So major disaster for ITV tonight then, with pointless filler and contestants re-dancing just to fill time. Complete waste of time for everyone concerned in the show, including those who came to watch it and those who tuned in - and voted for nothing. Now ITV has to deal with refunding those who phoned in.

I might put in a claim. I voted 500 times as well...

As the lack of dance off was revealed halfway through the results show (but presumably they knew before the end of the main show that there wouldn't be one), then the end of CTM and TG should see a boost.

And that could help Mayday - though I would still expect Selfridge to win the slot with ease. Mayday looked very slow and plodding to me - and another 4 hours of it. Hm, not for me I think.

February overnight average for the Big Three:

Corrie: 8.76m
down 370k y-o-y

**8.91m minus dented ep. which aired at 9:40 (down 220k)

EastEnders: 7.51m
down 730k y-o-y

**7.85m without Emmerdale clashes (down 390k)

Emmerdale: 6.96m
down 540k y-o-y

**7.11m without EE/WR clashes (down 390k)

Down more than three quarters of a million for enders! Hmmm

Declines (Actual Ratings):

Coronation Street: -4%
Eastenders: -9%
Emmerdale: -7%

Mayday is a major programme for BBC1 this week, the scheduling couldn't be better, anything less than 7m will be poor

According to well placed source Servalan, it was Itv who brought forward Broadchurch in order to clash with Mayday. Dont know why Itv has done this because both shows are very similar.

If anything ITV should have aired it a couple of weeks ago instead of the prison documentary (which could air any night, or following the series) to get in there first.

It'll be interesting to see how Dancing on Ice does next week in the 7-9pm slot. I've always defended it against the Strictly snobs and have generally preferred it out of the two but this year it just feels so flat - you get the feeling everyone involved (bar Matt and Cheggers) is struggling to muster any excitement for the shows, never mind the viewers.

Even made by the same production company apparently. Am sure they're delighted at what ITV has done.

That said - was "Mayday" really intended to air in March?

So what will they do in DOI then, just eliminate the poorly contestant?


It's still a terrestrial premiere of course, not that terrestrial is a useful term any more, what with Freeview. A traditional-terrestrial premiere!

Yes, the ill contestant has been eliminated.

It's probably because of the issues Upstairs Downstairs and Mr. Selfridge have had in following Downton Abbey and The Paradise respectively - they're accused of being copies of the first show. Coming in on episode two of Mayday rather than after the entire series may reduce the plagiarism accusations. Possibly.

I don't get why they didn't air it straight after Lewis either. Very odd scheduling.

I never knew Servalan was in the know in regards to ITV's scheduling choices.

730,000 is less than three quarters of a million.

It was actually apparently intended to air in the autumn, but was moved to March because of scheduling clashes (http://www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk/M...#axzz2MYWIndaF). May would always of been difficult with The Apprentice on Wednesdays at 9. There's very few times in the year when there's room for a stripped drama.

Roger Mosey ‏@rogermosey
Good start for "Mayday" on BBC1 last night with 6.2m viewers. And "Call The Midwife" has had a brilliant series: 9.2m watching yesterday.
9:43 a.m. - Mar 4, 2013

Casualty viewers have a hard time finding it, it can start at any time between 8.20 and 9.40, last week it started at 8.40 this week it was 9.15, bound to put off some viewers, not many shows veer so wildly in the schedules from week to week.

Mayday's breakdown:

21:00 6,709.7 24.94%
21:05 6,534.7 24.83%
21:10 6,514.1 25.51%
21:15 6,377.0 24.75%
21:20 6,258.6 24.48%
21:25 6,295.1 25.18%
21:30 6,147.8 24.54%
21:35 6,078.4 24.19%
21:40 6,067.6 24.73%
21:45 6,000.9 24.43%
21:50 5,908.9 23.92%
21:55 5,880.2 25.09%

ouch for Mr Selfridge - 4750 + 467 (ITV+ITV HD)

Would be interested to see breakdown for Mayday, I thought it was very disappointing, though in fairness it's probably no worse than most UK crime drama.

Edit: Ah I see it's been posted, actually a decent retention, I was wrong.

Dare I ask how Dancing on Ice (both shows) and ASFF did? Selfridge looks very low.

Shock C4 showed something that wasn't a repeat, admittedly it was only racing but still, and they wonder why nobody watches them.

Its lost viewers as it progressed. The midwife audience helped it. Must have been inflating ripper too. Its shows no sign of flagging this series.

DOI - 6131 + 540
DOI Results - 4600 + 397

Like a number of other people who frequent these forums, Servalan works in television. And, if you think carefully, you would realise that ITV isn't the only source of that information ...

Only 1 to go

Theory 600k of viewers of Call the Midwife are purely Miranda Hart fans,, it was down to 8.6m the weeks she wasn't there, but 9.2 on the weeks she is.

Oh right was she back! Ah that's interesting that is rises when she appears! I absolutely cant stand the show!