He did seem an odd choice but I've watched both Mon & Tue shows and they were fine. But fine isn't good enough for primetime, so I agree it felt like a 5pm show - ironically it might do well there, but "relegating" it to 5pm from primetime could be awkward for the PR dept. and would they reduce the money for correct answers from £500 to £50?!

Edit to add: £500 for every correct answer so presumably that's why it's called 500 Questions. Maybe they would need to rename it 50 Questions then if it moved slot!

Bunch of predictions from me...

500 Questions- 1.6m

Bake Off- 9.1m
Chronicles of Nadiya- 4.6m
Long Lost Family- 3.5m

You reckon bake off will be down on last year?

How many episodes is Cold Feet, Is it the usual six?

Eight episodes

I had a feeling it started with 8.3m last year, but just looked it up and it was 9.3m overnight, so I'll say 10.1m now.

Deleted.

It is called 500 questions because - as was (briefly!) explained at the very start of episode 1 - there are 500 questions in total out of which 50 per show are chosen at random by the computer from the selected categories.

At least I think that is what Giles said.

Thanks.

Oh thanks JD.

On another thread I suggested that ITV should have maybe tried this out at 5pm (£50 per question?!) and if successful then consider promoting it to primetime and ramping up the prize money. I quite like the programme, I still think it could work at 5pm for them though demoting it now would be a red face for ITV?

I think Long Lost Family could well swing it. Will be a test for the BBC to see how popular Nadya really is outside of the Bake Off Bubble.

I think Nadiya will edge it. Last year the Sue Perkins one off they aired after Bake Off got 4.6m. I don't expect this to do quite as well as Long Lost Family is tougher than that show's competition, but I think it'll win the slot. LLF's lead-in will be so low.

I predict:

Bake Off - 9.6m
Nadiya - 4.2m

500 Questions - 1.5m
Long Lost Family - 3.6m

No Strictly/X Factor overlap on Saturday 3rd it seems. Strictly confirmed for 6.50pm (same as the provisionals) whilst ITV have blinked and shifted their schedule back 15 mins so X Factor starts as Strictly ends at 8.15pm.

In two minds as to whether I think ITV should have blinked or not. Gives an insight into what to expect this Autumn from the new management with this clash though!

It's strange that they're putting The Level on Fridays but I guess they want a solid ratings banker like DCI Banks against Our Girl which I imagine won't retain much of the Bake Off audience.

The scheduling of the remaining dramas seems about right. Does make me wonder if they're saving Bobby and Tina for after IAC although it's only currently shooting at the moment so I guess they're saving it for 2017.

If anyone wonders where I was, I am on Twitter and my blog these days. Ratings are just nose dive really because the TV channels are very lazy.

Confirmed scheduling news
* Secrets of the SAS starts Monday 5th September at 9pm on Channel 5.
* Battlebots starts Sunday 4th September at 8pm on Spike.

Bake Off's première last year averaged 9.3m (43%). Realistically anywhere 8m+ would be good.

If anyone knows rzt or Mike's whereabouts, can someone ask what the following got with +1:

- President Trump: Can He Really Win
- CBB
- The Dog Rescuers
- Wentworth Prison

Thanks

IMO, tonight will just about hit 10m. But with the hot weather anything above 8m would be fantastic.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast in the South and South East this evening! I wonder how many Bake Off viewers are traditional viewers who still disconnect their TV aerial and mains supply from their telly's when it thunders?

Will be interesting what Ben Frow has planned for 5 in 2017. Probably will find out more tomorrow.

Thanks for the advance info. 2 programmes I will look forward to.

No problem!


Looking forward to it. Just catching up on day 1 news now. No video uploads yet sadly.

Losng Lost Family will struggle tonight I think. Given the lead in Nadiya is getting, I can't see it doing too badly (4.5m+). Anything Bake-Off related will rate well.

Also 500 Questions will be around 1.5m - and how can ITV expect LLF to recover from that lead in.

Cold Feet confirmed for Monday 5th September.