But MBB is popular across the country. Still Game isn't drawing a lot of viewers outside Scotland. If it could it would be bigger. BBC1 can't find a comedy to put after HIGNFY that can get close to matching it in overnight ratings.

3.4m isn't a bad overnight for a sitcom these days though. They've had much worse leading out of HIGNFY. I know it skews heavily towards Scotland but we don't get regional splits for most shows, so that could apply to any number of shows in different regions. It's worth another go if it can hold there.

3.4m is decent and Still Game is doing as well as several other sitcoms BBC1 have tried there. That's true.

Ohh the quick break bumpers for XF are so cringeworthy. This week is clips of Dermot dancing with that horrid song.

ITV need someone new in charge of network promotions.

Yet, special trailers for Emmerdale are so good.

Planet Earth II looks stunning from the trailers. I cannot wait for this.

Another good rating for Still Game, a far superior show to the rubbish on "sitcom season".

There you go; ruining another good argument with facts and logic!

I would not be surprised if Birds of a Feather doesn't do great in Scotland and skews very southern English. Gavin and Stacey probably over performed in Wales.

The BBC needs to persevere with this and see if it can grow in England. It is the British BC.

The individual programs are responsible for the content of the trailers.

I didn't know he was a magician. I actually like him but he's super over exposed. ITV is laughable in its overuse of certain presenters.

Why have the same person presenting more than two shows? Did Brucie, Bob, Les, Wogan, Noel, Cilla or Des? Most of these were entertainers too rather than just presenters.

Mulhearn does make sense but then he should never have had the GFI job. Little Big Shots nailed it with Dawn French. Popular, famous, different and an entertainer.

Good to see I've moved on to being anti ITV having been accused of being anti BBC.

They could always have tried to find a different magician to present it.

It's a scheduling issue - it should be no surprise a Scottish programme does well in Scotland, MBBs does well in Ireland, Coronation Street does better in the north of England than the south and vice versa for EE.

Bob certainly did!

Noel - Telly Addicts/Noel's House Party
Cilla - Surprise Surprise/Blind Date
Wogan - Blankety Blank/chat show or chat show/Children In Need
Des - Des O'Connor Tonight/Take Your Pick
Barrymore - Barrymore/Strike It Lucky
Bob - Bob's Full House/his variety show.

Presenters doing more than one show in a year. Do you ever turn your TV on?

We are seeing one presenter do several shows a year and that never used to happen as often. Also Mulhern never says no to anything so there's that too.

Plus of course all those big names would also have done a range of other one off or shortlived shows that have since been forgotten alongside those long running shoes.

They did indeed. Many presenters have been used several times.

You do realise that you've just proven my point?


Yes, you've hit my point. Holly, Schofield and co are presenting multiple shows within a year. I know Ant and Dec do but they do disappear for six months and they're also actually good. How many others could do a Takeaway show?

There's a big difference between Ant and Dec on BGT and Kate Thornton on the XF. Mulhearn actually can make you laugh which is why I like him. He's just like a C4 hit show - on too much.

That's another thing - ITV has had a thing for magic shows since the BBC had one with Lenny Henry. Then ITV was suddenly interested in magic again.

The BBC had a thing with soaps once ITV had hits with Coronation Street and Emmerdale!

The constant ITV vs. BBC debate is getting a little dull. It's funny how in reality, most people don't care who is making the program, just if it's a good programme.

Totally agree. I'm not on the side of BBC or ITV as I've stated many times before. I don't own their replica jerseys. I am happy to slam them when appropriate.

I can do the same for 4, 5 and sky too. I just want good TV with real diversity. And they can start that by rebooting old dramas and gameshows!

Before that actually since the BBC had the first TV soap on air in the 50s. They also tried out a few in the sixties before Emmerdale Farm (a completely different programme to the Emmerdale of today really) came along. They just didn't see much value in the genre so didn't persevere with them. ITV also had EW10 before Corrie.

I've always thought you had a leaning for ITV. I agree how bizarre to see you being accused of being anti ITV.

I find Mulhern barely competent as a presenter. He makes me cringe a lot of the time and is overused.

The Grove Family is generally accepted to be British TV's first soap and ran weekly on the BBC from 1954 to 1957.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzL84mDUWKk

Children's TV had its own soap The Appleyards which ran fortnightly from 1952 to 1957 with a Christmas special in 1960

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ3T0vGMy_Q

I talk more about ITV because it seems to have more LE shows starting and is the one that's been losing badly. It is simply more interesting as the BBC is so stable on the weekends.

So I'm watching ITV now because it is new. Obviously I'm on live pause and am twenty minutes behind. So far I'm actually enjoying Meet the Parents. I'm sure Twitter hates it.

Channel 5 only ever show domestic England highlights. That said, it's a good addition to ITV4's schedules.