Channel 5's debate was too long and in the wrong slot. They honestly thought they could beat Benefits Street. They did well last week as they faced The Jump.

And nobody thinks that Top Gear rising and CTM falling while in the same slot isn't related?, surely that just means some viewers have deserted to TG from CTM.

We keep hearing Top Gear and Call The Midwife have different audiences. That's mostly true but there has to be a slight crossover.

It has been said many times but it does look like daft scheduling although both are doing fine.

I am sure Clarksons a CTM fan - it seems just like his sort of thing dont you think?

Exactly: classic BBC shooting themselves in the foot. Silly scheduling.

And the people who claim that they have totally different audiences are probably just as wrong as so called self proclaimed experts usually are.

I dread to think what Clarksons viewing habits are.

Channel 5 shouldn't be chasing ratings by flogging debates that probably aren't needed. A proper documentary on subjects like benefits (On Benefits and Proud) work better than the shambles that both C4 and C5 put on offer in Primetime last night. Surprised to see how poorly the BBC is doing with the start of their War season. Though perhaps the ridiculous hype on benefits snatched a lot of their potential viewers, I'm not sure.

Channel 5 need to buy more drama, work on strengthening what they do best! I think they should pick up this:

Love Child http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2014/02/love-child.html

It's like Call the Midwife but it's got a sinister undertone (which most C5 dramas have; this could fit well with BB as both are likely more female skewing) - Just an idea.

Mmm this is an interesting theory over the "Call The Midwife" "Top Gear" ratings battle. There was criticism that BBC one had nothing to follow "Call The Midwife" successfully but surely "Top Gear" is the answer at 9pm! They have complimented each other before so im not sure why they would be close in crossover this year particularly. It seems stupid to put their yearly top rated programmes against each other. I reckon even if they are different audiences, some viewers decide to watch their favourite show later on I player or recorded during the week as their other halves watch live.

Jesus ... how the mighty have fallen for Channel 5 ! Poor slot , overly long and generally being a shambolic programme probably contributed to that figure. Hope it doesn't put 5 off from doing this type of original topical programming again because it's good to see them make more of an effort in the scheudles. Hopefully the rating for Benefits Row will encourage them further, rather than them being dis heartened by this mornings figures.

Outside of CBB , Benefits Row is very likely to be their highest programme of the year surely? Of course we still have a good 10 months left to see whether it pans out like that, but an offical figure of 2.3 mil (?) isn't something 5 beat often is it?

Decent rating for 4 aswell last night although I'm glad to see the back of these programmes for now. Until 4 commission a 20 part series next week that is.

I watch both on a Sunday. This time I'm watching Top Gear first as it has been very entertaining.

That doesn't bode well for Silk next Monday ...

Nothing for the soaps yet?

Wasn't Silk over 6m previously, next week could be a bloody battle between them with both cancelling each other out.

The Top Gear team don't want to move. They have said that they like being on BBC2. One of the few shows BBC1 would love to take from BBC2 and can't get. Also it fits 8PM perfectly and sets up the evening on BBC2. One of the reasons why Dragon's Den is doing better this time.

Top Gear followed by Call The Midwife on BBC1 would be fun but won't happen.

Of all the 9pm dramas BBC1 has I think only New Tricks and possibly Death In Paradise could follow Midwife and keep most of the lead-in. Would be a successful 2 hour drama block for BBC1.

I think Silk will do OK and may just check Banks a bit but probably wont overnight much above 4.5m.

Silk

Series 1
6.34m
5.67m
5.80m
5.84m
5.74m
5.72m

Series 2
6.58m
6.08m
5.56m
5.64m
5.33m
5.28m

Any figures for My Mad Fat Diary or Modern Family?
Thanks

TG should stay on BBC Two. I can't get this belief that big rating shows should only be on BBC One. It's good BBC Two has had two big successes recently with GBBO and TG as it raises the channel's profile and DD benefits from a TG lead in.
Actually going back 30 years BBC Two was considered far livelier than BBC One, which was going through a slump, and programmes like The Young Ones, The Old Men At the Zoo and Threads were attracting 8 million viewers. It is time the BBC considered bolstering BBC Two again and making it a halfway house between BBC One and BBC Four.

Only this for Mad Fat Diary so far.

"@C4Press: #MadFatDiary returned for a second series with a fantastic 693k viewers on @E4Tweets - up on the 499k for the opening ep of series 1"

"@C4Press: The return of #MadFatDiary watched by a 13.1% share of 16-34s on @E4Tweets last night, up +78% on the slot average"

Coronation Street topped Monday's soap ratings (February 17) with another close call for Peter and Tina, overnight figures show.

8.47m (36.8%) watched at 7.30pm on ITV and 184k (0.8%) on +1 as as Steve and Lloyd found Tina wearing just a towel at Peter's flat. 8.26m (34.1%) returned at 8.30pm and 139k (0.6%) on +1 to see how Tina would explain herself.

EastEnders appealed to 7.85m (32.4%) at 8pm on BBC One as Stacey turned up on Kat and Alfie's doorstep. BBC Three's repeat screening secured 449k (3.0%) at 10.30pm.

Emmerdale attracted 7.11m (32.5%) at 7pm on ITV and 126k (0.5%) on +1 as Val finally confided in Eric about her HIV scare.

Hollyoaks interested 1.11m (5.4%) at 6.30pm on Channel 4 as Freddie took revenge against Darren, while E4's first look followed with 662k (3.0%) at 7pm and 148k (0.6%) on +1.

Over on Channel 5, Neighbours had its best teatime rating of the year so far with 946k (5.5%) watching at 5.30pm, while the 1.45pm showing interested 637k (7.5%). Home and Away mustered 169k (1.9%) at 1.15pm and 669k (3.4%) at 6pm, while 5*'s first look had its best 2014 performance so far with 516k (2.5%) at 6.30pm.

Elsewhere, the latest episode of Doctors was seen by 1.68m (19.8%) at 1.45pm on BBC

And that crossover will no doubt watch one live and record the other.

That's what we do.

And even if there is a small crossover, the majority of the viewers who are not interested in the other programme are being catered for (which is the point, seeing as you will never cater for all of the people all of the time).

Corrie seems to be consistently mid-8's now. Good for EastEnders but thought it would've hit 8m again with Stacey's return. Emmerdale is really consistent.

Hang on now, Channel 4 decided to go head to head with 5 when they pushed their debate back didn't they?

EE is gradually reviving and I'm confident it will be averaging out at 8 million this year. It's not fantastic but anything has to be better than last year where it fell below 7 million in the autumn and Emmerdale overtook it on a few occasions. I think Emmerdale will be happy to stick around 7 million.