Yes, I know what you mean.

Maybe people are just slowly starting to get bored with all the soaps.

EDIT: Maybe it was partly the live Ryder Cup golf on Sky? I've no idea if it's popular or not.

Hang on...something really weird is going on here lol. Why is NCIS up about 0.7m on what it usually gets in that slot?? It was just a bog standard repeat. L&O also seems up. That seems really odd considering everything else is down considerably.

Low across the board, there, although WITB was the second part of a two parter, so I expect the ratings to go up next week for that.

I am assuming Axe Men managed to boost the rest of the schedules with male viewers sticking to watch the channel for the rest of the night. It beat both a new episode of Ugly Betty and Ricky Gervais: Fame.

Did Axe Men give 'em a boost?

Yeah that's what I thought, but it's still a little strange considering everything else was down. Axe Men itself was down 0.5m.

I dunno, then. Maybe people just fancied a change from H&P and Wire in the Blood.

I think the Beeb were right to put a big-rating show on before Merlin to give it a lead in rather than letting it stand on its own at, say, 6.30 just to avoid TXF. I think it would have got less than 6.6m that way. Interesting that it actually built its audience as TXF went on, not the other way as I would have expected. It's going to tank at 6pm next week though.

If the BBC did deliberately run Strictly on past the 7.30pm junction, then I think it backfired. The 5 min breakdowns suggest people had switched over for XF before Bruce and Tess had finished waffling - I expected the Beeb to wrap up SCD smartly about 7.27, quick plug from Brucie for Merlin, and go straight into the new show at 7.28 without any promos to get a head start on TXF. Instead SCD seemed to take an age to get off the air once the dancing finished, damaging its own average and hurting Merlin.

Wonder what tonight will bring - it's a strong BBC1 line-up with Antiques Roadshow, SCD, and T of the Ds against a run of the mill ITV1 line up. Should be a winning night for the Beeb across the board.

Could SCD top 9m tonight in a better slot, after dark?

I'd be surprised if SCD tops 7m TBH, Heartbeat's not going to lie down easily plus SCD is actually starting late so the ITV show has a headstart there.

Last week, Antiques Roadshow bought in 6.1m. I'd say SCD will get around 6.8m, with Heartbeat around the 5.2m mark. But it won't get really high figures - not at this early stage and against competitive opposition.

Is the SCD results show now an hour every week?

Anyone think this may damage the ratings as some people may not want to commit to watching 2 hours 20 minutes of the show at the weekend

A bit like the suggested ratings drop in the soaps caused by too many episodes

Yes, this show is being drawn out wayyy too much. It probably started late because they haven't got enough material to fill a whole hour with and the only reason its an hour long is to boost BBC1's all hours which have been very low on previous Sundays. People will get bored and will probably turn off about now and tune in about 15 minutes before the end.

we record it because there is so much crap.. u can get throught SCD results in 10 mins!

And Fridays ratings are really low! oh well..

As for Merlin, i just watched it on Sky+ and thought it was really good
But i think the BBC should of started SCD next week and had Merlin on at 6:45 last night after the SCD preview! it could of got around 8m.. dropping to about 6m when it goes against the x factor.

It is a bit ridculous - it's been on 40 mins and they haven't even got round to the dance off yet! And if the purpose of a dance off is to allow viewers to vote to keep one couple in, then they don't exactly have long to do it - surely they should do the dance then have 30 mins of filler to allow people to ring in and vote?

People will still tune in because it's an hour of light entertainment programming and better than tuning into Heartbeat. Unless people want a nice quiet kip in front of the telly, in which case they'll pick ITV1.

I'm not so sure as last year it did very well against Emmerdale in an earlier slot. I could see it getting close to 9 million.

The viewers don't ring in again after the dance-off. The judges decide.

Personally I think 1 hour is too long. Awful amount of padding. But I know there'll be loads of people out there that will love the extended Strictly.

Ah, yes I see that now.

I suppose viewers will decide what they want. If they just want dance off & results, they can tune in at 8.45pm; if they want all the other entertainment, they can tune in from the start.

It had a lead in and was shorter, wasn't it? Last year, it was 40 minutes long. This year an hour. There was a lotof pointless padding, which last year seemed to lack, maybe for the extra 20 minutes. Plus Heartbeat and SCD appeal to the same demographic that SCD and Emmerdale IMO.

I quite enoyed the 'padding' especially Bette Midler.

Anyone know when the X Factor live shows commence ?

I notice TV Burp starts recording Thursdays from October 9th, they usually record every Thursday for transmission on the Saturday. Presumably making the first airing on Saturday 11th October ?

Complicates schedules slightly as the same evening ITV1 are showing the England vs Kazakhstan match live, which kicks off at 5.15pm.

Hmm that's strange because their schedule is full up enough already on that Satuday and TV Burp would never go before 5pm. Live shows kick off that Saturday I think aswell. Has it actually been confirmed whether this series of TV Burp is going on Saturday or Sunday?

I think the X Factor live shows are due to start on the 11th of October. So, it's going to be a tight schedule then. Maybe ITV will go for:
17.00- England v Kazakhstan
19.30- The X Factor
21.30- Harry Hill
22.00- The X Factor Results

The results show would be late, but the only real possibility. But that's quite late for Harry Hill, so I dunno.

Perhaps TXF won't be two hours?

Surely it'll have to be though to get through 12 acts?

So I don't know what's going on here, but ITV obviously have a clear picture as they would have always known the footie would be on the same night as the live shows start.

You don't strike me as somebody who watches or cares about either show so I beg the question why do you care?

So did I- I'd rather watch the hour long results show than heartbeat

I enjoyed it

Bette was great