Yes, but it's an older audience. I remember Trial & Retribution bringing in 4.3 million viewers for News at Ten after 6.1 million tuned in for it.

So, Doc Martin which performs with 9 million+ figures could pull in 4+ million for News at Ten, which is good business.

Thats a gob-smacklingly awesome figure for BGT. Its amazing how it has surpassed the soaps this week by a mile.

thats what press hype does unfortunately...

Astonishing!!

BGT has blown everything out of the water this week. Not even the soaps could come close. Tonights Final could become the most watched show of the year so far beating Corrie's 12.4million.

Worth noting that BGT dipped (though still got good ratings admittedly) when it was tackled by good opposition - The Apprentice on Tuesday, football on Wednesday. Their great shares came against a new drama on Monday, and yesterday against a quiz show which is repeated at a decent hour tonight and a comedy repeat.

Tonight, BBC have decent opposition up against it in Doctor Who. The decent iplayer that BBC have, plus the fact BGT is live may effect DW's figures slightly, but I'm not sure whether the main show will go over 10m. The results show will have a great figure though, I reckon.

Jaw dropping figures for BGT. You hardly see anything like that rating figure anymore on terrestrial tv. Simply astonishing. I think the final has potential to do better tonight.

Absoloutely incredible ratings for BGT! I didn't see that coming at all. It's got a far tougher night tonight with DW and Casualty and watching BBC1 between HIGNFY and JR last night I saw an ad for Doctor Who 3 times. They are really hyping it up with Billie Piper around again.

But the second part could be massive. It's not dragged out, has no competiton and the show is wide open in terms of who could win with no clear favourite.

The entire week has been a huge success for ITV and the show, managing to build even further on last years success and beating some pretty tough competition along the way. The soaps have no competition and BGT is still well in the lead.

As astonishing (and depressing) as the 11m figure is last night for BGT, tonight's final is:

- starting at teatime, not 9pm
- on a weekend
- on a warm sunny evening
- against Doctor Who

6.50pm on a summer Saturday sure seems a daft time for ITV1 to schedule this, the only reason presumably being to say they managed to beat Doctor Who in the ratings one week?

Revenge for Emmerdale against the DW Christmas special?

The results show will get its 12m+, but not sure about the main show on now.

Right, I've seen the girl and the dog now. I'm off to find something more interesting to do...

I want to see it expand a little next series, because I think it should be on within a shorter period. Personally, I think there should be audition shows twice a week, on Saturday and Sunday at 8pm. It would be great as it would give a break to the Sunday drama as well as building stronger, more consistent audiences.

Also, there should be a separate show when they choose the semi-finalists, or perhaps there should be a Qualifying stage for those who are not good enough to go straight into the semi-final or those the judges want another look at because they were not that good enough.

I know you don't change a winning formula - but you can expand on it - like in this series with great ratings for Britain's Got More Talent.

It is certainly not a daft idea - I think the schedule is very organized and the shows around it should get good lifts. I know you have a bit of a thing about ITV, but they will beat Doctor Who, and it might be knocked but it won't get less than 10 million viewers.

I take on board the weather, I think 6:50pm is evening, not teatime, but yes, I get your point. But the whole night has been heavily advertised - I don't think ITV will be unhappy with the results. They will undoubtedly be brilliant.

It's the only slot they could really go with. The show needed to be finished by 10pm because of legal reasons surrounding the under 16 performers. Hence the results show needed to be done by 9.30pm.

I do agree that it isn't an ideal slot by any means for the main show and the running order will have done nothing to combat DW, but it was the only space they had.

BGT should get 12-13m for the main show and a 14m peak for the results tonight.

I'm pretty sure the BGT results show will come out higher than the main show, and will probably see it into top spot for overall ratings this year. It had an unopposed run at 9.30, wasn't a very long and I reckon could have hit a 13, even 14 million peak.

As for the formation of future series - I don't see why they would change what they have done this year. Although the two 9pm shows were the biggest rated, they were also the two shows with the Corrie inheritance. I'm not sure the others would have done much better with a 9pm start.

Its difficult to make format changes to the show to try and eek out any more episodes than they have this year. Ultimately, the semi-final stage is already a bit of a drag and I don't know that they could introduce another round because some of the acts would risk becoming too repetetive by the time they reached the final.

Me and my mate had a short discussion on it and we thought: they should categorise it so we could have 4 semi-finals next year, which would be easier.

1. Singing
2. Dancing
3. Comedy
4. miscellaneous

That would make the competition more organised, and of course, there would still be loads of variety.

They could have postponed the 'Audience with Neil Diamond' to a Sunday night sometime, as it appeals to a much older audience, and would be nice after Heartbeat.

Instead, ITV could've been very clever and done this to get some viewers and to expand the BGT bonanza.

6:00pm All Star Mr & Mrs
7:00pm Harry Hill's TV Burp: BGT Special
7:30pm Britain's Got Talent
9:00pm Headcases: BGT Special
9:30pm Britain's Got Talent: Results Show
10:00pm Pushing Daisies
11:00pm The Late News
11:45pm Road to Euro 2008: Preview

I really enjoyed this series of BGT and hope the format doesn't change for next year- in fact I'm certain it won't change because the show's been such a ratings hit.

I must say that the producers did a terrific job with the show, in terms of bringing in huge ratings. Even before the show aired, they pinpointed 10 acts which they would focus on- and these 10 acts did very different and varied things.

And then, they simply orchestrated it perfectly to get those 10 into the final. Firstly by having most of these acts last in the audition shows, with a lot focus on their background story. Secondly by separating the "big acts" in the smei final stage, so they wouldn't be in the same one. Thirdaly by having the "big acts" perform last in the semis. Fourthly having the judges vote to make sure that there was a variety in the final, to attract different demos. And finally, in the final having the 5 "big acts" perform in the 2nd half of the show after Doctor Who finished.

A lot of people might say it was manipulated by the producers. But in terms of getting high ratings, they played it perfectly. Well done the producers. I think it will be very tuogh to top this series next year.

no, I think they way they scheduled it tonight was fine.
How creatively bankrupt and random would it be to make 'specials' out of totally unrelated shows for one night? Headcases in particular would see them lose a whole load of viewers before the results show.

and 45 mins news on a Sat night? are you having a laugh?

I don't think ITV would have done that because they would have wanted 1 hour between both BGT shows to maximise the voting and money they get.

Nah, the good doctor would put up more resistance than that. I'd guess the BGT main show will get 9M against DW's 6.5 million.

So they effectively they fixed it. Is that another Ant and Dec show on the fixed pile?

I would say "manipulated" would be a more appropriate word to use than "fix".

The producers would deny any "fix" claim by just saying it was down to a public vote at the end of the day.

ITV will make about 20 times more in advertising than they will in phone votes.

It's not that important a source of revenue.

Hmm... you're right I suppose. But I think it's only fair that the viewers get a reasonable amount of time to vote, which would be an hour.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...-Anything.html

So, early indications that Britain's Got Talent got around 14 million viewers. Amazing.