Doc Martin series 8 to air in 2017 will be the final series - Martin Clunes

Benidorm series 10 to air in 2018 will be the final series - Derren Litten

ITV better start commissioning some new comedy/dramas and comedy.

Cold Feet officials from rzt:

Episode 1 - 7.99m/8.46m (+2.20m/+2.37m).

Fantastic timeshifts.

Yes, that's very good. I wonder how it'll do going forward. Considering how much people seemed to love it it's most bizarre it fell like it did. In other news it's good the forum servers haven't crashed under the load of the Bake Off drama! Must say it's rather astounding. I can see it doing 4-5m on C4 if its lucky.

I echo comments about wishing the TV Festival was still coming up, though I'm sure it'll be a fun talking point next year. Also think it'll really help this series on BBC1 skyrocket even further, all the pandemonium has been great promotion and I'd wager a lot of people are now considering it the "last proper series" and are rather upset about that.

I still think the final will consolidate to the mid 16ms this year.

Are those both confirmed? Both are past their prime but Doc Martin in particular does still get very good numbers.

I think ITV should use the 10pm slot after popular dramas and comedy-dramas to launch new comedies. There's been talk about it, but a good way to launch a new sitcom on ITV, I think, would be to air it at 10pm after something like Doc Martin, Cold Feet or Benidorm. You'd have a big (and relevant) lead-in but away from the glare of the 9pm slot and with a bit less pressure. It's how Benidorm started out back in 2007. I'm sure they'd have plenty of flops, but that's the nature of the beast and if they could get something good out of it then it'd be worthwhile.

The one good thing about this I suppose, especially if Paul and Mary leave, is that it is the last true series - meaning it will go with people having quite fond memories of it. We're so used to huge shows having their ratings halve before they finally decide to pull the plug. I guess it was due to start falling next year anyway.

Derren Litten has been saying "this is the final series" since about series 2. He's always persuaded to do more by ITV because all the other (small number of) sitcoms they make flop in the ratings.

True, maybe it's best to go out on a high

Jamie Oliver for GBBO?

I hope ITV commission a feature length final ep to see the Doc off.

Dannii Minogue has been confirmed as a judge on BBC1's Let it Shine.

Dannii Minogue and Gary Barlow is a pretty bland pairing so far, although I suppose there are 2 more judges yet to be announced. Mary and Paul?

Given how bitchy Graham Norton has been about Dannii Minogue in the past that might be awkward. The whole show sounds so mediocre and dull though.

According to Telegraph relations between Love productions and BBC were at rock bottom anyway as Love were taking legal proceedings against the BBC

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016...-british-bake/

Dixon was not dumped but quit Strictly to take up the BGT job.
Dawn French is the new host of Little Big Shots. On ITV.
Jennifer Saunders got her big break on the Comic Strip. On Channel Four.

It seems Love has grand illusions. So, everything the BBC does now is "based on Bakeoff"? Ridiculous. XFactor and The Voice? Masterchef and Bake Off? Which came first?

I had a feeling Cold Feet would timeshift well due to its demographic. Yes it was on a decade ago but it was aimed at twentysomethings.

Looks like Victoria and Cold Feet will both end up around the 7.75m mark. I think that's Silent Witness land...??

For anyone who can't see that, the two shows that Love Productions wanted to take BBC to court over were:

- Hair (BBC Three, 2014)
- The Big Painting Challenge (BBC One, 2015)

The front of The Sun tomorrow https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CsQ75SHVIAAXXDt.jpg

A C4 source: "#GBBO* is popular abroad without Mary, Paul, Mel or Sue so it can be here too. It's the baking people love"

Interesting.

I thought we were getting more "shocking" news about GBBO tonight? Seems not.

Bake Off abroad never had the core four, we have. We know what we're missing. If Channel 4 believe those four not being involved won't have an effect, they are in cuckoo land.

Bake Off's success abroad is based on each show being able to tap into the relative nation's psyche and drawing people in. Something that works in Brazil, for example, won't necessarily work here. Channel 4 think they can do without Mel, Sue, Paul and Mary? They may have to think again.

I guess I'm slgihtly surprised that Channel 4 are seemingly happy to let Mary and Paul go without a fight.

Thanks for the link.
Sounds like Love have forced the BBC to settle out of court over Hair so I'd doubt the BBC is going to try try to create a new Bake Off. I do think theyll create a more educational cooking show.

Spinning like crazy in a panic, more like.

They must know they're not getting Mary and Paul.

Tom Newton on Sky Press Review is saying how he thinks the BBC Charter will be wholly damaging to the BBC when it's published this wek and he thinks that would be a good thing?

He also thinks that this Bake Off scenario is a staged distraction between the BBC, Love and C4 to highlight the problems of the BBC funding issues and to make the Government sympathetic towards C4 Privatisation plans when they "give" GBBO back to BBC due to lack of funds! He scorned upon Mel and Sue for being the instigators!

Take it with a pinch of salt. Their "source" works for Love Productions and is trying to spin the story their way. I've just had it confirmed from someone who works for a different paper.