It was purely a cost issue. ITV and Sky wanted to maintain the status quo but we're blown out of the water by BT.

Kevin Whateley said in a recent interview that he felt Lewis worked best as two hours but the programme planners had decided they would be x2 60 minutes.As it sounds as if this will be his last series I suspect that confirms the theories that really the actors (even the leading actor) have no say in that sort of thing.

It depends how well its is written. The Scandi dramas have no problem with storys told over 10 episode and Broadchurch did it successfully. I have just been reading about it and it sounds really interesting especially as it seems to be largely set in France with a French detective.

I think we al accept that these shows are manipulated and contrived at times to make for better TV. Then I think to myself does it really matter as all TV is scripted in someway anyway to make it more interesting. You wouldn't sit and watch paint dry for an hour for example, if they don't make things exciting people won't watch anymore.

What is it about? Is it a serial killer or something?

Logically ITV post CL could schedule as follows:
7.00 Emmerdale
8.00 All Star Mr and Mrs
9.00 Lewis
10.00 News at Ten.
This would zap the awful cheap factual and provide ITV with at least 4 million viewers.

That's The Missing doomed then. Everything this thread thinks will do well doesn't stand a chance, Cilla's the only drama to do well and people were writing it off beforehand. (Just like they're doing to The Great Fire.) It does look interesting though, and I think being on Tuesday should help it start well at least, but after recent drama ratings I don't know what viewers actually want from drama any more.


Wouldn't surprise me either, but then Thursdays could end up like how Tuesdays are now.

Apparently its about a couple whos son goes missing on holiday in France and the search for him. I wont say too much else as there are a couple of spoilers in what I have read,

TA does not pretend to be anything it is not. the contestants are largely over privileged spoilt egomaniacs, completely unlikable sociopaths. , Sir Alan has as much disdain for them as the viewer has. It is all pantomine, and nobody believes it to be anything else.

In contrast TXF manipulates often quite fragile individuals who are alot less emotionally secure and less capable of dealing with the scrutiny.
Well, that's my take on it.

Mmm intriguing, will give that a go, I love the scandi thriller Noir, though aside from The Fall any attempt by UK to emulate them has been pretty disappointing. Speaking of which any start date for The Fall 2??

I would think what would happen on Thursday will be Paul O Grady's dogs at 8.00 and a game show like Celebrity Squares at 8.30.

I'm interested you say that - why? If, say, they gave ITV one series of House of Cards every September starting next year, viewers could be reeled in to subscribing to Netflix by the prospect of being able to jump ahead and binge on the next series having become hooked. Was just an idea but I can't see why it wouldn't work..

Its expected in November but I dont think there is any actual date yet.

Then there is BB, which seems to encourage misfits and generally unpleasant people to act up for the cameras. However, the reality genre has endured for well over a decade as the success of TA and IAC proves people like to see this kind of thing.

This is it in a nutshell.
This is also it in a nutshell!

Fair enough. But then the contestants who enter for TXF should know what they are letting themselves in for now, its not as if its a new format. If they enter in, then that's what they going to have to deal with.

TXf is a good launch pad to get yourself noticed, or better become a successful singer. If you are as you say 'less capable of dealing with scrutiny' then don't audition for TXF. The music industry is not cotton wool.

I would say TXF and TA are both pantomime programmes, but that's what makes them enjoyable.

The truth is, everything is manipulated for TV entertainment. The X Factor is only picked on because its more obvious.

Leona Lewis was one of the more respected acts from TXF and managed to sell 10 million albums. Not all of the acts are of the standard of Jedward, even though this duo had a decent career for three years after TXF.

Many of the biggest X Factor acts have not won the competition either, it has produced big stars like JLS, Olly Murs & Ella Henderson who are relevant and have sold in good numbers without winning.

And I would argue nastier for the sake of it.

Its the platform of the show that allows this to happen. I think Ella Henderson will be the next big star for TXF with No1 single already under her belt.

Is that not real-life? Real life is not a ball of cotton wool. If you want a successful singer at the end of the show, your going to have to be cruel to be kind as they say. Nobody forces them to audition.

The thing with TXF is the whole premise of the audition rounds is to openly laugh at people, and some of them seem quite vulnerable and clueless. Yes they SHOULD know better, but it often feels as if they are just really naive. I don't watch it as I find it cruel, but millions love it, each to their own. As you said ALL RTV is manipulation.

You're right nobody forces them to audition, but I don't agree that it's real-life. In real life people don't needlessly humiliate and be cruel to one another (well not in my World Thank God )

It's really a singing competition, but been given a 21st century reality twist to make it more relevant than something like Stars In Their Eyes.