Overnights.tv ‏@overnightstv 8s8 seconds ago
#InsertNameHere came home for Xmas for 1.0m/6% @sueperkins @joshwiddicombe @richardosman @12Yard @blackdog_tv @prodnose @sarapascoe

BBC2 (Top 3: 7pm-12.0):
MasterChef: the Professionals: 2.88m (13.8%)
Christmas University Challenge: 2.04m (10.0%)
Mary Berry's Absolute Christmas Favourites (R): 1.49m (7.5%)

Channel 4 (Top 3: 7pm-11.5pm) (exc. +1):
24 Hours in A&E: 1.62m (7.7%)
Kirstie's Handmade Christmas: 0.98m (4.7%)
Alan Carr's 12 Stars of Christmas: 0.67m (4.4%)

Channel 5 (Top 3: 7pm-12.50am) (exc. +1):
The Dog Rescuers at Christmas: 1.11m (5.3%)
The Trafford Centre: Countdown to Christmas: 1.00m (4.8%)
World's Strongest Man: 0.68m (3.4%)

Launch of new US drama #Quarry on @skyatlantic had slightly lacklustre start with 46.7k/0.24%. http://www.overnights.tv

BBC4 (Top 3: 7pm-11.35pm):
Inside Chernobyl's Mega Tomb: 0.81m (3.9%)
Britain's Treasure Islands (R): 0.49m (2.4%)
Film: The Ides of March (R): 0.19m (1.4%)

Excluding HD / excluding +1:
ED (19:01-19:27): 5.39m; CS (19:32-19:58): 5.56m

I would agree with that. Christmas Eve has ended up like that because of panicking I think. In the provisionals Grantchester was down for Boxing Day and Blankety Blank for Christmas Day, but it looks like they worried about the opposition for both of them and moved them, which has led to an overstuffed Christmas Eve, a weaker Christmas Day and Boxing Day and a very random slot for the Spider-Man premiere (was originally going to be Christmas Eve teatime). A pity, they should have stuck to their guns.

E4 (Top 3: 7pm-11.55pm) (exc. +1):
The Big Bang Theory (8.30pm): 1.00m (4.7%)
Hollyoaks: 0.61m (3.1%)
Timeless: 0.51m (2.5%)

Excluding +1:
Arrow (Sky 1): 0.29m (1.4%)
Grey's Anatomy (Sky Living): 0.10m (0.6%)
Conviction (Sky Living): 0.09m (0.4%)

Steve Williams covered this very well but I'll add ny thoughts.

1988 was a good year for sitcom on BBC1.

I think 17m was the highest rating 'Allo, 'Allo ever had and this was part of their mammoth 26 episode series 5 (made to crack America), that ran from September 1988 to February 1989. Last Of The Summer Wine was still doing well with Seymour instead of Foggy. Bread was BBC1's biggest sitcom and got pride of place on Christmas Day. It managed 20m earlier in the year. But I think Dates was a turning point for Only Fools. People went into Christmas Day talking about Bread and came out of it talking about Only Fools. It started a perfect run of episodes that went into the excellent 1989 series that moved to 50 minute episodes and gave us exploding dolls and Del falling through a bar, and ended with The Jolly Boys Outing.

Only Fools was back in a big way that period with the 1988 special winning a BAFTA and The Jolly Boys Outing in 1989 being the first episode to get 20m.

I find you do get drawn into it and have to watch the end,even though you dont really care.

Good rating. Up nearly 2m on Prey last year.

Yes, it's done much better than the post-I'm a Celebrity dramas have done in the past few years.

Wonder if This Time Next Year did any better this week? It seems to have been recommissioned so hopefully it was back above 3m.

That is what happens. It's a boring format that actually hooks you in. Tipping Point is the most watchable, not very good programme I've seen in years. Ben Shepherd hosts two successful entertainment programmes. Ben Shepherd.

I'm still shocked that Prey 2 did so badly after a successful first series.

It was a run of the mill crime drama. The 1st series was good, but not excellent. The 2nd...well I watched the first ep, but didn't bother with the rest.

In Plain Sight I find more entertaining. It probably also helps that This Time Next Year was around 3m, compared with Jekyll & Hyde at 1.6m last year.

This Time Next Year was a new and interesting experiement. But there did seem to be a few too many people on it trying to loose weight. Perhaps with the next series, now viewers know what its about. There might be a more varied cases next series.

BIB Hopefully they can keep that trend going for the next few years. ITV rating well leading up to Christmas is not usually a fequent occurance. Tonight won't be at 9pm anyway.

Friday....I can't see The Hobbit doing anymore than 3.5m, but if it got that it would be fine. Its been on less than the 1st film.

But nobody predicted Prey to drop off a cliff in the ratings like that. In Plain Sight was good, glad it did well.

I didn't think it would do well, I remember saying befoire it started. But it flopped harder than I thought.

I can't say much of that inspires me. The only thing I'm likely to watch is CBB.

Great rating for a fascinating documentary.

From ITV Media:

Wednesday Top 10: Main channels (inc. +1 where applicable)

1 ITV - 07:30 PM Coronation Street 6.899m 34%
2 ITV - 07:00 PM Emmerdale 6.567m 33%
3 BBC One - 06:30 PM Regional News and Weather 5.558m 31%
4 BBC One - 06:00 PM BBC News at Six 5.273m 31%
5 ITV - 09:00 PM In Plain Sight 4.214m 20%
6 BBC One - 10:00 PM BBC News at Ten 3.909m 23%
7 ITV - 05:00 PM The Chase 3.835m 27%
8 ITV - 06:30 PM ITV Evening News 3.808m 21%
9 ITV - 06:00 PM ITV Regional News 3.791m 22%
10 BBC One - 07:00 PM Celebrity Mastermind 3.689m 19% 3.76m tapechecked

Wednesday Top 10: Other channels (inc. +1 where applicable)

1 E4 - 08:30 PM The Big Bang Theory 1.268m 5.9%
2 BBC Four - 09:00 PM Inside Chernobyl's Mega Tomb 813k 3.9%
3 E4 - 07:00 PM Hollyoaks 694k 3.5%
4 ITV2 - 09:00 PM Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason 657k 3.7%
5 E4 - 09:00 PM Timeless 609k 2.9%
6 E4 - 08:00 PM The Big Bang Theory 597k 3.0%
7 BBC Four - 08:00 PM Britain's Treasure Islands 491k 2.4%
8 ITV3 - 09:00 PM Les Dawson Forever 455k 2.2%
9 ITV2 - 03:50 PM The Jeremy Kyle Show 434k 4.2%
10 E4 - 06:30 PM The Big Bang Theory 434k 2.4%

I would be surprised if TTNY got over 3m, the gap in weeks probably didn't help it. The programme is a little samey with the weight loss people and seems a bit rushed.

Season 2 needs to slow it down and allow the viewers to get to know the people. The opening interview could be a little longer and more time could be spent on showing their journey. Having one fewer story per episode won't hurt it.

I still feel it would be better in a Surprise Surprise slot, around 7pm on a Sunday. Something like:

6:30 - Quiz
7:15 - TTNY
8:15 - Durrells
9:15 - Crime drama (maybe set a long time ago)

Those junctions are probably not acceptable on a Sunday in 2018 so the quiz would be 6:15. The BBC would expect Countryfile to counter and neutralise it.

I will just like to wish everyone on the ratings thread a Merry Christmas, The Brian Fox prpgramme on BBC Two may be worth watching on Christmas Day. If you get bored of predictable stuff on BBC One.