New Tricks' decline is rather noteworthy I feel. Not so long ago it was smashing it out of the park in its timeslots wherever it was.

You won't be able to post the ratings until midday tomorrow because of maintenance:

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/annou....php?f=8&a=377

Really think Our Girl is going to struggle against such mammoth drama competition - if it tops 4 mill I'll be pleasantly surprised as it seems like a decent enough show.


No idea - BBC 2 usually holds up pretty well against Downtown anyway and it's the only factual alternative across the main 5 channels so it has that in its favor. Prison documentaries are pretty in at the moment anyway so this will probabaly be game for around 2 million?


2 action thriller premiers on different channels - likely to cancel each other out so that neither reaches it's true potential. In Time is the superior film and boasts a stronger cast (in my opinion) whereas Safe House is pretty by the numbers and doesn't really grab me in terms of names, so it may surprise but I imagine both will do around 1.2-1,5 million? Shame - but I'm really glad 4 & 5 are back to doing the Sunday film premiers again.

Was the Ripper Street petition pointless if its survived?

A few premiere dates just in from Channel 5:

Too Tough to Teach (New Series): Monday 29th September at 9PM [press release]
100% British (New Series): Thursday 2nd October at 9PM [press release]

100% British is three parts so possible UK launch date of October 23 for Gotham maybe if it's going on Thursdays. Too Tough to Teach is only two parts meanwhile so October 13 onwards if they go the brave man's route on Monday nights.

I suppose everything has its shelf life ultimately but this decline was unpredictable and IMO unjustified.

I am glad because it didn't appeal to me in the first place but not expecting it so soon.

Something I missed, when Bake Off - Extra Slice moves to Wednesday at 10pm because of the golf highlights, it's going to staying there for the rest of its run as a new Tom Kerridge series starts on Friday 3rd at 9pm. Not sure this is a smart move given that it's been doing pretty well on Fridays.


I'd question whether its survival had anything to do with the petition, more Amazon wanting to have more original content.

Rather than cast changes I think there is another reason for the ratings slide.

New Tricks is over repeated,

Some episodes have been shown three maybe four times now.

Few dramas are repeated but whenever there is a gap of new shows on BBC1 then New tricks fills it. So if you have a choice you go for the show that's less likely to be repeated.


NT was an excellent show last night and next weeks is said to be really good getting you to cry re Danny. They might have been too clever there, Nicholas Lyndhurst said that he was told his character wasn't to be liked, to not fit in, well that could be an issue on a team show.

I think that it was entirely predictable given the fact that NT was always ensemble acting involving three (four including Amanda) actors who gelled well together and where each gave a quirky aspect to their character. Change some or part of that formula and you have a different feel.

BBC One should take it and put it on at 21:00 on Friday, They be mad not to do it. As the BBC One comedy in that slot is rating low.

From Andy Parish over on GB, something that I didn't spot: http://www.barb.co.uk/whats-new/mont...-audience?_s=4 and http://www.barb.co.uk/whats-new/mont...meshifted?_s=4


I feel it is worth me noting that the live figures are now publicly available via the link above, something that has not previously been the case. Note though that the ITV figures on that link exclude HD and +1, however will give you a general overview of shows.

I know this has been the case for several months, but will be more of interest now as we head into the Winter season.

Both looks like decent factual commissions - TT2T seems to be Channel 5 capitalizing on the success of the Educating.... brand & 100% British seems to have the same premise as the forthcoming Immigration Street , so kudos to 5 for getting in their quicker. Both look like they'll do well - but the real commission I'm looking forward to seeing is 10,000 BC.

Confirmation too that Doctor Who will air at 20:30 on Saturday 27th September, Strictly will precede it at 19:00.

Which means a full clash between XF and DW - not sure how that will pan out with the overnights especially.

But different feel does not necessarily mean bad just different and they did this with Silent Witness and that has continued without too many problems at least yet. Yes there is less overt humour and Brian is sorely missed but its still ok as far as I am concerned.

I wonder which long-running drama series will be next to collapse in the ratings, in the way New Tricks has. My nominations:

3 Silent Witness: This had a ratings wobble in 2012, but with a better slot in 2013 and the retention of two of its three main characters, it survived a bit of PC casting and a shark-jump, to rate well. 2014 saw just one main character remain, but viewers stayed loyal. I just get the feeling this one is going to go pop in the not-too-distant.

2 Lewis: This one faces a tough test on Friday nights this autumn, and with the contrived beginning to the new series, to explain Lewis's return to work, this revival could go either way. Likely to be the last series, though.

1 Doc Martin: Lost a chunk of its audience early in its 2013 series, but stayed consistent after that, despite lots of fan exasperation at the increasingly bizarre scripts. Unless it comes back with a near-perfect first episode, this could be the next big dip.

Won't actually be confirmed until tomorrow, but I very much doubt BBC will change it given that it's the exact same schedule as last year (despite accusations on here that they're being more aggressive,) but with Doctor Who instead of Atlantis, and what most were expecting.

Some of Bergg's scheduling has been erratic in the last few months. I wonder if he might move Factor to 7pm in the final schedules, although it would be a bit of a risk to have two game shows back-to-back from 8.30pm if he did.

That rating for Cilla seems to have come out of nowhere. I really wasn't expecting much from it at all. There must have been some cheering this morning at ITV towers considering how some of their dramas have been performing recently. I watched it and really enjoyed it. Sheridan Smith is a phenomenally talented actress.

She is a good actress but the show was boring I thought.

Considering that it was generally accepted that the success of NT owed much to the four main actors/characters, to change three of them would be likely to alienate a significant part of the viewing base. And this seemed to be rather obvious when James Bolam left, going by the (not necessarily representative) comments on DS and elsewhere. And maybe that's when the warning bells started to sound with respect to the ratings. Now that the transformation is complete, we have a core viewing base from oldNT who seem to accept and are OK with the new formulation, with perhaps a small number of new viewers thrown in to the mix as well.

Doctor who was brilliant on Saturday. I think it will time shift well.

Noticed the Big Explosion in EastEnders tonight goes against the Football and the BBC trailers just say 'This Week' I do think Thursday will see an uplift in ratings though.

Applause from me for both of these posts, cylon.

Cilla did great - especially so in the context of how the majority of high profile shows have been doing this year - and very well deserved success, too.

EE should really be doing better by now. Imo a very iffy summer is to blame. It's all well and good them bringing out the big guns now and I am excited at the drama to come but the show could not afford to have the lull it did in the last couple of months, especially with the ratings potential Lucy's death and the initial aftermath displayed.

EastEnders has it's moments in the Summer but on the hole it was pretty poor.

There is loads and loads coming up between now and February. We've not had so much drama since 2009. There's a bit of everything from Gloom to Grit to Happy and big issues being raised.

I think EastEnders will rise a little on Thursday given what will be happening tonight but the BBC really should release trailers that mention a date or say 'Next Week Monday from 8'

I think EastEnders is in a good place right now (The best since early 2010) and I feel that will only help as we need into Christmas and the Big 30th.