Very rarely do BBC1 get trounced on Sunday. If you were despribing ITV, then yes.

What makes you think that? Since BBC1 have been holding a 6m+ drama every Sunday since January, is it not likely this one is going to bomb. It'll be around 5-5.5m with Home Fires around 5.4m. It'll be close I think, but BBC1 will edge it.

And what makes you think people on here will be pleased if Undercover flops? If ITV and BBC1 can have two dramas rating well (as The Night Manager and Vera did) then what's to moan about?

BBCW owns something like 20% of it and controls the rights to all of their shows.

unless your one of 5,000 with a ratings monitor means nothing

Any thoughts on how the Neighbours Special at 10pm will rate tomorrow? Gotham usually does 0.6-0.8m in the same slot, so I would have thought anything above that to 1m would be OK for Channel 5. I expect they'll be hoping for around 1.5m though.

A few Channel 5 air dates courtesy of Sky Media:

Impractical Jokers UK: 10pm Weekday Peak Show, 9 x 30 minute episodes, from June
The Six Queens of Henry VIII: 4 x 60 minute peak episodes, in April
Suspects: 5th series of 6 x 60 minute episodes, in Autumn
Secrets of Great British Castles: 6×60 minute episodes, in August
Yorkshire Vet: 10 x 60 minute episodes, from Spring
The Dog Rescuers: 15 x 60 minute episodes, from Summer

Parkinson was dependent on guests. If you had a good guest that wanted to talk you had a great show, if you have a guest that doesn't want to talk you have a bad show. Parkinson has had a few stinkers over the years. His Helen Mirren interview in the 70s is toe-curling, Meg Ryan didn't like him at all.

When Parkinson was at its peak it was an era of huge stars that didn't do chat shows often or huge Hollywood stars. Now big stars are not sprinkled in stardust like they used to be in that golden era of Hollywood. Stars go on numerous shows to talk about what they do, it doesn't feel special and interviews are rarely in depth. This is why the chat show changed.

In America, Steve Allen, Johnny Carson realised the programme needed to be entertaining in itself as well as having guests to interview. Letterman followed the Carson template and put a very anarchic spin on it. Jonathan Ross took the Letterman style and gave us The Last Resort, the grandfather of Friday night chat shows. Chat shows now are more like variety shows and the host is more key than the guest. With a funny host you are guaranteed a decent show, with good guests you get a great show.

I'm surprised they keep bringing back Suspects, the last run didn't well at all.

I wonder if Impractical Jokers is going to air on Fridays after Big Brother?

The chat show has had to evolve, Jimmy Fallon managed to make The Tonight Show relevant again with viral friendly games and that's been copied somewhat by Kimmel and Corden. Although Letterman's decision to retire wasn't a surprise, I wouldn't be surprised if CBS had been planning to let him retire so they could a younger and cheaper host.

I hope Snow White did well tonight for Ch5, and reward them for putting this on.

Saw the first episode of Impractical Jokers UK already and wasn't impressed with it. I could see it struggling majorly there, to be honest with you. And the fact it's been delayed by several months is hardly an encouraging sign.

The rest looks okay, although Suspects has very little prospect of rating.

Impractical Jokers, weekdays at 10pm from June. Do I sense that this might be the meat in a Big Brother sandwich on Friday nights?

Could be. I thought that might be the slot they were planning for Rylan's upcoming chat show, but who knows.

I guess BB could be live more often this year if the upcoming extension to the house is indeed going to be used as a task arena, as has been rumoured. So there could be more opportunities to introduce new young-skewing programmes to the BB audience.

Rylan's show could air on Sundays after BB.

i wish they'd axe Suspects and commission a drama or two with a bigger budget.

The Durrells was absolutely fantastic. Hopefully it will give Home Fires a great rating - after all, series 1 didn't do too bad. Undercover looks bloody dull if you ask me. I think ITV will beat BBC1 tonight from 8pm onwards.

Undercover has been so over trailed im tired of it before its begun

It is also another crime drama. The reason The Night Manager was successful was because it was superbly exciting and totally different from War and Peace. Having another crime drama following a crime drama - but probably a weaker replacement - is a bad idea.

I'd forgotten about Rylan's chat show. It could well take that slot with Impractical Jokers elsewhere leading into Bit on the Side.

I think the last few posts prove my point. It's been written off even before it's barely begun.

Look at the Undercover thread and it doesnt look good for it

Hmm, I know recent episodes haven't done well but it wasn't well-promoted at all. I'm a fan of the show and I didn't even know it was on till I saw the rating the following morning!

I think there is potential in it, makes a change from all the US imports (as great as they are). In addition, I notice there's 6 episodes - this is great as in the past there have only been 4 episodes per series. That's nowhere near long enough to develop empathy for the characters!
Also, I notice Fay Ripley has left. Shame, I thought she was a good cast and the original three made a good trio.

Both it and The Durrell's had criticism whilst airing but those who liked it began to post after they finished.

People manage to walk, talk and listen to music while texting - I see them doing it every day. I reckon writing a couple of short posts during an hour long telly show isn't too taxing for most folk.

Looking forward to all these in bold. I'm plesed to see the animal series with long runs. I cannot gets enough of nature/animal series.

I think both The Yorkshire Vet and Dog Rescuers will return well for Ch5

The Dog Rescuers in its fourth series now, it's a solid performer for them. Another one which is quietly doing well is Trauma Doctors which has done over 1m every week.

Channel 5 has its staple of solid performers and I think The Tube likely will be picked up for another series. Shows like Loch Lomond and The Great Migration shows they're doing shows that are the staple of the BBC but giving it their own stamp.

Home Fires was hardly a smash hit last year - it may have looked good against JS&MN, but it was hardly a Poldark/Happy Valley/Night Manager breakout smash. It was an unimaginative series that got average ratings, but the opposition did it some favours.

However, I rather suspect it will benefit this time round from the appalling opening to Undercover, that I'd wager will have alienated many viewers and had them reaching for the remote. The first 20 minutes were more like BBC2, and it looked like everyone involved with the production had forgotten which channel it was going to be broadcast on. When the action moved to London, it perked up significantly - but, on the basis of what went out, I'd guess Home Fires may win the slot … but still won't be the breakout smash ITV needs.

And, TBH, all of ITV's drama is now rather tainted by Friday's news that Steve November is being shown the door. If ITV doesn't have any faith in him, it doesn't say much for what they must think about his commissions that have yet to be broadcast … Any pointers as to who might replace him? I can't think of anyone …

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