Wright was at it as well. He annoyed me this morning.

I hate that this whole sorry affair happened because it's presented Ross' enemies with an irresistable opportunity to stick the knife in and belittle him.

Not forgetting the ones who don't really follow his work but know enough to know he's getting paid more than they would deem appropriate, and again relish the opportunity to slate him, and complain about material they haven't even seen or heard. It's been cringeworthy watching it all unfold; that's why I'm hoping the leaks regarding the first show are correct and Ross is on top form tonight, so that the whole thing that preceded it can be brushed under the carpet and normal service can resume as soon as possible.

He's a great broadcaster in my view and it hasn't been the same without him on our screens. It upsets me greatly (and disturbs to an extent) that his career was nearly ruined by an article in the Daily Mail of all newspapers. I quite like this summation of that particular publication courtesy of the Urban Dictionary:

18:00 to 19:00 Shares - estimate
BBC One - 27.65% (Weds: 27.35%; Tues: 32%)
ITV1 - 18.65% (Weds: 18.5%; Tues: 18.15%)
Channel 4 - 10.9% (Weds: 9.8%; Tues: 9.1%)
BBC Two - 8.4 (Weds: 9.35%; Tues: 7.25%)
five - 4.45% (Weds: 4.45%; Tues: 4.25%)

19:00 to 22:00 Shares - estimate
BBC One - 24.15 (Weds: 17.9%; Tues: 20.38%)
ITV1 - 19.45% (Weds: 21.98%; Tues: 15.86%)
BBC Two - 11.95% (Weds: 7.92%; Tues: 10%)
Channel 4 - 9.56% (Weds: 10.46%; Tues: 10.2%)
five - ~5% (Weds: 6.18%; Tues: 7.63%)

Good primetime share for BBC Two.


Countdown has nosedived though compared to that report a few days ago about it in the 1.3/1.4m range.

Are you trying to start me off on one again? LOL.

800k is fine. What's more crucial is the share - a massive 11% - higher than any other programme aired yesterday on Five including the teatime showing.

Thanks for the extensive figures by the way, D.M.N. Am I allowed to ask why we have been treated to so many these past few days and is this set to continue for the foreseeable?

True, but their morning-early afternoon line-up does dreadfully.

I didn't realise that Dickinson's Real Deal did so well, it looks like utter garbage from what I've seen.

I don't think Countdown was getting 1m, I think those figures were peaks.

ITV's daytime schedule is certainly performing better than it used to with finally a solid performer in the 5pm slot.

Great nights for CH4 and BBC2 last night denting the other terrestrials. LOR dropping as it should considering how poor it is. I think one of the only reasons the Friday 8.30pm BBC1 comedies got high ratings, because there wasn't much in its way of competition, but now there's a variety of strong programming...

ITV1 yet again being beaten by another terrestrial other than BBC1 in the 9pm slot-not good enough really. Decent night for FIVE and a decent performance from Wyatt Earp considering it went on till nearly 1am this morning.

I think most people have forgiven him for what was a stupid mistake that was blown out of proportion and I think he will fine and any tabloid backstabbing is just extra publicity. The Daily Mail are looking pretty desperate to continue bashing him and the BBC and most people are sick of it and were sick of it back then. The Media are hypocrites anyway taking a pop at television and radio when most of their pages are filled with crap stories.

On the plus side, I think Emily Mathilias is going to regret ever quoting Frankie Boyle on Mock the Week.


Channel 4 do use their strengths like factual really well and The Food Season has paid off, wouldn't surprise if all the 9pm slot next week get 3m+. Victorian Farm is proving a surprise hit for BBC Two which is nice to see. Five has a new docusoap at 9pm about police in London which could do well but I think it may squeezed out by the strong competition.

The Gadget Show is back next week for a one-off special next Friday which could do well and proves how important the show is to Five.

The gap isn't really that bad.
I thought it was bigger.

Perhaps it was back in Decemeber.

She said it with such conviction


What's it in aid of, do you know? I was a bit disappointed they didn't provide any coverage of the Consumer Electronics Show 2009 at the start of the month. I'm not sure how feasible this would be, but I think it would have worked well if they ran two or three live shows during the event previewing the gadgets that are going to be big in the year ahead.

From the blurb, it's a road trip between Edinburgh and London testing out gadgets along the way. It sounds one of those specials that Top Gear do from time to time.

I would imagine that they cover CES when TGS starts its Spring series.

Thanks for that, sounds interesting. Looking forward to it

Excellent ratings for Despatches in the 8pm, anyone know what the late night Gaza ep got?

Does anyone know how long this series of Jonathan Ross runs for?

One of the reasons ITV1 schedule Corrie at 8.30 on Monday & Friday (I suspect) is to lure viewers back to them after they've been watching Eastenders on BBC1 and thus give a leg-up to ITV1's 9pm programmes. There would have been similar thinking back in the 80's when The Bill was revamped from a hour-long post-watershed show into a twice-weekly half-hour series, screened immediately after Eastenders (which was also twice-weekly in those days).

So it doesn't make much sense for ITV1 to schedule a soap hour at 7pm then let Eastenders take the viewers over to BBC1 for the rest of the evening at 8 o'clock. Then again, not much ITV does these days makes sense.

Good on Hustle again, glad their ratings are holding up unlike Waterloo Road.

Surviving Gaza - 440,000 (5%)

Well, obviously!!! Hustle is stylish and fun and involves cleverly constructed plots. Waterloo Road is run-of-the-mill pap and, quite frankly, just annoying. This is supposed to be realistic?

I'm reminded of a very funny joke from Fawlty Towers which I paraphrase:-

"I put it to you that this is the worst run school in the country."
"No! I won't have that!.... There's a place in Easttbourne..."

16 weeks.

"I took her...argh...to see INDIA...at the Oval"
My quote is of no relevance at all.

Like this recent example, you mean?

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/s...postcount=7038

Sure, I criticise C5, but I also criticise C4, ITV, BSkyB, UKTV etc.

And despite the BBC being my favourite broadcaster, I am a very vocal critic when the need arises, not least with my criticisms of BBC One's attitude towards situation comedy in recent years.

Yes, I think Wright is wrong, there!

Yes, some quite nasty headlines about Ross's speech impediment on the front of some of today's tabloids.

25 weeks. Then 15 more in the autumn series.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

I fear this could be the final series of The Green Green Grass unless the ratings can get back over 4m soon.

Alan Titchmarsh's ratings are back up again. This could be a permanent boost from the new cut-price Countdown.

Neighbours nudging up at lunchtime too. Good to see.

My thoughts on The Bill going down to one ep per week:

As others have suggested, Tuesdays or Thursdays at 9pm seem likely.

Could this give ITV the opportunity to leave Emmerdale and Coronation St virtually untouched in the schedules? On football weeks, they could simply drop the Wednesday Coronation St, and have an hour-long ep (7.30pm-8.30pm) the following Wednesday.