Plebs lost half its audience over the six episodes it aired last year. So after a promising start, it declined significantly in the ratings. Itv2 will not be able to replace the likes of The Only Way is Essex [40hours per year] and Real Housewives [dozens of hours per year] with the likes of a couple of sitcoms which run 6 hours maximium per yer. The whole Itv Be strategy is flawed because theyre taking some of the most popular stuff from Itv2 and replacing it with short run shows and American imports which rate badly.

It started with around 700k-900k and dropped to 500k-600k. I hope that when it returns ITV give it some support to lead into it. Its a good comedy, won many awards and is ITV's best comedy other than Benidorm.

I do agree that the launch on ITVBe is a mystery, although I suppose with purchasing many TV companies will give them the resources to make new programming without much hassle and it must be more profitable with two young skewing channels than just one.

There are very few new commissions coming through and nothing to replace the stuff being taken to ITVBe, the US comedies have not worked out so its looking at little silly.

Nah, overnights of Plebs started with 900k. The ratings plummetted throughout and the final episode only averaged 300k! It may have won a few awards but the viewers didnt really take to it well, as evidenced by the big dip in the ratings throughout.

Although we know other programmes that have dropped throughout their run and been recommissioned. They have given it a 2nd series and need to persevere as they did with Celeb Juice that started at 300k and grew to a monster hit with a reach of over 4m.

But during Celebrity Juice's first series, its ratings were stable throughout the run. The difference between that and Plebs is that Plebs started well but lost over half its audience in just six episodes. Itv are desperate for it to be the next Inbetweeners but ratings-wise it won't be and the downward trajectory for Plebs' first series is not a good sign for series 2. It may have won a few awards but awards dont pay for the bills, especially with Itv2 losing some high rating shows sharewise relatively speaking such as Real Housewives and towie. Angela Jain, head of Itv multichannels, didnt even recommission Plebs until a few months later because it wasnt even a sure-fire easy decision to make for her given its ratings decline.

We'll see. If it does poorly it will be axed, if it doesn't then it will get a third series. The fact is its got a 2nd series.

Btw Has your caps-lock failed? Why do you insist on putting Itv instead of ITV?


Edit: Or perhaps they recommissioned it but didn't put out a press release for a few months. I've read an article where it was reported to have been recommissioned in June, not long after it aired. It was ITV2's highest rating new comedy. A no brainer to bring back.

Just to clarify, H of De Vil, you were right about Plebs dropping to 500k, not 300k. Its final episode managed 505k, giving it a series average of 643k

Thats the officials. In the overnights [excl+1], which is what matters the most to commercial broadcasters, it dipped to 0.3million.

No, I'm pretty sure it was the overnights:

attentional ‏@attentional 49m
ITV2 comedy series Plebs came to an end last night with 504,700/2.6%, bringing the average of the 6-part series to 643,300/3.3% (inc.+1)

Thats including +1. Either way you look at it, it dropped about 50pct of its audience in just 4 weeks. That's a huge drop, ratings-wise that dip is similar to what the awful Vicious experienced.

I can't imagine that +1 contributed an big amount to its ratings. It did drop a fair bit as the series progressed, but it rated higher than the american imports recently rated, so I think it's a good shout to give it another go. Some shows take time to build.

Samuel, +1-inclusive ratings are what matters to commercial broadcasters. +1 tends to add quite a lot to ITV2.

One would hope so that it rated higher than the American imports. An original show like Plebs is expensive, it is filmed abroad and has a period setting so lots of expense on the costumes and set. An American acquisition is far cheaper.

Tell me the last time a show ended up being successful ratings-wise after dropping 40-50% in viewership during the course of its first series? It hasnt happened in years. Maybe back in the 3 or 4 channel era it happened quite often, viewers would return to shows due to lack of channels available but not these days with so many options available to them. The damage has been done ratings-wise.

Just give up!

"@TVRatingsUK: New @bbctwo drama #TheHonourableWoman made a solid start last night with an average of 2.13m/10.6% from 9pm."

The One Show: 3.10m (18.5%)
EastEnders: 5.55m (29.3%)
Room 101: 2.00m (10.1%)
Celebrity Masterchef: 3.57m (17.7%)

Room 101 was 1.997m for the pedants amongst us.

Gutted I missed it, only saw it was on after Masterchef, Love Maggie Gyllenhal great actress

From Hugo Blick, the man behind The Shadow Line. If you saw that you know to expect, long lingering shots, a moody atmosphere and a dense plot. I liked it but some viewers may not return next week.

Thanks DMN.

Did most people go out yesterday?

Not bad for EE considering it was only just above 6m on Monday. The two day break and second half Emmerdale clash would've hurt it slightly. 5.55m not a bad figure at all though.

Room 101, poor rating but it was only a 30 min repeat I guess. Celebrity Masterchef still remaining fairly solid. I'd imagine it would have higher figures over the series had the regular series not aired so recently. At least it's done the job as a solid alternative to football during the World Cup.

Emmerdale got Emmerdaled by EastEnders for its second episode. Beaten due to a thirty minute headstart.

Coronation Street: Nick's threats seen by 5.9m in Thursday ratings

Coronation Street was ahead in the soap ratings on Thursday evening (July 3) but all of the shows were below the 6 million mark, according to overnight figures.

Airing outside of its usual schedule, Corrie brought in 5.91m (29.8%) at 8.30pm on ITV and 276k (1.4%) on +1 as Nick and David threatened Michael Rodwell to stay away from Gail.

Nick menacingly tells Michael to stay away.

EastEnders attracted 5.54m (29.3%) at 7.30pm on BBC One as Dean's feelings for Linda were further explored and Carol resorted to desperate measures in an hour-long episode. BBC Three's repeat screening secured 524k (3.3%) at 10pm.

Emmerdale also claimed 5.54m (33.1%) at 7pm on ITV and 150k (0.7%) on +1 as Adam's out-of-control behaviour led to a serious accident at the farm. However, the evening's second episode was badly dented by clashing with the final 30 minutes of EastEnders, managing 4.03m (20.0%) at 8pm and 391k (2.0%) on +1 as Andy was rushed to hospital.

Hollyoaks interested 806k (5.3%) at 6.30pm on Channel 4 as the Osbornes' latest crisis led to Nancy cheating on Darren. 707k (4.2%) saw Nancy's lover revealed on E4's first look at 7pm.

Over on Channel 5, Neighbours entertained 506k (8.6%) at 1.45pm and 729k (6.5%) at 5.30pm, while Home and Away had 219k (3.5%) at 1.15pm, 523k (3.8%) at 6pm and 361k (2.4%) for 5*'s first look at 6.30pm.

Most of the talk will be about the second episode but that's a very good figure for the first Emmerdale. Highest share of the night.

See that's low for the second half for ED but I bet no one mentions it because it started once EE was on. Yet when EE gets a low rating because it starts while ED is on there will be pages crying crisis. Overall though all the soap ratings look low, but that second episode of ED is not good.

Emmerdale in crisis! Now we know the true affections of the soap-watching public etc etc etc

Of course what we really know is that one soap having a head start, swallowing its rival's slot and yet starting at its usual time will generally have the advantage.

ITV getting a taste of its own medicine. 4m!

Blimey - 4m for the second Emmerdale! EE dented it worse than I expected. The first did hold up very well - one of its highest ratings in a while.