Oh right. Again it wasn't clear to me.

As I say, I am a very very loyal BBC person. I would never consider watching The Queen on ITV anymore than I would watch it on Channel 5. Heaven help us. I nearly dropped my sherry when I saw 'ITV Productions' at the end of The Queen. I was not happy. It should have been BBC Studios.

Worth a try. I like a challenge

Think of broadcasters like restaurants. You can have a sunday lunch in many of them but you choose some over others for many different reasons. Supermarkets are the same. Would you buy a pint of milk in any of the supermarkets or do you have your favourites?

It's very healthy to have a balance of views. You are very pro ITV and I am very BBC. We balance each other out. It wouldn't be good to allow pro-ITV people to go unchallenged would it.

So how well is Graham's new show going to do tomorrow on the Beeb H?

Why would I think of a broadcaster like a restaurant? I have no words, this is absurd. I can't be bothered, it's like debating with a brick wall. I think we should all just stop now because this has nothing to do with ratings and is completely off topic.

And if we are REALLY comparing a TV channel to a shop then I buy milk from anywhere I like. If I need it from Asda I go there. If I need it from Sainsbury's I go there. If I need it from the Co-op I go there, or the local shop. It doesn't matter.

It's ridiculous, childish and pathetic behaviour.

It's like being back at primary school at a cake sale and refusing to buy a muffin because they've been made by somebody you don't like.

I have my favourite supermarkets too...seriously. Any way Lewie, I understand. I will leave it there with you.

The differene between me and you though, is I watch BBC1, BBC2, ITV, CH4, CH5 etc etc...and I don't have any feelings of guilt towards not watching ITV.

This therefore gives me a better balance of view than you do, when comparing programmes and channels. For example, my top Christmas programme was Ethel & Ernest followed by The Real Marigold, followed by Grantchester.

I think Let It Shine will do as well as the traditional BBC talent show before it, in appealing to its core demograhic for the most, which will give it a solid launch figure of 5.7m with TVUK at 6.5m, down on the BBC figure due to change of channel.

Seriously? Please tell me you're not being serious with those last two sentences. Honestly, it really doesn't matter. It really doesn't.

My festive favourites were:
Strictly
Strictly Len Goodman
EastEnders
Outnumbered
Call The Midwife

My general point is that you are biased towards ITV. I am very pro the BBC. That is where we balance out. I only comment where it's necessary...where I feel people are unfair, inaccurate or simply wrong.

When do you think they'll put "The Queen" out to tender?

There's some biased individuals on this thread but they are another level!

Hassaan, I am deadly serious. I am far from alone. I was discussing with family/friends content/networks and channels people consume. Netflix and Amazon came up but so did the BBC...very strongly. ITV, Ch4 and 5 (plus the lower EPG channels) didn't even feature. This is the story of tv during the last 20 or so years. The rise of Netflix and Amazon...the BBC remaining strong coupled with the general...the general decline in the commercial sector. A lot of people simply can't stand the lengthy, intrusive and frequent ad breaks. Then there is the content...

I've heard some crazy things in my life, but some of the s*** I've read on this thread tonight beggars belief.

Clearly they already Rick and it's wrong...in my view.

Is that proving my point that BBC programmes have a default audience because many viewers tire of adverts?

None of this should surprise you. We all have our favourite channels and broadcasters. H is clearly a very ITV person, I'm not. Others will lap up Ch5. A few default to Netflix. My favourite is the BBC.

Why does it matter if it says 'ITV Productions'? If you didn't see that it wouldn't have bothered you.

You reckon people can't stand adverts based on one bit of research? I'm a Celebrity got 10.5m viewers a month ago, across 90 minutes, with adverts. That suggests to me that adverts don't bother people as much as some would have you believe.

You say H is pro-ITV, which may be true, but at least he's capable of being objective. Nor are his points beyond extreme.

I buy two bottles at a time, each containing six pints. In Lidl it cost £1.35, in the CoOp it costs £2.09. It is a tough call.

One restaurant might be good at fish, another for steak, another for chicken.

I want this conversation to be on the Martin Lewis Show -
You see Martin, I'm not willing to change gas supplier. Yes it might save me £600 a year but British Gas is where the quality is. Why would I want some other gas when I can have British Gas?

But very few will say that their favourite channel/broadcaster is the absolute best thing in the whole world and their programmes are the best and everything else is inferior. That's the point everyone is trying to make.

Anyway. On a different note, this weekend will be a big ratings period for us, given we have Let It Shine, The Voice UK, Taboo, Dancex3, Endeavour, Sherlock.

Lots of unpredictable and predictable ratings to come.

But what will you be watching on Saturday? Let It Shine or TVUK or both?

The BBC has a default audience because that audience enjoys, values and trusts the BBC to deliver.

Ads are a problem but so is the narrow output/quality on ITV (barring Downton I suppose). Why oh why another episode of Corrie? Six hours of soap during week days in prime time. One whole evening (out of five) dedicated to soap. It's far to much. Quality will suffer meaning ratings will suffer. Ever Decreasing Circles and all that.

Personally I'll be watching The Voice and catching up on Let It Shine afterwards.

I can't help but laugh


Let It Shine. Don't like Barlow but I like the format from a few years back. Grew tired of The Voice after about series 2. And I don't like the two new judges.


You do realise Downton is finished?

And please do tell which "whole evening" is dedicated to soap?

Coo-ee...H...coo-ee...me first...drum roll please...

BBC Let It Shine of course...roll the titles...

I'm not sure it's going to be that big a weekend in terms of ratings will it? Any way, I hope Let It Shine wins.