Football score spoiler:

They really don't have a clue if they buy this rubbish. ITV entertainment is completely dire with only Take Me Out being worth watching.

I don't envy ITV trying to keep people interested in a one-sided largely unimportant England game whilst a more unique sporting spectacle is taking place on Channel 4.

Off topic but I think Channel 4 have done really well with the Paralympics. The channel has shown that it is capable of handling these big events as well as, if not better than the likes of ITV and Sky could. And that was important after the fiasco with the Athletics last year.

Calling your argument for the channel illogical was indeed very nasty...

So no apparently I can't reply without being condescending or nasty. I would however point out that I refrained from making any serious comment on your post until pushed on it. I had no real interest in having the debate with you but just found the description of 'to US imports what Dave is to panel shows' comically terrible. Of course its somewhat ironic that you'd follow up a post bemoaning a lack of actual response with a post that isn't an actual response.


That could quite possibly be a problem. Its been years since I read it though. I've always thought The Witches was ripe for a new version and George's Marvellous Medicine would indeed be brilliant. Hopefully Esio Trot will be a success and prompt the BBC or really anyone else to make more.

So my predictive powers will be put to the test tomorrow Speaking of which, I fancy getting back into the RPG this weekend.


The minute fumble in a changing room? That's bonkers. Even my great aunt Gladys wouldn't have objected to that. It must be simply convenient to chop it to make the show fit the slot.


LOL. I've been called worse. But VW are the initials of my middle and last names.

Roald Dahl's has had a resurgence thanks to Matilda the Musical and the upcoming production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The Witches I think the rights are still owned by Warner Bros but I think a new version would be fine. They did The Borrowers last Christmas with Working Title and NBCUniversal so I think if WB wanted to co-produce a new version of The Witches with the BBC, they should go for it.

The Twits is another one that hasn't been adapted but I'm not sure who owns the TV rights,

It's been a long day at work, so forgive me if my posts are not as eloquently put as yours. If that is "comical" to you, then perhaps that says more about you as a person than it does anything else. I became less interested in the debate when it became clear that you were simply going to shoot down anything I had to bring down the table, and generally be very dismissive of any opinion not compatible with your own.

It's a very niche subject anyway. Apart from creating a bad atmosphere, the subject matter will be dull as dishwater for everyone else.

I will say though that I don't think the problem 5USA has is a lack of identity. I think it's more that the new content it offers can get lost in a sea of repeats. Apart from the obvious (further investment) it needs to complement the main channel more closely in order to really thrive and keep the audience growth going.

5* tends to show 16-24 orientated programing that wouldn't fit the main channels' image For example: Alphas isn't sleek enough for Channel 5 (You can tell it's a fairly low budget cable show). Chuck isn't really serious enough for C5. It also provides a place for C5 to repeat it's show within broadcast week and provide catchup marathons later on...

5USA is really just an attempt to cash in on Channel 5's large library of procedurals, with the odd original show that doesn't fit either the main channel or 5*'s image...

Yep, so it would appear. Very poor move which is sure to piss off viewers who were counting on the repeat. I get that a 75 minute episode doesn't lend itself to a 'neat' schedule, but there's no reason at all why they couldn't have ran the ads during Ice Road Truckers instead and allowed Dallas to go out uncut.

They don't help themselves sometimes, that's for sure.

Probably the highest total ever? Seems like an awful lot. And the panel itself isn't interesting. They're current artists? The Voice did that. Mariah's a big name? So were Christina, J'Lo and Britney. I can see $18m for Mariah. But $12m for Nicki Minaj? Doesn't strike me as someone that's going to attract a broad audience.


The Sun has always written "ratings crisis" and "scandal" articles when it suits. When they did the audience auditions for the first time in 2009, The Sun were one of the papers running the most stories on "viewer polls" saying how awful it was and how the ratings were in decline (then in week three they went through the roof and everyone forgot about it).


It could just be Syco beginning the negotiating process with ITV. No production company really wants to clear 45 hours off its production slate just because it's getting 8m and not 10m.

I think 5USA and to an extent 5* both need more investment but I can't see that happening until the main channel is sorted out. 5USA I think need to build on shows like Sons of Anarchy and Justified and acquire more shows along the same lines and maybe procedurals that complement the CSI and NCIS repeats like Longmire, 5* I think should maybe go the E4 and ITV2 and acquires some comedies rather dramas that don't seem to fit the channel's desired demographic.

MTV's VMAS had a bad night last night. Went from a record high of 12.4m last year to just 6.1m last night. Apparently the performance in the demo (12-34 years) was just as bad, from a 9.1 to a 4.5.

Edit

http://twitter.com/#!/TVMoJoe/status/244173732615184384

Wondering, if trickytree is about, I was wondering how Dallas has time shifted so far? If Doctor Who can add about 15% of its overnight in one day, can Dallas add 450k in a day??

Tonight though... strong chance C4 and 5 will be close in the 9 slot, and I can't imagine more than 2 million between the main 5...

Today's Daily Mail claiming that Homeland is back on C4 on Sunday 7th October - head to head with Downton Abbey and Andrew Marr.

He's clearly annoyed that ITV won the 9pm slot over the BBC last night.

The paralympics were always going to dent both channels its not surprising, The games are a big event obviously the ratings are going to affect that.

Yep, definitely 6.1m: http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/201...source=twitter

*Sigh*

I didn't find it comically terrible because it was ineloquently put I find the general concept of 'to US imports what Dave is to comedy panels' comically terrible. And that to was what I meant by worst description of a channel I'd ever heard as well (hence only quoting that specific bit).


Surely the purpose of 5USA (or any of these sister digital channels) should be to offer an alternative to the main channel? If the only purpose the channel serves is to house repeats and stuff that isn't quite good enough for the main channel then what's the point of it and why would anyone watch it? And I think there's a danger of that becoming the identity of 5USA if they don't get a better handle on its schedule and new content and making people aware of that content. In truth there are some brilliant shows on 5USA but basically no one really knows they exist and I don't think aligning the channel closer to Channel 5 is the answer. I think it needs to create its own brand so that when 5 buy something you can think 'that's a 5USA show' rather than when you find out something is scheduled on the channel 'why isn't that on the main channel?'.

Personally I think turning it into a home for cable drama from the US whilst Channel 5 houses the presumably more mainstream broadcast drama isn't a bad idea. They just need to be explicit in doing that and making that the focus of the channel.


In contrast I think Minaj might be the best signing on the panel. She's pretty much the only 'star name' to have signed up for one of these shows that clearly isn't there looking for a career boost and whatever else she might be she has personality and isn't afraid of playing with the press and courting controversy. In many respects she is the perfect talent show judge. She also has the benefit of not making the show feel entirely dated. Enrique Iglesias is the one that doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And I cannot for life me understand how he's worth $10 million.

Generally speaking I think the Idol producers have missed a trick by not bringing back a former (and now successful) contestant as a judge. That the show has such a long history is really the only advantage they have over the new crop of singing shows and that they haven't overtly exploited that this time around doesn't make a sense. I also think that they didn't throw some of the ridiculous sums they're throwing around at a big name producer to join the judging panel was a mistake as well.


Those do indeed seem way off. An absolute disaster for MTV if that's confirmed. A deserved one though judging from the reaction to the show.

EDIT - Just seen it confirmed. Disaster of a result. Seems like it was down about 50+% in 18-49 as well.

There's an uncut repeat tomorrow or Sunday on 5*

ITV are in a stronger negotiation position than they were last time so Syco have to do something to try and boost the price somewhat.

The thing is, The X Factor could see a massive dent on Sunday thanks to the increased opposition from Channel 4 (lowest rating since series 1/2?) but it should still bounce back the following week back to previous levels against lesser opposition.

Would the Democratic National Convention take some of those MTV viewers? Yes I felt silly writing it but I'm putting it out there. What the hell happened in the 12-34 demo!?!

I can't see how the DNC would have hurt the VMA's. The main event of that (Obama's speech) didn't start until after they finished. The Democrats even ran an ad during the VMA's urging people to switch over after they'd finished and watch Obama's speech...

Just to make matters worse just seen something that says last years VMA's had a 10.8 in 12-34 not a 9.1. Might have to look that one up later. Also should be noted that last year the VMA's had a Jersey Shore lead-in this year they didn't. Also they went from a Sunday to a Thursday. More people watch television on a Sunday in the US (I have no idea why they made the change but I'm sure it'll be switched back next year). Personally though I blame One Direction.

Earlier someone said it was moving to Thursday nights.

Not sure of the source.

Following criticism of XFactor's first three episodes about there being only 8minutes of singing per hour, Simon Cowell has just tweeted:

Reports suggest that Cowell flew back to the UK to edit the tomorrow's episode.

Everyone else is reporting it will be back on Thursday the 4th October

Just thinking about C4's scheduling of Comedy World Cup a week tomorrow against TXF, I wonder if they figure that it will appeal to a Dave-watching, older, male-skewed audience and therefore it will hold up against ITV? That's the only reason I can think of behind what seems crazy scheduling. It looks quite an interesting show, too.