Couldn't agree more. Even for a footballer, he seems extremely dull.

The standard of reporting of anything about TV in the tabloid press is abysmal because they don't employ journalists who understand the medium.They talk about ''filming'' live events, they confuse the actors with their characters, they have no concept of how long it takes to make a programme and anyone who is paid more than £5 is somehow fleecing the system. The Daily Mail (for one) has a clear anti-BBC agenda but never discloses it has a financial interest in ITV - at least The Sun and Times mention their tie-up with Sky (the Express papers never mention their connection with C5 when their top programme choice is always a C5 programme).

I can't imagine BT Sport being too impressed if that happens.

I think both BBC and ITV look really strong this Autumn/Winter.

And looking at ITV's new drama Breathless, its feels like its got something or The Royal about it which could work in its favour. I get the impression it will probably be a big hit, 7-8million range (timeshift) but that depends on where its scheduled.

On the BBC I think their new drama Atlantis will do well after Strictly but not quite as successful as Merlin.

I have a gut feeling that Stepping Out will be ITV's next big hit. It looks like it will be scheduled nicely before or after X Factor, Strictly is very popular and I think this will attract the Strictly audience, it also has a neat little twist to it as well with married couples taking part instead of professionals with celebs. Also, it looks like they've got some good names to take part - Denise Welch and her new husband should be able to generate some headlines. Davina is a good choice of host - she's been excellent on Long Lost Family. I think everything is working in its favour - I expect it to debut with 5m + and then if the opening episode is given good reviews, I expect the ratings to keep rising over the remaining weeks.

One thing it has over rival rip-off format The Voice is I'm sure it won't take itself too seriously - and ITV obviously hoping it'll do something considering they've held it until September rather than used it as summer fodder.

I think it will be good and dancing shows tend to do well. I can remember the main reason why TOTP in the seventies did so well was because of the dancers, dads would moan about long hairs and punk rockers, but always watched the dancers.

Audiences have attention spans of goldfish with new shows so it will have to grab at the outset because it will be compared to Strictly and if it comes across as a poor mans version it will struggle. However if it sticks and grows, could it be the DOI replacement?
The gimmick of no professional could work in its favour but if it ends up with couples just mumbling around the floor being slow, average (or poor) then that will become a bit boring.
All things considered its ITV which is looking the more aggressive with its ideas. It must be some kind of comfort that the staid unchanging pre- Strictly BBC opposition is relentlessly 5 million or less. There are so many viewing millions available, all it takes is a decent format.

Lets hope it is, otherwise ITV are going to have a flop leading in or out of The X Factor which is not going to help their Saturday night schedule.

Perhaps theirs a hint of revenge on the BBC for buying The Voice and damaging X Factor in the process. However i think they just want an LE format that can sit alongside The X Factor and rate well, thus boosting their Saturday schedule.

Yet ITV haven't flopped at all this year with their new shows, YFSF didn't do brilliant but still got over 3 million. This could do well, but if the dancers are second rate has beens, it could do badly. However, if Stepping Out succeeds and is well produced, then this is your DOI replacement.
Should TXF fall big time in the ratings again, expect The Sun, who always seems to love shows when they're big( like BB), to either ignore it or let Ally Ross tear it to shreds and persuade their fickle readers to stop watching.

Whose mad idea was it to repeat That Puppet Game show at 11.30pm on a Sunday night? I've seen some weird scheduling in my time but...

Just had the misfortune of catching a couple of minutes of it - was even worse than I'd been led to believe.

You would think TV companies would put a bit more effort into the 11pm hour - just from a quick look at some figures and percentages for BOTS there must be 10m viewers up for grabs in that hour - yet the main channels just give up most nights.

Well the BBC were repeating The Weakest Link in daytime a few months ago probably to an audience of three men and a dog who were total BBC fanboys so nothing surprises me now, same as worthy but dull Eggheads gets repeat showings.Next up they'll probably dig up Fame Academy to be repeated, or maybe BBC Three will probably see if ITV can flog them an entire series of Katie and Peter for peanuts.

Got a feeling Law and Order uk got its worst rating yesterday due to having a lead in from Horsepower repeat which is going to rate worse than all star mr and mrs. Hopefully The White Queen closed the gap at 9pm and maybe law and o will now be low enough for it to prompt itv to finally cancel it.

Whose mad idea was it to show it at all?

You mean after they've filmed the 8th series this October ?

Your target really ought to be on The White Queen, what an expensive flop thats been.

I doubt it's been that expensive - US network Starz stumped up a good proportion (possibly more than half) of the cost. So it probably cost the BBC no more, and very possibly much less, than the normal cost per hour of drama. On the other hand, Starz probably also dictated the summer transmission date, since cable in the US normally premieres dramas in the summer (and they started showing The White Queen a few weeks after the BBC). That of course played a big role in the undoubtedly disappointing ratings performance over here.

I sometimes get the feeling, that TV execs think we should be in bed for that hour. Sad isnt it? Fridays and Sundays are the worst.

It'll probably attract a similar demographic to All Star Mr & Mrs. Worth pointing out, that that show started out with 6 million back in 2008 and that was without a BGT lead-in (it was used as the BGT lead-in).

I think leading out of X Factor would be best for this show.

I think Stepping Out will do well as it will also be helped by BBC1's poor performing Saturday line-up of I Love My Country and That Puppet Game Show. The X Factor will have a field day against them.

3.5m for the White Queen.

So much for 'closing the gap'...

Aw well at least it was rose for the last episode. However it still wasn't as big as it should have been.

Very poor for The White Queen,shows what happens when you dumb down what should have been a landmark drama.