It has certainly got mountains of free publicity for the show. There are articles in every newspaper & even on BBC News online. This could be a Max Cliffort style stunt

You could be spot on! This could be a very clever fly move by ITV!!

christ that will be a ratings banker - NOT

The Apprentice more than trebles the audience of Rock Rivals! I missed it last night (watching the Old Firm match) but it's been going from strength to strength this year. I think it slowed a bit last year when it got caught up in some stiff competition (a few weeks of CL football and the launch of Big Brother?) but I think this series has been one of the better ones.

If they can add a few more viewers, the show will be up there with I'm a Celebrity, Got Talent, X Factor, DOI and SCD as one of the biggest RTV shows.

Interesting to see on the last page that Foyles War got a 16-34 audience of 3.6%. That's only 256,000 out of 7.1 million viewers. So even if Rock Rivals only got 12% in that demographic it would have got more young viewers.

The Apprentice is certainly going from strength to strength but I worry it is in danger of getting overexposed expecially in the tabloids. I hope this doesn't happen as it is one of the better reality tv show.

THats why it was axed before it was un-axed

Reality Tv show in tabloid exposure shocker?

Isn't that what this type of tv feeds off? Apprentice is just Big Brother for people who live in better areas after all?
Maybe press coverage should be restricted to the broadsheets?

I try to keep an eye on the TV mag to see if they're old or new episodes, just in case CSI comes up in the ratings prediction game thread!

Fantastic figures for The Apprentice, its going from strength to strength.

Without doubt the best of all the reality shows, bar none.

It really is great viewing figures for The Apprentice, and it is just going from strength to strength.

I think the move to BBC1 has helped, and the show has become much more mainstream than when it was on BBC2. However, I think the first and second series' were actually the best - and maybe it should have been on BBC1 from the start.

The show started off quietly 3 years ago, but has actually become one of the biggets reality shows.

It is great that it is now getting the ratings it deserves and quite unusual in TV terms as normally the ratings for shows go down by each series. The Apprentice is the opposite! I think the press coverage has certainly helped.

Everybody was furious when they were moving it to BBC 1 but its sustained quality and everybodies still watching it- even more actually.

Out of interest how does the BBC mid-afternoon slot do ratings wise?

Can't see the likes of Doctors, Diagnosis Murder on One or Murder She Wrote on Two pulling up any great numbers

Analysing Daytime:

Early Morning (06:00 - 09:15/25) - BBC One win

Mid-Morning (09:15/25 - 10:20) - Pretty even, with either side winning, depending on day & programming

Late-Morning (10:30 - 13:00) - BBC One winner (with the occasional dud in programming such as 'Open House' having a close-run battle with This Morning, thou it has won most of the times I've seen this week.

Early-Afternoon (13:00 - 15:00) - BBC one News best ratings of any daytime show c. 3m, Doctors - c.1.7m, winning slot, Diagnosis Murder - c.1.2 - 1.5m - wins slot.

Typical Late-Afternoon Trends:
BBC2 - 'Murder She Wrote' c. 0.9m, Does well with 'Flog It'
ITV1 - Wins slot from 15:00 - 16:00
Channel 4 - Wins slot for Deal or No Deal

5.00pm slot - PoG usually does well, as does Weakest Link. Escape to the Country usually last in slot, with c.1.2m. Midsomer Murders also currently does quite well for ITV1

No. It's their best show (and thank god Sky know it), but no-where near their biggest.

I think their biggest are The Simpsons, Lost and Bones.

And although the TV ratings are low, Galactica makes a killing of the competition on DVD in the UK.

Well CBeebies' Space Pirates is averaging around 300,000 each day according to Chris Moyles.

They are trying to increase that number due to The Chris Moyles Show's very own Dominic Byrne's involvement.

Doctors does well at 145pm onnbbc1 gainst neighbours and has allways been a big show for daytime tv
Diagnosis Murder also does well upgainst home and away 215pm which is on five

I've got to say respect to Philip Schofield for saying that there.
Most presenters wouldn't even dare.

I'd say so. And I think it's because it's main emphasis is on humour and comedy as opposed to being mainly about hate and voting.

why does nobody ask about Neighbours ratings anymore?

I believe the 1.45pm showing now gets about 1.2m on average for five.

Thursday 17th April Overnights
BBC1
20.00- Holby Blue: 3.4m (15.5%)
21.00- New Tricks: 4.7m (20.9%)

BBC2
20.00- Coast: 2.2m (10%)
21.00- The Graham Norton Show: 1.7m (7.6%) *peak: 1.8m (7.7%) at 21.30

ITV1
20.00- The Bill: 4.5m (20.4%)
21.00- Homes from Hell: 3.4m (14.8%)

Channel4 (including C4+1)
18.00- The Simpsons: 2.2m
18.30- Hollyoaks: 1.7m
20.00- Come Dine With Me: 2.6m (2.5m on C4 alone)
21.00- Sex, Lies and the Murder of Meredith Kercher: 1.1m
22.00- My Name Is Earl: 1.1m
22.30- Big Bang Theory: 860,800
23.00- Skins: 565,500

Five
20.00- I Own Britain's Best Home: 1.1m (4.7%)
21.00- House: 1.9m (8.2%)

Multichannel
19.30: Everton vs. Chelsea (Sky Sports 1): 989,000 (5.2%) *peak: 1.4m (6.8%) at 9.30pm.

21.00:
BBC3- Young Mums' Mansion: 347,000 (1.7%).
Five US- Men in Black 2: 523,000 (2.8%)
ITV2- Kate and Peter: The Next Chapter: 926,000 (4.7%)
Sky One- Bones: 557,000 (2.8%)
BBC4- Inside the Medieval Mind: 644,000 (3.2%)
* peak: 672,000 (3%) over first 30-mins
* ABC1 viewers made up 61.4% of the audience while 12.4% were aged between 16-34
* channel slot average: 282,000 (1.4%)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All hours shares for Thursday 17 April 2008: BBC1 – 21.5%, ITV1 – 18.5%, C4 – 7.8%, BBC2 – 7.8%, Five – 5%, multichannel – 39.1%.

Peaktime (6pm to 10.30pm) shares: BBC1 – 22.9%, ITV1 – 19.3%, BBC2 – 8.4%, C4 – 7.5%, Five – 5%, multichannel – 36.4%.

Pathetic numbers for the 9.00pm slot for all channels. Has Holby Blue fallen again?

Surprised about Graham Norton's rating. I genuinely thought he would get his best figures yet last night with relatively weak competition on the other channels. (Except House)

Yes, I think it has slightly. It's a shame really, as I think HB has considerably improved this series, but it's suffered by being put up against The Bill

Nothing on Emmerdale or EastEnders yet, but here are some more from last night:

The Bill - 4.5 million viewers; 20% audience share

Come Dine With Me - 2.5 million viewers; 11% audience share (+150,000 C4+1)

Coast - 2.2 million viewers

I Own Britain's Best Home - 1.1 million viewers; 5% audience share

Homes from Hell - 3.4 million viewers; 16% audience share

Sex, Lies and the Murder of Meredith Kercher - 1.1 million viewers; 5% audience share