Austerity idents to go with an austerity Christmas schedule?

I'm thinking discussion of the Christmas idents belongs in the Christmas 2012 TV thread, or maybe even a new thread all to themselves, as they're not actually going to have any effect on TV ratings whatsoever.

Yes the whole of autumn in the former CS slot was dominated by pointless spin offs of the two main soaps that struggled to attract 3 million viewers. While I can't see the nursing series being huge, I still think 4 million will watch it.

I'm starting to feel a little underwhelmed by BBC1's Christmas schedule.

I think the problem is that both BBC1 and ITV1 are very unadventurous all year in the primetime pre-watershed weekday TV and this seems to continue across Christmas with far too much soap.

BBC1 has a strong quartet of sitcoms this Christmas but they're all on after the watershed when Miranda and Outnumbered could quite easily go out in slots before the watershed and inject a bit more variety in the schedule.

BBC1 films seem poor too. A Christmas Carol (Xmas Eve 6.45pm) and Alice In Wonderland (Boxing Day 6.50pm) both get only 2 stars for average in the Radio Times and, to me, they look like the sort of films that ITV would stick on at 3.10pm on Christmas Day when they know they alays lose to BBC1.

On the other hand, Shrek has always been a very strong ratings player for the BBC and I think Shrek Forever is the ace in BBC1's Christmas Day hand. Shrek 3 (the rubbish one apparantly) rated 7.2m overnight in the 3.10pm slot two years ago, well up on the 4.5m that Monsters And Aliens got in the same slot last year. I see Shrek Forever After doing as well as Shrek The Third did, thus bringing the Christmas Day audience to BBC1 early.

Also, Call The Midwife is looking like a strong addition to BBC1's Christmas Day line-up and that trailer looks very effective at a viewer-lurer. (And it's not being shown so often now that all the other trailers for Christmas are being aired.)

On the drama front, two of the main offerings, Loving Miss Hatto and the 2-part Restless don't look like big ratings winners to me, but I'll be happy to be proved wrong. I think the trailer for Miss Hatto is emphasising that it's written by Victoria Wood so that could help it.

And I see Celebrity Mastermind is back in slots that would be better off handed to Pointless. Here's hoping CM bombs completely this year and gets binned, because I'm pretty sure it mostly bombed last year but got lucky cos one or two editions had weaker competition and managed quite good ratings that got it recommissioned.

I echo what has been said by many, it's December and its brass monkey weather yet EE is not adding viewers in the crucial run up period to Christmas, while it may see a boost from the Christmas episode frankly it will not be acceptable to many.

EE needs to be snapping at the heels of CS all year with gripping storylines and importantly a cast that can act and scriptwriters that can write, a few weeks improved ratings on the back of the festive period before the inevitable lull again would be a disaster.

The trailer is awful, certainly the poorest promo for EE in years, no wonder it barely outrates Emmerdale and If its true about Max's secret then it will anger and alienate even more EE fans.

Ms Newman has been in the job since march and there has been no improvement, time she was asked to step aside, EE needs. EP who knows what they are doing with a clear and concise plan to rescue the soap.

ITS NOT!!! However the cast were said to be surpised at his secret.and the reveal is xmas day.


I think it's the best trailer from EastEnders since xmas 2009
She's been in the job yeah but until January it's mostly kirkwoods work. Kirkwoods team confirmed this on twitter back last month.

Emmerdale sees a new EP and Corrie takes Emmerdales old one so who knows what might happen in the new year.
How do we know EastEnders won't be strong. Them again we might al; be dead by 8:20 next Friday.

You keep saying it will be fine constantly, it's like you are trying to convince yourself as much as the doubters,

Not at all. I say it because Im sure everything will be fine. We have been here before.....Plenty of people last year said how EastEnders will do sh*t at xmas and everything but guess what it added more viewers xmas week and into January and the same will happen this year.


anyway im off to bed as im up for work at 5:30
I will resume this xmas week

EDIT-Regarding Max secret

EastEnders star Jake Wood has claimed that the cast were stunned when they learned of Max's secret.
Max Branning's mysterious activities in Manchester, when he left Albert Square after being rejected by Tanya last year, will be revealed on Christmas Day.
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2...jake-wood.html

I'm so disgusted I am going to watch the ITN Christmas Night News and Downton on Christmas Day, and I now expect millions to do the same. So yes, ths could be a game changer.

first of all, can I please stress that I do not want any of you, to post Max's secret, even if it is the most widely discussed one.

As for EE generally, the only good thing about the current ratings, is that in theory it makes Kat and Alifes exit, more likely, which TBH would be a massive boost to the show.

In the long term however, I fear Newman is not up to it, alot of her storylines are closer to plot holes, a couple of them black hole style plot holes.

That said, there is something good in what she does, but over all she does not appear up to the job, where Kirkwood, was at best and at worst "average" Newman misses even that.

Not sure I buy this idea, that whats on screen now, is not her work, certainly not some of the newer storylines, eg Phil adopting Lexi, which is one of those "black holes" plots I refereed to earlier.

On the up side, Ian and Denise is good.

However this thread is not the place for such discussion, and that is why its hard to discuss EE further, because to do requires you to talk about the plot, in more detail than is appropriate for the ratings thread.

Given the lacklustre Christmas everything on the BBC this year, I dont hold out much hope for EE.

Robbie, you're such a tease!

I will look out for your sparkly message to appear on screen on Christmas Day!

Merry Christmas Digital Spy love from RobbieSykes!

Don't let us down!

First calm the attitude, you may think its the best trailer since time began but I don't so deal with it.

And as it has been pointed out before not only on this thread but others as well the crossover between his work and hers has already happened and Ms Newman said it herself in an interview so cut the nonsense please and stop blaming BK for LN's shoddy work currently on screen.

Nine months in the job is no excuse for the rubbish we are seeing on screen, ratings are in a rut, down on last year and no sign of improvement, EE should be on par with CS in the ratings battle but ITV have been doing damage of late especially with O'Gradys Dogs and the recent RVP against Mondays EE.

I get the feeling that you don't like criticism of EE, that's fine but you cannot bitch and moan when EE's poor ratings performance is debated because this is DS where debate is encouraged.

And if you seriously believe EE will trounce DA on Christmas Day then when the first run ratings are in on Boxing Day you can say I told you so but I feel the opposite will be true.

Considering it isn't particularly notable elsewhere BBC1 really should have put one of Doctor Who, Strictly or Call the Midwife on another night - although they'll rate decently enough I think boosting another night and starting their Christmas primetime shows an hour later would give a more balance schedule.

And I agree the whole schedule is just underwhelming - and although to be fair this year the schedules aren't too over reliant on "celebrity specials" during Christmas week itself it would be nice to see a return to the days of normal folk featuring on shows all year round and then the celeb specials just being bought out at Christmas - and actually therefore being special.


Did he discover an alternative universe where people live on a cobbled street, never watch the soaps and are generally fairly happy - bar the bi-annual threat from the latest serial killer!

There's nothing austere about their Christmas promo, so I'm not buying that.

I've seen it three times already tonight!

Enough!

I wouldn't rule out Corrie winning the 'soap ratings battle' on Christmas Day this year. Corrie never normally really brings out the big guns at Christmas storyline wise, but this year it is with Leanne and Nick's wedding. And when Corrie promises a big wedding, more often than not they deliver the goods. I'm thinking along the lines of Tracey/Steve and Leanne/Peter's wedding episodes; correct me if I'm wrong, but the latter garnered the highest soap rating of 2011, and the former could very well end up being the highest of this year.

Count the repeats. It's truly shocking.

Dibley in prime slots on 1, umpteenth film showings, the dire Saturday where Superstars is the only thing of note and that tanked anyway on its last revival, the prime time Browns Boys double repeat.

BBC2 in particular looks like Dave for Christmas week.

It's nice to see Corrie having a decent story this year as in former years the Xmas Day episode tended to be quite low-key (bar the odd exception, and actually last year's episode was quite good as well).

They have another big wedding in January though with Kirsty and Tyrone which promises to be pretty explosive. I've noticed that January/February is when Corrie tends to get its highest rating of the year and it's usually where they play the climax to a big story - although for the third year on the trot it looks like it'll be centering around another wedding!

I can't see Corrie winning the battle though against a relatively strong BBC1 schedule.

The only difference to last year is that EE breached the 9m mark several times across November and December, which hasn't actually been done yet this year. The ratings are fine but not great for this time of year and the quality is below par. Even if it shows a boost in viewers across Xmas, there's no guarantee the viewers will stick with EE if the plots are still below-par and there are loads of filler episodes.

Not very keen on the BBC One idents, although the Shrek one gave me a giggle because he looks like someone I know.

Very much so. To such an extent that they are both airing the exact same episode of QI on Christmas Day and the two showings overlap. Oops.

I think BBC2 has seen this clash and reacted accordingly. According to the Christmas Radio Times the QI XL on BBC2 (at 9.45pm) is an extended version of the new Christmas episode shown on December 21st.

Firstly, 11 o'clock at night is not primetime.

And film repeats at Christmas are hardly a 21st century invention. Likely Lad Rodney Bewes was making jokes about The Great Escape being on every Christmas 38 years ago.

And, of course, Superstars has only been revived this year because they've been able to sign up Olympians. The BBC will be hoping for good ratings this time (helped by the naff competition on ITV - 30 Years Of CITV. Oh dear.)

What was the official figure of the Poison Tree last night without plus one

Not this year shockingly.

Netflix to the rescue.