DS roundup and it's an odd one. First of all, there is no +1 ratings. If anyone has the +1 figures to two decimal points for...

First Dates, CBB, Flockstars and Stephen Fry?

Secondly, DS says Hunted was lower too, same as Broadcast, it says 1.35m excl +1.

90 minutes of Corrie and 90 minutes of Emmerdale should just about sort the Christmas Schedule

Looks like they're right then. Hunted didn't hold its audience after all, if it did Channel 4 press would have tweeted about it.

Sunday 25th December 1994

ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE (BBC1, 21:00) 15.14m
FILM : ROBIN HOOD - PRINCE OF THIEVES (BBC1, 18:45) 14.32m
EASTENDERS (BBC1, 18:15) 14.23m
HEARTBEAT (ITV, 21:00) 13.79m
KEEPING UP APPEARANCES (BBC1, 17:25) 13.69m
VICTORIA WOOD : LIVE IN YOUR OWN HOME (BBC1, 21:40) 13.39m
CORONATION STREET (ITV, 19:30) 12.38m
CHRISTMAS BLIND DATE (ITV, 20:00) 11.96m
THE QUEEN (BBC1, 15:00) 11.52m
NOEL'S CHRISTMAS PRESENTS (BBC1, 15:10) 10.44m
NEWS AND WEATHER (BBC1, 22:30) 9.98m
THE WRONG TROUSERS (Repeat) (BBC1, 16:55) 9.5m
ANIMAL HOSPITAL CHRISTMAS (BBC1, 16:10) 8.81m
NEWS AND WEATHER (BBC1, 16:45) 8.79m
THE MORECAMBE AND WISE CHRISTMAS SHOW (Repeat) (BBC1, 22:40) 8.53m
TOP OF THE POPS (BBC1, 14:00) 8.5m
ROBIN WILLIAMS IN THE WILD WITH DOLPHINS (ITV, 22:00) 8.18m
FILM : SLEEPING BEAUTY (ITV, 18:05) 8.07m
FILM : MARY POPPINS (Repeat) (ITV, 15:10-17:45) 5.73m
EASTENDERS OMNIBUS (BBC1, 12:35) 3.8m/4.13m/4.73m
THE QUEEN (ITV, 15:00) 3.2m

I love these old ratings Ray!

Do you have October 1981 when Game For A Laugh was in its first series after a few weeks and damaging Larry Grayson's Generation Game? Also do you have week ending October 21st 1979 the final weekend of the ITV strike?

Artistic licence could mean that, for example, they have one series covering the Martian invasion that her spin doctors airbrushed out of history and turned into an HG Wells novel in the final episode.

If they need the ratings by the time they get there who could prove that it never happened like that.

ITV press centre has put up the press pack for Lewis series 9. Either this is going to go on Thursday or Tuesday at 9pm.

Story of Eastenders? What's this, first I've heard of it

Possibly, although it's not marked as such.

Based on the provisionals it looks like Tuesdays at 10pm for Cyber, starting with a double bill. Suspects takes Wentworth's slot on Wednesdays at 10.

Yes that sounds almost right. Id go with.

6-Build up to soap marathon live on the cobbles
6.45- The ITV News at When
7- Emmerdale
9-Corrie
11-Soap Aftermath
11.30-Harry potter Marathon right through to boxing day!

I have a top 20 from w/e 21 October, added the times in myself which I got from Genome. Got these when I had access to The Stage, don't have access anymore (annoyingly). Don't have any Game for a Laugh ratings.

Top 20 w/e 21 October 1979
1. TO THE MANOR BORN (SUN 2045) 23.95m
2. LARRY GRAYSON’S GENERATION GAME (SAT 1840) 23.85m
3. BLANKETY BLANK (THU 1955) 22.65m
4. ARE YOU BEING SERVED? (FRI 1905) 22.60m
5. MASTERMIND (WED 2000) 22.55m
6. SYKES (FRI 1935) 22.35m
6= MIKE YARWOOD IN PERSONS (SAT 2030) 22.35m
8. LAST OF THE SUMMER WINE (TUE 2030) 22.20m
9. SECRET ARMY (SAT 1935) 22.05m
10. CITIZEN SMITH (THU 2030) 21.05m
11. ANGELS (WED 1845) 20.90m
12. STAR TREK (WED 1910) 20.80m
13. SHOESTRING (SUN 2115) 20.70m
14. RINGS ON THEIR FINGERS (WED 2030) 20.20m
15. PENMARRIC (FRI 2005) 19.90m
16. ANGELS (MON 1855) 19.65m
17. DOCTOR WHO (SAT 1815) 19.60m
18. STARSKY AND HUTCH (SAT 2100) 19.55m
19. TOP OF THE POPS (THU 1920) 19.35m
20. NATIONWIDE (WED 1755) 19.05m

Looking forward to Midwinter of the Spirit. Stephen Volk's Afterlife deserved more than 2 series as I rewatched it on ITV recently and it stands out as one of the best dramas of the past decade. Andrew Lincoln certainly did okay out of it given his global status now!

Ironic that he went from ending afterlife as (literally) the walking dead!

Volk writes this kind of thing very well indeed - though this is an adapted work, of course.

So Corrie finally gets rid of Blackburn. Where's the champagne?

Only about 8 million people

Thanks Lewie.

It was a big year for ratings and it benefited To The Manor Born and Shoestring which started this year, by the time ITV returned these shows were hits. Blimey even Rings On Their Fingers did well out of the ITV strike!

But these are BBC figures so we'll never really know how accurate they are.

Volk is good at scares as Ghostwatch showed. Surprised they originally wanted to put this away on ITV Encore! I'll be watching after Doctor Foster though.

Or Fridays

They are JICTAR figures actually, but tbf how accurate were they really pre 1981? We'll never know. I remember reading somewhere that 27m watched To the Manor Born according to BBC figures.

Oh they are JICTAR! Even better as BBC figures aren't seen as accurate these days pre BARB. JICTAR used methods similar to BARB so are considered more accurate.

Completely forgot the Rugby world cup starting today. What do we expect? Most likely going to dent everything! Big drop for Gogglebox and the other shows at 9pm will be dented for sure

Piers Morgan is on Friday and that's still got 4 episodes to go.

I'm sure that figure for Doctor Who is wrong. Everywhere else has that episode at 16.1m.

19.6m is what the JICTAR report says. Ratings can be odd to look at in the 70s as there are so many different accounts and measurements.

The BBC figure is 16.1m, this us the JICTAR figure which I've never seen before. JICTAR is now viewed as more accurate.

But I just don't make anymore!

What are people predicting for the rugby tonight? I personally don't have a clue what sort of numbers to expect. There seems to be a lot of buzz around the England match so could we be seeing a very high number tomorrow morning?