However, it is down from the equivalent-themed week of the previous series, as mentioned a page or so back. 10.1m vs. 9.7m despite airing in a darker & higher-rating month - odd, no?

Remind me again how much TXF lost over night going from a Saturday to a Sunday (last weekend), airing in a darker and higher rating month

Anyone can come up with a schedule like that, but good luck trying to find at least 40 episodes a year of those formats you mention.

You are talking about 80 landmark factual shows a year? About 5 or 6 durrells style drama series a year?

Factor in that half of them will either be up against a major BBC1 show or will be poorly received and flop, and the result wouldn't be much different than today.

Good point Andy.

Eh?
The X Factor's shows aired in the same month (in consecutive days!). They aired in the same month as its previous series (September), and were up YOY. Well done X Factor!

Your argument would only make sense if the Saturday episode aired in August, and the Sunday one in September.
So far, XF in September is way up on XF in August.

I think if ITV keep going with those Tuesday factual programmes, they will hit gold at some point. Look at how Changing Rooms exploded all those years ago and Airline.

I wonder if ITV have considered doing another series of Airline. That might be a popular programme to have on a Tuesday, although only for 30 minutes. I wonder what happened to Leo Jones

Bake Off is up YOY the same as TXF - which is good for both shows.

I think you missed the point over the numbers. TXF lost nearly a million viewers over night. For whatever reason they didn't catch the Sunday showing because maybe they were doing something else or were watching something else. The first week TXF opened lower than what many expected down YOY

I see we're back to the merry-go-round of X Factor vs. whatever. It just goes round and round in circles, never ending.

X Factor is doing good, Bake Off is doing good, Strictly is doing good. That's about it right?

You missed the bit about BBC Drama not doing good - apart from Poldark

Ok, I don't think we have hit Truckers territory yet, or have we ?

series 7 docmartin constantly averaged over 5 million...puts these other figures into context...

James' scheduling blocks are not radical. It's Must See Thursday and other similar ideas. There used to be clear ideas:

Soaps before 8pm.
If no soap, a gameshow. This was especially on Fridays which was free from soaps.
Light entertainment on Saturday.
BBC had a mix of sitcoms and drama on Sundays after religious TV. Itv followed Highway with a mix of gameshows, warm entertainment (Surprise Surprise) and dramas. Both would have some 'serious' programming such as That's Life or South Bank Show.

You knew Mondays often had documentaries and 8pm was a popular time for American soaps. Crime dramas tended to be on at 9pm or 9:25pm.

James is right to say that we do still expect certain types of programmes on certain days. You know The Voice won't be midweek like America. Sunday night is drama night.

This works because people still watch TV live. It amazes me, I don't even watch the news or sport live. That idea died with sky+ 10 years ago. But most still watch TV on time so streaming the schedule would work.

Having said all of that, you can smash the status quo with the right show. Put Sherlock on at 8pm on a Saturday and it'll blow up itv's night.
Since the BBC seems to have no shiny floor show for a Saturday night for the first 9 months of 2017, I do wonder if they'll try to break the mould and run meaty dramas on a Saturday.

Does anyone have the figure for the Paralympics excluding +1 please?

I thought the Gary Barlow talent show was starting in January, or has that been pushed back ?

I still watch live tv because Sky won't let me record things on ITV HD. I would record everything otherwise, I hate adverts.
Some things I watch live because I enjoy watching them. I use the advert to get a drink or use the toilet.
Of course I watch BBC channels live because they have no adverts.

Precisely. That was the point of my spoof article. TXF is doing well and that'll disappoint many in the media who have been against the show for years. Oddly they don't feel like that about BGT.

TXF is itv's most watched show and the third most watched show on TV. Suggesting the show is in trouble is as ludicrous as suggesting GBBO had a bad rating last night.

What criteria is that?

Didn't Downton, I am a celebrity, BGT Euro Football, Broadchurch ,all do better?

http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/x...top-40-7027360

The Great British Bake Off (October 7, BBC1): 15.05 million
Britain's Got Talent (May 31, ITV): 12.75 million
The Great British Bake Off (September 30, BBC1): 12.65 million
The Great British Bake Off (September 2, BBC1): 12.39 million
The Great British Bake Off (August 26, BBC1): 12.36 million
The Great British Bake Off (September 16, BBC1): 12.35 million
The Great British Bake Off (August 19, BBC1): 12.01 million
The Great British Bake Off (September 9, BBC1): 12.00 million
Strictly Come Dancing (December 5, BBC1): 11.93 million
Britain's Got Talent (April 25, ITV): 11.86 million
Strictly Come Dancing (November 21, BBC1): 11.77 million
Strictly Come Dancing (November 14, BBC1): 11.71 million
Britain's Got Talent (May 2, ITV): 11.69 million
Britain's Got Talent (May 9, ITV): 11.64 million
The Great British Bake Off (August 5, BBC1): 11.62 million
The Great British Bake Off (August 12, BBC1): 11.59 million
EastEnders (February 19, 9.30pm, BBC1): 11.57 million
Britain's Got Talent (May 16, ITV) 11.55 million
= Strictly Come Dancing (November 28, BBC1) 11.55 million
Britain's Got Talent (April 18, ITV): 11.47 million
EastEnders (February 19, 7.30pm, BBC1): 11.33 million
= I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! (November 15, ITV): 11.33 million
Strictly Come Dancing (November 22, BBC1): 11.26 million
Britain's Got Talent (April 11, ITV): 11.25 million
The Great British Bake Off (September 23, BBC1): 11.09 million
Strictly Come Dancing (December 6, BBC1): 11.07 million
EastEnders (February 20, BBC1): 10.94 million
= I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! (December 6, ITV): 10.94 million
= Strictly Come Dancing (November 15, BBC1): 10.94 million
Strictly Come Dancing (November 29, BBC1) 10.92 million
Downton Abbey (November 8, ITV): 10.90 million
Strictly Come Dancing (November 8, BBC1): 10.87 million
Broadchurch (January 5, ITV): 10.86 million
Strictly Come Dancing (October 17, BBC1): 10.85 million
=Strictly Come Dancing (October 31, BBC1): 10.85 million
Strictly Come Dancing (November 7, BBC1): 10.77 million
Call the Midwife (February 15, BBC1): 10.73 million
Call the Midwife (February 1, BBC1): 10.60 million
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! (November 16, ITV): 10.56 million
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! (November 22, ITV): 10.50 million

Facts, in 2015, XF didn't make the top 40 list.

It is. But his stock is way down these days and I'm not convinced the show will be a success. He's become quite Marmite unfortunately.

The criterion of shows that are being broadcast now not over the past 12 months.

The show might do better than The Voice. You are effectively playing to housewives, teenage girls and gay men - putting up (possibly) attractive good looking guys to fight it out each week. I think if they have a themed week of the guys under a rain machine, tearing their white t-shirt off ...... well I think that will bring the numbers in just fine

It reminds me of Any Dream Will Do from back in 2007 (minus the rain machine)

So you say, XF is the best show,

Subject to:-
On ITV.
On a weekend.
In September 2015 only.
Must be consolidated ratings not overnight.
Must not be a cookery show.
Must not be a dancing show.
Must include, ITV HD, ITV+1.
Must have Simon Cowell in it.

Ignore its first " lowest rating episode" *as that was in August, and it was a bank holiday weekend, and people didn't know it was back, and people had BBQs.

* since 2005.
* down a million YOY, from the low starting 2015 series.

Lol that's not a Guardian friendly comment!

It could do well though other attempts at the idea bombed. A lot depends on whether itv can make The Voice a better show. I suspect they will even though it's still a purchased show.

If Ninja is on before it, that'll be a problem for BBC1. I assume Takeaway is returning too. That might be used to launch Dance Dance Dance.

Did you miss the bit where I said it was the third most watched show on TV?
Would the other two be a cookery show and a dancing show?
Did I say the most watched show on itv? Are the other two on itv?
Did I say the word 'best'?

Besides those minor points, you nailed it.

The position the BBC are in is a difficult one. We know that multi range singing talent shows bring in the numbers. The BBC can't start a new one without being compared to TXF or if it has a gimmick, to the Voice.

I think that they may as well just go all Guardian/Daily Mail and have a Classical Singer Talent Show. I know ITV did "Soap/Pop Star to ......". Just go for it. Slap it on a Sunday night and lap up the viewers that commercial companies possibly do not want, due to demographics.

Don't get involved Lewie!! That way madness lies!

And how dare you come in here with your commonsense!

Ha, I won't. Believe me. I don't have the energy nor the desire!