You seem to think that all that matters is whether you are number 1 or 2.

You are basically saying that it doesn't matter what rating TXF gets now, as it is in 2nd place. I bet if they did move TXF to clash fully with SCD, increasing the ratings for the rest of ITV's schedule but shaving a million or two off TXF's rating in the process you'd have something to say about it.

But no other drama, perhaps besides Breathless, had anywhere near the promotion that Atlantis has had. Also Atlantis has the biggest possible lead-in BBC One can offer. Imagine how much lower it would be rating without a SCD lead-in.


Well, as the clash data shows for yesterday, it probably wouldnt shave off a million or two off XF's rating. Probably would shave off 0.5million which isnt much when you consider the boost it would give the rest of their lineup.

Wow go Strictly.

Not that bad a rating for The Chase, and all the other alternatives people were suggesting would probably rate similarly or even worse.

Saturday Night in Europe:

Germany:
Das Supertalent (RTL) - 5.6m (19%)
* 3.2m (30%) in 14-49 target demo
Die Bülent Ceylan Show (RTL) - 3.3m
* 21% in 14-49
* Stand-up comedy show

Italy:
Italia's Got Talent (Canale 5) - 6.1m (30.1%)
Dancing With The Stars (Rai1) - 4.4m (21.3%)

Netherlands:
I Love My Country (RTL4) - 2.2m
Who Am I (RTL4) - 1.5m
* Panel Show

France:
Dancing With The Stars (TF1) - 6.2m (29.9%)
Don't Forget The Lyrics (F2) - 2.6m (12.0%)

I Love My Country is quite a hit in the Netherlands! Considering The Voice (their top show) got 2.5m on Friday night.

Don't Forget The Lyrics never caught on here but I think that's OK for it in France where TF1 dominates everything (stuff like Criminal Minds and The Mentalist get 9m on weekdays - France is a very dull TV market).

That makes it look even worse. Horrid +1 figure too - people clearly just don't care about missing the first half hour.

What ITV are clearly doing is keeping XF stable on a Saturday to ensure the massive Sunday ratings continues. The Chase got over 3m yesterday so not a disaster anyway. ITV are perfectly fine on Saturday nights.

Do we really think having X Factor at 7pm will help it at all? If it leads to the ratings going downwards at a faster pace then probably not.

Thanks for these. Interesting information. You're right, I Love My Country is doing very well in the Netherlands in deed, higher than expected. Talent shows appear to be all the rage.

Xfactor at 7pm wouldnt help itself but it would help the rest of Itvs lineup and boost their overall Saturday ratings. Also it would probably keep SCD in check.

I'm going to stop talking about Atlantis with you Samuel. You seem bizarrely pleased that it has lost viewers, but overall it hasn't so far lost as many as you originally thought. it has stabilised with the critics, it has gained considerble numbers on consolidated and actually was never as terrible as you said it was. Do you want BBC1 to stop investing in this kind of genre? Do you want for some perverse reason, to let it be just about SCD and XF even though you said you don't watch SCD yet scour the universe for negativity for the XF?

I think Atlantis was never expected, in its first season, to be "Merlin". It hasn't flopped, it is likely to be around the 6m mark once consolidated ratings are in, and it performs much better against ITV's big show than ITV's shows do against the BBC's. Infact, I'm bored with your posts full stop now. You LOVE to gloat when you believe yourself to be right.

I said Atlantis' rating is "ok", I didnt say it was terrible or bad. Im not pleased it's not rating well, I want it to be doing better. But let's face it, it's not a very good show. It has lost almost a million viewers in two weeks and the critical reception has been lukewarm. I think BBC One need to invest in another family drama next year for this slot, I cant see a long term future for Atlantis. A post SCD slot is very valuable, it's not often BBC1 can offer a show a 10million+ lead-in, so Atlantis needs to be taking advantage of these kind of inheritences. At present, it isn't, even against a weakening XFactor.

Agents of SHIELD repeats quite well on Saturday.

Its got a back order so season 1 has 22 episodes. won't be surprised if Channel 4 move it to saturdays for first run after the ratings slip more on the Friday.

The Adjustment Bureau got a great rating too. Watched it last night. Fantastic film.

In retrospect, I agree. Nothing like a Sunday morning u-turn!

Films would be about 3 million when you look at what ITV usually offer in that department, and now I realize Off Their Rockers averaged 4.5 last time (I thought it was 5.5, no idea why) I can see that doing about 3.5 - which would be better anyway, but not significant enough.

It's ITV's own fault. They've given nothing and let the X Factor ride it out alone which has now suffered. They don't have any comedy shows, or entertainment shows that can be repeated. It's begging for a Saturday Night Takeaway style show to be put in there.

I don't. Its Saturday ratings will drop quicker if they do that.

Of course they won't invest in another family show if families don't watch the one they've already invested in. Have you watched Atlantis? It is no worse than Merlin. And I can't see it slipping further. i think it will stabilise in the overnights between 4.5m and 5m. That should be enough for a recommission.

Without Atlantis next year the BBC1 schedule would be this:

6.00 Pointless Celebrities
6.45 Doctor Who
7.30 Strictly Come Dancing
9.15 The National Lottery Draws
9.25 Casualty

whereas with Atlantis it will probably be this:

6.00 Doctor who
6.45 Strictly Come dancing
8.30 Atlantis
9.15 The National Lottery Draws
9.25 Casualty

Which one's better?

Yeah, I watched the first episode of Atlantis. It wasnt very good in my opinion. I suspect the drops havent quite finished yet so I wouldnt be so sure it's going to stabilise in the 4.5-5million range. Even if it does, it'll just about get a recommission. But not a well deserved recommission like what Merlin used to get. Atlantis is a slightly vulnerable show with those kind of ratings it's getting and I think a drama airing after SCD should be capable of 5million in the overnights, especially against a relatively weak XFactor. Merlin used to get 5.5m against XF when that was getting 12m so theres no excuse for Atlantis not to get 5m against a 7.8m rating XF, given the promotion it's been getting.

Im sure BBC One has other family dramas in development right now to fill in for that Merlin/Atlantis slot next year, if need be. Atlantis needs to be rating better, 4.7m by week 3 is concerning, how low will it be by week 8 or 9?

It's only going to be helpful to ITV if X Factor gets more than it does now, which seems unlikely as SCD will STILL have the headstart, and ITV's schedule would still be poor. But it's not impossible.

Best all round result is a 5m+ lead in at 8 or 7.45, no clash, off air before ten.

Didn't I Love My Country originate in the Netherlands which might explain it (as did The Generation Game)

Viewing habits have changed. Merlins initial series rated lower than Atlantis did thus far. And yes, the first episode of Atlantis was the weakest. It has got better. And "not a well deserved recommission?" Surely any show that gets 6m consolidated ratings deserves a recommission? If they didn't therte'd be nothing on telly ever! We'll leave it there. Agree to disagree and all that.

You're sure? I bet they blinkin' haven't. It's Atlantis or nothing i'm afraid. These commissions don't come cheap.

I agree with you about the ratings - somebody posted ratings for Merlin a while ago and Atlantis is doing around the same as it did first series so far. No reason why Atlantis cant grow as Merlin did.

Samuel, go out for a walk and get some fresh air.

Saturday 12th October 2013: Australian Ratings

Network totals:
Seven: 27.7% [LIST][*]Seven: 21.1%[*]7mate: 3.6%[*]7TWO: 3.1%[/LIST]Nine: 25.4%[LIST][*]Nine: 14.4%[*]GO!: 6.3%[*]Gem: 4.8%[/LIST]ABC: 23.8% [LIST][*]ABC1: 18.5%[*]ABC2: 3.4%[*]ABCNews24: 1.2%[*]ABC3: 0.7%[/LIST]TEN: 18.5%[LIST][*]TEN: 12.9%[*]ONE: 3.5%[*]ELEVEN: 2.1%[/LIST]SBS: 4.6%[LIST][*]SBS ONE: 3.3%[*]SBS2: 1.0%[*]NITV: 0.3%[/LIST]
Seven won the night, with a fairly strong primary channel share that was miles ahead of Nine. ABC continues to perform excellently on Saturdays, it's primary channel ranking far higher than TEN or Nine could manage. If it wasn't for Nine's digital companions, Go! and Gem, doing well they would have found themselves in third place for the night. TEN is languishing behind.

In regards to programming, Seven News won the night with 1.08m. Seven's other shows performed like so: V8 Supercars Round 11 Top 10 Shootout (0.76m), Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa (0.61m), V8 Supercars Round 11 (0.46m), Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (0.42m), Sunrise (0.29m), Sunrise Late (0.26m). Maybe ITV should try a Daybreak Late?

Nine News was highest for Nine on Saturday, on 0.76m. Australia's Funniest Home Videos followed on (0.52m). A repeat of Australia's Got Talent came next (0.36m), then Getaway (0.35m). These numbers are not very good.

ABC as said previous had another great Saturday night led by ABC1. A new episode of New Tricks (the series the BBC have just aired) scored an impressive 1.03m. It placed #2nd for the night. This was followed by ABC1's other offerings: ABC News (0.88m), the latest Whitechapel (again ITV have just aired this) on (0.68m), Animal Kingdom repeat was (0.41m) and Gardening Australia on (0.39m).

TEN had a dismal night, in fourth yet again. Highest for TEN was movie repeat Die Hard 4.0 (0.48m), this was followed by a new Bondi Vet (0.37m), TEN EYEWITNESS News (0.30m) and BBC documentary Penguins: Spy in the Huddle on a low (0.25m).