What are you watching on television, whilst having one eye on POE?

When Simply Red performed at the Party In The Paddock at Newbury Racecourse, I thought it was billed as their final performance together though they seem to have had more final performances since??????

Watching the beginnings of Downton Abbey on ITV and amazed that 10 minutes of programme time, is followed by 4 minutes of commercials. At least it gave me time to ponder the Midsomer Murders actor in it---the butler and where I'd seen him??-----in Midsomer's The Fisher King. 

Looking at Ofcom's site, the rules regarding TV commercial time can get quite involved, but looking at what appears to be the relevant parts to an evenings programming------from their site states:  In the periods 6pm–11pm and 7am–9am the total amount of advertising must not, without Ofcom’s prior permission, exceed an average of eight minutes an hour on any one day.

It also adds that in any 1 clock hour, there can be no more than 12 minutes of advertising spots and/or teleshopping spots. 

Maybe Ofcom's site is outdated as this seems to happen with other programme's too where the programmes seem to get shorter as the adverts get longer or is it an illusion?  The 10 minutes of the show and 4 minutes approximately above weren't, using a stop watch.

Just looking at my Midsomer Murders DVD's running times for a show that fills a near 2 hour TV time slot as adverts at start/end reduce the 2 hours a bit.   Episode 1 ( March 1997) through 41 ( March 2005) the running time varies around 98 to 100 minutes.

Then from episode 42 ( April 2005) to 64 ( July 2008) the running times are all 93 minutes. As the programme time has been reduced by 5 minutes from April 2005, need we ask what has replaced this 5 minutes of former programme time for this two hour time slot?

Just noticed a couple of 2010 episode DVD's now showing a running time of 89 minutes. Would be useful if you wanted to add a 4 minute advert sequence in from the earlier 93 minute programmes.