I watched the On Demand version and I'm glad I did because it was unedited. A hell of an episode! Eye-popping!

How did The Walking Dead perform on Fox please?
The simulcast and the 9pm showing.

What were Fox thinking with the US simulcast ?

We had planned to watch the 9pm screening, complete with adverts. However, when the Now TV app loaded up we noticed the on demand version there in the "Recently Added" section, so of course, like yourself, we ended up watching it there ad-free in 44 minutes instead.

I understand Fox isn't reliant on advertising to make money, but given this is a show which has been known to do 900,000 in the overnights, a lot of viewers by any digital channel's standards, let alone a pay channel, it seems utterly bizarre that they would actively drive down audiences for the main screening in this way.

We all know the actual simulcast itself is essentially just a marketing gimmick as next to nobody bothers staying up for these, certainly working people. But the ability to record it and watch later, or in our case stream it on demand, will end up really damaging Fox's "live" ratings which was really useful for them in promoting other shows on the channel, and let's be honest they aren't exactly blessed with many hits.

I don't get the thinking behind it, I must say. But the episode itself was a 10 out of 10. Unbelievably tense and powerful drama. Andrew Lincoln's acting was utterly incredible, during one scene in particular.

Really interesting interview with Netflix boss Ted Sarandos in this weeks Radio Times.

A couple of points:

Saranos pointed out the double standards with Channel 4 and Bake Off/Black Mirror

Netflix would absolutely have taken Bake Off, but C4 got there first

Netflix is spending £5 billion on new content this year. Does anybody know how that compares to BBC/ITV/C4?

I expect Planet Earth 2 will be Sunday 8pm for one week only. It will move to 9pm the following week when Poldark finishes.

There are 6 Sundays between the end of Poldark and Christmas Day and 6 episodes of PE2, but BBC1 will probably screen the final of The Apprentice at 9pm on Sunday 18th December hence the reason PE2 must start before Poldark has vacated its slot.

I hope I'm wrong and that PE2 stays in the 8pm slot for the duration because that would be a neat alternative to X Factor, but I strongly suspect I'm right.

But one has much easier competition than the other. It's like when C4's Top 10 used to have five episodes of Countdown in it, it used to get a higher rating than most of its primetime fare - because it was up against kids shows on BBC1 and ITV, and adult education on BBC2, so it enjoyed total domination of the airwaves. Similarly how Family Guy used to dominate the BBC3 chart, because it was on very late at night when most other channels had packed up for the evening.


Well, not neccessarily. I watch HIGNFY but I'm happy enough to watch the Friday edition, I don't really care about the extended one. All the best bits of HIGNFY are in the edited version.

Extremely strong night for BBC2, and what a start for Autumnwatch. Hopefully it doesn't decline too much throughout the week.

Disappointing for the Andrew Marr doc in its second week but it didn't look that interesting.

Surprisingly okay Monday night for Channel 4, the SAS programme is up on last week and that's a good figure for Dispatches. Of course that meant Raw Recruits was down again which is disappointing, although it never seemed to get going ratings wise.


Great for Corrie at 7:30, but typically it was an abysmal episode, just the type to get all the floating viewers to change channel, for what was probably the most key episode of the year they've screwed it up.


I don't know what the BBC see in Hugh, his waste series didn't rate that well, and this was awful too.


Which is what I thought they would do, a massive David Attenborough doc at 9pm on a Monday would have been guaranteed massive ratings. What is going there instead?

BBC2 and Channel 4 doing well. Love The Victorian Slum.


Was it really that bad? Expected to be high after Friday but they didn't stick around for the 8.30pm episode.


Charlotte Moore loves him I think. Made a big thing about Hugh doing programmes for BBC1.


Sunday at 8pm next month opposite X Factor.

i cant stand that Nick Knowles.

This is very worthy programme. I was so passionate about this subject. Deserves to many more viewers.

All that happens then is that people aren't on the programme. It's more fun with all the contestants and professional dancers there and competing. There'd be more interest when you say there's a really good or bad dancer on as Anne Widdecombe and John Sergeant showed.

I meant what's going at Monday 9pm after Hugh finishes

And yes, Corrie was that bad (in my opinion)

Wow, who'd have thought OAPs are far more interested in watching celebrities dance than they are the soaps?


The average age of death is ~75 so it is a 10 year span in a way. You are right about the silver pound, especially as they do vote at elections. But older people do not spend as much as younger people because they don't have young families and don't 'need' so many things.
Younger people are also more likely to be early adopters and impulsive shoppers. Quite simply older people tend to be more sensible.



Okay. It is ITN though and I believe they still make C4 News and nobody would dare to suggest they are right of centre. C4 has always had a certain political instinct which probably explains why they apparently would not employ Clarkson.


May Rockers and Magician rest in peace. Idiotic scheduling again. Planet Earth will be a show to tape or watch of catch-up. It will start off huge but decline over the run.

sorry PE2? is this a drama based on life in the PE2 post code?


Netflix is spending that money globally, on a pay walled service, not comparable to a UK PSB like BBC, C4 or even ITV.

I didn't suggest otherwise, it's just a helpful comparison.

Wow the gap between Coronation Street and EE is touching 1.5m. Some people might call that 'mouth-watering'.

Thanks Ray

This suggests to me, that this type of factual is still of interest to viewers.

This is type of programme I would commission to go on Tuesday at 8pm and green light an six part series looking at different airports around the world. It wouldn't be expensive, but like factual on BBC2 here, this type of stuff does well.

Also given the popularity of POG dogs and how easy it would be to pull in a casual audience, I would be lookng to extend this series to 1hr. Say 6x60 and launch the next series in the Sunday slot (not facing Countryfile - if at 7pm). I'm sure it would do really well, and would be like CF is, cosy Sunday factual.

The Chase should replace MTP. Slam YBF at 7 and Rockers after it since they are similar shows and neither matter much.
MTP and Magician would then have a shot in the new year. Yes that is not trying v SCD but ITV doesn't try v EE and Holby and the BBC doesn't try v ITV hits.

Pick your battles.

Off Their Rockers is a great show, good light fun. I presume it's low cost, so 3m will be fine for it.

That idea can get the outta here... I wanna drama on BBC1 on Mondays...

Meet the Parents - FLOP
Splash - FLOP
Go For It- FLOP
Harry Hills Not Stars in Their Eyes - FLOP
Off Their Rockers - FLOP
Back in the Room- FLOP
Drive- FLOP
Lets Get Gold - FLOP
Next Great Magician - FLOP
Tuesdays 7.30 - 10.00pm - FLOP

I loved the first series, hilarious, but the novelty wore off pretty quickly. I won't watch the new series.

Incidentally, does anyone know when the second series of Tracey Ullman's show is due?

I want drama too but sadly they want to bombard us with factual. So at least put some big factual there for a change.

Incidentally we will be getting some drama on BBC1 on Monday. Our Loved Boy (about the murder of Damilola Taylor) on Monday 7th November at 8.30pm.

Is EastEnders often this far behind Emmerdale and Coronation Street?

I know EastEnders have just had a producer change so things are quite quiet at the moment but I can see the new guy being told to up his game soon.

That's the first time that's happened in a long time and Corrie was riding off a huge storyline last week. EastEnders is delivering great character led drama at the moment and doesn't have any big storylines running however I think that will change soon. Personally Corrie was average at best last week and last night. Emmerdale was the soap to watch.