Not lately....

They are roaming the UK finding spots where mysteries and weird tales have happened, Bit like a cross between Strange But True? and Countryfile (hence Julia Bradbury's involvement I guess) mixed with an inland version of Coast via an OS map.

They were considering finding a location where someone has spontaneously combusted - a topic they knew I had researched and written about. Though it has the drawback of witnesses (who survived that is) being fairly rare.

Not really suitable for this show I would have thought - which is what I told a well known comedian when she asked for my help writing a sketch on the theme for a children's teatime TV show. I hope to goodness that never happened evn without my aid.

Can't believe I'm correcting Steve Williams about something , but Saturday Sportsday wasn't on the news channel. It was quite different - it had unique titles, was initially presented standing up in the BBC Sport centre office walking around, and was much more of a magazine show. It started off with a montage of highlights from the World Athletics, and had features on Triathlon and Paralympic sport. It wasn't your normal news channel sports bulletin, although it did have a bit of news.

In fairness, the high quality drama is all imported. But if you don't like imports, then it wouldn't be for you.

I watch a fair bit of factual entertainment stuff on there.

The Hotel Inspector
Born to Kill
Myra Hinley - untold story

I am looking forward to Wentworth Prison next week. I've seen the opening episode online, and it looks promising.

I thought the Irish drama 'Love/Hate' was excellent and can't wait for series 2, (which inexplicably won't be shown until some time next year).

'Under the Dome' starts this coming week and should be worth a watch. The book (by Stephen King) was excellent, (not that that is necessarily any reflection of how good the tv series will be).

Kind of needed the overnights. It doesn't matter if you don't have them. Thanks anyway.

From Broadcast (inc +1):

Jaycee, welcome back, I think TPGS is this year's Don't Scare The Hare. It's an interesting concept but the execution of the show is terrible.

If Harry Potter next week rates at a similar level to the other two, then ITV have done well to get through Summer with out any embarrasing flops along the way. Its seems this year is the turn of the BBC.

Its not often that ITV have the highest rating show of the night in Summer, albiet a popular film across primetime.

A shame that so many have missed out on one of the best pieces of television in many many years. This will no doubt repeat after the awards it receives. However I would have scheduled on BBC One in the autumn.

The Dealership: 800,000 (3.9%) inc. +1
*series low
*series average: 936k (4.7%)
*slot average: 1.5m

Source: www.broadcast.co.uk

Must have missed the bit where ESPN did a free simulcast on two other channels and then doctored the figures to make the headline number look bigger.

Sky's freebie was welcome but I didn't see anything I'd be prepared to pay for. Obviously they're blessed with some excellent content, e.g. the PL rights, but I wasn't that enamored by what they did around it. The standard of their football coverage was quite underwhelming really. Not sure what the audience gathered around the studio added, for example. And Jamie Redknapp is no better than the pundits you get on ITV, if anything less interesting.

It wasn't a great advert, but as you've outlined it wasn't intended to be. Just a very transparent BT spoiler.

Thanks, Derek. It shows the sheer folly of the 7-8pm window. They should be free to show the highlights in any slot they want.

Obsessed with trying to damage it.

Yeah, but which version would turn up: the chirpy, entertaining one, or the pissed, surly one?

House Party was indeed mid to late October. Generation Game varied: sometimes September, sometimes mid to late October.

Proof? Best way to "damage" it would be to ignore it and let it quietly die in oblivion.

They had their screaming headline about Leslie Grantham's jail time on the weekend after the series started, then a year or so later there was the sickeningly homophobic "EastBenders" nonsense...

Thanks guys. I was looking for them without +, but these are very much appreciated. Cheers.

Former Man United star Michael Owen has reportedly turned down the chance to appear in Strictly Come Dancing - and is now eyeing a spot in the I'm A Celebrity...jungle instead.

http://www.whatsontv.co.uk/strictly-...for-im-a-celeb

You're talking nonsense there Glenn - Home and Away has had times since it moved to C5 been well ahead of the British soaps in terms of delivering quality drama and up until C5 took Neighbours as well it generally rated well. It has undoubtedly gone off the boil in the last couple of years in all respects (quality and UK/Aus ratings) - be interesting to see if the return of Sally makes any difference.


Seems a random addition though as it's not in the schedules next week due to F1 and not in the provisionals the following week. They should flesh it out to 30 minutes really and stick it at 11.30am instead of those stupid cookery shows.

I would think I'm Celeb its better pay than Strictly.

I often find that when the tabloids are declaring a crisis or scandal on an ITV show (two in particular spring to mind) people think of that as the press being in their back pockets and promoting the show. But when they write something similar about a BBC show, it's an agenda or they're out to destroy something.

More likely the attire for Strictly isn't up his street.

Not sure Owen has the personality to add any value to I'm a Celeb though.

He's a name, but that only gets you so far.

But I don't think it can show anything that BBC Sport doesn't have the rights to. There's also the issue that Football Focus has everything footy related covered. You're not left with a lot at all.

As the autumn schedules are about to begin what do you think the strengths and weaknesses are in television. Disregard the channel politics for a moment and whats missing from primetime? What looks new and promising?What is making you switch off because its too boring...what would you do to improve ratings and primetime ideally?