When Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year's Day falls on a Saturday that's the only time I can think of a soap being on a Saturday.

I hate soaps at the weekend. Please not on a Saturday.

Wasn't Emmerdale screened on Sundays for a while ?

The EE omnibus was on Sundays for a long time

It has seemingly settled by the looks of it. It's only a few hundred thousand down for the majority of the shows; for a show of Britain's Got Talent's size that's nothing to worry about. As C14E said it could benefit from tinkering but I think it has a lot going for it.


If ITV had planned ahead they could have asked for the Soap Awards to be filmed at a different time though they may have been accused of favourtism as the voting would be taking place after Coronation Street's big week.

I agree the rest is guesswork but I feel there's more logic to it that what we're currently seeing.

Both Emmerdale and Coronation Street were on Sunday's in the 7pm hour for a while. They were moved when ITV decided to air Dancing on Ice across the slot for the 2008 series.

Non sport fans are lucky that the French Open isn't on ITV.

I think Michael Grade had the idea that itv should be a soap free zone on the weekends and invest more into light entertainment, that was he thinking behind removing them from Sunday nights I seem to recall.

But isnt that the job of the broadcaster to fill the gap and show something in its place and create more anticipation for its return rather than churn it out every year with diminishing returns?

It is precisely because of its size that I'd be worried. It's been too big for too long.

The wheels coming off this semi-finals week might not herald more serious declines, but I think it will personally. So I respectfully disagree with you on this occasion.

The risk is though you leave a gap and someone else jumps in to fill it. The cons significantly outweigh the pros.

Surely we know that eventually everything will fall ratings wise. Its happened to the soaps this year and many a drama as well and BGT/SCD/XF are not immune either.

I agree that "Britians Got Talent" is showing signs of needing a year off to refresh itself. Theres only so much talent the country can produce. The audience would be awaiting its return. But what would replace it meantime. It could do with a well earned break from the schedules.

I wondered if BBC One should have moved "Strictly Come Dancing" from the autumn schedule too and relaunch in 2015. Giving the audience a break can sometimes refresh a ling running show.

I thought Sunday January / February would give"Strictly Come Dancing" a little ratings boost.

Absolutely. And the soaps are BBC and ITV's bread and butter, no? They simply can't fall without having a knock on effect on everything else, at least to some extent.

Although with BGT I sense it's more a growing apathy with the increasingly exhausted talent show genre. Pity in a way because it's clearly the pick of the bunch, but it just doesn't feel like an event like it used to and that's not entirely its fault.

Because it's been so big it's almost 'smothered' the public so they're growing sick of it and the genre in general? Very possibly. It will be interesting to see how the final rates next week.

Rising Star is not going to help on the 'smothering' score; indeed, ITV may be content if it flops as long as it drags The Voice with it so give the genre some room to breathe. I may be giving ITV too much credit but I have the feeling one of the reasons they grabbed Rising Star was to prevent the BBC from buying the format if The Voice had failed in it's latest series.

I wonder if it's time for the BBC to start looking for another soap ? Doctors on BBC1 in the afternoons is very popular and deserves promotion to prime time (also quality scripts and acting).Just a thought.

Though it would give them a headache of what to place against The X Factor - they rely on the Strictly lead in to support Atlantis. I highly doubt they'll want to give The X Factor any help, especially this year.

Given the flack the Beeb received on Cohen buying the rights to "The Voice" I doubt they would go for another music show in the very near future. I think they will be more wary of buying a formula again any time soon. The "Got Talent" formula has been taken off in France while "The Voice" format has been successful over there. Strange how its more of a reversal here.

They tried that once and it did not seem to work - also they have the hospital dramas which are basically soaps so I think they have probably enough already.

One good thing about America launching it first, is that ITV can see any mistakes they mke and improve upon them. If it flops in America (and given that they are even more saturated with talent shows) then its likely, ITV might change where they place it.

If it does well in America I imagine Rising Star will be pit on Sunday opposite CTM. If it does badly then it will go on Saturday's to at least reduce The Voice's ratings.

The audience would have to wait for "Strictly Come Dancing" though rather than it just always being in that same regular slot and it would also end the scheduling issue between it and "The XFactor" I would have moved it this year as its a new start with it from the Forsyth era and id promote it to Sundays alongside "Call The Midwife" Some top class drama would be a good alternative to "The X Factor" and let "Atlantis" move to Saturdays in the first quarter.

I'm sure FOX said the same about The X Factor.

They have Dickensian coming up which could be considered a soap, it's a 30 minute drama with characters from all the Dickens' novels and I believe the plan currently is to do 20 episodes.

Sorry, what would you air where? Strictly and Call the Midwife together on Quarter One Sunday's? So what would they air on autumn Saturday's?

The last thing TV needs is another primetime soap. The best Doctors could hope for is 6.30pm on BBC2, and if that was going to happen it would have happened by now.

I had forgotten about that - it always sounded wierd to me. I mean where will they schedule that?

Speaking of Strictly, with Doctor Who confirmed for August I wonder if we'll see something like this in the late summer/autumn.

23rd August - 27th September
18:00 - Strictly Come Dancing Launch Show (13th September)
19:00 - Tumble
20:15 - Doctor Who

4th October - 8th November
18:15 - Strictly Come Dancing (starting later as it gets shorter)
20:15 - Doctor Who

Would that work? The late slot might see Doctor Who facing X Factor, but I think having it too early would do it more harm.