Yep, it seems that 1989 was a dodgy year. Especially after the Julia Smith and Tony Holland era and a lot of original characters left.

If you have any more lists please share! So fascinating, and I love seeing what was popular in those days.

I think they will. They were left with a bit of a funding gap this year due to not being able to rely on Downton pre-sales money, but Victoria has been a big hit for them so they should have some money coming in from that for foreign sales. I think Tuesday flop zone wasn't as bad when they had Lewis at 9pm, but there's not even that now.

Eastenders is treading water right now. The new producers ideas and storylines start to kick in early October. This will be the changeover period where the last of Dom's storylines are cleaned up.

DIY SOS: the Big Build: 4.1m (20.3%)

I can't see Cold Feet not coming back unless the cast don't want to. It's getting as many viewers as Victoria and I bet it's getting good advertising revenue. Yes it won't sell abroad as well but it's doing too well to be axed.

The only reason I would axe it is to create an internet storm so that you can then do a U-turn. The old BBC cuts trick.

Now I'm not saying bring these old shows back, these are just examples of formats, but Tuesdays could include:

Wheel of Fortune, Survival (wildlife), The Bill, London's Burning, Midsommer, Wish You Were Here, Birds of a Feather, Treasure Hunt/Amazing Race or Whitechapel.

ITV should have soaps at 7, entertainment at 8, drama at 9, news at 10

It'd be good idea except that means they lose the soap fans to BBC at 8pm for the rest of the night. Surely the point of having Corrie on at 8.30 is to bring EE fans back to ITV for the night.

Same could be said for Corrie. EastEnders is in transition at the moment. Once all the leavers have gone then we will see a turn around. Personally I'm enjoying it. Great character led stuff last night and very kitchen sink related stuff.

It's a risk but we are taking about 33% of the viewers with 67% open to offers. I'm sure soap fans are happy to switch channel and itv could schedule it so people aren't locked out at 20:30.

You can either have a half hour show against EE or shoes like Countryfile, Roadshow, Tipping Point and property shows where you really aren't that bothered if you join it half way through.

The reverse works for BBC1 where they have more freedom at 19:00. That could mean an extended One Show or something new. The soaps are beatable now.

If Corrie and Emmerdale move to 19:00 on Sundays, would they beat Countryfile? They wouldn't beat Strictly.

ITV will never move Corrie opposite EastEnders. Emmerdale yes but not Corrie.

Breaking News - Channel 4 sign deal for the next two Paralympic Games in 2018 and 2020

The soaps are scheduled in such a way that they bring viewers back to a channel after one has ended. I can't see EastEnders giving up its spiritual home of 30 years.

Soaps are vulnerable. It's only because Corrie faces PSB factual some nights that it gets 7m, put something stronger there and it dips. Same is true for Emmerdale and EastEnders.

Soaps get a guaranteed 5/6m but there is a bugger audience out there that can't stand them and avoid them when they're on. Try and get those viewers back. They might if soaps weren't on all the time.

When I saw breaking and channel 4 I was hoping it was gonna be something about bake off good they've got the Paralympics though

That's better.

Regardless of the merits of these programmes, and the merits of putting factual on Tuesdays, the general point is surely that putting two shows on back to back with similar names and similar premises is just crap scheduling. Makes it look even more boring and predictable than it already is.


I dunno, though. There's a simple way to sort out Tuesdays - put some good shows on there. We strategise a lot about Tuesday here, and seemingly it's become some kind of vicious circle for ITV in that Tuesdays are rubbish because they stick a load of weak factual on there, but stick a load of weak factual on there because Tuesdays are rubbish.

But it doesn't have to be like that. When they put Lewis on Tuesdays last year, Tuesdays were sorted and got good ratings for six weeks. Put something similiar there again and it'll do the same. Do it all the time and it'll have sorted itself out within months. That's all there is to it. You can say, oh, but dramas play better on Mondays/Wednesdays/whatever, but given ITV so rarely play drama on a Tuesday, how can we judge anything from that? The average size of the audience at 9pm barely changes on any given weeknight.

National Treasure getting three million last night had nothing to do with what was on last Tuesday, or any Tuesday before that. It succeeded because it was a programme people wanted to watch. Nobody will care what ITV have shown on Tuesdays for the last God knows how many years if they put a decent show there.

Twenty years ago when ITV were the number one channel and they had loads of top dramas, I doubt they had long discussions over what night to put most dramas on. They were happy to put them at 9pm on whatever night was available, confident the audience would come to it. There is some strategy involved in scheduling but mostly it works on hunches and it takes one person to say, to hell with it, we're putting this on Tuesday. If it doesn't work out, so what? You don't need to suck pens and have a long-term plan, just do it. In the early eighties ITV were doing bugger all on Saturday night, then they put Game For A Laugh on and within a few weeks they'd killed the Gen Game and were winning. That's all it takes.


That's a good point, actually - Doctor Who had been away as a continuing series for sixteen years (I know there was the film in between, but still) and that was considered an enormous risk at the time. Cold Feet had been away nearly as long, so as far as much of the audience is confirmed, it is a new series. So there is going to be a lot of sampling from people who've heard of it, but never seen it, and some of them won't like it.


Well, indeed. The argument is that if you cut them down you could fit in another programme but it's economies of scale, isn't it? Two hours of Strictly is much, much cheaper than an hour of Strictly and an hour of something else.

If you want to fast forward through bits of the show, that's absolutely fine. It reminds me a bit of Jon P'twee saying his favourite programme was Keeping Up Appearances but only the bits with Hyacinth in, because he didn't like the rest of it. But it's all part of the package, isn't it? The big sparkly studio set isn't needed, the titles and theme tune aren't needed, not much of it is needed. But it's there for the fun of it.

Much butter!

Gets an audience though. Over 4m watched DIY: SOS last night.

I really must stop posting about 'shoes'!

@cylon Totally agree regarding the soaps. I do think if Corrie announced it was moving to enable the soap block the BBC would simply move EE. If ITV spun it right they could say that they would not put a soap on at 20:00 meaning any 60 minute Corrie would start at 19:00. Really there is no need for 60 minute shows when you're on six days a week.

The BBC might be happy to move simply for the reason you give, trying to get all soap fans locked in to their channel. I know it still matters but the remote control has negated this to a large extent.

@Steve One of the clever parts of Strictly is the different set. It doesn't appear like a studio and gives off a feeling of warmth.
This is behind my theory of chat show in a sort of after dinner setting with the audience donutting the table or the log cabin idea. These are cold weather ideas.

I do wonder if the success of Millionaire has left gameshows with cold, blue sets for far too long.

One of X Factor's tricks is the dressed up nature of the show and people. Rather like how SCD tells its audience to dress up for the programme. Everything comes off as special.

By the way, talking of XF, the 2012 winner James Arthur is heading for number 1 in the hit parade. Quite the comeback and a timely boost to the XF's raison d'etre.

Digiguide updates for 1-7th October is still showing the clash for Strictly / The X Factor on Saturday and Sunday. Monday at 9pm remains empty for BBC One (will presumably be Who Do You Think You Are), Thursday at 8pm is Anne Robinson's Britain followed by The Apprentice at 9pm. Have I Got News For You and Still Game pair up on Friday at 9pm as expected.

Some ITV commissioning news:

ITV2 has aquired US Sitcom 'The Great Indoors' to boost their comedy offering

Sir Michael Gambon has joined six-part ITV drama 'Fearless' with Helen McCrory filming now

and..

ITV have commissioned a four part series on the abilties of puppies.

National Treasure did really well, Channel 4 promoted it really well with trails and outdoor ads. Channel 5 had a good night as did BBC Two.

I think Channel 4 and BBC Two's success with homegrown drama with The Fall, National Treasure etc should be what Channel 5 be replicating with their homegrown drama, maybe get Julie Walters to star in something as she seems to bring in ratings for Channel 4 drama

Oh come ON! I love puppies (who doesn't) but this must be the 5th or 6th version of a puppy/kitten show on TV in the past year! So lazy!

Surprised to see The Great Indoors on their list, before it's been broadcast in the US - most US comedies are allowed to live or die for a season, before UK broadcasters decide to pick up - it must be the Stephen Fry factor that swayed their decision so early.

As far as I'm concerned, the channels can make as may animal/puppy programmes as they like.

Yes I think the fact British writer Stephen Fry is involved, swayed their decision.

On a different note. I'd quite like to see Kingdom revisited. I loved that series.

They're actually boasting about it:

The new series of #ParkingWars launched last night on @ITV with an audience of 2.1m viewers and an 11% share!

@itvmedia

The only programme on TV that makes me tear up. So simple / so formalaic but the last 10 minutes bring it all together. 16 years since they started so they said last night. Still the same builder and sparky involved. Presenter as well of course.