IF Pointless had more competition than clip shows and a repeated-too-often film, then it might actually face some competition. Look at the daytime additions. When its against The Chase they are usually neck-n-neck (if The Chase has a good lead in) it below 4m. When ITV put something less competitive in that slot, Pointless pushes its way past 4m, sometimes over 4.5m. Its obvious to see this would be true of the Saturday additions.

The fact PC doesn't face any competition allows it to get an easier audience on weekends. I'm not denying its got a dedicated audience who enjoy it, but to suggest it got 5m viewers who would watch with competition is silly.

If The Chase Celeb Special was on at the same time as PC, would it have got 5m? No. More like 4.2m odd.

To be honest, that sounds even worse to me than a straight variety show and I'm really glad I missed it. Like a "This is Your Life" clip show or something.

I barely watched any TV this Christmas, various reasons, but it was a first for me. However, I did plan my travel to ensure I was back in my own home for Top Gear last night/tonight; pretty much always the top of my Christmas must-watch list.

Haunting of Radcliffe House was enjoyably spooky too, although I wish I'd recorded it so I could have skipped the mood-wrecking adverts.

And Robbie, seeing as you suggested an unprompted entertainment show A Christmas Cracker on ITV Boxing Day would top a big film premiere of Avengers Assemble of BBC1, forgive me if I strongly disagree that popular drama LTIH would fall below 5m, against a clip show on ITV, in a 9pm slot, with a strong BBC schedule around it. I honestly don't know whether your being serious?

I predict 6.3m for LTIH.

Still outrated everything ITV put out last night though.

If we were seeing figures of 8-9m for other shows, then I'd agree with you, but this Xmas has been disappointing in terms of ratings with most shows significantly underperforming. Shows which had a better chance than EE of getting a brilliant number. With this lack of ratings momentum in mind, EE has done well to see any boost at all.

Quite so.

Pointless rates well because people like it.

It's the same argument that is levelled at Strictly. "If only" ITV ran some proper competition against Strictly, then it wouldn't get 10 million.

Last year, they ran a hugely expensive Strictly rip-off against it (Stepping Out) and this year they ran both Palladium and their big new LE show Keep it in the Family against it. Both bombed.

Well Chase only goes that close with plus-one, (if with a good lead-in, another excuse). Celebrity Chase has never done that well against anyone has it? I mean one show likes to be antagonistic in nature, tthat's fair enough, another is always warmer, so the warmer show will do better at week-ends, you've just proven my point ridiculous and silly excuses. The Chase is actually poor competition at weekends, bet Pointless would love to be put up against it, might get more.

Have to say i do agree with this. Why people continually take a pop at it I dont know.

Yeah, I'm not even an huge fan anymore, have hardly watched it in a month or two, probably will gravitate back sometime, but its a ratings monster for it's costs and aspirations, and so far shows no signs of abating, quite the opposite.

All the promo? Yeah it had a trailer which was hardly ever shown.
Dr who and Mrs Brown always seemed to be trailed on BBC1

The BBC should get behind it more for New Years though because there is much more happening than at Christmas and I think NYD is in the perfect slot.

EastEnders was still right behind the most watched Xmas day show which fell like 2 million since last year and nothing managed to beat it on Boxing Day.

Anne Reid said in an interview the other day the cast had not been approached about a series 4 and you would expect them to have been if the BBC wants it next year. The BBC has already announced Sherlock for 2016 with a Christmas special next year for instance.

But you can say that about ANY programme - if it faces tougher competition its ratings will drop. Look at how Emmerdale performed on Boxing Day.

The Chase is, IMHO, every bit as brilliant as Pointless and I'm pleased they both do so well in the ratings.

A good lead in does help if you look at the early evening schedule on Weekends and in daytime.

Look at the daytime ratings, and then you will see what would happen at weekends. The Chase Celeb special is usually against SCD (so gets squashed). When its not, on Sunday it used to get 4-5m at 7pm.

BIB What does this mean?

The Chase is stronger competition for Pointless than YBF. You only need to look at weekdays to see this. +1 allows viewers to watch both.

Top Gear really was extraordinary viewing tonight. It should get a pretty big rating.

Anyone expecting a low scoring week this week? "Mapp and Lucia" should be on BBC2 as it's too posh for the general public, and aside from "Eastenders", "Mrs Brown" and "Miranda", I can't see any big hitters.

I do wonder whether Pointless Celebrities (and, to a lesser extent, Pointless) is being over-exposed. But, at the moment, it's holding up far better than The Weakest Link did - I think by this time in it's cycle it was showing signs of age.

Its more the fact that ITV don't allow The Chase to show what it can do on weekends and is thrown under a bus against SCD, and the both are compred when they both face completely different competition. Also they could have had The Chase on last night as well instead of YSTHF at 6pm.

The BBC seem to be better at scheduling their best performing programmes.

It seems to have got much less promotion than the three partners usually do, and it's quite odd the last episode is on New Year's Eve where usually they have it done and dusted the day before. Almost as if they've commissioned a three parter because they already do, but then don't think much of it this year.


Answering a point before anyone has made it. It's worth pointing out that It'll be alright on the night has been shown on Christmas Day on ITV in the past.

I find H of De Vil's bitterness towards it quite hilarious . The numerous excuses he uses are so brilliantly contradictory.

Oh here we go.......mr rudeness himself sticks his five penith in.

Agreed.

I didn't think I would feel sorry for them in advance, but did at the end.

It will have the top rating tonight, with LTIH close. Why allow TG to eat into LTIH by four mins?

I don't often watch Top Gear, but yes it was good.

I think Pointless does well for two reasons:-

1. It's a very warm and genial show, none of the forced repetitive nastiness of The Weakest Link.

2. They're very good at choosing interesting celebrities for the celebrity editions. They had John Cooper Clarke on a few weeks ago for heaven's sake!

This is getting daft now, the amount of discussions we have had this Christmas about shows that are different lengths to what they are shown as in the listings. Maybe it's because the listings are published so far in advance before the programmes are edited. It was thought they were doing this to dent ITV but now they are denting themselves as well.

I did think programme makers had to deliver programmes to fixed lengths, this was the case on ITV due to the strict rule about adverts, but on the BBC it seems they are allowed to deliver any length they want.

Clarkson has said he likes being on Two as they do allow extra time and TG doesn't have to be exactly 60 mins but on Saturday TG caused friendly fire on Bruce and tonight friendly fire on TLTIH. it should have ended on time.

The TG repeats are close to the Live FA cup matches and again that seems odd scheduling.

TG should have been on against repeats slots, such as The Royal family, a good alternative,