Nope, I started reading a thread about X Factor and SCD ratings in 2005 and ended up getting involved in the Big Brother ratings threads which are massive and provided a sane place to escape to when that board goes crazy (as it so often does). I do notice quite a few names from the BB Threads posting on here. I suppose some people might not like it, but as these threads expand they tend to cover wider topics than ratings (although still related). For example, talk about a UK version of So You Think You Can Dance.


I don't see it being a huge hit, at best a filler for the summer months at 4-5 million. They won't get Cowell doing a show he doesn't produce (and I don't think he will star in anymore talent shows).

Perhaps what would go against it as well is the overkill of dancing shows.

I imagine 19 and Talkback have tried to sell it to every UK broadcaster long before now so I can't really see it happening.

What if Channel 4 was to take on SYTYCD? Could they really stand a small chance of getting in on the traditional Saturday night audience?

Britain's Got Talent would never have been a big a hit as it is without Simon Cowell and Ant & Dec. It makes a change from singing contests but the concept isn't hugely original and if it was on another channel without these people, I think it would do reasonable but no where near 8+ million viewers. ITV have found an excellent show that fills the gap that X Factor leaves. It would be interesting to see how a show like Britain's Got Talent would fair against Doctor Who, two very different shows that can attract similar audiences. It would never happen and I'm a viewer of both so it wouldn't be ideal for me but you can't help but wonder.

Why does Channel 4 need to? Surely their job is to provide an alternative?

I have always taken an odd interest in TV ratings since my teens I guess when Oracle (later ITV Teletext) used to publish the Top 30s by channel every week. (Page 254 if I recall... )

I think I stumbled across them by accident and took a curious interest every Wednesday in checking out how my favourite TV shows were getting on - and why ITV shows always used to get so much higher ratings than the shows I tended to prefer on BBC1. (In the late 80s/early 90s, for those who don't know, ITV used to kick BBC1's ass week in week out, apart from Christmas week, and only EastEnders, Neighbours and Casualty and a handful of other shows during the year had much chance of winning their slot.)

But back then ITV used to have a diverse mix of interesting popular programmes, and before satellite TV and the digital age, film premieres were massive draws and ITV used to show bigger movies than the BBC.

As a consequence of Oracle posting the ratings, and having a good memory for the obscure and trivial, I can recall specific ratings that particular shows got in, say, December 1989.

Go on then, off the top of your head

SUNDAY 28th APRIL:

ITV1
6.45pm Beat The Star 5.0m (23%)
8pm Midsomer Murders 7.4m (30%)

Well done Beat the Star...managing to maintain last week's figures.

BBC1
7pm My Family 4.1m (19.9%)
7.30pm I'd Do Anything 5.6m (24%)
8pm Miss Austen Regrets 3.9m (15.4%)
[peak 4.4m (17.8%) ABC1 59.8%; 16-34 11.4%]
10pm BBC News 5.2m (25%)
10.20pm Panorama 2.2m (15%)

ITV1
6.45pm Beat the Star 5m (23.1%)
8pm Midsomer Murders 7.4m (29.7%) peak 7.7m (30.1%)
10pm Headcases 2.8m (14%)

Channel 4
9pm In Her Shoes 2.3m (12.3%)

Five
9pm The Sixth Day 1.1m (6.1%)

BBC2
9pm Timewatch The Hunt for U864 1.9m (7.4%)
10pm MOTD2 2.1m (12%)

Sky One
7pm A-Z of Gladiators 286,000 (1.4%)

BBC3
10pm Page Three Teens 422,000 (2.7%) - such a low figure for this educational show

All hours shares for Sunday 27 April 2008: BBC1 – 22.3%, ITV1 – 22%, C4 – 8.3%, BBC2 – 7.8%, Five – 4.8%, multichannel – 34.9%

Peaktime shares: ITV1 – 25.7%, BBC1 – 25%, BBC2 – 8.5%, C4 – 7.5%, Five – 3.9%, multichannel – 34.9%

============================
Surprised at how lowly Miss Austen Regrets perfomed. Still with 60% ABC1's it must have made the shires happy!

That's probably quite respectable, and considering it was made available through Sky Anytime as well, so some people may have watched it that way instead, it probably bodes well for the new series. Obviously Sky have been known to get far higher ratings on a Sunday evening, but for a clips show, it seems to have done quite well.

Some others, from MediaGuardian:

ITV, 10pm, Headcases: 2.8m (14%).
BBC1, 10pm, News: 5.2m (25%)
BBC1, 1020, Panorama: 2.2m (15%)
BBC2, 10pm, MOTD2,2.1m (12%)

K

It seems the educational Page Three Teens has shot straight to the top of the iplayer most watched charts. Funny, eh?!

Yes, Miss Austen Regrets did rate lowly , but it was always going to be up against it with Midsomer Murders on ITV. I'd agree though - quite a remarkable ABC1 ratio.

Great for Midsomer Murders as usual.

Maybe Heartbeat, The Royal and Wild at Heart would be better going out at 7pm on Sunday nights, with Beat The Star given a second series on Saturday nights. This means there is no need to try out new stuff on Sundays:

7:00pm Heartbeat
8:00pm Affinity / 2 hour drama
10:00pm News at Ten
10:45pm The South Bank Show

Saturday would be a very strong night indeed with BGT along with other such programmes. Personally, I think even the flops, e.g. Duel should be re-commissioned. But I think it should have an edge.

It should be linked in with something wider. Because at the moment Duel is just Duel. Perhaps ITV could claim rights to the Euromillions draws and they could feature Duel around that lottery. Or make a competition of their own. It's a feeble idea.

Anyone know how Blood, Sweat and T-Shirts is doing on BBC3?

It's a really good idea for a TV show - a bit of a risk for BBC3 - hope its doing well.

I agree that Beat the Star should go on a Saturday though I applaud ITV for trying out new ideas for Sunday. Personally I think that ITV1 and BBC One should put a family drama in the 6pm/7pm slot given how successful Strictly, Dancing on Ice and IDA have done maybe they should try it with a drama.

Personally I would love to see The Generation Game back on tv though it would need an excellent host to pull it off.

I'm surprised how low Miss Austen Regrets rated, even though it was up against Midsomer. I thought it would actually dent Midsomer. Also maybe now a VoD repeat gets just 3 million, the BBC will stop showing them!

ITV will be pleased that Beat The Star maintained it's figure-but moving it's slot for Corrie next week isn't going to help.

Regarding the BBC1 shares for yesterday they don't add up at all! How can they have got 25% in peaktime when only the news just reached 25%? Also the all hours shares seem way too high and are around 5% higher than Channel 4 sales reports. Mistake at Broadcast??

Was this a new record in misleading advertising?

ITV billed last night's new Midsomer Murders as the start of a new series.

But it is not on next week so I presume one episode now constitutes a series?

Two episodes of Foyle's War were similarly introduced by the continuity people, which you can just about get away with. But one???

Perhaps there will be another one after the Bank Holiday, but it still seems a bit of an odd description.

Does anyone know how well Shipwrecked is doing on Sundays, Channel 4?

I've heard quite a bit of criticism of the show, which might explain why the BBC pulled it from their Christmas fortnight schedules.

I dont think C4 sales are too reliable now. They used to show all hours shares and they were usually in line with the others but since they changed a month or so ago they dont show all hours as such and have been very out of line with the others.

I think your right about the BBC peaktime share though - must be wrong.

I'm not sure what the word for one off random episodes is? Specials maybe?

I for one wont watch it on BBC1, when I can watch it on BBCHD.

Do the HD figures get added back to the overall figure?

Not likely when they shell out for new things like Miss Austen regrets and it gets only 3m.

More like BBC One Regrets...

This is purely off the top of my head, but I think the BBC1 premiere of Crocodile Dundee on Xmas Day 1989 got 21.1m viewers - an astonishing figure for a film premiere. I don't think any feature film has got more than 20m viewers since.