You're delusional if you think quiz shows don't mainly rely on the format or host. The intelligence of contestants/level of questions for many of these game shows, be it hit game shows or flop game shows, are on a very similar level. In fact, there's often the same pool of contestants who try out for these different game shows. What differentiates Pointless from Perfection or The Chase from Take On The Twisters in the ratings? It's not the level of intelligence of contestants but it's the format and the host. The format and host are absolutely key.

BBC1 is supposed to be above such ratings grabbing though, and with 5.15pm being the flagship daytime slot when Pointless is in repeats it could possibly be put to better use with new episodes of other shows for at least some of that period, with Pointless is necessary getting it's repeats shown in an earlier slot.

They should try giving some of their daytime drama a run out at 5.15pm, whether new episodes or reruns of shows previously shown at 2.15pm.

ITV is wise to give The Chase a rest - it benefits the show, it benefits the schedules and as a producer gives them the chance to run out new shows. Take on the Twisters may be awful, but despite it's issues I find myself watching it six weeks on because it's better than the tired alternatives on the BBC and C4.

Ben Shepherd isn't the most inspiring host, especially for a show like Tipping Point, but it does its business.

To reword my post, it does need to rely on the format, but not so much as to the contestants. Format isn't the most important thing, I'm not saying it doesn't matter.

Has Doctors ever left the 1:45pm slot? Not sure if it could do much better at 5:15pm but it would be nice to see a change.

40minutes into What Remains, this doesnt look like it will be a ratings hit. Will be a bit too complicated to get a mainstream audience, dark and murky with a few plot holes so far. Expecting a comfortable win for Vera tonight - 5.5 vs 4.5million, and then a bigger gap next week.

The thing with A&D is that there's nothing BBC1 can offer them that ITV wouldn't match. If A&D want a new challenge then ITV will let them do it. The only way they wouldn't is if it were something incredibly niche in which case BBC1 wouldn't be interested either.

You also notice that they only work with a very close and trusted team of producers that have been with them for years. And those producers are mainly at ITV Studios now (and BGT).

EastEnders airs 8:00pm and 9:00pm Monday 9th September.
It's Ronnies return and the aftermath to the Crash. Trailer shown earlier on BBC1

Itv learned from their bust up with Paul O Grady a few years ago that you have to look after your top talent and that includes not crucifying them if they are involved in a show that doesn't work out.

Yes...few months ago it aired at 4:45pm. It had a 4:00pm slot due to a LIVE programme but that over ran and it ended up airing at 4:45pm

Brave to put it up against the Doc

Great cant wait for this. Do you have a link to the trailer Dan?

Very interesting news about EastEnders taking the 9pm slot on 9th September. Got a feeling that episode of Doc Martin will beat EE but DM will fall to its worst ratings since 2004/2005.

Brave or a good move. At worse EE will still rate better then anything they would of been airing in that slot anyway.

Itv+1 will pick up any viewers who stray

The Week after is Peggy's return and then the week after is Davids return

A Murder plot to a popular character also confirmed

(All Lorraine Newmans work too)


I don't think so...EastEnders will be fine.

The week before is the stunt week and that runs across the week and into the next.

EastEnders airs on 9th at 8:00pm aswel and as it's a popular return I think many will return at 9 too.

I do think Wednesday would be better though

It wont pick up all the straying viewers on +1 though. Good to see BBC experimenting with tougher competition against Doc martin, it doesnt normally happen, so now we'll get to see how loyal those DM viewers really are.

You sure will!

Added to the fact channel switches rarely ever work, even Morecombe and Wise, who had a much more loyal audience than Ant and Dec, found that out the hard way, and Red and Black proved Ant & Dec are not necessicarily the key component of a hit show if the format's awful!

Why is What Remains complicated? It was very good and I particularly like the idea of having to watch next week to get a bit more of what happened and who these strange people are. For goodness sake, not everyone likes light and fluffy.

Yes the BBC's roll of the dice with their new shows has failed so theoretically Stepping Out has only its earlyish start time and the weather to contend with. And the strength of its format obviously.

LOL its called covering all the bases. The usual tactic so that when the ratings come in tomorrow it'll be 'well I didn't expect it do that well ' or 'I told you it was far too dark and complex'

Remember when Corrie aired against Call the Midwife, due to football displacing the episode two days previous. ITV were slated beyond belief here.

Should BBC1 be ordering extra EE episodes at all? When ITV used to do this, they were also slated greatly.

Ultimately though even if Doc Martin take a hit (and I bet it won't take a massive hit, I suspect there isn't much crossover between it and EE) it will bounce back the following week anyway, it'll only be a one off thing, and any loss in audience will be made up for in the PR it will gain from beating EastEnders head to head, which I suspect it may do. When was the last time, outside of the Olympics and Emmerdale clashes that EastEnders didn't win its slot?

It'll have a steadyish audience and as it's a one off series I doubt the BBC will be that bothered about whether it has more viewers than Vera. I think they'll cancel each others victories out but I enjoyed it so that's all I care about!

Ive just done research about this supposed EastEnders 9pm episode and it seems to be a lie. Someone on the Soap Forum made a thread about it saying there was a trailer on BBC1 just before 9pm promoting EE at 9pm on 9/9/13, so I went on BBC IPlayer live stream to find it, but there was no trailer at all. Nor was there any tweets about such a trailer [there would be hundreds of tweets about such a trailer apparently featuring Ronnie Mitchell's return]. Seems false, don't believe it.