I did too! But remember guest viewing has probably been added as well.

I'm not convinced we'd ever find out how well the Champions League final might do on Five because surely BT would just stick the game behind a pay wall. Its one thing to offer it for free when you're trying to drum up attention but quite another thing if you have an FTA platform from which to promote your premium content. It would however be interesting to see what BT would do with Five more generally if they brought it and how much of their current content would make it onto the FTA channels and how much of Five's current content would survive the purchase.


A bit of revisionist history here on your part Samuel – people didn't take exception to you predicting a rise for The Bletchley Circle they took exception to your under prediction of The 7.39 and the label of niche you attached to it. To suggest your posts yesterday were completely reasonable because Bletchley should have gone up for its second series is both disingenuous and rather fittingly exactly what was suggested you'd post today.


I suspect it'll launch well enough. The sheer volume of promotion Channel 4 have thrown behind it should bring it a decent sampling tonight. Its probably not going to blow the roof off and I'd very surprised if it held up in week two and beyond but probably a decent sampling tonight.

As part of their current deal BT have agreed to show the final (and several other games) free-to-air.

Yep, next to the chips people might be spitting if the fireworks top the 2013 chart.

Can't argue with the logic, I guess. It did seem like a more natural fit for Saturday night after The Voice, but then there's risks attached to that too. I just wonder how it'll do in that Sunday slot - Ripper Street didn't set the world alight there, but then it collapsed elsewhere in the schedule so maybe the slot was working for it after all.

I really hope The Musketeers works out - it's something refreshingly different and I always like to see the channels committing to good 10 part runs too. But I fear it could easily turn into a giant flop too.


I think you're forgetting a 17.3m peak for Murray winning Wimbledon in the summer!

(Which just goes to show why we maybe shouldn't obsess over the Top 20 quite like we do....)

There's a new Bake Off show starting on Monday on BBC2 for 4 days. Could take some viewers off Benefits Street on Monday?

Sounds like some of the residents of Benefits Street aren't going to be around much longer as the police say they're investigating allegations of benefits fraud following complaints from viewers.

If you're cheating the system why advertise yourself on TV? Fools!

I haven't seen the programme but that's what I thought when I read the paper this morning. But then why do people go on Jeremy Kyle and expose the most personal details of their lives no doubt to the amusement and derision of their friends and neighbours ?

Ah yes. Totally forgot about him!

Still, it would have been the highest average rating had it been on uk wide like IAC. Would be interesting to know the excluding Scotland rating for IAC.

That is another form of idiocy. People know they have done something wrong and appear on TV on a programme watched by millions. If you're that stupid you deserve to have the book thrown at you.

Who is this?

Well, of course, this comes about thanks to BBC2's infuriating concept of running Stargazing Live Extra immediately after the programme itself on the same channel, as they do with Springwatch. What that appears to be saying to viewers is "This programme is carrying on for another half hour but all the important stuff has already been on and you don't need to see this".

Either do it all in one big ninety minute show or show the spin-off later (ie, at 10pm). This way is ridiculous. I always say this.

You do wonder exactly what they are thinking at times - or if they are thinking at all.

They were talking about Andy Murray I believe and his peak rating.

There's no evidence that The Musketeers is in the same vein as Doctor Who/Merlin/Atlantis. This is an assumption being made - and I strongly suspect it's wrong.

The Musketeers comes from the BBC's London drama department. That makes Silent Witness, What Remains, Good Cop ... i.e. nothing remotely in the mould of the Saturday evening fantasy shows.

So I'd expect it to be tonally quite different - and also rather raunchier ...

Pretty much sure your right also more violence I would have thought and not the cartoon violence of Atlantis either. Ripper Street averaged 6.7m in that slot though.

Probably with lots of people being arrested if you believe the Daily Mail.

But again i never mentioned Corrie. You did. This was never about saying EE really beat in any ratings.

It's about the startling figures for i-player.

And now you're bringing awards into it? Again this has do to with what? What's that got to do with the i-player ratings.

What other random things can you introduce to the discussion now? Australia winning the cricket maybe.

So to recap... You commented hat EE wasn't breaking 8million like everyone keeps predicting it will. I said, yes, but lets look at where it is increasing in audience ie i-player and let consider how that show's the show's reach and how it is improving.

Then you decided to bring Corrie, ITV and now awards into it. None of which i mentioned.

doh!

"@Sam_Hodges: #EastEnders was yesterday's highest rating programme with 7.6m. At 9pm The 7.39 concluded with 5.8m. #BBC1"

@Sam_Hodges: #HolbyCity was the highest rating show at 8pm (5.2m), followed by #BBC2's #StargazingLIVE with 2.8m

ffs

Prepare to be disapponted then since surely anyone who wants to watch the Voice will already be watching it, it won't pick up any new viewers given how crap it is and its reputation for such.

Not in a million years would it get near the Xfactor even in its weakened state.

Yes and no, don't forget it's playing at a different time of year and the competition is, well, rubbish.

With the changes in line-up some people might just be curious.

That said i don't think it will suddenly leap in the ratings either.