C4, I expect.

That's going to be very cluttered for what should be a celebratory big week for EastEnders. Ratings might not reach the heights of Corrie's bus crash week.

. I can imagine the meltdown on the soap forums now if it's Preston v Cambridge on prime time BBC One instead of EE . The customary thread has already been started over there and EE fans are not happy. Although I think they could move the match to BBC Two in the unlikely event that Man Utd don't win their replay.

Eastenders could be airing two 1 hour long sessions that week then, as they are apparantly showing 5 episodes that week. On the Thursday, perhaps they could air a regular episode at 7:30pm with the Emmerdale clash and then have a 2nd live episode at 8:30pm (Death in Paradise would hit a series high afterwards). Not airing an episode on the Monday is a bit of a shame as that would probably have rated well, instead we may now end up with an out of slot/day Wednesday episode. Whatever happens it's going to be messy scheduling that week.

EDIT: Actually an 8:30pm episode in the middle of a Liverpool match is not such a good idea, maybe have the hour long on Wednesday to build up the audience over an hour and protect against a low rating out of slot/day half hour episode.

Just imagine! The magic of the cup!

That'll be pretty much a month of relentless trailers for Indian Summers by the time it airs! I'm already growing tired of the woman's voice whose speech opens the ad which seems to air every single commercial break.

I may have misunderstood something here but isnt the quote unquote magic of the FA cup, that small teams beat much bigger teams, and viewers like to see that?

All I know is that its going to be pretty pointless chanting "come on United!" in the stands, cos that applies to both teams, do they have back up chants?

As far as EE goes, it feels like we have not had one normal week yet this year, still the show has been excellent so that is all that matters.

you think the 30th anniversary live episode of a storyline thats been building up for about 7 months is gonna get less than 8.7 million?

Yes, but if Man Utd go out, the live game on BBC One will be Preston/Sheff Utd v Cambridge, which won't really interest all that many. From a TV point of view, it's preferable for the big teams to get through to the latter stages so that ratings remain high. EE being displaced for a fixture involving 2 lower league teams would not be ideal. In fact I think the BBC would then move the match to BBC Two.

The magic of the cup is when a lower league team knocks out a big side, the reality is that some big sides generate ratings on name alone. When they go out the ratings dip.

And EastEnders has been excellent but if the ratings aren't strong it hurts the show and BBC1.

It might. The football might take some viewers from it as would a potential soap clash.

fair enough, I guess the dream is something similar to Man U v Cam U in the final.

anything less than 10 milllion would be viewed as failure of EE live.

So the promotion has started already? It could be tough regardless as it clashed with another costume drama in Mr Selfridge. It stands a better chance than Cucumber, which had acres of promotion but was under 2m in overnights.

emmerdale won't effect ee its starts at 6.45 so it out of slot and going against eastenders live

I think if EE can do somewhere in the region 9m for the anniversary episode that will be considered good. Let's remember ratings are down across the board recently for pretty much everything and EE is one of the few shows to gain year on year.

EE is going to suffer. I hope the live episodes pick up enough casual interest to keep it at a respectable level.

Starting at 6.45 isn't ideal for Emmerdale either.

It feels like there was more promo for EE's 25th. Those doof doof ads started on NYD 2010 and seemed to air in every junction.


The decent thing to do would be to hold some episodes back. I'm not a fan of the clashes but I'd sooner see some later in the month than against EastEnders 30th episodes. EastEnders didn't put an episode on against Emmerdale's 40th a couple of years ago and would have had every right to after all the clashes ITV has engineered since the mid noughties.

Think SW figure was dented because it was the weakest story of this series - have to have a good plot in first part to get the viewers back for part two

You can guarantee ITV will schedule Emmerdale up against EastEnders if they have to.

This reminds me a bit of Harry Enfield's series in 1997 which was on Tuesdays at 9.30, like now a slot Wales often opted out of, and for some reason they couldn't find anywhere else to put it one week - I think there was Crimewatch and football after it - and it ended up at half past midnight. It was also on the cover of the Radio Times that week, which must have baffled Welsh viewers.

Anyway, a couple of people have said it was the best episode yet which baffles me as I thought it was the worst by miles, Arthur came across as totally demented in it. Trying to fix someone's broken leg by himself rather than take them to hospital? That's not Arthur being a lovable eccentric, that's him being a complete moron.


Yeah, the last two nights have suggested that the 10.45 programme is now starting dead at 10.45, as opposed to previously when it would usually start somewhere near 10.40, so it shouldn't make too much difference to audiences, I think.


If Cambridge do beat Man U it would be the biggest story in the FA Cup since, well, ever. I think the chances of them doing so are microscopic, to be honest, and if it does happen Cambridge are a major, major story.

When's the EastEnders live episode? Thursday? They could do:

Tuesday - 7.30 to 8
Wednesday - 8 to 8.30 (additional episode)
Thursday - 8 to 8.30 (recorded)
Thursday - 8.30 to 9 (live)
Friday - 8 to 8.30

With a switch at half eight like with the Olympic torch relay. That way it avoids Emmerdale and can be hyped up as a special with the midway switch.

Then I hope the BBC run a hour long EastEnders every Thursday for six months as payback. Anniversaries have hitherto been and should be off-limits.

EE said at the NTA's they have six episodes for the anniversary week as they are also having an hour long episode.

Out of interest why?

Emmerdale will air 6.45 - 7.45 because of the Europa League. It's up to BBC One whether to move EastEnders to 8 or not. I don't agree with clashes of same genre shows but more than once it's been said on here that it should be embraced and accepted.

My EE 30th prediction:

Tuesday 7:30-8pm
Wednesday 8-9pm
Thursday 7:30-8pm and 8pm-8:30pm LIVE
Friday 8-8:30pm

I only approve of same genre clashes if they're unavoidable and mostly the soap ones are. ITV has other options besides running Emmerdale for one hour on Tuesdays but that's what they always go for because they know it will dent EastEnders.

Regular episode clashes are one thing but I'm sure they could work around EastEnders in its anniversary week as a gesture of good will. We've never had a soap which is celebrating a major anniversary put in a disadvantageous position like this before. EastEnders clashed with Emmerdale during its 25th week but they had the advantage.

It is better for EastEnders to be in slot as much as possible that week to maximise its ratings potential.