I think they should bring back variety but that show would die on Christmas Day. It needs time to build an audience and a following before being thrown in at the deep end.

They'd spoil it with z-list Cowell talent contest winners though. And would there be room on Christmas Day between the soaps and Harry Potter/You've Been Framed repeats?

I understand - and this has almost spoiled my Christmas - that ITV1 has got a 90 minute "special" of Dancing on Ice lined up. Wonder if that will go out on Christmas Night, or possibly as a spoiler against the SCD Final on Saturday 20th?

I'm sure some of the Z listers of SCD would be free as well............

ITV'll concede defeat against the SCD final, and just put on a film I'd guess during then. More likely the Dancing on Ice Special will be on the following day.

EDIT: Ignore this fella.

Yes very interesting.

Glad to see the comittment to entertainment.

Also, it seems Martin Clunes is out of the golden handcuffs at ITV as it seems there will be a Perrin remake.

Any celebrity that goes on a reality show is a loser that needs money desperately or wants to resurrect their faltering careers. And some of them have turned it into a career, look at Andi Peters whoring himself on Celebrity Masterchef and Dancing On Ice or David Seamen who appeared on Strictly Ice Dancing and then on Dancing On Ice. Jo O'Meara admitted she went on Celebrity Big Brother because she was in danger of losing her house and needed the money.
She needs to as ITV have so many big returning hits like Dancing On Ice, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and I'm A Celebrity whereas BBC1 only has Strictly Come Dancing.


I noticed that as well along with Caroline Quentin. It's a shame they couldn't get her back for Jonathan Creek.

I don't think Martin has been in a golden handcuffs deal with ITV for a good few years now.

Yep, they are doing one George. Here we go:

Sunday 21st December
7.00 For One Night Only
Tom Jones and Myleene Klass co-host a festive edition of the variety show, with guests including singers Il Divo, classical-pop string quartet Escala and comedians Milton Jones, Jimeoin and Will Smith.

Source: Provisional listings via The Sun/Daily Mirror newspapers

Thanks for that.

It's interesting that Fincham talks about more weeknight entertainment shows. What does he have in mind- variety shows like a few years ago? I have to say, ITV lack comedy programmes. Apart from Benidorm, Harry Hill, YBF I can't think of much else. A shame really. Maybe they'll look into comissioning some more in the current economic climate?

Filmed in August, no doubt...

Has anyone got a link for the provisional christmas listings?

Quite a few Christmas specials are filmed fairly early aren't they?

Indeed. My point was more that they probably filmed it in the summer with the other 3 editions, before they knew it was going to tank in the ratings.

The series aired live didn't it? (apart from the third episode which was recorded after it was bumped for The X Factor)

Do you think this show could work if it was tweaked slightly? I do. I remember Saturday Live on Channel 4, it had a different guest host every week, Geoffrey Perkins came in and decided that it needed a regular host and more regular performers/characters. That was when the show got really good. This show needs a similar overhaul.

Firstly instead of two presenters it needs one really good one. No boring non entities like Ben Shepherd, Fearne Cotton, Jenny Falconer etc but a really funny quick witted host. Maybe one or two other regular artists on the show, and broaden the net for the acts. Try and get some comedians that do the working men's clubs, not just people from the Edinburgh Fringe.

I think there will end up being less, given how much comedy costs and the high failure rate.

The irony is that two of the highest rated comedy programmes so far this year have come from ITV, namely Benidorm and Harry Hill.

Well, Paul Jackson was behind the recent push from ITV to get into comedy and he has now gone. But I think they would be better going with a few comedies instead of crime drama's in bleak times. In fact, I think they are also more likely to find the 16-34's with a comedy than with a drama (which they have now tried and failed at so many times).

Plus, they also have the benefit of Benidorm as a launch platform for whatever goes in the half hour slot after it.

In multi-channel news, Hollyoaks Later has been putting in a strong showing for E4:
Monday - 843,000
Tuesday - 910,000
Wednesday - 867,000

The success of the show has helped E4 come out as the top multi-channel on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. In the 16-34 share it has beaten Five every day and also beat BBC2 on Monday and Tuesday with share in its target demographic over 6% every day this week. While IAC is doing well on ITV1, ITV2's spin-off doesn't seem to be setting the world alight and they seem to have rounded off their autumn schedule now running Cops and Cameras at 9pm.

Does anyone have the Sunday little dorrit ratings?

2.6 million is terrible for such a great show. You'd think now that it's got a constant timeslot (with only the omnibus changing times, which omnibuses naturally do) it's audience would grow, not fall.

The provisional Sun listings are likely inaccurate they listed doctor who's christmas special as 90 minutes long when it's 60.

I'm shocked that the Sun are printing anything that's likely to be inaccurate.

thought all you ratings fan would appreciate this,


http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/feature.../logs/1996.htm

and this comment about the itv christmas schedule,

http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/feature.../logs/1993.htm

Yes 2008 will be immeasurably better than that 1993 offering.

BBC1
19.30- EastEnders: 5.85m (26.5%)
20.00- Little Dorrit: 3.82m (17.2%)
20.30- The People's Hospital: 2.72m (12%)
21.00- Apparitions: 2.71m (11.6%)

BBC2
20.00- Oceans: 2.11m (9.4%)
21.00- Never Mind The Buzzcocks: 1.83m (7.8%)
21.30- The Graham Norton Show: 1.32m (5.6%)
22.00- Lead Balloon: 990,000 (5%)

ITV1
19.00- Emmerdale: 5.93.m (27.7%)
20.00- The Bill: 5.13m (22.9%)
21.00- I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!: 7.54m (32.3%)

C4
18.30- Hollyoaks: 1.5m (7.3%)
20.00- A Place In The Sun: 1.61m (7.2%)
21.00- The Jacksons Are Coming: 1.52m (6.5%)

Five
17.25- Neighbours: 1.31m (8.1%)
17.55- UEFA Cup: Schalke 04 v Man City: 1.24m (6.1%)
20.00- UEFA Cup: Portsmouth v AC Milan: 2.43m (10.8%)

Multichannel
19.00- Hollyoaks (E4): 614,000 (3.4%) +1: 138,000 (0.7%)
20.00- A Touch Of Frost (ITV3): 807,000 (4%)
21.00- Bones (Sky1): 622,000 (3%)
22.00- EastEnders (BBC3): 1.08m (6.1%)
22.00- Hollyoaks Later (E4): 619,000 (4.1%) +1: 236,000 (2.9%)
22.00- I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here Now! (ITV2): 432,000 (2.8%)

Source: Digital Spy