And yet you're the one who wants to axe Waterloo rd/Masterchef from BBC 1. If you axe a cheap drama, all you'll get is more cheap factual replacing it. Time to stop your hypocrisy.

You say that as though because it's on the BBC no one's going to call it that, but they will and already have, it will get the same amount of criticism just by different people.

I do agree this kind of stuff shouldn't be in primetime though.

Thanks - my Digiguide has now updated with the full description.


OK so it does sound like a cheap docusoap. So the hook is: which entrepreneur will sell more cans of shaving foam and bumper packs of dishcloths? You never know, it could be the 21st century's The Cruise and be a break-out hit

But probably not! Do we expect a series high for Mr and Mrs then that night?

The recent Pound Land documentary on C4 was Dispatches best rating in years. I wouldnt write off Pound Shop Wars just yet.

What is exactly wrong with a documentary following two of Britain's fastest growing retailers?
When has this type of show not been on primetime?? It is hardly a BBC One daytime consumer type show.

I genuinely don't get the criticism of this and I have in the past criticised the flowerpot men and that's Britain as being awful. But this sounds to be similar to the BBC 2 show which went behind the scenes at John Lewis.

Hi guys

Can't believe Emmerdale beat EastEnders without +1 on a normal Tuesday. Robbie? Dan2008? Thoughts?

A quick request as can't find it, does anyone know the rating for Tool Academy's opening episode the other night?

Pound Shop Wars does sound quite interesting to me at least, though it seems more like a 10.35pm documentary than primetime from the description

Yes weekday 9.00 dramas do seem to have a 5 to 6 million ceiling at best. The Paradise is very Larkrise, with a portion of the cast,soft focus shots and generally inoffensive storylines-much more suited to 8pm than to a slot which has seen some hard hitting drama recently.I think its done pretty well there to be honest and has created a decent core audience for itself. It just feels out of place to me.
As for Brazil, interesting but just lacked the sense of adventure that the earlier series had. Maybe the world is just too small nowadays.

From a ratings point of view It'll probably win it's slot, but if it was on ITV it would be dismissed, even if it got high ratings.

Sounds like The Apprentice to me!

oh this is parody right


have we really got to the point, where two networks are airing a "Diving With The Stars" format?

seriously?

I might as well give up on network TV now.

http://www.deadline.com/2012/10/fox-...splash-series/

It's a production company war more than a network war. Banijay International have made Stars In Danger in Germany for years and are suing Eyeworks over Celebrity Splash.

It was Monday actually. Robbie and dan2008 have been strangely quiet about it though...

How utterly dull! :yawn:

so FOX are totally innocent, and had no idea ABC had commissioned something similar?

ok that is just a distraction from the main point, why was this mega flop, ever commissioned in the first place? seriously this is going to make TOWIE, look worthy of an Oscar.

The 50p shop of course. 99p shops are so 2003.

Oh FOX knew they'd done it. But it could be said that ABC bought "stolen goods" and FOX bought the original. Which is a reversal of what usually happens because Mike Darnell has bought a few obvious copycat formats in the past. Neither of them have had any role in developing this stuff, they're just buying. So Banijay, feeling wronged, would have been keen to get their show on the air first and it looks like FOX will do that.

The reason it has been commissioned is because it was a hit in the Netherlands (and Germany). It beat the local version of Strictly Come Dancing. Given that the Netherlands is a hot spot for breakout formats, people paid attention.

I'm not sold on the idea - there's very little content in diving especially if performed to a poor level (the same problem Dancing on Ice has IMO). But in theory, celebrities learning to dive is no more stupid than celebrities learning to do ballroom dance.

whilst your point that its ABC who commissioned the copy cat is valid, FOX is still the second network to commission the basic "Diving With the Stars" for US TV.

seriously what is it about this format, that makes two networks want to commission it?

I would also say there is ALOT more to Strictly, than simply Celebrities Ballroom Dancing, there is the professionals for starters. Also there is a much wider variety of dancing than there is of diving.

Dancing also seems to be alot more TV friendly, dance can go on as long as the TV channel needs it to, the cameras can be reasonably close to the dance, as it happens. Diving on the other hand, is all over in a few seconds, meaning your need slow motion, to really show the dive off, like can be done on Strictly.

It's a total shocker. Who would have thought Emmerdale would be beating Eastenders at the moment? It's not like Eastenders has been in a prolonged lull with no big storylines and Emmerdale has just celebrated it's 40th birthday with a huge promotion campaign leading into a live episode, two weddings, a murder and affair reveal.

Oh wait...

Any idea when The Royal Variety Performance will air ? I'm guessing a Wednesday.

If I'm A Celeb starts on 11 Nov, I expect it will finish on Sat 1st December.

So Royal Variety for Wed 7 or Wed 14 Dec ?

The hope that it will be as successful in other markets as it has been in Germany and Holland. There was a time when a show would have to be tested in one or two other major markets before taking off but everyone is so hungry for the next format hit that at the first sign of this doing well in Holland, they went mad for it and at MIPCOM it was sold in pretty much every major market. Even The Voice took a bit longer to sell (it sold like heroin in a prison once it was a hit in the US).

There's buzz around it. There aren't many new format hits these days so nobody wants to miss out when one comes onto the market. ABC need a replacement for Dancing With The Stars. FOX need a replacement for So You Think You Can Dance.


There will be professionals in this no doubt. Tom Daley is going to be on the UK version (Eyeworks are talking to TwoFour Group about UK production because they have a relationship with Daley already for digital media stuff).

In terms of variety I think they can build it up - higher platforms, more complicated dives, synchronised as well. There's a lot in diving (so I learnt during London 2012!). Although how much the celebs will be able to master in 10 weeks or so is debatable.


I agree to a point. But they've obviously worked around it. So they walk up... moment of tension before they dive... splash... slow motion repeat... discuss... chat to contestant. So long as they have a steady flow of contestants and diving, it could be do-able.

Remember, on Strictly and X Factor a typical act will be "on screen" for 7-9 minutes. But considerably more than half of that is taken up by the judges comments (2 minutes +), scoring (in Strictly), having a chat with the contestant, the VT's (2 minutes +).

It does doesn't it?

lol, yes that makes it all the more original.


fair enough Tom Daley is the big hope for the format in the UK, its the one thing that could give the show a little bit of respectability. However he cant train everyone, judge everyone, and then do a couple of dives himself, there needs to be someone else on the show.

Also he is still young, nothing says he will be good on camera.


height maybe, but synchronised dives, is ALOT of work, maybe too much for the Z listers who will be taking part.


I think TV could do with less of that kind of thing, not more.

Also I dont fancy the Great British Public being capable of phoning in to vote on who did the best dive.


ive seen a few formats go global over the years, any format that sells to the US will get picked up very quickly elsewhere. Sometimes the format is sold to the UK first, and after that US networks show an interest, but that isnt the case with "Diving With The Stars"

I will be avoiding this show, when it airs in the UK, however at this rate, it may end up on two channels.

He doesn't have to do all the training, just be the public face of it (like the "mentors" on X Factor supposedly help the acts during the week rather than the faceless army of Syco and Thames TV staff who actually do all the work).

Daley is just the big ticket name to put on the posters. They don't need famous judges. It's not like the DOI and SCD panels (or Pop Idol for that matter) were household names before those shows became hits.


Perhaps. This is definitely the biggest issue in trying to have some kind of progression across the series. How much can they learn week to week? The German version was only a one off, perhaps for this very reason.

The better contestants will certainly be able to start incorporating more complex moves and whatnot - I saw some decent attempts on one of the trailers or the Dutch pilot (can't remember which).

The token comedy act might get old quickly. Watching rotund people bomb into the pool will be funny the first time but won't last long. Then again, if it's Ann Widdecombe there will be nothing funny about seeing her in a swimsuit.


Less of what?

In terms of the format working, the lack of action from the diving isn't an insurmountable challenge because no TV show is constant action.

X Factor and Strictly would be little watched flops if they didn't have the judges


Is it any worse than them choosing the best ice dancer or ballroom dancer? It sounds like the US versions might just be judges scoring (public voting is harder to work over there due to timezones). I suppose the UK version could be the same.

Have to disagree with that: Tom Daley is TV gold, such a natural on screen.


It's being filmed on Monday 19 November, but I guess it could be shown any time before Christmas. Last year's was broadcast by ITV on 14 December, nine days after filming; 2010's was held on 9 December, and transmitted by the BBC seven days later. Based on that you'd think it would probably be on Wed 28 November, but as you say that would be during IAC if it falls in the same weeks as last year.

Great line-up for the RVP, actually: