The Financial Times reports that Viacom, Discovery, Scripps and Saban have all bid for C5. Along with other unnamed European companies.

Didn't really consider the possibility that Viacom might go for it, that's an interesting one. The other three had already been rumoured.

I hope that whoever buys Channel 5 gives it a substantial programme budget. They could really transform the channel's ratings fortunes.

Miss Marple could work again, the ITV version was disappointing.

On the plus side for EastEnders came out ahead during the Emmerdale clash for a change.

It was only 15minute clash and EE was over 7million last week winning by a bigger margin over Emmerdale.

Viacom own Viva, MTV and Comedy Central so 5 would be a good cross platform, Scripps would be interesting but their background is lifestyle channels like Food Network although they do own UKTV with BBC Worldwide.


I think if Channel 5 had Channel 4's budget it would allow them to be competitive, I doubt they would but I think increasing the programming budget and maybe making C5 Productions more prominent,

That's because last week's had 45 minutes to build its audience after the clash, this week's didn't. It will come off even worse next Tuesday with a full 30 minute clash, and then there's more 15 minute clashes in the following two weeks. So many pointless clashes. I can see them manufacturing even more in April when EE's big storyline kicks off.

Now that JC has aired and the "reviews" are in, here's what I think about it.

I agree with posters who say it wasn't as good as it used to be. My bugbear was that Alan Davis looked cheesed off anyway. The solution of the mystery being revealed at the offset was unusual but because of the idiot Ridley it was done like that so we could realise just how imbecilic he was. I would have preferred the Ridley character to not to have been included however. I liked the way Creek was still thinking about the tiny things like the upside down picture and there were really great comedic lines. "Why is everything so hard?" "Probably the rigor mortis".

The dynamic of Creek being married and moving on was set up in the Easter Special last year, but was not really explored until last night, because in the special he had his sidekick Joey with him to help him investigate. Of course the episode could have been better. That isn't in dispute, but it also could have been a whole lot worse. It was really funny when JC's wife was explaining the "disappearing ashes" mystery and straight away JC said "robot vacuum cleaner". This episode, whilst not delving into the realms and depths of magic and mayhem, demonstrated that even as JC was getting older and the "younger generation try and take over" (said by JC himself), that the quick thinking and problem solving was still what drove JC and what he got off on. The elements were there of a great mystery, but I do concede that it was the reveal of the mystery prior to JC's investigation that people were disappointed in.

It was on the whole, an enjoyable hour of telly, and even though the programme peaked back in 2001 with Satan's Chimney, i did mostly enjoy the episode. The quick witted one liners still demonstrated that writers like Renwick are rare and as there are only two episodes left, I will gladly watch them and enjoy them, even if they are slightly less conceived and delivered compared to what came before.

Certainly going to be interesting times if one of those actually buy it - I really could not call what 5 might look like under any of their ownships. Would it be better or possibly worse?

Or better still if we'd been made to think that Ridley's deductions were spot-on and Creek was losing his touch, only for Ridley's ineptitude to be revealed at the end alongside the solution to the mystery.

I was worried when Desmond took over but essentially he kept things mostly the same but added Big Brother.

The fact that some major US companies have taken an interest can only be a good sign IMO, chances are they will look to do more with it. With the very healthy amount of interest there has been, for once I don't feel like the only person on the planet who can see the potential that exists!!

The Sun reports on it's first news page that the announcement they reported that would occur yesterday was delayed by Suzzana a rides ex partner causing embarrassment by putting his details on a dating agency.

So either The a sun is backtracking a bit as there article yesterday was wrong, or this is going to turn out rather badly with a tainted switch now where she is the story.

Did someone mutter, Christine Bleakley Déjà vu,


How does Breakfast do the paper review?

Might be helpful if this post was in English.

Susanna is down to present BBC Breakfast on Monday morning.According to press reports today she has not resigned from the BBC.

The Sun is now saying the changes to the programme won't take place until April.

It is. - Déjà vu, is commonly used in English.

The quote is, she has not formerly resigned indicating that she is in discussions.

UK TV Ratings ‏@TVRatingsUK 1m
Jonathan Creek returned to BBC1 last night with 6.33m/29.2%, over 4m more than anything else at 9pm last night.

I have a feeling it will timeshift like crazy.

UK TV Ratings ‏@TVRatingsUK 51s
8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown finished second in the 9pm slot with 2.19m/10.1%. ITV's Edge of Heaven fell to just 1.94m/8.9%.
9:39 AM - 1 Mar 2014 ·

It looks like we have a major contender for flop of the year. Must be pulled soon, surely?

Excellent rating for Creek, battered the opposition. BBC1 drama is on extremely string ratings form at the moment. Really happy the people criticising it yesterday were proven wrong.

A disasterous rating for Edge of Heaven, probably only 1.7m excluding the repeat. That is phenomenally bad. But Itv will stick with it in that slot for the whole series, these days they never pull shows from the schedule unlike every other broadcaster. Great news for BBC, C4 and C5 who will be taking advantage of it in the ratings over the next month. Another comedy disaster for the broadcaster to add to their long list, they should just give up on the comedy/comedy drama front and leave it to the other more successful broadcasters (bbc, c4).

They won't be proven wrong until next week.

Although Sally Nugent presented this morning, the standard pattern would have seen Louise hosting today, are they saving her for Monday?

The Sun obviously backtracking, remember there wasn't supposed to be not just an announcement, but the actual programme launching in a moments notice.

I have amended my post #2313 as I notice The Sun is now saying the programme won't be relaunched until April

All of which begs the question why does anybody ever buy The Sun? Almost as inexplicable as who are the 2m or so who actually watch EOH?

Just when you think this thread can't sink even lower, I read this


I think Samuel needs professional help.


She's thought about leaving the BBC for the devil, I mean ITV. That is the ultimate insult in Samuel's eyes.

Andy23 you're in denial. You know full well that a very good looking confident woman moving from the BBC to Itv with a massively publicised payrise and recent marital breakup to front a newly hyped ITV breakfast show is not going to end well. All the ingredients are there for a very high profile failure, I'm afraid, based on what history tells us.

That Creek rating bigger than I thought - I really cant remember anytime recently when there have been so many dramas ~7m+. Its a pity Selfridge and Musketeers havent held up as well.