Looking at the audience breakdowns I don't think X Factor had a promising overnight rating on Saturday. Only 6m during the Strictly clash and it didn't hit 9m from 8.30pm. The Sunday breakdown looks low too.

Also it looks like Strictly will rate higher next week due to a shorter X Factor clash. The thing that sticks out for me about Strictly is how low the timeshifts were for week ending October 5th. If they stay low Strictly won't grow and continue to be down on last year.

Why move Bake Off just to spite Simon Cowell? They wouldn't is the answer. They don't need to move it when their Sundays are already strong with Strictly, Countryfile and Antiques Roadshow. Why weaken their midweek schedule when their weekend schedule is already strong enough?

I don't think so though I've said before that a schedule of:

18.20 Countryfile
19.20 Strictly Come Dancing
20.00 The Great British Bake Off
21.00 Death in Paradise

Could ask real questions of ITV - especially as Downton is bleeding viewers at a slightly alarming rate at the moment.

That way madness lies. Bake Off does a very good job on weeknights and that is where it should stay.

I don't think too much can be read into ITV's breakdown until next week. Some viewers may have stuck with shows which started at 8pm and switched over for the final result at 9pm; the uplift may have been as much due to The X Factor viewers as Downton fans. If the show had started at 8pm it may have pulled in more viewers from the start. Next week should reveal more either way.

They have in fact explained what the error was. A software bug meant that AOT with code viewing minutes were wrongly attributed (to ABC).

Next week should say a lot about both Strictly and X Factor's potential to grow across their respective series.

Thanks, apparently they were having crisis meetings at NBC over Nightly News losing top spot (which it may well have done in any case when we get the revised figures).

How did the terrestrial premiere of Tarzan do on Channel 5 yesterday?

I'd be tempted to try Death In Paradise after Call The Midwife on Sundays in January. That would leave Tuesday night weaker so it's very doubtful that it will happen.

Last year the respective shows aired:
Strictly Come Dancing: 18.30 - 20.20 (9.69m; 43.9%)
The X Factor: 20.00 - 22.00 (7.57m; 32.9%... +1 345k; 1.7%)

Strictly is almost airing like-for-like (18.30 - 20.25) this time around. The X Factor has 20 minutes extra after 10pm but surely this is where it should be looking to close the gap?

The Walking Dead returns with another series high, when will it stop growing?

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/201...iewers/313670/

8.7 in the demo!

I think so. If X Factor is to do better it has to close the gap and be much higher than last year. Strictly has to be level with last year at least but it hasn't managed it yet. Timeshifts also need to be higher to achieve it.

The Walking Dead always does well in the season opener although it not as big a jump compared to previous seasons but TBH any shows in its fifth season that is doing those numbers is a huge hit.

Even when it does start dropping, I imagine AMC will keep this going for a long time. It's basically their only hit

Itv's new singing show format, 'Sing My Song':


Look at the teaser video on here: https://itvstudios.com/programmes/sing-my-song]

It is a huge rip-off of The Voice! They have judges sitting on 4 separate chairs with tv screens in front of them blocking their views so they cant see the contestant. If they like the contestant, they push a lever, which moves the tv screen out of the way so they can see the contestant. A blatant copy of the Voice's revolving chair! I hope Talpa sue the makers of this show for such a blatant rip off.

From a ratings perspective, Sing My Song has been the biggest new smash hit of the year in China, winning the ratings every single week with a share of 37pct.

BLOODY HELL!

I think it has grown every single year! Amazing! Walking Dead has better demo ratings than any other scripted show on US television.

Regarding the ITV breakdown on the previous page: remember trickytree1979 a few years back posted that there is not a lot of overlap between The X Factor and Downton, I think the breakdown unequivocally confirms that.

1 - This isn't new. ITV did a deal for this months ago (April I think) and actually the main focus of the deal is that ITV Studios or ITV Global Entertainment will distribute the format internationally. Although I have vague memories of a clause that ITV will air a British version within two years of signing the deal which means we may not actually see this until 2016. Assuming we see it at all and in truth it may not land on the main channel. Its a smaller format.

2 - Its a Chinese format developed by the team that produce The Voice in China so hardly surprising that it has overlaps with The Voice. I'd also point out that The Voice is hardly a work of startling originality.

New Two and a Half Men (Comedy Central) which is back on UK TV next week trailed during Gotham.

It does. There probably was in the first year they were paired together as X Factor was used as a lead in to launch series 1 of Downton. If Downton doesn't pick up the average would put it behind Call The Midwife this year.

If Downton keeps shedding viewers I wonder whether it might be worth moving it to Monday's next year - even though Coronation Street pulls in a smaller audience than The X Factor there may be more of a crossover to help it out.

Though it begs the question what they have to replace it on Sunday which has a better crossover with The X Factor.

Was probably the best quality opener since the first series too, so hopefully it'll retain the standard and viewers.

So ITV show repeats of Two and a Half Men?

Downton would have to drop so far that it comes second to BBC1 to consider moving it. Ar this point it is still the most watched drama of the week and BBC1 still can't beat it on Sundays.

Its a show I've never watched, its just astonishing how it continues to do such mammoth number year after year.

As for Gotham I enjoyed the season premier tonight and will definitely be back next week.