Moffat's ego doesn't appear to include self-awareness, so I doubt he'll go because of the ratings.

And the BBC won't show him the door, as he's too important a talent to have onside (see: Sherlock).

The show will be off-air next year anyway (the golden opportunity ITV are failing dismally to exploit), but I'd guess the 2017 series may be Moffat's swan song. Which leaves the question: who takes over?

Perhaps so, although it seems the rugby lead-in was especially low and incompatible. Only 2m or so we're watching at the end of the coverage and it's quite telling that despite the late slot Ross actually grew over the show (whereas out of XF he drops quite a way):

22:15 - 1.64m (10.1%)
22:30 - 1.77m (11.6%)
22:45 - 1.87m (13.0%)
23:00 - 1.89m (15.0%)

There's no reason why it can't. The BBC shouldn't be as obsessed with overnights as the commercial networks are. Besides, a later Strictly means Doctor Who runs ridiculously late. It's a family show, supposedly - running past 9pm is ludicrous. I know it looks like I'm contradicting myself but there's a difference between putting a show in a slot where it will still work perfectly well and shoving it later resulting in a show struggling more than it should because of it.

Of course the perfect solution would be to move Who before Strictly and have the latter airing from around 7pm but due to the filmed results that wouldn't be possible. Because of that maybe the BBC should look to move Doctor Who to the winter on it's return in 2017 rather than leaving it airing in a very late slot in the schedule across the autumn?

We can do some back-of-the-envelope figures. Thanks to rzt we have the demo breakdown of Jonathan Ross's show at 21:20 on Saturday 14 February 2015, which rated 2.17m exc +1:

http://postimg.org/image/66cuzuo71/full/
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showp...postcount=6770

and also typical ad rates for ITV back in 2011:

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showp...postcount=3054

Let's assume that the demos are still the same as in February, that ITV ran a full complement of ads during Ross last night (21 x 30-second spots), and that ad rates are up +10% since 2011 (all guesswork on my part, happy for people to correct these). I've also assumed the breaks rated -10% lower than the overall programme average.

That would mean the ad revenue for Ross last night, rating 1.78m inc +1, would be:

- £366,361 if sold on ABC1 Adults
[i.e. £19.80 per 1000 viewers (rate) x 55% skew x 1.78m x 90% x 21 spots = £366,361]

- £279,767 if sold on 16-34s
[i.e. £46.20 per 1000 viewers (rate) x 18% skew x 1.78m x 90% x 21 spots = £279,767]

So on these estimates, it would make more sense to sell the show on ABC1 Adults than 16-34s. It still looks profitable on these figures. Costs for chat must be pretty low. (What's Ross's salary these days? )

NB: advertising ratings are actually worked out on consolidated viewing to the ads. However as 70%+ of ads are spun through on PVR, this should make little difference to the figures.
Last edited by NeilVW : 18-10-2015 at 11:21

Cohen, Yentob, Thompson, Birt, RTD, Entwistle, Moffat..... A lack of self-awareness seems a prerequisite for undeservedly rising through the ranks at the Beeb.


Sherlock is the only reason he's still on Dr Who. People haven't been able to say no to him, until now I reckon.....

One for KennyT...

Arne Dahl EP1: 0.57m (2.8%)
Arne Dahl EP2: 0.47m (2.9%)

BBC1's Christmas line up is looking pretty good!

Catherine Tate’s Nan (x2)
Stick Man
Sherlock
Professor Branestawm
Billionaire Boy
Would I Lie To You
Still Open All Hours
Doctor Who
Mrs Browns Boys (x2)
Pointless Celebrities
Call The Midwife
Shaun The Sheep
Not Going Out
Strictly Come Dancing

I just really hope they schedule them in the most effective way! Last years scheduling was, IMO, terrible.

The best solution for Dr Who would be to go back to 7.00 in the spring in a slot where ITV usually have YBF. These later showings and stiff competition from ITV aren't working, as TXF will be back next week and for all it's not the force it was, still attracts 7 million viewers.

That first Nan special was one of the most appalling comedies I've ever seen and I'm a Tate fan (not in Dr Who...) and thought the Nan sketches in her own show were often the highlight. Makes total BBCSense that they would commission more of something that was utterly wretched.

Sherlock's now the only thing in that list I'm remotely interested in.

Interesting article on DW ratings by Neil Midgley of Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/neilmidg...ont-cancel-it/

Agree with most of it, but not the last part. The one thing they don't need to do right now is make the public immune to regenerations by sacking off Peter Capaldi already.

I do think they've made the public immune to death within the show though. It started way back in series two when Rose spoke about this being the story of her death when she didn't die at all and it has just escalated. Even Danny Pink was given a get out clause, even though he went elsewhere. It's killing the potential drama in the episode as level of risk is declining - oh so someone's in trouble? Even if they die they'll come back some how...

I think there were a couple of 6.20 starts? I don't think though this was anything other than the scheduling constraints or the England inspired strength of the Rugby. I reckon the BBC want to push Strictly as far as they can to the absolute maximum they can. To be honest I don't blame them. Its their biggest entertainment brand and if its agreed that it should exist in the first place, I don't see the point in then not trying to show it to the biggest audience possible. Iv never understood the argument of where people dance within the show either. At the end of the day, if the cast and crew are doing their creative best, and licence fee payers money is being used to make the show as perfect as possible the argument of then holding back a bit because opposition might be hit too hard is a confused one imo.

I don't think Dr Who would get a bigger audience at 6/7/8 or 9 to be honest. I don't know the breakdown of the audience make up but I would imagine it was far more family friendly under RTD than it has become now.

Good to see the shitty music getting rightly criticised but seeing as Moff and Gold continue to delude themselves thinking they can best Derbyshire's arrangement it's no surprise the music continues to devolve yearly.

Eccelston effectively sacked himself even before the show came back so I don't see Capaldi leaving as a bad thing for the public. Indeed, it'll be a necessary declaration of intent if there's to be a new broom for 2017 as most viewers could care less if there's a new production team or not.

They never learn though, the BBC, allowing these middle-aged men to treat the show like it's their own personal plaything and in the process losing all sight of how bad it's become as they're forced to belligerently defend it come what may.

Hmm. Excluding shows that haven't been on before, daytime shows which are naff even if popular, shows for kids, period dramas that always bomb at Christmas, shows that bombed on their last outings, and a show about time-travel which is currently in crisis, there's only five items left on that list. Hopefully they'll have some good films.
Now you mention it, that seems to be a pattern across Moffat shows..

What they did to the The Brig was unforgiveable. It speaks volumes about Moffat that he thought turning the character into a Cyberman was a fitting (overdue) tribute to Nicholas Courtney, the beloved actor who'd portrayed Lethbridge-Stewart across decades.

Thank you for this. I would take my hat off to you but the only hat I own is Cricket cap with Brian Lara written on it from 1994 and its in the loft. So I cant

I am glad you added the conclusion statement-helps people like me . Thanks for the taking the time with the maths though.

I think BBC 1's christmas line up will air like this

Catherine Tate’s Nan (x2) - 1 ep around xmas and other ep at new years
Stick Man - boxing day
Sherlock - xmas eve,day or boxing day
Professor Branestawm - xmas eve or boxing day
Billionaire Boy - boxing day
Would I Lie To You - week leading up to christmas
Still Open All Hours - xmas day or boxing day
Doctor Who - xmas day
Mrs Browns Boys (x2) - xmas day and new years day
Pointless Celebrities - week leading up to christmas or possibly before strictly final
Call The Midwife - xmas day or boxing day
Shaun The Sheep - xmas day or boxing day
Not Going Out - week leading up to christmas or days after
Strictly Come Dancing - xmas day

You must've been in a bad mood that day. The Nan special was very funny!

Except it wasn't. If it didn't work for an existing fan then it didn't work at all.

For you maybe, I'm an existing fan and whilst I didn't find it as funny as previous sketches I enjoyed it...

Sorry but that's wrong, I enjoyed it,and it had a fairly positive show thread at the time if I remember- To say it didn't work at all is an over exaggeration

So very good that it took them 6 years to make more. Yeah, a resounding success.

Further evidence of the poverty of imagination at the BBC.

I don't think people are watching TV outside SCD on Saturday night any more, Apart from the subtitled BBC4 viewers at 21:00 which may soon get higher ratings then Doctor Who

I'm another Tate fan and really enjoyed the Nan special, so I think it's just one person's opinion. In fact I refuse to delete its recording off my PVR and have watched it many times.

I didn't know until now that there will be two further Nan Xmas specials - can't wait

If it rated well and was well received by audiences why no more until now? Is Tate hard-up because the BBC certainly are, for ideas it would seem if going back to 2009 for something that passed without much of a ripple then (massive THREE page thread here) is the best they can come up with at Xmas.