Toy Story 3 only came out on DVD 18 months ago and was a massive film, I highly doubt they'll use it so quickly.

Up would be perfect for Christmas Day, I think. Something for everyone, a massive heart, and generally agreed to be one of the very best Pixar offerings.

Alice in Wonderland is a good bet for the "second" premiere - Boxing Day or the 27th maybe. Or even New Year.

If Up, Miranda, Michael McIntrye and Royle Family make it to Christmas Day, I will watch BBC One's day and evening schedule from start to finish. I think it would be my favourite Christmas lineup ever!

I think Outnumbered and Lapland were both on xmas eve

Narnia then:

Yeah that was in,Thanks.

I think they could go with EastEnders(35mins),Merlin,Family Drama,Comedy on xmas eve then

I agree that this is the most likely schedule for September 29th, I just don't understand why a very strong Saturday with Doctor Who and Merlin is better for the BBC than two strong Saturdays, one with only DW and another with Merlin.

Anyway considering that SCD and Merlin skews older, DW and TXF skews younger, I would change the order this time, like this:

6.00pm Doctor Who
6.45 Strictly Come Dancing
7.45 Merlin
8.30 In It To Win It
9.20 Casualty

In this case TXF can't hurt Doctor Who and Merlin gets the better lead-in.
(This is for Septmber 29th, not Christmas Day. )

I doubt it. I guess it'll end on the 22nd, in the Strictly final sandwich.

Does it?

Probably worth bearing in mind that Doctor Who has been moved to the autumn partly because of the 50th anniversary in November 2013, which happens to fall on a Saturday, so the two must coincide.

Which means Merlin has to either sit alongside DW or take a year off while it waits for Q1/Q2, which is a dreadful idea.

Christmas Eve is a Monday; I can't see BBC One moving EastEnders from the 8.00pm slot in fear of a backlash as Coronation Street already has the 8.30pm slot nailed down.
More likely is that they'll air the news early to get Alice In Wonderland off air by 8.

I think ITV in reply will go:

18.30 You've Been Framed
19.00 Emmerdale
19.30 Coronation Street
20.00 Countrywise at Christmas
20.30 Coronation Street
21.00 *Crime drama*

I think Text Santa will take the Saturday slot...or it may be thrown up against SPOTY as a white flag gesture.


Yes; I can see that happening though ITV would have fun scheduling around it:

17.30 Emmerdale
18.30 All Star Family Fortunes
19.30 Coronation Street
20.00 Downton at Christmas
20.30 Coronation Street
21.00 Downton Abbey


Again, I'm not sure if BBC One will go with EastEnders at 7.30pm as by that time Wednesday at 7.30pm will be an established Coronation Street slot so they'll have to work around it. Also, am I right in thinking Jonathan Creek has a Christmas Special lined up? I assume that'll take either one of the Christmas Days or New Years Day and New Years Day could have Sherlock's return like last year:

18.30 Celebrity Mastermind
19.00 How To Train Your Dragon
19.30 Call The Midwife
20.30 EastEnders
21.00 Jonathan Creek

ITV will no doubt respond with the same schedule as last year:

19.00 Emmerdale
19.30 Coronation Street
20.00 *Crime drama*

It was in Christmas Eve last year because it was a Saturday, they're not going to randomly stick it on a Monday even if it's Christmas Eve.


I really hope they don't do this, especially since it's likely DW will finally have a steady 7pm slot for it 5 episode run. It would a shame to screw that up for the last episode, just to help Merlin (I take it that's what that schedule about, since last year's schedule boosted DW but knocked Merlin.)

Since we're still talking Christmas – what's actually been confirmed for Christmas this year?

Did the BBC officially announce a Call the Midwife Christmas Special? I thought they did but I don't remember. And was the Miranda Christmas Special confirmed or are we all just assuming that's happening? It seems to me that all these fantasy Christmas schedules are all well and good but unless we know what the BBC in particular actually has to work with its hard to predict what will go where or where shows should go.

Having said that I suspect you're all being far too adventurous with your scheduling. My guess is that it'll be an incredibly similar schedule to the one we saw last year

6:30PM: Family Cartoon (Gruffallo repeat or a new production)
7PM: Doctor Who
8PM: Strictly or Call the Midwife
9PM: EastEnders
10PM: Mrs Brown's Boys
10:30PM: Michael McIntyre

That would leave everything else fighting it out for Boxing Day, Christmas Eve and New Years Day slots. I'd guess that The Royale Family is used to anchor a 'comedy night' on either Christmas Eve or Boxing Day with Outnumbered, Miranda and the other Mrs Brown's Boys special (plus whatever else the BBC can pull together). Then you have either Call the Midwife or Strictly anchoring the other night.

The only question mark that might derail all this is whether or not the BBC has enough confidence in EastEnders. Although in reality its not hard to get eyes on EastEnders at Christmas. Just kill someone off or do a big Christmas disaster and that'll draw people in. It always does regardless of how the rest of the year has gone. I suppose if they do get cold feet about EastEnders they could push it earlier (maybe switch it with Midwife) or cut it down to 30 minutes and put Miranda on at 9:30.

As for Merlin if its scheduled to run a week after Strictly's finale again surely that will just stick to airing on Saturday night? Saturday 22 December. They could maybe do a film premier there to boost it.

I don't think DW can return with a new series in 2013, only a few specials. Moffat will be working on Sherlock from January 2013, and he seems to need one and a half year to produce a new series of DW.

I wrote that thinking that ITV would have Text Santa that night but if they don't then yeah EE would have to go at 8pm or 9pm with the other stuff moved. Text Santa will presumably either go on the 22nd or Christmas Eve.


Splitting Corrie would be OK but they could just put YBF or a gameshow inbetween the Corrie's with Downton in full at 9pm. Not a lot else they could do really.


You're right about EE but the problem they have is that The Moonstone is a 3 parter, presumably for consecutive nights (like Great Expectations last year) and I expect they'll be reluctant to run an episode of that on a Saturday, so I think it'll be The Moonstone from Boxing Day-Friday 28th, The Lady Vanishes on Sunday 30th and Jonathan Creek on New Year's Day. Sherlock isn't an option as it won't be ready until much later in the year.

Of course they have.During the weak years of 2004,2005,2006 EastEnders at xmas did very well and it seems there's already alot lined up for this year.I think the 8:30/9:00pm is very possible and infact i'd put money on it.

Seven
18:00 Seven News: 1.51m
18:30 Sunday Night: 1.29m
19:30 Kath & Kim: The Souvenir Editions: 909k
21:00 Criminal Minds: 629k
22:00 Criminal Minds (R): 497k

Nine
18:00 Nine News Sunday: 1.4m
18:30 Big Brother: 1.37m
19:30 60 Minutes: 1.51m
20:30 Howzat! Kerry Packer's War: 2.1m
22:30 The Mentalist (R): 510k

Ten
17:00 Ten News at Five: 477k
18:30 MasterChef All Stars Finale: 802k
19:45 MasterChef All Stars Winner Announced: 1.05m
20:00 Everybody Dance Now: 385k

ABC1
19:00 ABC News: 822k
19:30 Grand Designs Revisited: 809k
20:20 Dream Build: 744k
20:30 Miss Marple (R): 670k

Shares
Nine - 32.9%
Seven - 18.9%
ABC1 - 12.1%
Ten - 10.9%

Only in Australia could a drama about cricket rate so well. Seven finds itself on a sticky wicket once more with Nine firmly on top.

I don't think Merlin has to go out on the Saturday; Christmas Eve is enough of a day that they can advertise it, plus it'd likely be a 2 parter. I don't think its 'just' a Monday, as much as Christmas Day isn't just a Tuesday; same goes for Boxing Day.

They might not, but it did very well there.

Call The Midwife has been confirmed: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/...-confirms.html

Miranda is rumoured but she did write one last year. Nothing definite though.


I felt last year's schedule was weak last year though; EastEnders is better in the heart of primetime anchoring other shows rather than being treated as the main event (even though it is the main event!). I'm hoping the BBC only scheduled it as such as they had little choice due to the disappearance of The Royle Family and they'll move EastEnders back between 6 and 9.30 this time.

Saying that, I think a lot will depend on how Downton does this year; if it's still a relative behemoth BBC One may throw EastEnders against it as it's their best chance of winning the slot. If it sees a decline they may be confident enough to pitch a comedy opposite it.


ITV1 have quite a strong line up pre-9pm on Monday nights; I can't see them being stupid enough to throw this away for Text Santa...but then again, this is ITV we're talking about.


They haven't got much in way of half hour gameshows so it probably will be You've Been Framed. They really need to push the boundaries a bit more; I'm sure it wouldn't take much to produce a behind the scenes look at Downton to fill the void.


I forgot about Sherlock being held back. The Moonstone would be fine across the 9pm slot from Wednesday to Friday.

Is it me or does MasterChef look low? I thought that was a big show Down Under?

Big Brother has bounced back after signs of a decline at the end of the first week. Seven really appears to be treading water now - I think Nine's assault has taken them by surprise. Howzat! performed brilliantly...maybe Channel 5 should commission something similar on the Kevin Pietersen saga to go with their cricket highlights?

Here's a quick roundup of how the tabloids are reporting The X Factor's slow start in the ratings this series:

'X Factor opener fails to pull in big viewing figures' The Sun

'X marks the flop: Return of the prime time show slumps to lowest audience ratings for six years' Daily Mirror

'X Factor debut fails to pull in punters' Daily Express

'Simon Cowell's shows roasted by heat' Daily Star

MasterChef All Stars ran through the Olympics and its ratings took a knock as a result. The spinoffs don't normally rate as well as the main version anyway.

That could have been much worse. I think the lack of publicity harmed it so maybe it really is a case of all publicity is good publicity in this case.

That explains it; thanks. I guess they decided MasterChef would be their best bet to hold up during the Olympics.

I think How To Train Your Dragon along with Up will be on Christmas Day with Alice in Wonderland on Boxing Day and The Princess and the Frog on New Year's Day.

I think Mr Stink is live action, the animated short this year is Room on a Broom but I imagine both will air at Christmas.

It will be a cutthroat battle of reality TV for Monday night as The X Factor premiere on Seven is competing against Big Brother on Nine. BB is having their first live nominations and it goes for 95 minutes. I wonder which reality show will win, or if any will win? Numbers of new shows launching tonight as well with GCB and Up All Night (regular timeslot premiere?) on Seven, Can of Worms on Ten and Gordon Behind Bars on Nine, using Underbelly's lead-in to launch.

Has anyone seen a figure for the repeat of the Olympics Opening Ceremony on BBC1 on Saturday afternoon ?