We can safely say it should do better for Channel 5 then! They should look to repeat it when CBB comes to air too, in my opinion.

I agree it was a great episode tonight and set the scene nicely for Christmas days episode. Can't wait

My Christmas viewing....

I watched The Perfect Morecambe And Wise Christmas Special at 7.30 on BBC2. Disappointed they didn't show the Andre Previn sketch in full. They did show the Des O'Connor sketch in full and very, very funny it was too.

Later I'll be watching Last Tango In Halifax and Not Going Out. I'm skyplussing QI XL to watch at some unknown point later in the week.

Tomorrow, the soap fans in the family will be watching three bleeding hours of soap, with Mum recording Call The Midwife which she'll probably watch at 8.15 on Boxing Night.

I'll be watching Dr Who, probably on my laptop, at 7.30. Might watch Mrs Brown's Boys. I'm sort of getting into that slowly. That's about it for my Christmas Day viewing. Boxing Day is even worse - just Still Open All Hours.

Oh, yes - I'll be skyplussing Top Of The Pops Christmas 1978 on BBC4 at 11.50pm tomorrow night. That's also on tonight at 9pm but it clashes with QI XL.

Phew! That's the most important thing eh Ken.

Merry Christmas yourself, and thanks for the laughs through the year. We needed those!!

I'm not planning on being here tomorrow so I'll take the opportunity now as well to wish all the DSRT regulars a good one. Eat well, drink plenty and do so guilt free. We won't judge you when you "report back to HQ" on Boxing Day.

BBC One tape-checking:

- EastEnders - 19:30 to 20:05
- Holby City - 20:05 to 21:05
- Last Tango - 21:05 to ??:?? (presumably 22:05)

Regarding what I'll be watching tomorrow, well despite what you might think, the main block of festive treats from 9pm on BBC1 is usually watched, whether it is the Royles, a comedy remake or whatever. But since that block is basically just half an hour of MBB this year, my parents have suggested recording it to watch Downton. Although said recording will probably be watched after it is repeated on Friday anyway. Still can't understand why Still Open All Hours wasn't at 9:30 (or even 8:30 or anywhere on Christmas Day), with MBB pushed back half an hour.

Midwife will be recorded for my mum to watch later as it's been agreed it isn't really family viewing at 6pm and the last time a reality show was on TV when my dad in the room was probably when one of those ones that Glenn always talks about was on in the 70s, so Strictly won't be on so it'll be Paul O'Grady.

As we are downmarket northeners we watch the ITV soaps and not EastEnders. This basically means well be watching the most little BBC1 on the night for as long as I can remember

TV will be on BBC1 from mid morning until 5:15 though.

Have the BBC already put their clocks back?

They are probably so stressed having to schedule everything to meet the 10pm News junction bang on, especially as stuff like EastEnders seems to have varying episode lengths (never understand that, surely they should be delivered the same length every time), that tonight with no news they are feeling very relaxed and running everything whenever they want.


On another note, its still strange how the BBC Evening News is going head to head with the ITV Lunchtime News at 3:10pm tomorrow. Strange as this hasn't happened before (at least not recently Steve) and suddenly they've both done it.

I might be on the beers too soon, but I've just had a thought.

Is there not normally a preview of what the Queen's message will contain, on the news on Christmas Eve? I can't see anything on the BBC News website.

Then factor in how both channels are running news bulletins at 3:10pm?

She isn't going to make a big announcement is she?

Samuel, I'm sure you've mentioned before that DA was one of the few programmes you watch on ITV and EE was not one you watch. What happened there?

I've been thinking that, maybe there's special footage of the christening which she's keeping as a surprise?

I doubt she'll abdicate on Christmas Day

Im recording Downton abbey and going to watch it over the next week sometime. I basically stopped watching Eastenders the last few years but due to the praise and critical acclaim the recent EE episodes have been getting, as well as it being the most important episode of the year, I'll be tuning in tomorrow.

I think we all commented when the schedules were confirmed about BBC and ITV running bulletins at 15:10.

Given that not one media outlet has reported any part of the speech, I can only assume that there is a strict embargo - normally it is Christmas Eve that we know information, but not this year it seems.

If she was going to abdicate I'm sure the news would be a lot longer than 10 minutes! Besides, it would have surely been leaked by now.

Doesn't the speech air in some parts of the world before 3pm GMT?

BBC has confirmed series 3 of Last Tango in Halifax for airing in 2014.

Midsomer Murders was great tonight, glad it wasn't a dud as some have been before. Hopefully over 5million is possible.

Will watch Last Tango later.

Celebrity Mastermind actually rated lower than The One Show last Monday (by -420k and -2.6 share points).

Merry Christmas Steve and to all here on the Ratings Thread.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_C...sage#Broadcast

"In the United Kingdom and on the Internet, broadcast of the Queen's Christmas message is embargoed until 3:00 PM GMT. In other parts of the Commonwealth, the message is first broadcast in New Zealand at 6:50 PM local time by Television New Zealand, in Australia by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation at 7:20 PM local time, and in Canada by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation at 10 AM Eastern Standard Time, which is the same as 3:00 PM GMT."

That's about tomorrow morning UK time, so if anything was to be announced, an embargo would have to be lifted in the next few hours (presumably midnight).

No there is a strict 1500 GMT embargo with the exceptions D.M.N. has mentioned.I suspect it will not be carried in Zimbabwe by ZBC.

I have placed my bet on "Mrs Browns Boys" to win on Christmas Day. Hope this is for the overnights??? Didn't ask if it was for the official ratings! ? Anyway the women behind the counter tell me "EastEnders" is still favourit to win. Both said they haven't watched the soap in months! Typical of the viewing habits of the general public at the moment perhaps?

On the Gaurdian website is a list of the top 5 worst Saturday night shows of 2013, I can't really argue with any of it either. I thought this bit was quite funny:

If anything, this year's second series of The Voice was even more tortured than the first, purely because it meant that people had seen what a hideous, no-gain waste of everybody's time it was and thought: "You know what? This has me written all over it." The lowlight of the year was the infuriating way in which Will.i.am and Jessie J could only communicate by making the sound of broken vibrators at each other. The best was when Will.i.am had a tantrum on Twitter before the final credits had even finished rolling.

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-ra...-tv-shows-2013

Same, and I put the bet on with William Hill and IIRC, they are based on the overnights this year where as last year, was not.

Hoping Mrs Browns Boys can do it!

Yes MBB will top Christmas Day, over 10m i say. I think it will dent Downton Abbey as well. Although I'm not sure what crossover they both have.

I dont understand H of De Vil, why do you root for Itv? What is it about Itv which makes you support them and want them to do well over BBC1? And why the hatred for the Voice, which averaged 7.5million viewers for its second series, and is the most watched entertainment show in uk tv since 2007.