DANCING On Ice fans have have put forward their road map to make the show great again after dwindling ratings.
The ITV programme, fronted by Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern, pulled in 2.9 million viewers on Sunday night – its lowest ever.
While the number isn’t insignificant, it pales in comparison to the programme’s heyday when it pulled in a whopping 12 million.
The bar is being raised in the increasingly competitive reality TV world with the likes of The Traitors, over on the BBC, attracting 7 million viewers for its climax.
However, there is still hope for the long-running ice skating franchise, which is bouncing back from former host Phillip Schofield‘s departure from ITV.
Fans have outlined their demands to show bosses, it’s now up to them whether they take notice.
Air time
Dancing On Ice moved to Sunday night from Saturday way back in 2008 for series three.
Fans think it could benefit from a return to its original slot, though it would face stiff competition with the Saturday night telly schedule stronger than its been in years.
Not least because there would be overlap with Gladiators, which has proved to be an epic success perfectly blending nostalgia with modern production to pull in more than 6 million viewers an episode.
Time for change
Olympic legends Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean have been at the heart of the show since its inception.
And their gold medal winning Bolero is always acknowledged.
But some feel it’s time for a fresh start, with claims the ice skating duo contributing to the stale feel of the show.
Spin off
The sister show is big business in TV these days, helping franchises to capitalise on the main programme’s key talking points.
Strictly’s It Takes Two is an attraction in its own right as is The Traitors: Uncloaked.
Could Dancing On Ice benefit from a little extra?
The Strictly effect
It’s arguable the pro dancers on Strictly are as famous, if not more so, than the celebs they’re partnered with.
Fans think the DOI pro turnover is too high and is having an impact on viewers’ investment.
One said: “The constant change of pros is the other issue. I think the early pros, around series 2-5ish, were starting to get known by fans, but there hasn’t been much consistency since then, with a large number leaving after only one or two series.”
While another said: “They are like mute accessories standing next to their celeb partners. I mean when Hannah [Spearitt] was voted off last night and was talking about her experience, neither Holly or Stephen were bothered to ask her pro partner to contribute. It was like he wasn’t even there.
Credit where it’s due
Live TV is notoriously tight when it comes to timings, especially on a packed entertainment show like DOI.
But viewers feel less is sometimes more and want some elements of the show, like the opening credits, to have time to breathe.
One person said: “The whole thing seems rushed now, the opening credits sounds more like an ad break gap.”
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