But the Goodies were always on BBC2, and I don't know why you're mentioning Python on BBC1 given that last happened in 1972, not really an era we can draw many comparisons with to now. The second series wasn't even networked. It was a totally different era.

The points I'm making about Commercial Breakdown and Tarrant on TV is that you have to give the star total credit for the success of this kind of show. Harry Hill has been on primetime ITV for a decade with a show he was totally responsible for. I'm pretty sure he knows what appeals to a primetime audience, it wasn't some kind of fluke. It he's offered a slot on mainstream BBC1 - or indeed has come up himself with something that would work on primetime BBC1 - he's not daft, he'll know exactly the kind of audience he's playing to. With all respect, he doesn't need people to tell him that.

I don't know why you think Harry Hill on BBC1 would be any kind of risk, I think it's a very exciting signing for BBC1 and I think he'll be great there. On all his shows he's worked alongside people like Little and Large, Barry Cryer and so on, and Robin Nash directed his C4 show because he specifically wanted someone with experience of directing the old school light entertainment shows. I also think the mainstream BBC1 audience is far more willing to embrace something out of the ordinary than you're giving them credit for. Certainly more now too than when Python or Ben Elton (nearly 25 years ago now, a totally different generation so a pointless comparison really) were about.

Having said all this, mind, in 2001 I thought Lee Evans was a brilliant signing for BBC1 and his show was an enormous flop.

New Tricks did launch poorly last night by its own standards, but then you see some of the figures surrounding it.... Someone mentioned earlier that New Tricks usually beats EastEnders to win top rating of the night, but New Tricks was only a few 100k behind it last night!

That EastEnders rating is shockingly bad. It can't even hit a 6 million overnight on a Monday now and it's not even hitting a 30% share either! Very poor.

Likewise, Corrie isn't hitting 7 million which is bad by its own standards, though the 35% share for the first episode isn't too bad.

Maybe New Tricks will add an extraordinary timeshift to make up for the poor number last night. Silent Witness was adding an impressive 2 million timeshift to its figures earlier in the year, and the same could happen to New Tricks. 2 million added on would give it a respectable 7.7m official rating.

Might be the case with some other shows this Autumn too. Doctor Who and X Factor will no doubt take viewers off each other too.

I think this season will be won or lost on scheduling decisions.

Doctor Who will be watched by these people who don't like adverts.

I never said Harry Hill was a risk, I just think if he does his surreal comedy it might not find a big audience. If it's broader it might work. But many Harry Hill fans probably expect his show to be surreal, that's why they are making predictions of his ratings based on that.

Carrott's Commercial Breakdown was a hit because of Carrott's humour and delivery in between not just commercials. The versions that followed his never came close to matching his ratings. To dismiss Carrott's Commercial Breakdown as crap is nonsense.

My point about Python is the first series was on BBC1 and ratings were low. The audience didn't take to surreal, it's how you dress it up. The Goodies especially from 1975 were getting great ratings on BBC2 as you had surreal humour but in a traditional sitcom narrative.

With X Factor you can pause it, watch from 8pm, whizz through ads and be caught up. The thing is when it was must see people sat through the ads. I think it will do better than last year but Doctor Who with a new Doctor and revamped X Factor will be tough competition for each other.

Sunday 31st August will be fun in here!

Do you watch ITV dramas?

X Factor, More like 20:30.

The overnights for New Tricks next week will include how many viewers in Scotland watch the referendum debate.


if NT timeshifts 2m then that would indicate it rated low last night because of all the competition. If it timeshifts the same or less than last series, then that suggests a bit of negativity towards the new team - which wouldn't surprise me. Denis Lawson's character has done so little since he joined, he might as well be a photograph on the desk and Nicholas Lyndhurst's character is a bit aloof and difficult to warm to.


Looked back at last year's ratings, Corrie was rating about 8m on the equivalent Monday and last night it rated 7m. So I blame Corrie entirely for NT's drop in audience.

How's that?

Cos that's how BARB work. The quickest way to calculate the overnights is to work out how many people watch such-and-such a channel at such-and-such time and then sort out regional variations when they've got a bit more time.

The Referendum debate which is on BBC2 in the rest of the UK is on BBC1 in Scotland between 8.30 and 10.00. Which is why NT is on later in Scotland. So NT's overnights will be NT's ratings everywhere except Scotland plus the Referendum ratings between 9pm and 10pm in Scotland.

I get the feeling BBC1 are confident in this series of Doctor Who and don't care about The X Factor opposition. Not sure ITV will move X Factor but I doubt it will get a big launch rating opposite Doctor Who.

Regarding New Tricks, this is how low it has gone in the officials since 2006 for a new episode

08/10/10 - 7.24m (29.0%)
24/04/06 - 7.10m (28.3%)
10/09/13 - 6.56m (23.5%)*

* note: I'm 99% certain this was displaced in Scotland because the overnight was much higher

And good taste...

That's a rather low start for New Tricks and gives some hope to itv that drama might not do awfully in that slot. However, it's only one rating and definitely too soon to draw any big conclusions about NT. We'll see where it goes next week and the week after. But there will certainly be some anxious people next Tuesday morning at 9.30am.


15 minutes from 9pm (exc +1)... CBB, CBBBOS, CBBLIVE

1.96m 8.4%
2.06m 8.9%
2.21m 9.5%
2.43m 12.8%
2.39m 13.7%
2.47m 15.8%
2.47m 17.7%
2.13m 18.4%

1.10m 11.7%
0.82m 10.0%
0.76m 10.8%
0.62m 10.8%

0.42m 8.9%
0.35m 9.0%
0.33m 10.0%
0.27m 9.8%


The TV audience at 9pm yesterday was over 23m which doesn't seem awful for the time of year.


The pre XF shows did 3.3m as did the shows that followed and indeed the 2011 series probably gave XF the best lead-ins it has had since Saturday Night Takeaway ran in the autumn.

Red or Black was itself a failure, as expectations were a lot higher, but XF 2012 had its own problems which were nothing to do with its lead ins or outs. Itv haven't done anything decent in years in those slots. ROB was a rare flicker of ambition which didn't pay off in the end.


Well yes, if you remove two of the biggest hit formats in the world then the success rate is terrible... but it doesn't seem like a terribly sensible way to evaluate things!

Out of interest, who should itv be commissioning from?


Given that I can't see Celebrity Chase or Jonathan Ross doing much more than 3.3m, I don't imagine this is the case. Especially as CC will have less audience crossover with XF than Red or Black.

It's more cost effective by a mile though!

It's just the usual from itv though. It's X Factor (or BGT) in a sea of nothing. And XF won't just be trying to jump start Saturday nights for itv, it'll be trying to start the whole channel again. It's very well showing a promo a lot but doesn't count for much if nobody is around to watch it. It might have been smart to buy some time on Channel 4 and E4 to widen the reach, particularly among the younger audiences. It wouldn't surprise me if the 16-34 weekly reach of itv is below 50% at the moment.

New Tricks starts at 2235 in Scotland next Monday. Incidentally Monday is a public holiday in the rest of the UK but not Scotland.The debate will be shown on BBC2 across the rest of the UK, I believe STV are showing it around midnight.It will also be live on the BBC News channel.

Everything in the 9pm hour was lower than previously in that slot. Lots of competition.
New Tricks trailers the last few years haven't been anything special but people still tuned in.

Through The Keyhole is going to be on after X Factor not Jonathan Ross. That did alright last year so it's not all bad. I can see Celebrity Chase doing better than 3.3m. With no Strictly 4-4.5m seems achievable.

Just saw the soap ratings. EastEnders can't get 6m at 8pm. That is pitiful!

I'd rather be just under 7m with Corrie than just under 6m with EastEnders.

Naughty, naughty when we know the I player figures are a million and officials are fine!!

Too soon to draw big conclusions is exactly right although it has not stopped a constant stream of exactly that on here all day.

Don't forget the overnight figure for NT next Monday will include the BBC Scottish referendum debate even though NT is being shown at 2235 in Scotland, an anomaly of the BARB system. The debate on STV peaked at 900,000 so it could give NT a rather bizarre artificial boost which will only be corrected in the officials.

Probably because everyone was expecting NT to swoop in as usual and flatten everything in sight. As someone rightly pointed out though the rating it actually got was the kind of rating you'd expect from this kind of show if it wasn't such a hit with the general public.

Anyone seen a figure for the Eamonn Holmes ITV quiz Gift Wrapped ? His foray into US TV in 2006 with The Rich List had the unique distinction of being pulled after one episode.

Gift Wrapped 1.61m (13.5%)