The Michelle Fowler coverage should raise a few eyebrows, and may tune in to see what all the fuss is about. The best it can hope for is 6+ million.

When they said a low key Christmas, it didn't look it so much from the trailer. Phil looks like death warmed up!

There are some in the soap forum heaping praise on EastEnders but I can't see why. It's so dull and tedious at the moment, it's getting the mediocre ratings it deserves.

EE may be languishing in third, but am I the only one who can see it turning it around on the big day? I have faith it will deliver, though I think Emmerdale could win the soap battle for some reason. Corrie will lose a lot of viewers due to Call The Midwife, unless their default 6m stay loyal.

Maigret is aimed towards the older viewers so that's going to be killed off when EE is on.

I just can't see EE getting a big boost. Usually the trailer promises a gripping Christmas episode. Christmas always used to be the time EE excelled itself, and Corrie and ED would do something fairly ordinary.

Going off some hints online, there's going to be a surprise of some sorts on Christmas Day. Has this been promoted? Of course not.

Well its all subjective isn't it, but it has to be agreed the ratings are hardly stellar. Somewhere along the line the show has even started to let slip the Christmas draw factor of old that most recently that saw it beating Downton Abbey on the night a few years ago.

I think the BBC should make a project of Eastenders, by that I mean by more promotional assistance and even perhaps looking at the scheduling (obviously Coronation Streets 6th episode placement needs to be known). Its ok pushing EE at anniversary times, but these are 5 years apart-and even though there are ads for it here and there, it just seems to be lacklustre and perhaps even neglectful. EE is the third soap at the moment-I think the BBC needs to have a good look at itself over that because its a long long downward spiral that has put it there.

This is the issue - lack of promotion. CS/ED especially the latter has benefit from a lot of it and as has had some engaging storylines this year. On the other hand - I wouldn't be surprised if there is a few 100k between the three! I thought last night was a strong episode and the foundations are being laid for a fantastic Christmas into New Year

Yes there is a tiredness to BBC1's schedule which is now preventing it from feeling special. Obviously big shows, SCD will be keep a decent core, CTM is a special this time but is overlong and surely there will a lot of catch up here. EE is struggling with no carrot storyline and Mrs Browns Boys is a bit late. So I think each main channel schedule will cancel each other out and we get a lot mediocre scores-prompting a lot of ratings depression on this thread no doubt.

I think DW sums things up, 13.31 million for Voyage of the Damned in 2007 after timeshift. The show is still central to Christmas Day now and it has to be said, rather jaded. I think that's about the state for the big days offerings on BBC1 and ITV to be honest.

EE always does poorly on a Friday and yesterday was Mad Friday the sequel. The 25% share is admittedly a bit down on the normal 28%, I know EE skews younger but I doubt it actually skews young.

Saving Mr Banks was trending first on Twitter yesterday so I'm not surprised it did well. I would hope Hobbit 2 got over 3m as it pains me to think most people watched it in SD.

EE had a very good episode though. The episodes this week have been great. Christmas Day will pull in viewers. Speculation also about Michelle coming back nearly confirmed.

That's the only thing they can do. They can't praise its ratings.

We've had for years now. When EE doesn't deliver a good rating, its then brushed off and the expectation is then pushed to next day, and the next day.

I expect EE will be around 6m tonight, but its lost all its impact.

Christmas Day will likely be higher due to many factors: BBC1, easier comp., strong schedule.

But I'm fed up with seeing EE at the top on Christmas Day. I want something different than just soap.

Excellent for Saving Mr Banks. Fantastic film. Glad it did well.

Coronation Street isn't all that healthy ratings wise either. Its still got so much needless deadwood, and the storylines are pretty boring atm.

But I'm looking forward to Toyah's return. I just hope they don't ruin the character with affairs, babies, cheating.

Affairs are the most tedious in soap

One wonders if the BBC leaked the news to the Sun to give the soap a boost. If they didn't then we again have the press treating soap viewers one way but SCD viewers a different way.

I dont think it jumped much last year unfortunately unlike previous years, it was nyd that saw a big rise

Doesnt emmerdale usualy come in third place with lower than usual ratings but its been doing so well this year, but its on early, then eastenders is later than usual at 9.30

Or even worse Infomercials on early morning satellite channel on a loop.

Just fyio

The News was on the " Soap" forum here first for about two hours, then quite clearly it was copied by The Sun, wording photo etc.

A poster here found the photo, and then looking into the information metadata they found out all the details.

It wouldn't be difficult for the BBC to leak the photos to drum up some drama, just like ITV used to do with X Factor back in the day (Cheryl and Danni's SHOCKING backstage FIGHT, etc.).

I doubt they would leak it via some fan account on Twitter that has been giving away spoilers for all the soaps. It broke a big Corrie spoiler the other day.

The thread in the DS soaps forum was citing that Twitter account as a source.

As for EE on Xmas Day, I doubt it will see a boost. It is on too late and CTM is going to stall BBC One's momentum. Corrie will be top soap. It's funny that Emmerdale is stronger at the moment yet it's the Corrie xmas trailer that ITV are running constantly. I haven't even seen a trailer for Emmerdale.

Yet the papers criticise the SCD result from being posted by a website (and on here).


Well it's a bit like Hilda, characters from 30 years ago don't mean much now. EE is always bringing back old actors anyway, we occasionally stumble on to it and have a laugh about it.

"Oh blimey, Sharon/Kathy/Grant/Nick/Den/Mary/Wicksy/Pat/Sue/Ali/Kelvin/Roly is back in it..."

Corrie is getting quite a lot more viewers at times still, deservedly or not.
Why do people think CTM will struggle? I've never watched it so I'm curious why it is not seen as great for Xmas Day. It's cosy and hugely popular, rather like Downton I'd have thought it was made for Xmas.

Is it because of budget cuts that the BBC don't promote EastEnders as much? I don't really see any trailers for it anymore and I think that's all it needs to get the ratings up over the festive period.

Call the Midwife is a good Xmas offering, it has the right tone for Christmas but it's more the fact that many viewers will surely not be in the mood to sit and concentrate on a 90 minute drama on the big day.

I do think it's a shame that BBC One don't have an extra comedy for primetime Christmas Day. I'm not sure how much pre watershed comedy BBC One has next year, but maybe if Porridge and Home from Home punch through and become moderate hits next year, a Christmas special could be done and placed on the big day.

They wanted to keep it secret but a Twitter account broke the embargo. I can say no more. But some eagle-eyed EastEnders fans spotted it in the Christmas trailer which was hastily re-edited. A blunder from the show tipped people off and now another blunder from somewhere else has confirmed it. Whatever IT is of course.

Yes often the tabloids have double standards, to me on this EE news it would appear a poster on the soap forum here was the detective and found this, and the Sun journalist just nicked it, timing wise The Sun took about two hours. The wording used by The Sun suggested a rip off of the thread in DS.

With SCD Results they did have double standards, while not revealing results, they often had photos of the score leader and ( surprise) a photo of who is going home, without saying it.

The Sun also has outrage on men who take upskirt photos, but then publish a newscaster showing her knickers through a glass desk which to me is exactly the same thing!

But back to topic, I can't see the BBC keeping this secret for months, then releasing it due to a Friday low audience, it was by a poster detective here this time.

I think CTM will do well, it's a ten million viewer show in a strong line up, with an extra special addition of going abroad this time.

However to me Christmas Day is the wrong slot. As a minimum I would have swapped CTM and Sherlock, 3.10pm >> 8 pm, feels very Christmas Day. CTM feels Boxing Day or NYD.