Is Michael McIntyre's variety show due back this autumn? I thought somebody said it was. Is it likely to displace Who Dares Wins? Could it be going up against X Factor but with a Strictly lead-in. The lead-in might help it to a decent rating, perhaps close to, or even above a 5m overnight.

McIntyre v X Factor could be an interesting battle, if it occurs.

ITV are certainly giving Rylan chances. Hasn't he fronted This Morning a number of times with his OH recently?

I don't think he will be blamed for The Xtra Factor's decline. It's been struggling for the past few years and although an effort was made to revamp it this year, it's hardly going to go up when the main show is down.

I do feel Rylan is a better fit for ITV generally than C5 - certainly something like This Morning seems ideal for him. And I could see ITV2 working with him on other projects.

Unfortunately he doesn't suit Bit On The Side which was a much better programme when presented by Levine and East. And I think he needs a lot more TV exposure to have any chance of being able to pull off a chat show successfully.

I think Rylan suits BOTS quite well. He's quite relaxed and has settled in well.

However, I don't think he will migrate into the main BB host position when Emma eventually leaves.

What's Brian Downling up to these days?

I read somewhere that he went for a well known tv programne not long ago which gor the life of me I cant remember what it was... can someone help me out lol

Good for Strictly as ever. Is that 9.8m rating posted the tape-checked rating?

I thought XF was going to be lower than that actually so they'll probably take that, even though the live shows should be doing at least 6.5m each week.

That is one issue, you don't have that family kids show that adults also watch anymore to give presenters a leg up, or any exposure on mainstream channels, its basically a hard cut from kids to adults that is hard to get right.

CBBC is entirely tucked away, nobody knows who is hosting what, few would be able to name the current Blue Peter presenters or who is fronting the continuity thesedays (don't tell me, I'm one of the few who does know)

You've also got the issue that there isn't that stream of Working Mens Club/Blackpool Pier hosts coming through that you did in the 70s/80s/90s, and even if you did, they'd be seen as outdated.

Presenters moving from radio to TV is much more limited as well, its more the other way round thesedays

Both of those is why you've got a few faces fronting all LE, either the same faces all the time, or some faces who are barely suited to it.

There were a few statements about it being "back later this year" some months ago - but the Applause Store ticket site now has it down as "back in 2017". Which makes more sense - we'd probably have heard about it now if they were going to manage a run before Christmas.

I would have thought they might be looking to pair it up with Doctor Who next spring - given that the Barlow show and Let's Sing & Dance covers the first quarter or so. In fact, next years Saturday's on BBC One are starting to look decidedly retro with two revived / amended entertainment formats and Who all back.

Reality TV seems to be the way of finding TV presenters and actors these days. Again, Sam and Mark, Rylan, Myleene Klass, Shayne Ward, Kym Marsh, Olly Murs, Marvin and Rochelle, plus others.

6 episodes of McIntyre's Big Show were recorded around September time. I guess one of them might be for Christmas Day, which leaves 5 for Saturday nights. They could well run them from Saturday 19th November through until the Strictly Final on 17th December, displacing Who Dares Wins.

I think it could do well there, but equally I can see the appeal of keeping it back until the New Year as you've suggested, for a Q2 slot (perhaps with a few more episodes to extend the run). Is Doctor Who starting in January or around Easter time as it used to.

It definitely feels a bit retro. Very similar to 6 or 7 years ago. I can't say either talent show excites me much, but I think both will rate well enough.

I think BBC One will do pretty well in January and over the Spring. I think the Gary Barlow vehicle will be good for 6m + and I'm really pleased Michael McIntrye will be back with his show. It was a real treat last time and I hope it can grow further next year.

Not quite sure it would be the done thing to record a variety show in September then screen it in April. Won't the musical guests be wanting to plug their new single or album? They'd quite like to have a plug for their album in the run-up to Christmas and the big Christmas market.

Michael McIntyre's Big Show and Planet Earth 2 against X Factor seems more adventurous scheduling than National Lottery: Who Dares Wins and Antiques Roadshow and it's good to see BBC1 be a bit more adventurous with its scheduling because a lot of the time, particularly prime-time, pre-watershed week-nights, the schedule can be a bit safe and boring.

It'll start off well but I can't see 6m being interested in watching Take That TV for many weeks. But we need to see what it is up against.

McIntyre should be hosting a quiz show type of format. It's an old trope now but imagine him hosting GFI or StarsEyes or a GenGame type.

Agreed.I enjoyed the Rob Brydon Blankety Blank-rip off also.

BBC1 do well in January with pretty little effort. Lottery quizzes can get up to 5m, and MBB rpts the same.

This is especially likely if ITV are showing very little, or a young skewing show like Take Me Out.

I think Let It Shine will appeal to those viewers who watched the ALW shows.

True enough, and December 2010 really was a remarkable month, I could barely leave the house for about three weeks. It really was the equivalent of the summer of 76 and I look forward to boring people about it with my memories of it for decades to come. I don't think if I live to be a hundred I'll see so much snow over such a long period. It felt like it was never going to end.


Well, yes, and as I mentioned last week, my mum was sufficiently interested in the format and the host to plan to record it, but because it was in the middle of Strictly she forgot all about it, and there's no repeats. However, I see there is a repeat of This Time Next Year, even though all that's facing is Watchdog and it has a much cushier slot. That makes no sense to me whatsoever.


Well, I look forward to the nation rushing to its screens tonight to watch Matt Allwright vs Keith Allen on The Chase. I can't remember Pointless ever being Kylie vs Madonna, that one must have passed me by. It's almost as if people watch Pointless because of what the contestants say and do, rather than who they are. I am very excited to see people like Roger McGough on this series. And of course, if they did have more household names, you definitely wouldn't complain about them having "the same old celebrities", would you?


I have never seen the point of spin-off shows straight after the programme, really, I have never had the inclination to watch something going behind the scenes of a programme immediately after it finishes. Especially when it's just stuff that's not interesting enough to go in the actual programme.


Well, she didn't really, Duncan Norvelle did a pilot but it was a total disaster and it didn't go any further. He was long gone before it ever got anywhere near getting on television.


And it's also a better programme, of course, illustrating that people turn on for the format, not just because it's a lottery quiz. When it's a good lottery quiz the ratings go up, when it's a bad one they go down.

any numbers for the Rugby League yesterday afternoon?

Yes, that does seem odd. It does feel as though Meet The Parents was on a hiding to nothing before it even aired. I can see This Time Next Year doing quite well though, it has a fairly cushy slot and looks like a bit of a tear jerker with some light entertainment sparkle. Plus it's the sort of thing Davina is really good at. Not saying it'll be huge but I think they'll have a solid little show there. Even if it doesn't do much on Wednesday it might perk up in a couple of weeks when it's sandwiched between Corrie and I'm a Celebrity.


At least people have heard of Matt Allwright and Keith Allen, which is more than can be said for last night's Pointless Celebs lineup. It is good to not just have the same old faces popping up but last night's Pointless Celebs lineup was rather obscure. Having said that, it got double the ratings of Tipping Point Lucky Stars which had Freddie Flintoff and Tim Vine so it must have done something right. Shows the effect of the Strictly lead-out I think, given that there's only been 0.5m between the two shows on some afternoons recently even though TP airs an hour earlier. Plus ITV rarely show new content at 6pm these days so viewers don't expect it to turn up there.

I think This Time Next Year look like a good farmat. It sort of fills the Long Lost Family vibe that ITV should be looking for more of.

If it does well, I would try out TTNY on a Sunday. in an 8pm slot.

Maybe as a Surprise Surprise replacement? Maybe if they could cushion it with Corrie it might work. On it's own though, as ITV primetime shows becoming increasingly isolated, let's see how it's first ep goes.

I'm sorry but if it was simply down to trailers, then TXF deserves no viewers at all. The one for tonight, as with every live show so far this year is appalling.

Personally I found X Factor last night very good. The songs chosen were fitting. I think last night was hit by younger viewers heading out otherwise it would have had over 6m I think tonight could be the highest results this series as the clocks have gone back.

The Dermot one is particularly irritating. I guess they are supposed to grab your attention.

They do that I suppose, but I cringe.

But they all seem to be centred around Dermot dancing?

Well I'm watching the Chase, and will decide whether to watch XF Results later. I really want to like it because of the panel. But everything else is putting me off.

Are people out trick or treating tonight as that would affect viewing figures do you think?
I doubt it being Sunday and kids going back to school tomorrow but you never know. I would have thought tomorrow would be worse.