Blandings pretty much carrying on where it left off, I believe.

And let's not forget that commercially-minded ITV are bringing back Vicious on similar figures.

Interesting quote from the above report -

"Barb estimates that the average TV viewer watched 47 adverts a day - four ads more per day than five years ago. "

So people are watching more ads which seems counterintuitive to me.
Is it because there are many more ads and commercial channels or because a large section of the viewers cant be bothered to avoid them?

I hardly ever see an ad these days.

Vicious might have scope to grow in a different timeslot. Blandings didn't work at 6.30pm and there it is again in the same place.

Perhaps in both cases the major acting talent on board, and the prestige that comes with it, tipped the scales in favour of a recommission.

I think the BBC can also justify it on the basis of distinctiveness: it's certainly something very different for the slot. I assume it was also quite heavily dented by the Olympics, and could timeshift decently.

Its true not every program can have high ratings and it probably sells well and ticks a box culturally.

Yes just like a fungus and half as funny.

Yes we shouldn't make too many judgements I guess.

I think your suggestions are both correct. They had a woman from a media research outfit on Radio 4 this morning who was saying that the major increase in viewing to the smaller 'non-terrestrial' channels after digital switchover has boosted commercial impacts, because the vast majority of the newer channels take ads. We know that about 90% of viewing is still live. Even within the 10% recorded remainder, 30% of timeshifted ads are played at normal speed (and therefore count as being viewed).

Looking at the data, I wouldn't agree about a 1st season peak:-

Call The Midwife 1st series o/n average 8.68
Call The Midwife 2nd series o/n average 8.88
Call The Midwife 3rd series o/n average 9.02 (so far)

Consolidated figures were slightly higher for S1 than S2 (10.61 v 10.47) But if one excluded the final huge episode of series 1 that was transmitted at a later time slot, the S1 average at 8pm was 10.45 - almost exactly the same as S2.

Current running total of consolidated figures for S3 is 10.72 at the halfway point - currently still up on last year.

Further to that actual figures were:-

Call The Midwife

Series 1
1 9.83m
2 10.47m
3 10.69m
4 10.89m
5 10.42m
6 11.41m

Series 2
1 10.79m
2 10.24m
3 10.85m
4 10.42m
5 10.15m
6 10.26m
7 10.68m
8 10.38m

Series 3
1 11.35m
2 10.83m
3 10.55m
4 10.23m

Watching the trailer for this weeks Musketeers and wondering what will harm it more, the break or that Ashley Walters is in this week!

The first series of Call The Midwife peaked with 11.41m. The series 1 finale only started half an hour later than the previous episodes. It timeshifted 2m. Series 1 episodes added close to 1.8m on occasion. Finales usually rise so you can't leave it out of the averages plus there were only 6 episodes compared to 8m

It peaked in series 1 and the stats prove it. Still doing well but not as high as series 1.

Should we take out the sub 10m rating for series 1 to make it closer? No.

Should we take out the high opening episode for series 3? No.

Those are the episodes and the average is based on the series.

Top Gear continues to do well for BBC Two with 5.5 million and I think this will go even higher when DOI finishes. It really is a vital show for BBC Two as it attracts the sort of younger viewers it's offerings like Eggheads and Coast struggle to attract. Also it's well made, amusing and interesting to watch.

6.97m for episode 2 of Top Gear! Also The Musketeers had 6.14m. Does anybody have the consolidated rating for Mr Selfridge on February 9th?

Should we really be moaning at all when every ep bar the very first has had over 10million viewers. Any drama would kill for that, and while it hasn't topped the first series high it is hardly losing millions each series.

This is one show that is nearly as big as EE. I do remember the original version which was a deadly serious motoring magazine hosted by William Woollard and which was seen as worthy but dull. TG really now has become an entertainment hit.

I saw the trailer last night and thought exactly the same thing!

I'm not moaning. I said it peaked in series 1 and that it was still doing well but not as well as series 1.

That is correct. This is a ratings discussion thread after all. I'm looking at the numbers.

Incredible to think that DOI used to be on the same level as SCD and was once bigger than The X Factor.

Sunday 16th February 2014

BBC One
18:30 - Blandings: 3.6m (?)
19:00 - Countryfile: 6.25m (26.5%)
20:00 - Call The Midwife: 8.43m (30.9%)
21:00 - Baftas: 4.56m (22.1%)


BBC Two
19:00 - Winter Olympics: 2.32m (9.8%)
20:00 - Top Gear: 5.58m (20.6%)
21:00 - Dragons Den: 2.71m (11.6%)
22:00 - Apres Ski: 0.789m (4.1%)

ITV (inc +1)
18:15 - Dancing On Ice: 4.96m (21%)
19:45 - ALL Star Family Fortunes: 4.24m (15.6%)
20:30 - Dancing On Ice Results: 4.58m (15.7%)
21:00 - Mr Selfridge: 4.83m (20.3%)

Channel 4 (inc +1)
20:00 - Scandamania: 1.28m (4.8%)
21:00 - RED: 2.37m (12.3%)

Channel 5 (inc +1)
19:00 - The River Wild: 0.76m (3.0%)
21:00 - 10000BC: 0.681m (3.3%)

Good for RED on 4 last night. It's had a few strong showings on Film4 over the last year or so, including 2.1m inc +1 at the beginning of August just before RED 2 was released in cinemas.

Was it?

I know but it is being slightly picky when taking hundreds of thousands Three series in and still holding steady like Downton but not quite as high.

4 will be very happy with that figure for Red, especially given it's one of quite a few repeats.

Scandamania did ok-ish nothing special by any strech.

Notice they've got Katie Hopkins back on The Big Immigration Row tonight- not sure that's the wisest move considering the reception she got last time!

Dancing On Ice was NEVER bigger than X Factor. Its highest rated series was its third in 2008 when it hit 12m. The following year it rated higher than Strictly which was Strictly's year from hell in 2009 but neither hit 12m that year. DOI never reached 2008/2009 levels*again and just slowly declined until Call The Midwife & Sherlock in 2012 sped up the decline.