I can't see what would make people not watch this series compared to last year's? The X Factor and SCD have upped their ratings in their last series' so I presumed DOI would experience the same fortunes.

The line-up is strong and the format is no different so I'm wondering what the problem is? 6.5m for a results show seems terribly low!

Later time slot.

The main show is keeping up it's average from last year I believe. But the results show is just too late for families with young children. Wild at Heart has taken a hit by being scheduled slightly later as well.

Last year the schedule was:

6.00 Dancing on Ice
7.30 Wild at Heart
8.30 Dancing on Ice: The Skate Off
9.00 Lewis

which worked better overall for all concerned IMO. However in their wisdom, ITV have now switched it to:

7.00 Dancing on Ice
8.30 Wild at Heart
9.30 Dancing on Ice: The Skate Off

The X Factor had the fact it was a Saturday night supporting the later time slot, and SCD had the Sunday show scheduled earlier. I think that's why the Skate Odd has taken a dip.

It's a family show and most little kids are in bed by 9.30.

I watched the first episode this series and though Ray had already won..so I didn't bother.

However, I and tempted to tune in on Sunday to see what Todd does next and I wouldn't be surprised if the rating went up a little because of the attention Todd's clip is betting.

I prefer the later scheduling it suits me better. I think Todd Carty has singlehandedly saved the show this year. I can see many more people tuning in now to see him skate.

I switched off primarily because I can no longer put up with Jason Gardiner in my living room on a Sunday night.

Additional, although secondary, reasons were:
[LIST][*]It's the same tired formula as previous series, right down to the timing of the VTs, meaning if you've seen one you've seen them all.[/LIST][LIST][*]Little or no background on the professionals, whose back story is every bit as interesting as the vacuous celebrities.[/LIST][LIST][*]In addition to promoting Jason Gardiner verbally abusing people, the general inconsistency of the judging makes the scoring pointless.[/LIST][LIST][*]Ray Quinn is so far ahead of the others there's no real competition.[/LIST]
To rip off someone else's phrase - as usual ITV is failing to meet the low standards it consistently sets for itself.

SCD didn't up its viewers last year did it?

It rarely got 10m + last year... X-Factor upped its ratings though - probably down to the inclusion of Cheryl.

This series is getting less viewers because apart from Ray, and perhaps Jessica, they are all crap.

Ray is the winner from day one, so there is no excitement or speculation at all as to who will triumph in the end.

Last year's excitement and the battle between Chris and Suzanne seems a distant memory.

Todd, while hilarious, is going to do a Sergeant for a few weeks yet, which I feel kind of damages the credibility of the show. If they want a circus then put up a big top !

I think they need to pick very carefully next year and get a team of candidates who are all at equal level, and have a decent battle between them all to get to the finish line.

It's tacky and shouty and the slebs are just not that interesting.

The judges are dullsville and the production is tired, tacky and cheap.

Ray and Jessica are worth watching, although talented Ray is so far ahead of the others it hardly seems worth having a 'competition' at all.

Todd Carty is obviously there for the comedy factor but he is so bad it's cringemaking to watch.

TV is awful when it assumes the great British public are all stupid and manipulate/design their shows to appeal to the lowest common denominator

I have a feeling the ratings will increase as the series goes on, especially through word of mouth. People who don't usually watch the show may hear how funny Todd is for example and will tune in.

But I do think the skate off is on too late. Last year's schedule worked better in my opinion.

[list][*]Sunday and timeslot.[*]Jason's increased obnoxiousness.[*]The tedious inevitability of Ray vastly outperforming the others.[*]The tedious inevitability of Todd clowning his way through week after week after week.[*]Most of the rest of the celebs lacking sparkle and charisma.[*]Reality TV fatigue. There are too many of these shows (SCD, DOI, Your country needs you or whatever it's called, X factor, Britain's Got Talent, Celebrity Big Brother, 4 months of Big Brother, ...) and they seem to be on all the time.[/list]

All the celeb RTV shows pull their contestants from the same pool - or all some celebs seem to do is bop round from one 'learn a new skill' RTV show to another.

By the time you have seen Celebrity Come Dine with Me, Celebrity Masterchef, Celebrity Big Brother, Soapstar Superstar, Celebrity Fame Accademy ... etc you have probably seen them setting off on a 'journey' at least twice
Possibly on a rollercoaster.

I agree. Many more people will be switching on this week because of Todd Carty. At the moment the series feels like a long wait for some just to see Ray be announced as the Winner as there is no real competition for him at the moment unlike previous years.
I wish the show would go back to a Saturday night though.

it's funny because everyone is saying tod will win gmtv and the sun newspaper are both backing him.

Jessica is just as good as Ray she is just having trouble showing emotion toward the songs

I want ray to win but i think Zoe or Tod will win

The Mirror newspaper want Todd to win too. Media seem to be jumping on the bandwagon. I just wonder if Todd can maintain this support.

And media play a big part in getting votes for people on shows like this.

I think if Tod did win it would make the show a joke whilst it funny to watch him i do think he would be a wrong winner

He is 3rd with the bookies at the moment

Zoe win !!!!!! Zoe will no more win than I will. No confidence at all, crying every week, wobbly on the ice. She is a looker and thats about it.

Sunday scheduling for a Saturday evening show is a mistake. The show is formulaic, as we know, so after a while loses its appeal for some. The celebs are pretty uninteresting, uninspiring. AND we've lost the lovely Andrei, for the second year running <sigh>

Todd was very funny this week but he has set the bar just as high for himself in the comedy stakes as Ray has in the ability stakes. He is going to have to try to be just as funny now and T&D are going to have to choreograph routines that give him the opportunity to be as funny. If not, he will soon get samey and dull and the joke will wear thin.

If he stays in much longer, ratings will fall as quickly as they may rise this week.


I don't think Jessica is having trouble expressing the emotion of a song at all. This is the judges' tried and tested put down in every show of this kind because they know that a large enough number of the public will fall for it.

This series isn't geared for Jessica to win. Shame because I think she is the only one there who is anywhere near Ray in ability and Ray v Jessica would be a fitting final.

Zoe? Are you having a laugh? I have watched both her performances again and they were even worse than they appeared the first time. She's unsteady, ungainly and has zero confidence. She reminds me a lot of Gaynor Faye who won the first series thanks to her Corrie popularity but came last when she came back for the Champion of Champions show, even losing to Stefan Booth who she robbed in the final. The judges told her that the standard had risen since the first series and she was not in the same league as the other winners, finalists and third placed contestants. Zoe is just like her and would have probably done very well in the first series but not now.

Unlike some, I don't think she's much cop in the looks department either. A bit rodentish.


They'll turn on him just as quickly.

To be honest, I think that is just a ploy to give her a 'storyline' and a 'journey' in the same way that Ray had a manufactured problem this week.

In a couple of weeks, she will have a 'breakthrough' week when they will wax lyrical over the 'emoting with her eyes' although to the viewer there will be no discernable difference.

That did make me chuckle lol because you are absolutely right . This "journey" malarkey that is shoved on us every year in these things is a hoot.

The Journey. Meh!!!!

Who else is sick of the 'the journey' ?

We've been watching these show for years now yet there is still this feeling that the contestants have to start off rubbish then make a marginal improvement so that we can all talk about their 'journey'.

I'm getting sick of it and I think the contestants all appreciate that they have to go on some kind of journey during these shows and are using that to their advantage.

I think next week will be really high, especially after Todd getting so many YouTube hits!

I think the ratings are down this year cos people are bored with they are seeing generally. I think the only thing saving this series from the ratings going down way further is todd, he's the only one thats fun to watch, cos its not much of a skating contest compared to other years.

Because most of the competitors are rubbish but not bad enough to be interesting. Todd and Ray are the only ones worth watching - for completely different reasons - and so there is no tension.

Todd to win? Whaaaaat? Get real.

His role is to be utterly useless and keep you (the GBP who love a loser) watching for long enough to get the ratings up for the real skating.

Mind you, this year is just silly. Ray outshines them all, and - assuming there's no terrible accident - he or Jessica should win.

The rest are just Z-list set decoration and mostly irrelevant.