Lack of usual autumn winter Saturday night ratings battle

[eyeTV]

It's the last episode of Beat the Chasers in this series this week, and from the week after it's keeping its slot for a repeat of Series 1.

That is really poor for an Autumn Saturday night.

[Score]

Ian Wright said on the football coverage the other day that Moneyball starts on Saturday 30th October, so assuming that happens then the repeat will only air for one week, but it’s still really poor.

What’s strange is that I’m pretty sure they have a new celebrity special of Beat the Chasers that could take that slot, but they’re showing a repeat instead. It’ll be really obvious that it’s a repeat too as it’ll only have five chasers.

It’s as if they’ve tried to do as little as possible to replace X Factor on Saturday nights. I get that Strictly season is tough but surely they could try a bit harder than this?

[CameronYoung]

What’s strange is that I’m pretty sure they have a new celebrity special of Beat the Chasers that could take that slot

Is that a Christmas (or otherwise seasonal) special though?

[Score]

What’s strange is that I’m pretty sure they have a new celebrity special of Beat the Chasers that could take that slot

Is that a Christmas (or otherwise seasonal) special though?

I don't *think* so, although not 100% sure. My understanding is that they made 7 episodes - 5 regular + 2 celeb specials. One of those celeb specials might well be for Christmas but I'd be surprised if both were.

[Brekkie]

Of course those first few series were produced to be stripped over a week too - would fit well into the 5pm slot for a rerun but not so much weekly.

[iloveTV1]

Of course those first few series were produced to be stripped over a week too - would fit well into the 5pm slot for a rerun but not so much weekly.

So was this series by the looks of it as it has 5 episodes. If anything, the second series might have been made to air weekly considering it has 7 episodes.

[Score]

What’s strange is that I’m pretty sure they have a new celebrity special of Beat the Chasers that could take that slot

Is that a Christmas (or otherwise seasonal) special though?

I don't *think* so, although not 100% sure. My understanding is that they made 7 episodes - 5 regular + 2 celeb specials. One of those celeb specials might well be for Christmas but I'd be surprised if both were.

Just coming back to this - this celebrity special is now going out tonight. Not sure why they’ve swapped the episode last minute, there must have been a question about something that might have seemed insensitive after yesterday’s tragic events.

I assume the displaced episode will now go out next week in place of the repeat.

[Sweetcorn]

Was the rugby world cup supposed to be on itv now? Is that why the saturday schedule is so poor?
When has the rugby world cup been scheduled for next year?

[Brekkie]

No, the mens Rugby World Cup isn't till 2023. The womens was supposed to be this year, but was due to air in July and being in New Zealand would be overnight and in the mornings anyway, with probably most games on ITV4 anyway. So no, not a factor at all.

The Football World Cup being next November though then the RWC being in Autumn 2023 in France, so with primetime games, may mean ITV don't get a clear run in the autumn schedule until 2024, which actually probably suits them.

I still think The X Factor is still likely to get that series which was commissioned along with the 5 year run of BGT at some point in those 5 years, and for me towards the end of it always made much more sense than at the beginning. If another talent franchise doesn't come along in the meantime a 2024 revival might actually be about right.

[Score]

I guess the Rugby World Cup is the reason they’re unlikely to move any of their Q1 shows to September, because said show would probably have to move again the following year.

2024 will of course be the 20th anniversary of X Factor. So they could do the same as they did with Millionaire and bill it as a one off return for the 20th anniversary, then commission more if it does well without making a commitment in advance.

[tellyblues]

Moneyball can't come soon enough. A terrible night last night for ITV.

Strictly could be caught but not with those shows.

Not sure an anniversary tie-in would change the public's opinion of The X Factor in the same way that a 20th birthday special for Stars In Their Eyes in 2010 would have had people scratching their heads.