexpected highs previously. I expected. about 1m more but I am not amazed it was lower. BBC1 have a successful show on their hands and the season average is going to be pretty impressive. Season 2 might drop off somewhat, but BBC1 is not tied in to a long term deal. If it drops to 6m or so by this time next year they can renegotiate or walk away. As someone said previously it was a cheap way for BBC1 to fill a half hour and also easily win the nights highest rating.

That being said I hope next Saturday's show is not squashed by FA Cup extra time, we just need a straight 2-0 for Liverpool.

No need to, ratings and shares were down to scheduling issues and/or the fact the most unique gimmick of the show is gone. It seems that if the show isn't beating BGT or at X Factor levels then it's failing!

I like the nickname btw, I hope it sticks.

We musn't forget some "sell-ons" like "Frozen Planet" and "Human Planet" though.

The ratings in the U.S. for the first 5 episodes were: 12.8m (3.9), 11.6m (3.9), 11.4m (3.7), 11.3m (3.8) and 10.7m (3.4). So a lot more consistent than it has proved to be in the UK.


I think it's managing to juggle both quite well so far. It's a really great hour of TV and I'm disappointed more haven't discovered it.


I would still point towards the strong consolidated audiences at this point. 2.17m for episode 4, and almost 200,000 for the 5* repeat of episode 3. It desperately needs to stop falling though.


Of course not. And I feel very daft for thinking the Sunday night slot was a good idea now. I thought it could work, and maybe last year it might have done with less obstacles around then. But it wasn't the wisest idea in hindsight. They got so many things right with this show, the marketing was great, shame they had to get the basics wrong.

It's down, but not out. That would be my summation at the moment. Next week's 6pm instalment could be the straw that broke the camel's back though.

They must learn from these mistakes with Dallas.

BBC George sounds like a new channel!

Is it the same George that sells women's clothing in Asda ?

its been a few years, but they sell mens clothing as well.

Out of interest ahead of tonight's football, what is Sky Sports' highest ever audience (average and/or peak)?

I'm guessing it would've been an England game?

A peak of 4.04m to beat, set by a high profile Champions League semi-final encounter.

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showp...postcount=1786

The hype around tonight's game has been so massive I reckon it will top that. Expect a lot of terrestrial programmes to suffer, especially the ones with a big young following like EastEnders.

It's quite a while since I've been to Asda

I predicted 8.3m in the DS Ratings Prediction Game. This was based on the fact, posted in this thread previously, that in whatever other country (can't remember which one) screened a prerecorded results show, the ratings for that results show was about 20% down on the corresponding live show. I was working on the assumption of a 10m audience for the live show. My prediction in the RPG for the live show was 10.2m.

It all depends now whether the ratings statabilize or continue to drop.

what game is this? ive not heard anything.

Thanks for the info.

I think it'll top that, too. The hype has indeed been massie. I hope the game doesn't fail to live upto it. Although, it's often the case that this kind of game rarely matches the hype. Here's hoping, though.

I don't think it's an exaggeration to say it's had more hype this weekend than The Voice and BGT put together.

Pages and pages and pages of coverage in the tabloids.

My problem with that week-on-week comparison though is how different the shows are. Last week it was a much hyped 90 minute battle show this week it was a not quite so hyped 30 minute results show. Its just not really like for like. I'd agree that the numbers obviously not what people were expecting but that's been true pretty much every week for The Voice so far. Its a new show in its first series. Its going to take time to bed in and find a more stable audience whilst people decide whether they like the various elements of the format or not.


Waking the Dead was axed. I believe someone here mentioned that work had already started on another series of Silent Witness.


There were noticeable drops for Once Upon A Time in the US but not to the extent as the UK. Although it wasn't thrown around the schedule in the US so that probably helped.

Maybe they axed the wrong one?

Depends whether you are a grown up or still in school. Puts on tin hat and waits

How did SCD and the last couple of Lloyd Webber shows rate on a Sunday in comparison to Saturdays. Am I right in thinking that unlike The X Factor they both saw a drop.

It's just poor scheduling really of The Voice. Perhaps it would be better at 8.25pm - or even given the 9pm hour, rather than the filler between Antiques Roadshow and Countryfile.


No surprise at all about ITV1 - their weekend daytime schedule is absolutely appalling at the moment.


Didn't Sharon threaten to quit during virtually every result show?

I don't think there is any reason to worry yet about the Voice ratings. If they plateau of at this level, the show will do well