Sorry if its been posted already but does anyone have the rating for the one show yestaday? Would like to see if it got a boost from the Strictly line up reveal thanks.

Not really, but I assume this is because the Beeb are not supposed to be profiting from phone votes so if they're able to offer the chance to do it for free, they'll do so. Of course for the first few years the phone lines were open all week, so you coud vote without seeing them dance, which they justified by pointing out that the more votes there were, the more money they'd raise for Children in Need. But that 2007 audit of voting meant they couldn't do it for charity anymore and they needed to make the voting cheaper and more regulated.

I don't see why the web format would be any more prone to failure than this new three minute voting window on The X Factor.


I think there are more than enough people in it to get people excited, you can't move in today's papers for pictures of Abbey Clancey in a frock. And again these things are overexaggerated, Dancing on Ice has the most appalling set of Z-listers every year and that's done alright for itself.


I really liked that theme tune, and got a bit annoyed when they got rid of the lyrics and rearranged it. I was too young to really remember much of the Madhouse but it was supposed to be a bit more anarchic than the bland Beeb show, much like Kenny Everett got a bit less exciting when he joined the Beeb, but the main reason why Russ defected is that LWT were finding his shows too expensive and wanted to cut his budget.

I never worked out why Les Dennis was billed as "Special Guest Star" on the Beeb when he was on every week. I'll say again the moment it all went wrong for Russ which is when his Christmas show in 1990 was on Boxing Day teatime, and then his next series in 1991 was on Fridays which was an awful night for BBC1 in those days. 1991 also saw the end of Les Dennis and Little and Large on the Beeb so it was a bit of a bonfire of variety stars that year, second only to 1994 when they axed Paul Daniels, Jim'll Fix It and That's Life.

Everyone forgets The Russ Abbot Show came back on ITV in the mid-nineties and he did two series for them. Ted Rogers and that lot used to moan about how the Oxbridge lot were in charge and wanted alternative comedy but there were loads of old school comedians on ITV well into the nineties, they did An Audience With Jimmy Tarbuck in 1994 and Freddie Starr was doing series right up until 1998, and when Benny Hill died there was literally a contract in the post for a new series. Russ was another one.


England vs Ukraine is an 8pm kick-off, though, though I don't know why ITV have given it a 45 minute build-up. Incidentally, I have no idea when Macedonia vs Wales is on on Friday, half the listings have it kicking off at 6pm and the other half at 7pm.


There is absolutely no excuse for ITV showing Trauma: Level One on a Tuesday night - indeed any night at 9pm. That sort of shit belongs on Pick TV.

Motorway Cops is a perfectly acceptable programme, it's been a part of BBC1's schedules now for nearly a decade (it began as X Cars in 1996) and ITV used to show just as much of this kind of thing, Police Camera Action used to fill every available slot. In fact there was that famous week during the 1996 Olympics it was on four times in a week. And it was no different to this.

Putting together the schedule for any channel is just as much about damage limitation and getting through a night without wasting valuable content as it is about stringing together hit shows. We could just as easily slag off ITV for one of their main attractions tonight being a compilation of funny adverts. And two and a half hours of factual.


Why do people constantly talk about Samuel as if he's not here? If you don't like his views, challenge them or ignore them! At least he is putting across views, whatever they are.

I agree. Strictly isn't really in a position where it needs to do stunt casting. The audience will show up for the first episode anyway - the brand is in a good place and so long as they've got a decent bunch of personalities and one or two passable dancers they'll be fine. For a show like Strictly I'm not sure having a member of Girls Aloud really does anything. Even with her, there were more 16-34's watching Take Me Out at the same time on ITV1 - that's just not the target audience. Strictly lives and dies on its old audience and so long as they've got a few names from yesteryear they'll do well.


For the second year (or maybe third, I think Moira Ross only did one year) in a row they've got a new Executive Producer. Louise Rainbow who most recently did Lets Dance For Comic Relief but has been around quite a while in various freelance positions. Jayne Stanger is Series Producing, having done the same role on the BBC2 spin-off for quite a while (these spin offs seem to be a stepping stone for many).

Presumably one more celeb means one more week that they can get out of it?


If he were running entertainment commissioning at ITV, don't you think he'd be putting his own shows on air instead of helping ITV Studios win commissions? He'd probably have asked them not to poach senior staff from his company as well.

Strictly is in good shape - I don't really see how it can be the underdog at this point. The success of X Factor's opening weekend doesn't damage Strictly at all and so long as they perform as they did last year it will still rate well. I think the numbers have slipped a little in the past couple of years but nothing major and I'd expect a similar pattern to unfold this year with a series average in a 5% range of last year.

BBC entertainment has been lousy for years, controllers have come and gone and it has been through far more Exec changes than X Factor but it just keeps going steady.


It seems that Vera just picked up some of X Factor's older viewers rather than taking a few across the board. To go from 2.4m to 0.4m in the 16-34 demo is quite a spectacular change of profile!

Brilliant result for Through The Keyhole - not only is the total number good, but it seems to be keeping the X Factor audience across the board, something ITV have often struggled to do.

Steve I love your posts. You are informative, direct without being rude or insulting and constructive and intelligent. I enjoy reading them very much.

I agree about Samuel. It is quite nasty sometimes the way he is ridiculed or picked on. The ironic thing is he is picked on by people who write the same sort of stuff for the channel they support, except they don't see it.

And why do feel the need to respond to something not addressed at you! I was merely responding to someone else's observation but in return these demented Samuel Protection Society folks see the need to act like they are his mother!

The Chase will be back to normal levels by the end of the week. Now would you prefer if I post that instead - do I need to email my comments for pre-approval first!

Another of the cat protection league

So you say Steve shouldn't respond to something directed at him but you feel its perfectly acceptable to respond to a post about an individual, a person, that wasn't actually directed at you? Uhm. You see where I'm going with this don't you?

You keep banging on about this. He isn't 'picked on', instead his ill-informed and often factually incorrect missives are challenged. There is a difference.

Anyway, back to tonight and that 8pm offering on ITV was dire and deserves to rate accordingly. Frankly bored of the repackaging of old adverts into TV programmes. Boring.

No. You need to get a life. Your self appointed moderation is a pain the backside. If Samuel feels upset at anything he knows what to do. You dont need to mother him, especially when most of the to and fro is harmless banter,

Why are you responding to a post that isn't intended for you? I'm not a "mumsy or protector" I just detest nastiness and bullying. Having a joke like Robbie does is one thing. But you are not joking. You are deliberately being provocative.

And you were moaning about me earlier about "Oh, he has to read every post". I suggest that if you don't like what I write, don't read it. And, I've got a good life thanks. Don't need to get one!

Whatever. You really need to read your own posts if you detest nastiness. I think you now go on my ignore list. It's a shame because I do like reading some of your posts but really this whole self appointed moderation is turning you into a bit of a little Napoleon.

Challenging a post that he writes is one thing. I have done it myself. It is the constant bitching about him when he hasn't posted anything that is not right. I agree, if he writes silly things then challenge him. But don't keep writing snide comments about him when he hasn't posted anything at the time.

After a couple of days of high rating programmes, it flat-lines on a Tuesday. Its the BBC's night on Tuesday. New Tricks is in the best position, Monday could have been against more serious competition on ITV.

Don't you realise that SamuelW is probably making these kind of comments as he knows it'll probably wind you up and you will respond to them?


Gotta love a bit of Vera and her intense stare into the wilderness as she figures out who the murderer is I like Vera and I'm probably the only 16-34 who does

Demonstrate to me where I have been nasty for nastiness sake. If you can I will apologise because I never intend to be deliberately nasty. I am direct sometimes I agree and will respond to posts that I don't agree with. If I have offended you I'm sorry, but my intention is to have a friendly discussion. I might agree with you I might not. And vice versa. What I won't do, or don't do, is constantly bitch about another poster for the sake of it.

Are you going to name and shame and provide examples or shall we leave the moderators to do their job ?

Its not going to do The Xtra Factor many favours though. It will be inserting to see if it holds those figures for the coming weeks. I have a feeling it will fall back to around 4m next week, although perhaps not with it being Proms week. But I can't see it staying in the 5m range.

To be fair, Samuel is not ill-informed, I'd actually say quite the opposite. But that's what makes him a troll. He knows exactly what he is doing.

You do what you want and I'll do what I want. You only need to read posts on here to find evidence. I'm not trying to be a modewrator. I just notice when some people go too far. If I want to comment on it without personally insulting, or being offensive, I will. You don't have to reply, read or quote my posts if you don't want to.

What superiority? not sure that happens often.

Pointless is great, so finally we have new episodes and it's crushing it.

He is indeed a class act with his insider information hotline and critics corner is one of my favourites too. Far from dissing him, I think he adds something to the thread. His writing is better than many new sitcoms. He has never once PM'd me to complain about anything I have posted in response to him and has not to my knowledge referred any posting of mine to mods. I know he likes the to and fro banter, so I'd suggest there is more to Samuel than meets the eye!

It doesn't. I'm not sure where people are getting the idea that The Chase is usually far ahead of Pointless, it's usually quite tight between them with both posting impressive figures especially as we get further into Autumn/Winter. So Pointless won't be becoming pointless any time soon.

No, but Xtra isn't hugely important at this point anyway. It'll still rate well and ultimately it just tops up a massive young audience on the ITV family of channels.

Plus, it's produced by Fremantle so they'll not be too disappointed. They had an impressive four hours of primetime TV on Saturday night. Although the downside to this is that X Factor crushed Break The Safe which had been doing OK on BBC1 for a few weeks!

Speaking of which - over in Australia, X Factor and Got Talent are airing head to head. 7 cancelled AGT last year only for 9 to pick it up and throw it on Sunday nights against XF on 7. So far XF is coming out on top with 1.3m-1.5m although AGT is no doubt denting it. AGT isn't doing too badly either with about 1.1m-1.2m and usually finishing 3rd for the week in non-news broadcasts, only after X Factor. Very competitive market out there - it's interesting how in some countries, commercial broadcasters see benefit in working around each other (The US to an extent) whereas in others it just seems to be all out war!

As Autumn kicks in I think both shows will be level pegging with either being the ratings winner in different shifts. Is it just me though, or is The Chase quite complicated? I watched it today and couldn't make out what was happening!