Well done, cylon6. Pat on the head, clever boy, have a biscuit...

I predicted the fall of the Cowell empire. It hasn't quite happened yet, but when it does, I shall be taking all the credit for that.

Ben Stephenson, controller of BBC Drama Commissioning, apparently suggested on Points of View last week that the Doctor Who anniversary show is one 90 minute episode.

Edit: or maybe this is a rumour. I can't stand the confusion in my mind!
Last edited by JCR : 26-11-2012 at 00:59

Thank you! I'll have a milk chocolate digestive. But I do love proving people wrong and saying I told you so because I am incredibly petty!

Simon still has Britain's Got Talent here. The X Factor needs some serious work here and in America. You might have to delay the fall of his TV empire!

Could the Grand Prix have given an added boost to Strictly? We'll find out tomorrow.


I'd actually like a new Juliet Bravo. That would work. My thinking about The Three Musketeers is will it be epic enough? Doctor Who and Merlin can have really big moments as they're fantasy shows. Could The Three Musketeers go the way of Robin Hood? Not much can happen in those worlds.

X Factor's ratings are terrible.

Only last year were seeing 10million for the live shows and 12million for results.

Now it's only breaking into 9million for the results.

Simon Cowell has to return next year and get Cheryl or Danni back and make it the final series.

I think his return would up the ratings regardless but getting popular judges back would up the game. Even Sharon back would be something.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Sharon returning, especially now her American commitments have taken a downturn. Simon will only return if they move the live shows to the new year but, as already said, that would play havoc with Britain's Got Talent...unless they move Britain's Got Talent to the autumn slot pre-I'm A Celebrity... and then allow The X Factor to take over? Though that would leave spring bare unless Splash! takes off.

I think the main work needs to be put into development. The Got Talent brand is in generally good health - it was only a few months ago at MIPCOM that it was named the most successful format in the world at the moment. America's Got Talent did well - it was down, but with a string of mitigating circumstances, the declines weren't overly concerning. X Factor US going into a third year is a massive deal for them.

The TV side of things is bigger than ever when you look across the whole picture (disappointing though that may be to Robbie!). What's different between now and 2009 and 2010 is that the end of the line seems a bit closer. Back then they still had a lot of room for growth - not just in the UK but in terms of selling the formats, particularly X Factor which still wasn't on in the US. That's all done now and for the moment it's doing fine. But they need to be putting more shows on air with a view to 5 years from now. You look at Endemol or Mark Burnett - they turn out loads of flops for every hit. Part of the problem is their apparent desire to stick to ITV for their new series despite the fact that ITV are woeful when it comes to entertainment and don't have that many slots available anyway. The US market, on broadcast and cable, has many opportunities that they ought to take advantage of. I'm slightly surprised that he hasn't gone down the acquisitions route. There are still a few indies not bought up by the super-indies yet. But it seems to be a deliberate policy to go for "organic" growth.

I think development is the answer for X Factor as well. I think it would be a bold move to launch a new brand in X Factor's slot next year. Cowell would be at the centre of it but with new personnel and some format changes. The alternative is that next year is the swansong and, come 2014, loads of companies are chasing X Factor's slot. Obviously they'd have to agree it all with ITV but with the right show, it makes sense for them as well. When you look at the current trajectory of the ratings you'd be talking under 7m for a launch next year.

But it's very risky - even if The X Factor falls at the current trajectory and launches at below 7m it would still be performing better than any new reality show has for ITV1 (or even for BBC One outside The Voice) in a very long while. ITV desperately need a new hit but I can't see Splash! being the answer and I'm not sure where the next big show is coming from.

What they need to try and do is launch a new entertainment show alongside Britain's Got Talent in the spring and hope it takes off (maybe using a few Sunday shows for Britain's Got Talent as The Voice is blocking off Saturday's). If it fails, launch something alongside The X Factor next year and keep their fingers crossed. They can't throw it at the schedule and hope it'll swim on it's own.

Simon's Syco empire is still huge.

Formats are shown across the world and then there is the music side to the business too specifically One Direction who have cracked America. It's how his shows perform in the US & UK that'll be a concern to him.

BGT is doing well as is AGT. But The X Factor dipping here is a concern. It just hasn't caught the public's imagination the way it has in previous years. In the US it still hasn't broken through, yes it's got a third year but but most likely because Fox doesn't have much else to fill those gaps. Both versions need work.

It's a risk. But I think that a new talent show, with Cowell returning, is a really easy propostion for the marketing people at ITV and that should reduce the risk in their eyes. It shouldn't be too difficult to get that kind of show off the ground with 7m viewers in a prime slot in November. Obviously they need to work out what they'd do differently but as I say, it doesn't need to be massively different from X Factor.

I think it's just as big a risk to keep holding on for just one more year. At the current trajectory they're 2 years away from being on Channel 5!

If ITV had a ready made replacement they'd be okay, like when The X Factor replaced Pop Idol. Here is my question. What is better for ITV. Continuing with The X Factor with a new contract in the hope ratings pick up or deciding not to renew and try an new Saturday night vehicle instead?

We can cry together. Really sad news.
When there are so many crap shows on the telly going forever...

Be grateful you weren't a Blake's 7 fan back in 1981. That really ruined my Christmas.
It's sad about Merlin and there is going to be a gap in the schedule next year. It'll be interesting to see what the BBC finds to fill it and if it can do as well against the not so much ratings juggernaut as it used to be X-Factor though 8 million still isn't a bad rating to be fair.

I dont know how you feel, but I like my news to have a source, ok so it worked out this time, but me asking for a source is not going OTT. Not all news gets a pre announcement. Personally I am very disappointed in this news, I just hope the two part finale, can be all I want it to be, but I dont think it can be, still alot left.


1981 you say? what was that like?

seriously now, I think I know what I want to replace Merlin

On X-Factor, what I think is needed is less popstar judges, and someone from the industry, when X-Factor started it could make stars of its industry names, Simon and Louis, but now its mostly Popstars, and Louis isnt really the type of guy who could be a big name. Whats needed is to find a new industry type judge, who can have some level of stardom thrust up on them. When Popstars started it was all industry people, X-Factor has moved away from that.

For this 16 year old it was pretty bloody cr*p to be honest though some of the music was very good and the 80's didn't get any better until I met my late husband.


There have been rumours about a new series of B7 for years but the ending did ruin that Christmas for me.

Yes, all credit to you for that.

There is always a danger of jumping to the wrong conclusion when reading between the lines, especially when there is much white space between those lines. when some of that white space is replaced by more lines, it does become less of a risk.

Excluding +1's...

F1: 5.17m (28.3%)
* peak: 6.64m (30.0%) at 17:45
* BBC figures only
SCD: 10.05m (39.0%)
* peak: 10.63m (40.2%) at 19:50
XF: 9.07m (34.0%)
* peak: 11.08m (39.0%) at 20:50
IAC: 9.57m (36.8%)
* peak: 10.17m (36.1%) at 21:10

With +1

https://twitter.com/jscummins/status/272997728999596032

"ITV1 Ratings - The X Factor peaked with 11.4m (av 9.3m) and I'm A Celebrity peaked with 10.7m (averaging 10m)"

Also

https://twitter.com/Jake_Kanter/stat...98791098011648

"Peep Show returned with 840k (3.81%) viewers - its lowest series debut in at least seven years. #tellyratings"

Do you have a rating for The Secret Of Crickley Hall DMN?

Urgh. Guess it'll do well on 4OD, and eventually Netflix etc, but that's still disappointing. C4 really need to do something smarter with scheduling, comedy on Sunday nights doesn't seem to be working out.

Why on earth did Channel 4 perservere with Peep Show

Crickley - 5252

Peep Show should be on Friday, like the rest of C4's comedy output. I only remembered to watch on +1 because I was bored of Get Me Out Now

Not helped by the BBC scheduling two comedies Harry and Paul and Him and Her at 10pm too.

Comedies are quite rare these days and there's three on at once!!

Pleased to see Crickley Hall keep its audience. Do you know what Him and Her and Kookyville got Mike?