Yes I think it did about as well as it could have done given its length.

Oh only the two years then ..hardly any time to do anything with his character. In fact if hes only going to do two years why bother.. blink and you will miss him in it. Why didn't the beeb handcuff him to a 10 year stay...

But it's not going to hold its share on Sunday for the exact same reason that Bargain Hunt wouldn't hold its share if it moved to primetime. The comparison was to prove that comparing share in different slots on different days is pointless and misleading.

What is relevant is not share or how the Sunday shows rate in relation to the Saturday shows. The Sunday shows are doing well week to week and in relation to the equivalent shows last year (which rated 9-10m nearly every week) and that's why those ratings get a better reception than the more variable Saturday figures which are showing up good some weeks and bad on others (perhaps due to the varying competition, timeslots and lead-ins).

If they move X Factor to 6pm then it'll get a higher share but lower ratings which is pointless. IIRC Strictly sometimes gets a lower rating (and nearly always share) on Sundays than Saturdays but that's hardly a criticism of a show which is doing extremely well.

Overall, share is useless and nearly always a last resort when the proper numbers aren't doing what is wanted of them.


On weekends where two shows were broadcast (13 weekends)... I get...

Saturdays 47.6%
Sundays: 46.0%

Not that it really matters.

Now Friends With Benefits has just come back on C4+1 and I rather like Mila Kunis so... good night.

As Joe Hart made another televised mistake I reckon quite a few people will tune in to Match of the Day to see Hodgson's response.

This is funny because it's true!

Interesting stuff, I didn't know any of that.

Or alternatively, I did know all of that because you point it out every week every time anyone dares to say anything not negative about TXF and will no doubt do so every week until TXF finally does come to an end.

I can see Sherlock being on in January again.

Really enjoyed Strictly tonight - I thought Claudia was brilliant in the backstage bits. I don't think she'd suit the main host role, but something like backstage where she can ad lib a bit suits her down to the ground.

Anyone else think Waterloo Road is on its last legs? Think it'll be axed soon.

ITV could do with dabbling in pre-watershed serial drama after destroying The Bill, The Royal, Heartbeat, Where The Heart Is, etc. Weekdays are crying out for it, and will be more so when Waterloo Road is axed within the next 6-12 months.

They might give it a production refresh as one last throw of the dice. Anything that makes them look like they're based all over the UK, the BBC like.

If ITV get back into serial drama I could almost guarantee it'd be an ITV Studios commission. The Bill was a huge drama commission for an independent on ITV. Guess they had to wait till 2010 to get rid of it after being locked in a contract for yonks.

Why are you watching it then?

Because unlike the rest of Digital Spy I'd have thought it wouldn't be beyond the realms of possibility to be interested in such shows if you are a member of the ratings thread. "Don't watch" has to be the most overused phrase of all time; nothing would ever improve if everyone sat back and lapped things up.

It just seems odd to me that someone would watch something regularly which they are not enjoying. I give lots of programmes a try when something new comes about which looks as if it could interest me, and this is regardless of the channel it is on.

I would not continue to watch something I don't like.

Read my post again.

With The Bill being an indie production for ITV, could the BBC revive it and replace Waterloo Road? It wouldnt be the first time the BBC have taken an ITV show and given it a new lease of life.

Haven't they just recomissioned it, even off of the back of the low ratings from the last series. Therefore the BBC must be happy with it somehow.

I'm amazed Waterloo Road has survived so long, the move to Scotland was just ridiculous.

6-12 months!!! - there are some real masochists at BBC1 if they intend to inflict this on us for that length of time.

Did anyone watch Atlantis ep2 - was it any better?
I did not bother - am expecting a slight ratings fall as well.

At least 20 episodes have already been ordered to air next year, if not another 10 after that.

Do we think anyone at the BBC will ever explain why they persist with such a low rating and laughable show as this?

I'm already starting to see the first signs...



Samuel still lives in the noughties, it may seem. I don't know why we need to be reminded of the same things over and over again.

X Factor still timeshifts well (more so for Saturday shows).


Not that anyone would expect him to ramble on in the same fashion about Strictly...

What X Factor has and hasn't got in its favour for last night:

+ The usual rise between bootcamp and judges houses.
+ Poorer weather
+ Potentially a better lead-in
- Clash with Strictly
- Late finish
- Some people not knowing that half of the finalists were revealed last night (having switched off by 9pm).

I think XF may well be setting themselves up for another 'Gamu-gate' should they send home that Irish lass who is on her fourth go and she's practically been pimped by the judges so that anyone would assume she'd make it through the lives.

A few tweets from Mark Labbett last night:

never imagined we would be the warm up act for Simon Cowell....#celebritychase

or is it we are the only show not terrified of being up against strictly? #celebritychase



Well, Paddy wasn't either but we all know how that turned out!

I am interested to see if Atlantis holds up or falls off a cliff.....

These next few hours are going to be very interesting...

Sam Hodges ‏@Sam_Hodges now
Peak of 10.6m and average of 9.3m for last night's Strictly. The highest rating show of the day. #SCD #BBC1

Wow, Strictly UP from last week despite the earlier start! Who would've predicted that!?