I don't think I recall anyone at all being bitter or slagging off DA. You must be reading a different thread.

Downton Abbey usually increasing its LIVE viewers over the series, (though next week may drop slightly but not by much) and the final episode the highest of the series, the highest overnight in series 2 finale rated at 10.5million and timeshifted to 12.5million.

I think By Any means will drop next week, but only a little to 3.7million.

It seems to me that all these fantasy schedules have only one goal, not to make a good schedule for BBC1, but just to dent ITV as much as possible.

Big hitters deliberately scheduled against ITV's big hitters, programmes not hitting the common junctions, almost as if to con people into continuing to watch the channel they are on as they've missed the start of everything else.

Yet whenever ITV show Emmerdale opposite EastEnders there is uproar around in here.

Why will By Any Means drop? It was actually well received.

So when ITV run scared and potentially start XF 5 minutes before SCD on 6th October which was not the plan initially that is fine is it? ITV are allowed to dent BBC1 but BBC1 are evil if they try to dent ITV. Of course the BBC would love a strong schedule against ITV. There was a time where BBC and ITV junctions differed and you know what? We all survived!

Brilliant figures last night and much deserved. Can't think of two other shows which air back to back which get anything like those figures.

And By Any Means didn't disgrace itself at all with 4.1m - it probably wouldn't have done much better in a less competitive slot.


I think sitcoms are missed every night of the week in all genres. ITV is really missing a trick by not putting something at 10pm after Downton - they're wasting their biggest lead in of the week on a news bulletin.

Are just a few examples

I hardly think that's a problem if the audiences alternate. E.g, Merlin and X Factor.

I can't seem to think that Bake Off is suited to a weekend, as mentioned again and again. We wouldn't have said that a few years ago when X Factor was at its best. It won't dent it, yes, but would it do any better than Tuesday at 8pm?

It has revealed that some posters don't watch the programmes the average member of the British public enjoy most and yet they still think they should be scheduling because they know best.
Wouldn't trust them to run to the shops for milk myself!

If only ITV would bring back Spitting Image! That would be perfect for 10pm Sundays.

Well they did have that Adrian Chiles vehicle, which was ok and inoffensive enough, but everyone here demanded that it should be axed, even though it was obvious it was either that or nothing as it isn't a slot ITV commission for very often, so it might as well have continued.

Why don't ITV repeat Vicious after Downton/I'm a Celebrity on a Sunday night? We know it's coming back but the repeats could expand its audience. Mrs Brown's Boys being a good example. That's probably the best slot for it if they want to repeat it.

Or Plebs, has that had an ITV screening ?

The reason CF and AR rate so well up against anything on ITV other than Corrie, is that it skews heavily old and so can hold 5million+ up against Surprise Surprise (skews fairly young) and XF, also skews young. Its much harder for ITV to find programmes which rate well up against BBC, that skew young enough to make a profit in advertising.

One of the exceptions to ITV doing well against BBC, is Dancing On Ice which gets similar ratings to CF and AR.

Did we ever get the rating for Ronnie Corbett for the love of animals, or whatever it was called?

2 gerbils, 4 dogs, 7 cats and a bored budgie.

Well, none of mine were "bitter"!

Calm down, dear. DA held firm year on year. You should be happy!

Repeating Vicious after DA would be the best exposure to a bigger audience. Even if it got 3million it would surely boost the new episodes.

I wonder whether ITV plan to broadcast Birds Of A Feather at 10pm after Mr Selfridge or at 8pm time on a Sunday? It feels like a Sunday comedy.

Ronnie's Animal Crackers, in which Ronnie Corbett talked pets, began with 2.7 million viewers (13.4%) between 7.30pm and 8pm on BBC1. (MediaGuardian).

No POG's Dogs then.

OK, so that's your pets at home covered, George.

Did anyone else's watch?

No but it rated below 3.5million

EDIT That's a poor rating
Last edited by H of De Vil : 23-09-2013 at 18:16

On Friday 11th October, Corrie loses 2 episodes because of England. I thought they'd just put an hour on Sunday 13th October, but the above suggests that they will put one episode on Sunday 6th and one on Sunday 13th. Suggesting - if the above is correct:

18:10 - Surprise Surprise
19:10 - Coronation Street
19:40 - The X Factor
21:00 - Downton Abbey

That seems a good idea, not enough room in the schedule for a 1 hr Corrie, better to split it over 2 weekends.

(Dare I say it might 'dent' SCD).

Yes that seems likely, good schedule for them if true, tricky for BBC to schedule around it. Made me think of this comment though:

Just switch ITV with BBC

Careful you'll get Samuel all in a flap