Originally Posted by H of De Vil:
“I don't agree with that. I think viewrs are not used to watching ITV on Tuesday. Why else would Lewis be under 4m even against NT? In 2013 it got over 6m against the BBC1 comedies. Even on Friday last year it was higher.
ITV have killed Tuesday's. Even IAC dips on Tuesday compared to Monday, then rises again on Wednesday.
If ITV put Midsomer of Tuesday instead of Wednesday, would it do as well? No unlikely.
The years of putting unatractive stuff on Tuesday for so long has stopped viewrs from really checking out ITV on Tuesday. Ratings each year in these slots have dropped to new lows. In 2012 we used to say 2.5-3m was low for ITV Tuesday, but now its dropped past 2m to 1.5m.”
Well, yes, because ratings for everything have gone down, and ratings for nondescript factual have gone down at a faster rate than everything else because they're the programmes that suffer most when the casual audience has a million other options. Nondescript factual has flopped in every slot, because it's nondescript factual.
As mentioned I'm A Celebrity mostly wasn't on Tuesday, and when it was BBC1 was almost always stronger that night. The problem with ITV on Tuesday is not that viewers have turned off because it's Tuesday on ITV but because they haven't switched on because so many people have got in the habit of 'stEnders followed by Holby followed by another drama. It's a schedule that works for people and ensures BBC1 are at least consistent virtually every week of the year. The same was true on Wednesdays on ITV for many years when you had Corrie followed by The Bill and people stuck with that and BBC1 couldn't get a foothold.
Another reason why Lewis was down compared to previous years is because the competition from BBC1 was very old skewing, and Lewis itself skews old. It was tough competition because both appeal to the same audience. That was not the case when Lewis was up against Miranda or HIGNFY or whatever BBC1 were showing up against it.
The idea that viewers are actively avoiding Tuesdays on ITV is an odd one. Most viewers look what they want to watch and then watch it, regardless of the day or the channel. I haven't watched ITV on Tuesdays much if at all other than football, because I haven't been that interested in what they're showing. I thought Eternal Glory was an interesting idea so I watched it. That's surely how the vast majority of people watch television.
Originally Posted by Jaycee Dove:
“Bruce Forsythe's fall and hospitalisation as he was about to film before an audience his (Christmas scheduled?) 'Hall of Fame' show with Catherine Tate and Alexander Armstrong seems to mean this will now be delayed to some time next year. Though he seems to have only suffered facial cuts and minor concussion thankfully.”
No, they are still recording Hall of Fame, but Brucie won't be on it, Xander will be presenting it. To my mind that seems a bit stupid given that the whole point of it is that it's Brucie's show, and I don't know why they couldn't just reschedule it for when he's better, but someone on Twitter pointed out to me that Brucie is from the generation where the show must go on and he presumably doesn't want everyone else to have wasted their time. I hope they have Brucie on the phone on it, though. Such a shame, cos it's clearly a show he loves doing.
It won't affect the Christmas Strictly, that won't be recorded for weeks and weeks. Hope they mention him this week, though.
Originally Posted by cylon6:
“Good to see Cradle To Grace holding up. But putting The Apprentice on next Thursday opposite it is idiotic.”
But why? Yes, it's a big show, but they're totally different genres and appeal to totally different audiences. One's factual entertainment, one's a sitcom. What's the clash, people who like good programmes? You could argue Who Do You Think You Are has been tougher competition because they appeal to a more similiar audience. Besides, it's the final week so it doesn't matter, if the audience halves or something for some reason it's not going to scupper the rest of the run, it's finished.
Originally Posted by cylon6:
“With budget cuts you're never sure how recommissions go on BBC2. Boy Meets Girl might get another series yet.”
Well, that does seem to be the case, but I really do think these days that it's often harder not to get a recommission for a BBC sitcom than get one. Shows like Watson and Oliver and Count Arthur Strong have been recommissioned with far lower audiences, and the former at least wasn't even a critical hit, let alone a commercial one. It's true budgets are tighter but as well as that the Beeb more than ever have to illustrate how distinctive they are.
Boy Meets Girl has done alright ratings wise, it's distinctive and the audience that has stuck with it seems to have liked it, and given the rubbish they have recommissioned I think it was a no brainer it'd be coming back if everyone was up for it.