There are four episodes of The Gift provisionally starting on 10th February. Is it really going to take a break after one episode so they can air an additional EastEnders episode?

Considering how well Still Open All Hours has done in the 7.30pm slot I think the Sunday episode is the best idea (18.30 CF; 19.30 EE; 20.00 CTM) but they've trailed live week from the 17th so I imagine it'll run as follows:

Tuesday: 19.30 - 20.00
Wednesday: 20.00 - 21.00 (dislodged episode and first additional episode)
Thursday: 20.00 - 21.00 (second additional, pre-recorded, episode followed directly by live episode)
Friday: 20.00 - 20.30

They can then promote it as 'all this week at 8' after Tuesday's episode.

The problem with an hour episode on the Wednesday is Bake Off, that starts the week before a 8pm. I'm sure they have a plan, one they've had from the beginning, but I can't for the life of me see what it is. Guess we'll just have to wait until Friday, or more likely, Tuesday.

I imagine ITV were slightly more competitive in 2004 than they are now!

The first two series of Who Do You Think You Are? were on BBC2.

I forgot about that, I just looked at the dates on wiki.

There's nothing 'locked' in the 9pm slot though so they could air either Bake Off or EastEnders at 9? Probably Bake Off so they offer an alternative to Wolf Hall rather than pitching 'dramas' head to head.

In the current deal the highlights rights are costing the Beeb a shade under £60m a year. The cheapest live package, Sky's dozen Saturday teatime games per season, costs £66m a year.
http://www.sportingintelligence.com/2012/06/17/this-bubble-ain’t-bursting-yet-all-the-details-you’d-ever-want-to-know-about-the-premier-league’s-new-tv-deals-170601/

I don't like the Thursday one Having the LIVE follow on from an episode sounds wrong. The Wednesday episode (Or the Ep before the Fully live) will no doubt have a massive cliffhanger.

Could go Thursday 8:00pm-8:30pm (Regular episode)
8:30pm-9:00pm (EastEnders episode 1 or some sort of Birthday show Pointless special)
9:00pm9:30pm-EastEnders LIVE
9:30pm-10:00pm-EastEnders LIVE aftermath
10:00pm-The News

The Gift is based on a very successful Dutch TV format where people want to be reunited but not necessarily as friends, they may have skeletons in the cupboard - it will be huge

Just a reminder that Gen Game was another Dutch format that Bill Cotton bought for Bruce Forsyth, need I say more ?

Itv could probably afford a package of live games if they wanted to bid

Just as a matter of interest, if ITV did get a live package(however remote a possibility)-would that effectively guarantee a form of terrestrial highlights too or would they just be able to show the live games? Seems a confusing prospect if the BBC continued with Match of the Day.

So it's not a series of people just saying thank you?

It'd be nice if there was a package of live games on terrestrial, and it don't know why the Premier League don't create a package for that intention, a nice selection of decent games that won't cause too much of an issue for the pay TV companies, it'd be a good shop window.

But with the fight for premier league rights tougher than ever before with BT having bottomless pockets and Sky having to also bid hard to stop BT, the chances of any games being on terrestrial is less now than it's ever been.

I remember it well. First edition with Bill Oddie And it exploded out of the blocks on BBC2. His one was sad.

I have always thought the same. They have so many matches making another 6 or so available for terrestrial would be no problem to them.

Well they have certainly given it a good slot. It does look a lot like the ITV show though from the trailers at least.

That sounds like a bit of a daft non story really. 3 minutes? I'd expect most of the 'main' shows like the soaps and the talent shows to be watched in similar numbers

My dad has probably seen at least 3 mins of Emmerdale, Corrie, X Factor, I'm a Celeb, BGT, The Voice and Strictly, but is definitely not a viewer of any of them.

Seeing as Wall To Wall did Who Do You Think You Are then Long Lost Family, I bet The Gift is one of theirs too. It has their fingerprints all over it.

It's such a nonsense stat. I bet 28m have seen the weather at one point as well. Nonsense.

Three-minute reach is a standard stat but I think 15-minute would be more suitable here. Worth pointing out that it does mean consecutive minutes.

Something interesting on Bother's Bar:


http://www.bothersbar.co.uk/?p=8422

Why ITV keep Tipping Point at 3pm and why Channel 4 is putting Deal Or No Deal there is a mystery!

Whats the betting Midsomer Murders tonight returns with less than 5m, and loses viewers YOY for no apparent reason. Easier BBC competition (tougher BBC2) but still plenty of viewers to go around.

ITV have to start picking up soon or 2015 will be worse than 2014, which so far it is.

Their trouble is that they spread there very few stronger programmes over varied periods, and having less stronger programming than BBC1 means they weaken in certain areas. A bit like a house and cement really. They've got the strong programmes joining everything together. But failing miserably.

In terms of entertainment and LE, ITV rely too much on the talent format's. Palladium, GYAT, SITE etc. At least Ninja Warrior UK is something a bit different. They need to think outide the box. Even this thing 'Bear Grylls: Mission Survive' (good title and better than Bear Grylls Celebrity Survivor) is at least something more different.

Drama needs a good shake up. They NEED more drama that is returnable and that rates well. BBC1 finds these quite easily, but I imagine they are usually first pick for many writers.

And ITV need to get rid of Blackburn. Please.

Honestly its like their out to destroy their own schedule. Any idiot can see that Tipping Point and The Chase should remain together, not split apart. Now TC has to work harder to build from sub 1m, 2m less than Pointless inherits.

And surely the idiot scheduler at ITV can see starting ASFF 15minutes into CTM and Top Gear is just asking for sub 3m. Absolute plonkers.

In regards to The Voice UK. Its proven o be strong, but stronger when faced with sub 3m. Instead in trying to appeal to younger audiences against TVUK. ITV should pull the older audience, and casual audience with quizzes and perhaps drama after TVUK finishes. Example for next year:

6.30pm Tipping Point/Lucky stars
7.30pm The Chase/Catchphrase
8.30pm Beowulf/Jekyll and Hyde

The problem being that they don't have enough strong programmes that hold up.