I can't stand him so bang goes my main reason not to watch at the moment. Damn

But not with poor Christine?


There might otherwise have been viewer complaints: some people are probably under the impression that the lottery quiz is broadcast live and would wonder why Paris was being cheerily discussed / used as a prize with no referencing of the news.

Not long now until CBB.

One thing's for sure, the brand is now dead so it will never be coming back in its original form ever again after this

I don't agree with broadcasters having to apologise for viewer stupidity but that would explain it, I guess.

That name value alone meant lots of viewers rather than looking at the format?

To be fair, the BBC normally go to some lengths to make the quizzes appear live, with "handovers" to Lottery HQ for example. It's not so unthinkable that these ruses work on some viewers, even intelligent ones.

How will Call the Midwife do on it's return? Will Broadchurch, The Voice and Stars in Their Eyes see increases, falls or steadiness for their second episodes? Will Ipswich v Southampton be a match of the day for BBC One? How will Suspects do for it's series premiere? Will Get Your Act Together help ITV do just that?

Why not make your predictions on the DS Ratings Prediction Game? Just click HERE, hit the reply, delete the quote marks and get predicting!

Thank you to all those in advance who take part and good luck!

Raised a chuckle, thanks Fudd

Stars was a real hodge podge - TV Burp format mixed in with other zany stuff and then the singing. Personally I found it mildly amusing and am glad they tried it differently. It's not like it was ever a serious talent show to begin with and tonight was no different to how it's ever been - they've always had rubbish people and a couple of okay ones which today was.

Maybe it won't work but no one should ever be under the illusion that a straight remake of the original would work either.

Wow CBB looks..... intense tonight!

She's cursed. In truth she'd have been better than Harry Hill.


If they were that worried they could have just swapped episodes.


The show was too dated in it's original format, especially considering the impact The X Factor and The Voice have had. If they wanted to bring it back they had to switch it up somehow.

Seems they are really pulling out all the stops here. I hear Sarah Phelps is writing the episode. She is doing a one off ep. One if not the best EastEnders writers ever.

The 30th Trailer was filmed today also. So that could be on TV this week sometime.

I don't think they were particularly worried; it's just that putting out a quick announcement beforehand prevented any possible confusion or complaints, with a minimum of hassle, without having to change the episode order. Paris might still be topical later during the run, after all.

That is bloody fantastic.

Regarding Stars in their Eyes, they've only filmed 2 episodes so far apparently, so maybe changes may gradually be made during the series.

Starting from scratch would be the best idea.

So we have An Iconic Wedding,Murder reveal,Legend's Death,Some comebacks and other surprises a LIVE episode with Live parts the rest of the week. It's already bigger than the 25th. I think we could be in for some fantastic ratings.

Once the trailer kicks in an hype builds people might want to revise their Ratings prediction.

Why they getting rid of Harry?? 😜 nah am messing I can't comment haven't seen it.

Re. EastEnders - it's a story in the Daily Star. How good are they with soap news?


It'll be too late by then.

Too many shows, especially on ITV, have started a mess and found their footing... only for the viewers to have abandoned it never to return. They need to hit the ground running with the launch.

I think getting a tough signing like Ross Kemp back could be the thing to really push it. It is in a way shaping up to be better than the 25th, but then that had general goodwill about the show anyway. EE and soaps aren't as strong now as 5 years ago.

I doubt it will be that soon, the other Lucy trailer was filmed a good month before it aired.

Suzie is brilliant. Her exclusives are usually correct. Other Papers have run the story too.


Ross said part of him regrets leaving EastEnders despite doing well out of it
He would be up for a return. I put money on him being a surprise Return in Feb.

Pretty good, it's one of the few things they get right. It's also in a few other papers.

I do wish these things weren't immediately hyped up in this thread though, I'm excited by it because I love the show but it just gives people who don't an easy target to bash it when the ratings inevitably disappoint.

What is to say there is only 1?
This one seems to feature the cast as a whole.

Less dated than Birds of a Feather and Thunderbirds but they've brought those back (and, in the case of at least the former, without much freshening up).

On the other hand, I'm just watching it now and I am going to go out and a limb and say I don't really understand the reaction.

Here's a list of the show's concepts: boring theme tune, unexciting graphics, naff set, repetitive one-toned audience reactions which were completely over-the-top about every act, presenter making awful jokes, dull VT's about boring family lives, cliched and terrible dance routines, tacky props treated seriously, every contestant so far being from Slough, the moment where he "just happened to have a guitar here" and be amazing despite having never played before.. and I've only watched 20 minutes. It's nothing more than a spot-on parody of everythibg most of the population finds naff about these shows.

I can absolutely understand why it would go down badly with typical ITV viewers who are used to taking the X Factor as seriously as a general election, or those who recall the original format as though it were a much-loved late relative, but then again ITV already provide for those audiences enough so perhaps it's for the best that they finally find something which might find the opposite audience. It's not perfectly executed, admittedly, but it is a damn sight more interesting than the 406th repeat of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone or You've Been Framed, and certainly better than 'Splash' or 'Your Face Sounds Familair' which weren't receieved anything like an unanimously-negatively as this has been. Well done ITV for having the guts to not only comission something new at last but something decent and maybe even innovative at that.