So agree with this. It's easy to talk down the tastes or habits of a large audience for a popular light drama like DiP. But if people really did just watch everything because 'it was there', then the trick could easily be repeated. Anyone could do it! Logically, the schedules would be filled with high-rating 'easy' dramas. But they're not. Because it's actually really hard to do well. This is because the audience isn't that stupid, and is more engaged than they sometimes get credit for. And programme makers can be a lot more stupid than they give themselves credit for

Doll and Em also has been acquired by HBO, I do agree that you needs hits as well as the critical darlings. Sometimes a show can be low rated but is kept because it has potential to grow but most of the time, if a show isn't rating well, it's because it's either not very good or doesn't appeal to audiences.

Think this was their last one...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Fr...e_Widow_and_Me
...which was filmed and set in London.


Of course, BBC2 does have comedy hits - QI, Mock The Week, Sarah Millican, Buzzcocks (although the latter needs axing sharpish). C4 have some as well, like the Peter Kay shows, 8 Out Of 10 Cats and others. Not sitcoms, no, but showcases for comedians that rate well. Don't think Sky have got that, amusing though Duck Quacks Don't Echo is.

It's easier to make a show that doesn't rate well than one that does. The pressure is on to justify your existence.

And if Doll & Em had a dedicated audience they'd stick around. But they haven't.

Thay also did the Poison Tree a year later for ITV1. Fairly sure that was set in England too

They need the new sitcoms to start getting an audience and stop viewing 1m as a success. Too busy making comedies with one eye on The BAFTAs and the other eye on a nice write up in the broadsheets.

I think this is the problem with NBC sitcoms now on Thursday nights. They wouldn't have lasted one series on CBS. They are there on NBC because they don't know what the audience wants and don't have people there that can see what works.

Not true. The last networked STV drama was The Poison Tree.

EDIT: seems I'm not the first to spot this!

I think that's why I like Mrs Brown's Boys, the critics hate it because it's not clever or sophisticated but it's doing something right if 9-10m are watching at Christmas and it's won awards as well.

I think NBC after they lost Friends and Frasier went in a different direction and they had hits like Scrubs and The Office but stuff like 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation were good but were attracting half the viewers that CBS were getting for shows like HIMYM, Big Bang Theory etc CBS are criticised for being safe but they are a consistent performer in the ratings.

And indeed...
http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-ra...he-poison-tree
"So it's back in the Volvo and off to Dungeness on the Kent coast, which is up there with the north Norfolk coast as one of TV drama's favourite film locations"

Whoever says that about DIP are stupid. You dont get 8m+ just because there is nothing else on.

I might just stick my neck out and say its one of the best comedies ever. I really cannot recall any other comedy that you can get so much out of on repeats - probably only Fawlty Towers comes close.

Its certainly good but not the best, The Vicar Of Dibley, Only Fools, Fawtly Towers are top of tree for me - I can watch these over and over again. A special mention to Keeping Up Appearaces - great comedies. MBB I can watch but I don't find it as watchable and cosy as the others.

I don't think anyone has said that per-say, more than the little competition from ITV helps it in achieving its big figures. Even with competition it would still do well, but without it, it can do even better. Its not really tested much in that slot.

Yes but Shetland faced similar competition and rated less. Plus when you look at the tines gift figures you can see Death In Paradise is popular. Also when Doc Martin was getting 9m on Mondays last year it faced lesser competition and nobody really said that about it.

But I was really making a more general point about how critics sneer at popular shows and say they get big ratings because the audience will watch anything. That's not always the case.

Its certainly not as cosy as the others in some respects but its repeat figures are immense and am sure better than most others. Loads of great comedies of course.

BBC2 has been repeating Dad's Army without a break for years now and it is still delivering 1.5-2 million which is extraordinary really.

Even more extraodinary when you consider most of the cast are dead - I always think about that whenever I see it - somehow it seems timeless.

Bar BGT week, when was the last time ITV bothered putting anything with any clout on a Tuesday night at 9pm? (Or indeed after 8pm …)

"Shetland" began well. Be good to have more drama production come from Scotland. I think that 5 plus million overnight will take "Shetland" to over 6 million consolidated. Very dark drama though I agree. Selective tastes for its audience.

"Line of Duty" deserves a promoted place on BBC one next year if there is a third series, not tonight against so much crime drama on other networks.

But then why have Death In Paradise and The Syndicate been successful there while Frankie and Prisoners' Wives haven't? Sometimes it is the programme rather than the timeslot.

I think Line of Duty is perfect for BBC2. Repeat it on BBC1 certainly but I would leave it where it is.

It occurs to me that Death In Paradise is the BBC's equivalent of Doc Martin in terms of the mood of the programmes and their popularity. Maybe DIP could even match the Doc's peak ratings success (10m+) if they ran series 4 on Sunday nights after Call The Midwife. Suspect BBC1 will leave it on Tuesdays and use the Sunday 9pm slot to launch something new. (The Musketeers to move to a weeknight, perhaps later in the year from this year.)

Meanwhile ITV have just run a trailer from Endeavour so that. presumably, will be Sundays 8pm-10pm after Selfridge finishes.

Yep for 4, 2 hrs episodes preceded by Catchphrase and a one-off Surprise Surprise on Mothers Day.

E4 will be very happy to hear The Big Bang Theory has been renewed for 3 more seasons by CBS.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/201...by-cbs/244155/

Like Shetland, The Village is another beak drama, however good it is I can't see either getting a third series. Both got big premiere audiences but dropped 4-5m.