Re. gritty drama on Saturday nights... in its heyday (and when the writers weren't afraid of pulling punches), Casualty used to command audiences of 15-16m at around 8pm on Saturdays (I refer to 1992-c. 1996, before it turned into a soap), pre-Pop Idol and X Factor days.
The Ratings Thread (Part 39)
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Jekyll didn't quite manage the Saturday nights though tbf.
Oh and Casualty should be 20 episodes a year. Its too stretched out, I say this as someone who wants to watch!
Whenever I start I find it just goes on...and on...and on...and on.
Don't BBC Four run their dramas on Saturdays though? So its not like no one is doing it.
I think it should be mainstream but that doesn't mean bad - Children of Earth whilst stripped across a week could have done Saturday nights and been very good.
We don't know where the new Spy drama - Hunted - is going tbf.
ITV1 should try Saturday dramas, they're not getting anywhere with the other LE shows their running and the biggest hit at weekends has been Downton. Meanwhile Casualty is going un-competed with, stick a drama on at 9 and they'll win some of that audience on top of their usual audience.
Oh and Casualty should be 20 episodes a year. Its too stretched out, I say this as someone who wants to watch!
Whenever I start I find it just goes on...and on...and on...and on.
Don't BBC Four run their dramas on Saturdays though? So its not like no one is doing it.
I think it should be mainstream but that doesn't mean bad - Children of Earth whilst stripped across a week could have done Saturday nights and been very good.
We don't know where the new Spy drama - Hunted - is going tbf.
ITV1 should try Saturday dramas, they're not getting anywhere with the other LE shows their running and the biggest hit at weekends has been Downton. Meanwhile Casualty is going un-competed with, stick a drama on at 9 and they'll win some of that audience on top of their usual audience.
Originally Posted by Jay Lee:
“Re. gritty drama on Saturday nights... in its heyday (and when the writers weren't afraid of pulling punches), Casualty used to command audiences of 15-16m at around 8pm on Saturdays (I refer to 1992-c. 1996, before it turned into a soap), pre-Pop Idol and X Factor days.”
“Re. gritty drama on Saturday nights... in its heyday (and when the writers weren't afraid of pulling punches), Casualty used to command audiences of 15-16m at around 8pm on Saturdays (I refer to 1992-c. 1996, before it turned into a soap), pre-Pop Idol and X Factor days.”
Indeed it did, the era of train crashes and plane crashes. However, this was the golden era of ITV on Saturdays with The Gladiators, Stars in Their Eyes and Beadles About pulling in 15 million viewers. An ITV Saturday in those days was must see television.
However, you could argue TXF, with its glitzy sets and whooping audience, is a continuation of these big budget shows and does very well for ITV like its predecessors. OK last week was down, but TXF will top the ratings until SCD arrives.
Originally Posted by Glenn A:
“Actually with regard to gritty drama at 8 on a Saturday, cast your mind back to 1979 when the BBC ran the excellent war series Secret Army, which pulled in 16 million viewers. However, I could never see ITV doing this as the audience tend to want what TV Cream calls big boll!"£s f!"$ off entertainment, a legacy from the LWT era.”
“Actually with regard to gritty drama at 8 on a Saturday, cast your mind back to 1979 when the BBC ran the excellent war series Secret Army, which pulled in 16 million viewers. However, I could never see ITV doing this as the audience tend to want what TV Cream calls big boll!"£s f!"$ off entertainment, a legacy from the LWT era.”
ITV used to do drama on Saturday evenings. Manhunt, Enemy at the Door (both LWT) and the ATV Thriller series.
I'm sure there were many more including US imports like Columbo and McCloud
Originally Posted by Glenn A:
“Well drama might cost more than reality, but in the longer term generates more money in repeats, DVD sales and exports, something which reality generally doesn't. However, a cheap reality hit is good for short term profits and I can see the attraction to commercial broadcasters.”
“Well drama might cost more than reality, but in the longer term generates more money in repeats, DVD sales and exports, something which reality generally doesn't. However, a cheap reality hit is good for short term profits and I can see the attraction to commercial broadcasters.”
Broadcasters don't get money for DVD sales and exports and they still have to pay for repeats.
I'd also disagree with the short term profit idea. The right show can run for 10+ years. How many dramas have been pulling 8m+ every year for the past 9 years? Not least producing 40+ hours a year.
Originally Posted by grimshaw:
“Jekyll didn't quite manage the Saturday nights though tbf.
Oh and Casualty should be 20 episodes a year. Its too stretched out, I say this as someone who wants to watch!
Whenever I start I find it just goes on...and on...and on...and on.
Don't BBC Four run their dramas on Saturdays though? So its not like no one is doing it.
I think it should be mainstream but that doesn't mean bad - Children of Earth whilst stripped across a week could have done Saturday nights and been very good.
We don't know where the new Spy drama - Hunted - is going tbf.
ITV1 should try Saturday dramas, they're not getting anywhere with the other LE shows their running and the biggest hit at weekends has been Downton. Meanwhile Casualty is going un-competed with, stick a drama on at 9 and they'll win some of that audience on top of their usual audience.”
“Jekyll didn't quite manage the Saturday nights though tbf.
Oh and Casualty should be 20 episodes a year. Its too stretched out, I say this as someone who wants to watch!
Whenever I start I find it just goes on...and on...and on...and on.
Don't BBC Four run their dramas on Saturdays though? So its not like no one is doing it.
I think it should be mainstream but that doesn't mean bad - Children of Earth whilst stripped across a week could have done Saturday nights and been very good.
We don't know where the new Spy drama - Hunted - is going tbf.
ITV1 should try Saturday dramas, they're not getting anywhere with the other LE shows their running and the biggest hit at weekends has been Downton. Meanwhile Casualty is going un-competed with, stick a drama on at 9 and they'll win some of that audience on top of their usual audience.”
They used to do a drama post watershed on Saturdays, Afterlife or something like that? They tried family drama as well but that didn't really work.
But that's an hour at most. They need 4 hours on a Saturday night and it's not going to be 4 hours of drama. Admittedly I can't wrap my head around watching Casualty on a Saturday night. But I guess it does well enough when there's no competition.
Originally Posted by grimshaw:
“Jekyll didn't quite manage the Saturday nights though tbf.
Oh and Casualty should be 20 episodes a year. Its too stretched out, I say this as someone who wants to watch!
Whenever I start I find it just goes on...and on...and on...and on.
”
“Jekyll didn't quite manage the Saturday nights though tbf.
Oh and Casualty should be 20 episodes a year. Its too stretched out, I say this as someone who wants to watch!
Whenever I start I find it just goes on...and on...and on...and on.
”
Oh definitely. The BBC have basically bled Casualty dry over the last fifteen years or so, extending each series until we ended up with the all-year round operation we have today. It was perfect when it was on for only 24 episodes a series (early 1990s) - the scripts were great and gritty and the calibre of the acting was considerably better than the "spot the ex Coronation Street actor" dross we get today.
By the sounds of Peter Fincham yesterday X Factor is more than safe in terms of contract renewal. He actually seemed desperate to be bigging it up incase the other party didn't want to sign! Intruiging.
Originally Posted by derek500:
“ITV used to do drama on Saturday evenings. Manhunt, Enemy at the Door (both LWT) and the ATV Thriller series.
I'm sure there were many more including US imports like Columbo and McCloud”
“ITV used to do drama on Saturday evenings. Manhunt, Enemy at the Door (both LWT) and the ATV Thriller series.
I'm sure there were many more including US imports like Columbo and McCloud”
Also don't forget New Scotland Yard, a hardhitting show rather like Special Branch. However, ITV knew on Saturdays BBC1's game shows and comedies would beat them heavily so a series like Enemy at the Door could appeal to the more sober viewer.
Seventies TV fan, by any chance, Derek?
Originally Posted by Glenn A:
“Indeed it did, the era of train crashes and plane crashes. However, this was the golden era of ITV on Saturdays with The Gladiators, Stars in Their Eyes and Beadles About pulling in 15 million viewers. An ITV Saturday in those days was must see television.
However, you could argue TXF, with its glitzy sets and whooping audience, is a continuation of these big budget shows and does very well for ITV like its predecessors. OK last week was down, but TXF will top the ratings until SCD arrives.”
“Indeed it did, the era of train crashes and plane crashes. However, this was the golden era of ITV on Saturdays with The Gladiators, Stars in Their Eyes and Beadles About pulling in 15 million viewers. An ITV Saturday in those days was must see television.
However, you could argue TXF, with its glitzy sets and whooping audience, is a continuation of these big budget shows and does very well for ITV like its predecessors. OK last week was down, but TXF will top the ratings until SCD arrives.”
Not wanting to be nitpicky, but was Stars in Their Eyes big-budget? Even with the pay-cheque for Kelly/Crowther, the PRS music royalty fees, and the larger-than-usual make-up team, I would have thought it was really cheap.
Also, TXF didn't top the ratings last week. Corrie did, I believe. We shall see what news tomorrow brings.
Originally Posted by NeilVW:
“Not wanting to be nitpicky, but was Stars in Their Eyes big-budget? Even with the pay-cheque for Kelly/Crowther, the PRS music royalty fees, and the larger-than-usual make-up team, I would have thought it was really cheap.
Also, TXF didn't top the ratings last week. Corrie did, I believe. We shall see what news tomorrow brings.”
“Not wanting to be nitpicky, but was Stars in Their Eyes big-budget? Even with the pay-cheque for Kelly/Crowther, the PRS music royalty fees, and the larger-than-usual make-up team, I would have thought it was really cheap.
Also, TXF didn't top the ratings last week. Corrie did, I believe. We shall see what news tomorrow brings.”
I suppose it would be cheaper than TXF as there were no judges, but it did have a big budget feel to it. I'd imagine The Gladiators would be costly, particularly the set.
TXF did register a year on year fall, which is what excited people on here last weekend, but regardless it's still big and tops the ratings. As for Corrie, it's a bank holiday weekend.
Originally Posted by Glenn A:
“TXF did register a year on year fall, which is what excited people on here last weekend, but regardless it's still big and tops the ratings. As for Corrie, it's a bank holiday weekend.”
“TXF did register a year on year fall, which is what excited people on here last weekend, but regardless it's still big and tops the ratings. As for Corrie, it's a bank holiday weekend.”
But TXF, apart from launching at the lowest level in 6 years, and falling by a quarter year-on-year, didn't top the ratings in its BARB week - using overnights and first showings only.
The Monday 20:30 Corrie on 13 August beat the following Saturday's TXF by 8.26m to 8.09m.
Including +1, TXF was ahead, however, by 8.71m to 8.49m. And when we get the consolidated figures on Monday, I guess TXF will be top even without +1.
If TXF is to be top of the overnights this week for its first showing, it needs to beat Corrie's 7.81m, again from Monday at 20:30. It's a toss-up as to whether it will achieve this modest goal.
No question that TXF is still big, though, and of enormous importance to ITV.
Not sure I understand the significance of the bank holiday weekend and Corrie - do you mean we will see the usual dip for TXF, so next week will be a more reliable test?
Originally Posted by NeilVW:
“But TXF, apart from launching at the lowest level in 6 years, and falling by a quarter year-on-year, didn't top the ratings in its BARB week - using overnights and first showings only.
The Monday 20:30 Corrie on 13 August beat the following Saturday's TXF by 8.26m to 8.09m.
Including +1, TXF was ahead, however, by 8.71m to 8.49m. And when we get the consolidated figures on Monday, I guess TXF will be top even without +1.
If TXF is to be top of the overnights this week for its first showing, it needs to beat Corrie's 7.81m, again achieved on Monday at 20:30. It's a toss-up as to whether it will achieve this modest goal.
No question that TXF is still big, though, and of enormous importance to ITV.
Not sure I understand the significance of the bank holiday weekend and Corrie - do you mean we will see the usual dip for TXF, so next week will be a more reliable test?”
“But TXF, apart from launching at the lowest level in 6 years, and falling by a quarter year-on-year, didn't top the ratings in its BARB week - using overnights and first showings only.
The Monday 20:30 Corrie on 13 August beat the following Saturday's TXF by 8.26m to 8.09m.
Including +1, TXF was ahead, however, by 8.71m to 8.49m. And when we get the consolidated figures on Monday, I guess TXF will be top even without +1.
If TXF is to be top of the overnights this week for its first showing, it needs to beat Corrie's 7.81m, again achieved on Monday at 20:30. It's a toss-up as to whether it will achieve this modest goal.
No question that TXF is still big, though, and of enormous importance to ITV.
Not sure I understand the significance of the bank holiday weekend and Corrie - do you mean we will see the usual dip for TXF, so next week will be a more reliable test?”
Actually the weather is dreadful and I don't think TXF will drop. I think if there is a considerable movement in the ratings over the next six weeks, this will be a sign. However, as you say the show is big and for all I can't stand it( Popstars the Rivals was way better), it makes shedloads of money for ITV and is a far cry from 10 years ago when ITV had The Premiership and ageing and declining shows like Blind Date.
The weather certainly is atrocious, up here at least, and I believe it's the same elsewhere, so no excuses are available for TXFistas/Fincham tonight.
10m average is the bare minimum, with an 11.5-12m peak, or else questions will be asked.
10m average is the bare minimum, with an 11.5-12m peak, or else questions will be asked.
Originally Posted by RobbieSykes123:
“The weather certainly is atrocious, up here at least, and I believe it's the same elsewhere, so no excuses are available for TXFistas/Fincham tonight.
10m average is the bare minimum, with an 11.5-12m peak, or else questions will be asked.”
“The weather certainly is atrocious, up here at least, and I believe it's the same elsewhere, so no excuses are available for TXFistas/Fincham tonight.
10m average is the bare minimum, with an 11.5-12m peak, or else questions will be asked.”
I'll go for 9 million. This would still make TXF the winner for this week.
I think it will bounce back tonight, the weather in the south is dismal. 10 million with a 11.5 million peak?
Imagine if XFactor doesnt bounce back to the 10million+ expected for tonight. There will be 0 excuses as the weather is poor.
Originally Posted by SamuelW:
“Imagine if XFactor doesnt bounce back to the 10million+ expected for tonight. There will be 0 excuses as the weather is poor.”
“Imagine if XFactor doesnt bounce back to the 10million+ expected for tonight. There will be 0 excuses as the weather is poor.”
10million+ for a old show that people are sick off, Maybe 8 million would be better to hope for :yawn:
Originally Posted by hyperstarsponge:
“10million+ for a old show that people are sick off, Maybe 8 million would be better to hope for :yawn:”
“10million+ for a old show that people are sick off, Maybe 8 million would be better to hope for :yawn:”
Well every show has its shelf life and this peaked in 2009. I'll still be wary of writing it off as it's still big, but I think it has peaked.
I never considered the weather. It's been decidedly showery here in Cornwall today, with a bit of half-hearted sunshine at the moment. Given the generally poorer weather across the country. I agree that they need to do far, far better than last week or it will look pretty bad.
Originally Posted by Glenn A:
“Also don't forget New Scotland Yard, a hardhitting show rather like Special Branch. However, ITV knew on Saturdays BBC1's game shows and comedies would beat them heavily so a series like Enemy at the Door could appeal to the more sober viewer.
Seventies TV fan, by any chance, Derek?”
“Also don't forget New Scotland Yard, a hardhitting show rather like Special Branch. However, ITV knew on Saturdays BBC1's game shows and comedies would beat them heavily so a series like Enemy at the Door could appeal to the more sober viewer.
Seventies TV fan, by any chance, Derek?”
Absolutely. Used to enjoy New Scotland Yard with John Woodvine and then there was Jill Gascoine in The Gentle Touch.
These were in the 9pm slots of course, where the BBC Saturday dramas tended to be earlier.
Originally Posted by garyessex:
“God the first 10 minutes of XF is like a shit TOWIE, I sense quite a few switching off”
“God the first 10 minutes of XF is like a shit TOWIE, I sense quite a few switching off”
What, the same brand of TV that has been immensely popular in recent times?
(I hate it, btw. Doesn't mean it won't 'enhance' The X for its lovely, easily pleased audience, however.)
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