Thanks Neil,

Thats an awful figure for the Comedy Awards, being beaten by Outnumber and with a X Factor lead in. Also good to see Casualty up on previous weeks. I'm really amazed at the drop for X Factor. A drop of 2 million from last week, when it was only a 25 minute clash is a bit extreme.

So, the X Factor down from its massive height last week, I think that was the show's peak. I feel the Semis really needed a better popstar to get ratings up, and a better slot. There was no reason why ITV couldn't have shown the British Comedy Awards tomorrow at 9pm. They could have scheduled it like this instead, which I feel, would've worked MUCH BETTER:-

Saturday

6:10pm You've Been Framed
6:40pm Harry Hill's TV Burp
7:10pm The X Factor
8:40pm Take That Come To Town
9:40pm The X Factor Results
10:15pm The Late News
10:30pm TV's Naughtiest Blunders

Sunday

6:00pm Britannia High
7:00pm Emmerdale
7:30pm Coronation Street
8:00pm I'm a Celebrity: Coming Out
9:00pm The British Comedy Awards 2008
10:30pm The Late News
10:45pm The South Bank Show

Well, there's my take on it. The Comedy Awards didn't have to be live after all??

But the positive thing from this week has been TV Burp, I can see it really benefiting in the future from this X Factor sandwich. A short term drop for X Factor could mean a long term plug for TV Burp.

So, a good night?
Well done BBC1 for a good recovery.

Its also apparent that when Strictly and X factor go head to head people prefer to watch Strictly. I wonder why? George got any ideas?

Great schedule there PJ and it would have performed excellently, but being a huge TV Burp fan I liked last nights schedule as it gave TV Burp a HUGE boost.

With last nights shock XF result I can see big figures for todays 2 repeats for people who missed it.

Strictly starts before it.

ITV had an obligation to show the boxing though, which you haven't accomodated in your schedule. I agree the BCA's were a hinderence though - they could have still kept the boxing, moved the BCAs and had the X Factor avoid a clash.

Because it starts before X Factor maybe? Its common knowledge that 3-4m watch both. Would they not watch the SCD and then catch up with X Factor on Sky + or on the Sunday repeat.

Seems straight forward to me. Mystery solved

Glad to be of help,
GeorgeS

I'm glad Outnumbered ratings grew last night, hopefully more people got to see and enjoy the show and will carry on watching in the coming weeks. And what an amazing rating for the second Xtra Factor show! Also good to see Merlin getting some pretty strong ratings as well, does anyone know what sort of figures Robin Hood was getting?

The Comedy Awards should go on ITV2 next year. No wonder it did so badly- really crap this year. Angus Deayton seemed very nervous...and the whole thing's just a pale shadow of 5-6 years ago when stellar names like Ricky Gervais, Steve Coogan, Peter Kay were winning.

Ricky won an award last night.

The comedy awards are down because 2m people went off to ITV2 to watch the XFactor follow up show. Seems like ITV was competing with itself last night.

Oh, completely forgot about that. Well, that makes my schedule better anyways, with an earlier news, which would bring in a broad demographic, which makes the transition to the boxing a lot more viewer friendly. It started at 10:30?

Yeah, so it wasn't intruding in on the schedule.

Hm, it will not be "the biggest show in the UK" this week, and possibly not second biggest either depending on how the SCD results tonight go...

And the "biggest show in the UK" being beaten by 2m viewers when head to head with SCD! I know SCD usually wins when viewers have to choose between the two shows, but that's Strictly's most convincing win this year, I'm sure of that. [EDIT: noting the inevitable "it started first" comment above, it is fair to point out that during an overlap a few weeks ago there was much excitement among XF fans when the 5 min breakdowns showed XF actually sneaked ahead of the previously-starting SCD - so "starting first" doesn't tell the full story...]

Anyway, looks like the incredible hype about the freakshow that is Britney Spears turning up to mime a song propelled TXF to new heights last week but couldn't sustain that new interest this week. The 15m for the final that some are expecting seems a bit hopeful, perhaps - particularly with a double SCD next week to shake up the schedules a little and cause people to get busy with their remotes.


Yes, I was a little. I thought it would clear the 4m mark easily with all the Ross/Brand interest, and millions of Daily Mail readers tuning in to be offended-at.

But I knew BBC1 would beat it, it always does, and it's fantastic to see Outnumbered pile on new viewers. It's a shame the Beeb couldn't hold it back until TXF was off our screens - it would have done great business filling some of the gaps in BBC1's schedule this Christmas that are being filled with HIGNFY repeats and Question of Sport compilations. And although it may take a knock next week with 12-13m watching the TXF finally reach its climax, it has done well enough.

As for Harry Hill, the fact that XF viewers couldn't be bothered to switch channels for 30 mins, and that XF was soundly beaten when up against SCD, does rather give
credence to my suspicions that it's moving wallpaper for many people (not all, granted) stuck in the house on a Saturday evening with nothing better to watch, or who just have it on in the background whilst doing other things.

Would I be right in thinking that XF ran up till or slightly after 8.15? I see from my PVR that Burp didn't start until 8.18pm. Could possibly trim a bit off Harry's figures when the proper ratings come out?

It should also be noted that SCD again started at 6.10pm, not the scheduled 6.05pm to which the overnights relate. So stick a couple of hundred K on the 9.11m reported overnight rating for SCD, and a boost to HITW's ratings too...

A bit like when the Beeb schedules Top Gear against Strictly on Sundays?

17.66m is the latest official combined BBC1/BBC2 rating for that slot, which is staggering (<3m watching ITV1 at that time). I wonder what ratings the SCD Sunday show could be getting if it wasn't up against Top Gear?

So Harry gets an outstanding rating and it's because people couldn't be bothered to switch channel?? Your logic is ridiculous. What would you have said had it done badly we wonder??

Sorry you didn't enjoy TV Burp by the way. Unlike you not to have a laugh...as you're always stressing how not seriously you take things.

Is it ridiculous? Seems to be the consensus of opinion on this thread today, not just my controversial view!

I do still enjoy TV Burp, and have enormous respect for ITV sticking with it in prime time slot and letting it grow. That's unlike them, but just shows what they could be doing more of.
But I do think the show is increasingly past its best. The puffery of the XF is starting to grate, the assumption that because I'm watching ITV for 30 mins on a Saturday night, I must therefore be obsessed with Simon Cowell's singing competition. What about all the niche shows he used to take the piss out of?

Sykes, you're wrong!

I don't agree with you I feel TV Burp has been longing for that amount of viewers and people stayed with the channel because it appealed to a similar light audience.

Unfortunately, Comedy Awards & Xtra Factor also appealed to a similar audience I feel. ITV will be undoubtedly pleased with the demographics for Comedy Awards - pulled in more men than BBC1, which is pleasing.

What like 9 million a night eastenders? or 10 million a night corrie?

I agree he focuses too long on x factor (yes, take the mick but having 2 features on it plus louis faces is a bit much) but I don't agree that he used to do mainly niche shows.

A bit of a dip for The X Factor last night, but that was expected as it had a 25-minute clash against Strictly.

In previous years, these clashes would pull The X Factor's overall average to around 8m, so it's good it sustaining nearly 10m - more than any BBC1 programme this week. That results show rating is the 2nd highest rated results show ever (for a non-final show) - only beaten by last week, of course.

I suppose we can really see which one (TXF or SCD) is more popular when the Final ratings come in. The X Factor has tougher competition up against Merlin, Casualty and the results show is outside of peaktime. Strictly has easier competition of You've Been Framed, For One Night Only, and also has a perfect peaktime slot of 9pm for the results show.

In theory Strictly has all advantages going for it scheduling-wise. But let's see which one gets the higher viewership - no doubt it will be The X Factor.

As for last night's ratings, a fantastic ratings for Harry Hill's TV Burp as a result of that X Factor sandwich. Looking at the dedicated thread, everyone really enjoyed it (though, there's always 1 around these parts that's got something to complain about ITV ). I hope some of the new viewers tuning in stick around for future episodes, though with a Strictly clash in future weeks it'll be difficult.

Saturday 6th December 2008
BBC One
18:05 - Strictly Come Dancing - 9.11m (39.5%)
*19:00 to 19:25 - 9.35m
*Peak: 10.18m (43.4%) at 18:55
*Down 700,000 on last week
19:25 - Merlin - 5.74m (23.1%)
*Down 200,000 on last week
20:10 - National Lottery - 5.62m (23.5%)
20:20 - Casualty - 5.45m (22.3%)
21:10 - Outnumbered - 3.98m (17.1%)

BBC Two
20:10 - After Rome: Holy War and Conquest - 1.68m (6.9%)
21:10 - Have I Got News For You - 2.46m (10.7%)
21:50 - Never Mind The Buzzcocks - 1.55m (7.6%)

ITV1
19:00 - The X Factor - 9.72m (39.1%)
*19:00 to 19:25 - 7.45m
*Peak: 11.62m (46.1%) at 20:00
*Down 2.12m on last week
20:15 - Harry Hill's TV Burp - 7.74m (32%)
20:45 - The X Factor Results - 9.77m (39.6%)
21:15 - The British Comedy Awards - 3.96m (19.2%)
*Last time it was broadcast in 2006 - 5.02m (23%)

Channel 4
19:10 - FILM: The First Wives Club - 920,000 (3.8%)
21:10 - The Devil's Whore - 520,000 (2.3%).
22:15 - FILM: Along Came A Spider - 1.07m (8.3%)

five
19:15 - NCIS - 838,000 (3.4%)
20:10 - NCIS - 1.15m (4.7%)
21:10 - CSI: New York - 1.82m (8.2%)
22:10 - Law & Order: Criminal Intent - 1.22m (7.1%)

ITV2
20:15 - The Xtra Factor - 659,000 (3.1%)
21:15 - The Xtra Factor Results - 1.93m (9.6%)
*Best figure of series
22:45 - The British Comedy Awards - 316,000 (2.1%)

Primetime Figures
ITV1 - 30.3% (last week: 41%)
BBC One - 23.4% (21.1%)
BBC Two - 7.1% (6.5%)
five - 5.5% (4.5%)
Channel 4 - 3.7% (2.6%)

Source: DS

Everything seems... down to be honest. Shockingly low figure for Comedy Awards. I think Eoghan's tears sent viewers running over to ITV2.

I think XF was just down, quite apart from the SCD clash. No Britney this week and after SCD it had Merlin for the rest of the show. Although it was inevitable that the foolish scheduling would knock XF worse and they didn't even get decent ratings for the Comedy Awards.

Better for the results show, I suppose, but the semi-finals have a habit of underperforming.

Some officials have trickled through:

BBC Two
2 STRICTLY COME DANCING - IT TAKES TWO (WED 1800) 3.59
3 STRICTLY COME DANCING - IT TAKES TWO (MON 1831) 3.49
5 STRICTLY COME DANCING - IT TAKES TWO (TUE 1830) 2.96
6 STRICTLY COME DANCING - IT TAKES TWO (FRI 1831) 2.96
8 STRICTLY COME DANCING - IT TAKES TWO (THU 1829) 2.78

John Sergeant quit on the Wednesday, so it did well, but was only marginally ahead of Monday's edition. I think perhaps changing the start time at the last minute probably didn't help.

Five
2 FILM: MATILDA (1996) (SUN 1700) 2.38
3 FILM: MEN IN BLACK (SUN 1906) 2.24
16 FILM: BAD BOYS 2 (SUN 2100) 1.43

Must have been Five's highest rated Sunday lineup for some time I would have thought.

X Factor did well, I can see it peaking above 13m next week, but will probably average around 12m. I don't think it will get the 15m as some predict.