I think the problem with Demons is that they appear to be unsure on what type of audience they wish to target. I like your idea about putting it on ITV2 - it always gets a decent figure for its repeat.

Expected ITV1 to do much better than that last night
I think Demons can now be called a flop, it was scheduled wrong. Its not strong enough to be on a Saturday, really it should have had more post watershed content and given a 9pm slot during the week

The problem with Demons is that it doesn't seem like entertainment for any night. A great idea executed very badly, badly choreographed action scenes that finish after 5 seconds. Compare the brilliant scene with Lester being chased by the future kind monster in Primeval with any laughable fight/action scene in this cack. Or the exciting scene with the statues at the end of Blink that made you jump, Demons is about monsters and the only time I've been jolted is when I've realised that I'm nodding off watching it.

I thought there could have been a bump this week but ratings have fallen again. This is ITV's Bonekickers and there is no way that the rating can be spun as good. You can add up the ratings for its showings on other channels and I bet this will show a drop as well. This is a show that I was looking forward to and hoped would be a success because it's good to have different types of shows on a Saturday night, but they effed it up.

Such a shame.

As for the other ratings they are solid but unspectacular for both main channels. Casualty can't get 8 million anymore. How the mighty have fallen!

Well clearly I have better taste than you.

Soaps are always nasty, but can be good. Plus they serve as a diversion and can occassionally entertain.

If you honestly find Doctors & Nurses worthy of your time watch it, don't let some honest talking stand in your way.

Great news about Demons , hopefully another nail in its coffin.

Dismal ratings all round, but then it was pretty uninspiring fare from the broadcasters, who should be ashamed of serving up tripe like this on a Saturday night in January, particularly from 9pm.

The ratings have generally been poor most days this week - have people just given up on telly? I seem to be watching very little these days, hardly seems to be anything on at the moment.


5.4m for an all-Premier FA Cup clash in primetime is poor, no spin needed there. This should have been touching 8-9m at its peak, but with that sort of average, I think we can safely say it didn't.

Do we know how many watched Setanta Sports 2's live coverage of the match?

Demons now getting the shit figures we expected, and I think we can now formally add it to the ever-growing Big List of Over-Hyped ITV1 Flops.

What's the next one, then - the "gruesome and macabre modern-day Ripper" Whitechapel maybe? Sounds like a 'Jekyll' to me... (a BBC1 flop, granted)

I can't believe how poor the ratings are for a winter evening. The schedules are just not inspiring viewers to stay in and watch.

BBC1 was doing better than that against The X Factor...

Agree about the Cup game. United are the biggest draw and 5.4 million against, it has to be said, average opposition isnt setting the world alight. Its not all ITV's fault, but the BBC marketed the competition brilliantly after its late 90's doldrums. I hope this isnt the start of a slide in appetite for the FA Cup, but for whatever reason-it doesnt feel the same on the commercial channel.
I saw about half an episode of Demons and I think it was the make up that made me switch off. Im sure the idea wasnt laughter.

I think ITV are in better stead this year on Saturday's, especially earlier in the year. We've got the FA Cup, as well as TV Burp running and picking up good audiences, without Primeval or Takeaway yet.

I imagine Demons gets a brilliant 16-34 figure, and I think it's good to have variety on ITV, and heralding its downfall will just see more tripe like 'TV's Naughtiest Blunders', because that is what will happen. Why can't someone praise ITV for trying? I'll be the first to come out to praise the BBC for the risks it takes, especially that of the return of Doctor Who.

I'd say ITV would have expected more, but there are major flaws in the FA Cup production:-

- Before a match in the 'FA Cup Highlights', ITV refuse to show the team sheets. I for one think that's quite sacrosanct as a football fan.
- Teddy Sheringham is a good choice as pundit, but I'd prefer Des Lynam to Steve Rider.
- ITV need to be more organised with its coverage, showing matches under one banner: 'The Big Match Live', in a similar way MOTD do. Building up this brand would ensure viewers grow to conform with ITV's coverage.
- It needs to be less wooden, and I think the autocue needs to be taken away. It needs to be light-hearted, and would actually prefer Baddiel & Skinner doing it despite their lack of footballing knowledge.
- Talking of the comic pair, how about schedule them at 10pm on ITV4 for a bit of banter, during a 'news programme'. They could be on after Champions League matches, Internationals and FA Cups. It could spice up ITV's FA Cup contract.
- Jon Champion needs the chair as their 2nd best commentator; I think he's ITV's best commentator but I'd hate to take it away from Clive Tyldsley, a man we've all warmed to for Champions League coverage.
- A lesser revamp, meaning less gloss and more bare footballing action. I think most football fans would prefer to see a change from boring Hansen/Lawrenson chatter to just plain football, and with most football viewers not interested in what else ITV have to offer apart from ITV4 perhaps, the programmes should be less padded out, with more action instead of talk. The highlights games need to be fair, with at least 10 minutes of coverage each.

And lastly, why didn't ITV choose the Liverpool v Everton match tomorrow. 4pm it started, and I could've seen it getting better viewers.

Football on Saturday evenings on ITV just doesn't work well, with a VERY SUCCESSFUL set of evening programmes: YBF & TV Burp setting the night up with 6+ million. By scheduling FA Cup at teatime, TV Burp is losing viewers, and hence the rest of the evening.

Because of the quantity of ties on a Saturday, I would always attempt to show a lunchtime game, leading into a 'World of Sport' type show, with time for results, news and then the entertainment in the evening followed by a two hour highlights show from 10:15pm in the evening.

Then Sunday afternoon/evenings could be where the real action takes place, as there will be no other games during that day, and more emphasis on the few games that air. Therefore, ITV will get more viewers, for example in the Liverpool v Everton game:-

3:30pm The Big Match Live: Liverpool v Everton
6:30pm Weekend News
6:45pm Dancing on Ice
8:00pm Wild at Heart
9:00pm Dancing on Ice: The Skate Off
9:30pm Piers Morgan on...
10:30pm News & Weather
10:45pm FA Cup Highlights

I agree. If you compare last night's figures to the Saturday night figures before Christmas, there were 10 million watching SCD and 10-12 million watching The X Factor.. now these amount of viewers are clearly not sticking around for the current Saturday night offerings from both BBC1 and ITV.

Re the FA Cup replay it looks like Arsenal vs Cardiff is now the leading option for Wednesday week (unless of course Liverpool & Everton oblige). Arsenal could guarantee about 4.5m, depending on what the competition is like on the night. The Minder launch on five is probably the biggest competition. BBC1s offering of Waterloo Road & a New Tricks repeat shouldnt get above 4m really.

Had you watched Demons before last night out of interest? And the FA Cup will pick up steam as it progresses, but at the moment ITV and Setanta don't make it feel special. And I can't believe that ITV isn't showing at least one match today.

I think Sunday should be the stage for all of ITV's later (4pm onwards) matches, as I think it's the place where it will get the most viewers. Think about it, more football fans will be at home, not still travelling back from games, etc.

Maybe it's a silly concept, but I think it really plays a part as someone who was a Manchester United season ticket holder living in the South West of England.

It's all very samey there is nothing that has the 'must see' feel to it on either channel.


I think New Tricks usually gets over 4m for a repeat and it will against the football unless it's a more enticing Liverpool v Everton match.

Slightly positive spin on Demon's ratings:

Demons was the 5th most watched programme yesterday for viewers aged between 16-34.

It had 783,000 (18%) viewers at this age. Others that did better:

1.32m (31%)...Harry Hill's TV Burp
1.04m (29%)... FA Cup Live
0.96m (23%)...Casualty
0.83m (22%)...Total Wipeout

Demons has averaged 0.9m so far this series among 16-34s. It's more than what Robin Hood (0.75m) and Merlin (0.79m) were getting on BBC1 for their latest series.

It doesn't seem all that great when Casualty is the 3rd most watched show with 16-34s.

Casualty doesn't strike me a young persons show at all (and doesnt aim to be) and still does better yet Demons seems to want that audience.

Well with Robin Hood and Merlin going up against 16-34 ratings magnet The X Factor I'm not surprised they were lower than Demons.
Casualty used to rate much higher in this demographic but people have just been going off it.

Edit: ignore

Agree, Harry Hill should be back to 6m next week with new episodes, although the FA Cup should also be reaching the 6m mark.


I only saw a team sheet for a couple of games in the highlights last night, but MotD only ever shows them for the first few games anyway.


Yes, ITV should bring back The Big Match Live with the iconic theme tune to give their football a brand seeing as they have more than ever this season.


I could see 500,000 viewers turning to ITV4 for some football chat with Baddiel & Skinner. They wouldn't be very professional football presenters on ITV1 though. Bring back their chat show I say!


With 30 minutes build up and post-match analysis, I could see the coverage achieving a low average. Also, I think Piers Morgan will perform solidly in his Thursday night slot, just short of 5m viewers.

The competition on that night is stronger than usual aisde from Minder is also a Terry Pratchett on Alzeihmers documentary which could pull between 2-3m and Grand Designs which often does very well. Do think FA Cup will be first or second though.

Very true. I suppose Merlin was affected quite a bit (in terms of overall viewers and 16-34s) due to going up against TXF.

That's why it'll be interesting to see what sort of ratings Robin Hood will get when it returns. I can't see it doing as well as Primeval with younger viewers.

Agree- Demons was not must see last night and I will only return in the next 2 weeks if there is nothing else on. Demons v Total Wipeout? I'd watch the latter.

0.79m is more than 783,000