Steve - it's noteworthy re Strong that they always showed trailers immediately before SOAH. I think they recognised the potential crossover and even if it had got 3m or less in the SOAH slot it could have been quickly moved to a less prime slot. I'm convinced it would be getting double its current audience at least. With ITV incapable of competing, BBC1 can afford to take some risks. And BBC1 is desperate to find a new comedy success.
Hmm, I know the Beeb can take risks but I think the Beeb would have considered bringing back a show that didn't do all that well at all last time enough of a risk this time round, let alone putting it straight on primetime BBC1. I think if it manages to stay consistent at 10.35 for the rest of the run, which it looks fairly likely to do, it'll be in primetime for the next series.
One decent night does not hide the fact that the ITV network is in a bit of a mess right now. I've been thinking about some ideas to reshape the week:
Monday - No changes here. This night works well, they just need to make sure they keep showing drama here at 9pm pretty much every week.
EXAMPLE SCHEDULE:
19:00 - Emmerdale
19:30 - Coronation Street
20:00 - Richard Wilson on The Road
20:30 - Coronation Street
21:00 - Broadchurch
Tuesday - Probably the most difficult day of the week. I think they need to put more effort in at 7.30pm to make it easier for them at 8pm. They should try some quizzes or some factual with more ambition. They could even run 60-90 minute shows from 7.30pm. It might be worth them trying a live weekly current affairs show at either 7.30pm or 8pm so they could build up a brand they could work with. More serious factual should play at 9pm but they need to be more coherent than they are just now. Rather than commission random one off documentaries and have them all flop they could introduce strands with several shows or even themes or seasons around a particular topic that they could hype up and make a big thing out of. I think it's unlikely that they will start airing dramas here so factual is probably there to stay, but if they put more effort in to develop brands and shows viewers can identify and commission shows with a bit more ambition then they could do better than they are now.
EXAMPLE SCHEDULE
19:00 - Emmerdale
19:30 - NEW GAMESHOW
20:00 - NEW LIVE CURRENT AFFAIRS SHOW (not particularly heavy going, I'm thinking a similar tone to Watchdog)
21:00 - DOCUMENTARY SEASON
Wednesday - the 8pm gameshow, 9pm drama format hasn't worked for them. I'd do more 2 hour shows on Wednesdays (both entertainment and drama). The entertainment shows on Wednesdays wouldn't be the filler gameshows they've been airing here, it would instead be the home of more ambitious entertainment pieces, some of which would run to 2 hours. I'd also try some pre-watershed drama. They could then potentially try drama at 8pm into entertainment at 9pm rather than the other way around. That could work better. Also pre-watershed sitcoms could play here.
19:00 - Emmerdale
19:30 - Coronation Street
20:00 - NEW 2 HOUR ENTERTAINMENT SHOW
OR
19:00 - Emmerdale
19:30 - Coronation Street
20:00 - NEW DRAMA
21:00 - Through The Keyhole/Bear Grylls: Mission Survive
Basically I think having the drama at 8pm and entertainment at 9pm rather than the other way around would be much better for the drama and the entertainment would probably be no worse off.
Thursday - At 8pm they should attempt to launch an all year round drama. Whether it's a revival of The Bill or something new, they could really do with that kind of fixture in the schedule. They should commission a few shows with the potential to do that and try and find one that could potentially run all year round. Then they'd actually have a decent launch pad to air dramas/documentaries out of at 9pm (especially crime dramas).
EXAMPLE SCHEDULE
19:00 - Emmerdale
19:30 - Current Affairs Slot
20:00 - The Bill/NEW CONTINUING DRAMA
21:00 - DCI Banks
OR
19:00 - Emmerdale
19:30 - Current Affairs Slot
20:00 - The Bill/NEW CONTINUING DRAMA
21:00 - Long Lost Family
Friday - This would be a cheaper night as dramas are probably better served airing elsewhere. Only one episode of Corrie at 7.30pm. Then at 8pm they could have a gameshow slot, much like they have on Wednesdays now. The likes of All Star Mr & Mrs, Big Star's Little Star, All Star Family Fortunes, Catchphrase, Surprise Surprise etc could all play in the 8pm hour. Between all of those shows (plus they could introduce some new ones) they've got enough to run all year round. Then at 9pm it could either be more entertainment or drama repeats. It would be worth trying to find a new chatshow that could work in that slot. It would probably be older skewing but if they found a decent show they could hold that slot down for half the year. Jonathan Ross wouldn't rate well there really and Piers Morgan's show seems to have collapsed so they'd probably need to find someone new. Other older skewing entertainment could air there and also some drama repeats (especially over the Summer).
EXAMPLE SCHEDULE
19:00 - Emmerdale
19:30 - Coronation Street
20:00 - All Star Mr & Mrs
21:00 - NEW CHATSHOW
OR
19:00 - Emmerdale
19:30 - Coronation Street
20:00 - Big Star's Little Star
21:00 - Grantchester (R)
Saturday - Not much different to now except I'd have Celebrity Chase and Tipping Point: Lucky Stars alternate in the 6pm hour throughout the year. They'd give them a much better launch pad for their Saturday schedule than You've Been Framed does and would still be pretty cheap. The 7pm slot would be home to Saturday Night Takeaway, BGT etc and lead into newer shows at 8.30pm. With dramas Jekyll & Hyde and Beowulf arriving onto the schedule then there's more variety on Saturday nights which can only be a good thing. I guess the exact scheduling of The X Factor would depend on Strictly. In a way it would actually be good for ITV if BBC1 swapped Doctor Who with Strictly so Who ran 6.30-7.15pm and Strictly 7.15-9.15pm as ITV could then have TXF running 6.30-8.30pm with Jekyll & Hyde at 8.30pm. Not sure how likely that is though. Also some repeats of Thunderbirds at 5.30pm could work.
EXAMPLE SCHEDULE
17:30 - Thunderbirds (R)
18:00 - The Chase: Celebrity Special
19:00 - Saturday Night Takeaway
20:20 - Beowulf
21:20 - Take Me Out
OR
17:30 - You've Been Framed
18:00 - Tipping Point: Lucky Stars
19:00 - Britain's Got Talent
20:20 - Ninja Warrior UK
21:20 - The Jonathan Ross Show
Sunday - Move the soaps back to Sunday. The Sunday 7pm hour is a bit of a disaster zone right now. The soaps would probably be much more beneficial here than Emmerdale is on Thursdays at 8pm or Coronation Street is on Fridays at 8.30pm. I'd move them back there over the Summer as Countryfile tends to air at 8pm over the Summer so the 7pm competition would be minimal. Then by the timeCountryfile shifts back to 7pm in September the soaps would be established. I wouldn't change much from 8-10pm. What I would do is commission a couple more 2 hour detective formats. They've lost Foyle's War, Poirot and Marple recently and could do with a couple of new shows to fill the void, especially as Mr Whicher ended up not working out. Sunday Night at The Palladium could run at 8pm over the Summer.
EXAMPLE SCHEDULE
19:00 - Emmerdale
19:30 - Coronation Street
20:00 - Vera
OR
19:00 - Emmerdale
19:30 - Coronation Street
20:00 - The X Factor
21:00 - Downton Abbey
Finding it hard to watch, and I loved the first serie
Same here. Watched the first ep of series 2 and simply haven't bothered since then and the rest are on my humax. May watch them if there is a free weekend later in the year....
Depends if you welcome the breaks to nip to the toilet or make a cup of tea, surely?
it also depends how good it is. If ITV are showing something must see, so good I want to watch it and join in the conversation at work, then I'll watch it regardless at the time it is on. I'm 46 years old, so I am used to how commercial TV works regarding ads. The only downside now is the amount of ads they have, but that asides, I still think that most people watch unmissable things at time of TX.
Unlike BBC1, they don't have anything of substance to put on in their 8.30pm post soap slots. Panorama is in a regular BBC1 PSB slot and comedy on Friday at 8.30pm has been in that slot for years. It works for them. Whereas, ITV showing second soap episodes at 8pm have affected their entire evening schedule. You might get 6-7m tuning in for episode 2 of a soap, but you might also 4.5 - 5m tuning in for new commissions too if they were good, and if they were scheduled sensibly based on what followed at 9pm. That's how ITV maintained an audience during a whole evening before. It scheduled programmes that had a mass appeal throughout the night, one after another.
So, for Mondays:
7pm Emmerdale
7.30 Coronation Street
8.00 Paul O Grady's For The Love Of Dogs
9.00 Broadchurch
Only EastEnders on BBC1 would be the strong opposition in that schedule. SW might do OK but ITV are providing a genuinely strong schedule.
Tuesdays; (Non Football)
7pm Emmerdale
7.30 Quiz Show (These are popular if done well).
8.00 Family Drama (like Where The Heart Is or similar)
9.00 Drama
Now, you could argue they were offering something that BBC1 already were. That doesn't matter. It was always the case. It is about offering a variety of programming across its schedules to appeal to everyone and not just soap fans.
Wednesdays:
7pm Emmerdale
7.30 Coronation Street
8.00 LE Format like Surprise Surprise
9.00 The Bill or similar: launching a brand new, permanent ongoing drama at 9pm Wednesdays would be bold and challenging, but if done well could strengthen ITV's midweek share.
Thursdays:
7pm Emmerdale
7.30pm New Current Affairs Slot
8.30 Birds of a Feather/Comedy
9.00 Drama Series
By launching a new weekly current affairs slot on Thursdays after Emmerdale would certainly create a bit of buzz. It would also bring in viewers who may be looking for more current and informative programming. Something that seems to be lacking on ITV at the moment.
Fridays:
7pm Emmerdale
7.30pm Coronation Street
8.00 Quiz Show
8.30 Comedy
9.00 Comedy Drama
The advantage over BBC1 would be that ITV's soaps would be done and dusted by 8pm. Viewers looking for non-soap programming would switch to ITV because genuine alternatives were being offered.
Saturdays:
Putting the News at 5.45pm and starting the evening at 6pm would be a start.
6pm Catchphrase
6.45 Family Drama
7.45 Comedy
8.15 BGT/XF to finish the prime time schedules.
10.30 ITV News
10.45 Jonathan Ross
11.45 Late Film
Sundays:
6.30pm Emmerdale
7.00pm Coronation Street (in a new hour long slot)
8.00 Lewis/Vera/ Midsomer Murders/Similar
10.00 Satirical Comedy Show
Already, the soaps are being used wisely to bolster Sunday evening. Use soaps by all means, but not just too much on the same night. The Sunday night hour long Corrie could be used to showcase high profile storylines and would be perfect as a lead in to ITV's other offerings.
Score, here's my post from yesterday morning. It seems that we may be singing from the same hymn book on this subject.
Rather than commission random one off documentaries and have them all flop they could introduce strands with several shows or even themes or seasons around a particular topic that they could hype up and make a big thing out of.
Indeed, they could have shown all the documentaries they have done over the last year or so but as part of a vague strand - they had one a decade ago called Real Life, it can be as broad as that - and at least they might have got a bit more attention and a couple more viewers might have checked them out. Of course, Modern Times is back on BBC2 this week, presumably after they decided the one-offs were getting a bit lost in the schedule.
it also depends how good it is. If ITV are showing something must see, so good I want to watch it and join in the conversation at work, then I'll watch it regardless at the time it is on. I'm 46 years old, so I am used to how commercial TV works regarding ads. The only downside now is the amount of ads they have, but that asides, I still think that most people watch unmissable things at time of TX.
Yeah, and you could still have watched Broadchurch more or less as it happened, if you started watching it at 9.10 and fast forwarded through the adverts you could be back live by the end of it. And then watched Silent Witness.
I see from the Radio Times that "series two" of Your Home In Their Hands starts next week. On Sunday afternoon.
Why should it be thrashing BBC1 when BBC1 are airing Silent Witness? In the overnights the last series of Broadchurch got 6-7m (except the finale). Silent Witness regularly overnights at 6-7m. It's a strong show, I don't see why Broadchurch should be thrashing it.
The bit about SW overnights is not exactly true. Last year only the first 2 eps were over 6m ( and only just at that) while the rest of the series were in the 5-5.5m range. I think most peole were expecting BC to be considerably ahead based on its previous overnights.
The bit about SW overnights is not exactly true. Last year only the first 2 eps were over 6m ( and only just at that) while the rest of the series were in the 5-5.5m range. I think most peole were expecting BC to be considerably ahead based on its previous overnights.
That's true, but this series launched with 6.7m and then continued with 6.4m. The Tuesday episodes indicate that this series would be rating in the 6-7m range if not for Broadchurch. The fact that the episode 2 weeks ago jumped from 5.5m to 8.1m in the officials is testament to that.
Score, here's my post from yesterday morning. It seems that we may be singing from the same hymn book on this subject.
Yes we've got quite a few similar ideas. I definitely think some restructuring is needed. I think it would be easier for them to launch a pre-watershed continuing drama than a post-watershed one though (look at how The Bill turned sour when it moved to 9pm). I think it's definitely time for the soaps to move back to Sundays.
One decent night does not hide the fact that the ITV network is in a bit of a mess right now. I've been thinking about some ideas to reshape the week:
Any thoughts?
i completely agree with moving the soaps back to Sunday, itv needs to move away from the idea that light ent. is the key to that night, without dancing on ice it just ain't gonna happen.
the problem itv have with new formats is that bbc does not have any holes in the schedule. spring/summer is the only gap itv have to launch new product and that's when audiences are down.
BBC have done well to cultivate a culture of returnable shows that do not require any variation, they are literally the same format/show etc year in year out and audiences love them.
ITV are unlikely to be able to compete in this area without spending big money on either talent or format and i can't see them doing that with their austerity drives and the unbankability of new programming.
i completely agree with moving the soaps back to Sunday, itv needs to move away from the idea that light ent. is the key to that night, without dancing on ice it just ain't gonna happen.
the problem itv have with new formats is that bbc does not have any holes in the schedule. spring/summer is the only gap itv have to launch new product and that's when audiences are down.
BBC have done well to cultivate a culture of returnable shows that do not require any variation, they are literally the same format/show etc year in year out and audiences love them.
ITV are unlikely to be able to compete in this area without spending big money on either talent or format and i can't see them doing that with their austerity drives and the unbankability of new programming.
Putting soaps back on Sundays is a solution that I suggested yesterday. But then you have to ask the question as to why is ITV's programming so much at rock bottom that it has to rely, once again, on soaps? Their over reliance on soaps in weeknights is one of the reasons that the channel is overlooked nowadays - if you don't like soaps you don't go anywhere near it. Soaps would certainly bolster an early evening Sunday line up, but could it fail them in the long run? It's a tricky one.
i completely agree with moving the soaps back to Sunday, itv needs to move away from the idea that light ent. is the key to that night, without dancing on ice it just ain't gonna happen.
the problem itv have with new formats is that bbc does not have any holes in the schedule. spring/summer is the only gap itv have to launch new product and that's when audiences are down.
BBC have done well to cultivate a culture of returnable shows that do not require any variation, they are literally the same format/show etc year in year out and audiences love them.
ITV are unlikely to be able to compete in this area without spending big money on either talent or format and i can't see them doing that with their austerity drives and the unbankability of new programming.
Putting soaps back on Sundays is a solution that I suggested yesterday. But then you have to ask the question as to why is ITV's programming so much at rock bottom that it has to rely, once again, on soaps? Their over reliance on soaps in weeknights is one of the reasons that the channel is overlooked nowadays - if you don't like soaps you don't go anywhere near it. Soaps would certainly bolster an early evening Sunday line up, but could it fail them in the long run? It's a tricky one.
Putting the soaps back won't sort out Sunday night after 8pm. ITV were fine for years on Sundays without soap when Dancing On Ice and Wild At Heart worked in Winter. And X Factor/Downton/I'm A Celebrity work in Autumn. Viewers are switching over at 8pm to BBC1 or BBC2 in Winter. That's where the real problem lies.
I keep going back to Silent Witness on Mondays. Panorama is no great lead in mists weeks and SW gets 5m. If 5m aren't watching Mr Selfridge it's because it's not popular enough to win its timeslot and hasn't been since last year. Ratings have dropped each year. If the soaps went back to Sunday it would free up weeknights on BBC1 and they'd say thank you very much. ITV are so reliant on soap that moving it back to weekends could weaken weeknights on Thursday and Friday. They need better programmes at weekends instead of reheated moron fodder light entertainment . Good quality L.E. rates well, poor quality L.E. doesn't. They also need a stronger winter drama than Mr Selfridge.
And that was with no snow day! Do the Comic ReliefChildren In Need night editions of The One Show usually get 5m?
5.04m for last year's Children in Need night edition, and I think some of the other specials were higher 5m range a couple of years ago (Strictly launch, CiN, Jubilee concert). But the percentage share is probably higher than it's managed before...
Edit - 6.82m back in 2011 for the CiN launch night. But that was the first year of their Rickshaw Challenge so probably their highest ever rating
Putting the soaps back won't sort out Sunday night after 8pm. ITV were fine for years on Sundays without soap when Dancing On Ice and Wild At Heart worked in Winter. And X Factor/Downton/I'm A Celebrity work in Autumn. Viewers are switching over at 8pm to BBC1 or BBC2 in Winter. That's where the real problem lies.
I keep going back to Silent Witness on Mondays. Panorama is no great lead in mists weeks and SW gets 5m. If 5m aren't watching Mr Selfridge it's because it's not popular enough to win its timeslot and hasn't been since last year. Ratings have dropped each year. If the soaps went back to Sunday it would free up weeknights on BBC1 and they'd say thank you very much. ITV are so reliant on soap that moving it back to weekends could weaken weeknights on Thursday and Friday. They need better programmes at weekends instead of reheated moron fodder light entertainment . Good quality L.E. rates well, poor quality L.E. doesn't. They also need a stronger winter drama than Mr Selfridge.
The big problem that ITV have is their lack of variety. If you do not watch any of the reality shows - XF, BGT, IAC, or the soaps, then what chance do you have for catching a trailer for a new drama which might interest you. ITV have relied too heavily on their big branded reality and soaps, and haven't reacted to their gradual burnout.
You could parachute into the schedule on a Tuesday evening something like The Chase at 8pm - this would, if the viewers followed it, probably double what their low rated factual gets. As much as relying on the extra episode of the soaps to boost the schedules elsewhere, I think that they should stay as they are until they can get something in to replace them.
Considering the scheduling headaches for the autumn Saturday nights, I would shift the XF away from Saturday and stick it right in the middle of the week on a Wednesday night for 2 hours. Then drop the 2nd Emmerdale on a Thursday and have XF Results on a Thursday at 8pm leading into a big drama at 9pm. It would be a bold move, but it could work well.
Drama works well on a Sunday as the BBC have shown. Give the viewers some pre watershed cosy slipper drama at 8pm. If BOAF gets another series, 7.30pm on a Sunday. Many years ago, there was always a sitcom at some point between 7 and 8pm on a Sunday. People like to have a laugh the day before going back to work as it takes them away from the thought of it all
I guess what I am saying is that ITV should be different, shuffle things around and spend some money !
. Good quality L.E. rates well, poor quality L.E. doesn't. They also need a stronger winter drama than Mr Selfridge.
correct, and i hope they find one. it seems that no one is giving new formats a chance these days. in the past five years only the voice has launched to success and that's an import and basically the same as XF. where do you find a brand new format that pulls in millions straight away without filling it with celebs?
Putting the soaps back won't sort out Sunday night after 8pm. ITV were fine for years on Sundays without soap when Dancing On Ice and Wild At Heart worked in Winter. And X Factor/Downton/I'm A Celebrity work in Autumn. Viewers are switching over at 8pm to BBC1 or BBC2 in Winter. That's where the real problem lies.
The 7pm hour is the biggest problem they have on Sundays. Whilst 8-10pm is poor right now for most of the year it's fine. They have X Factor and Downton/IAC there from September-December and Vera/Endeavour hold it down from April-May. That only really leaves the January-March period (they tend to do OK there over the Summer) where 8-10pm is a major issue. Whereas 7pm is an issue for most of the year now with Dancing on Ice gone. Get Your Act Together and Keep It In The Family are/were disasters. Catchphrase does OK there but it could just move elsewhere. But generally that slot is a bigger problem than 8-10pm. Plus the soaps would provide a better lead-in to the 8-10pm content. I'm pretty sure X Factor was dragged down by Keep It In The Family and even All Star Family Fortunes would probably be above 3m right now if the soaps were at 7pm. They'd provide a really good base for the night. Plus if they really were to take the lazy option and just revive Dancing on Ice then that could just go 8-10pm after the soaps (not that I think they should at this point). But whatever new show they try next year would have a better shot there with a soap hour lead-in. Plus the soap fans always moan about the doubles anyway, that would also solve that problem. It's definitely worth doing I think.
correct, and i hope they find one. it seems that no one is giving new formats a chance these days. in the past five years only the voice has launched to success and that's an import and basically the same as XF. where do you find a brand new format that pulls in millions straight away without filling it with celebs?
You fill the schedule with quality drama. But as yourself said, you only give one episode a go and then watch no more. So what's the point?
BBC One Wales are showing next week's Count Arthur Strong at 12.15am!!! Glad i can get regional BBC One to see it 10.45
Grrrrr...
You'd think if they have to push it out of slot for some regional guff they'd at least move the displaced programme to a respectable slot. It's like how HIGNFY gets shown in NI, to my knowledge, at 11.20/11.50 on Fridays and this is one of the BBC's most enduring and respected shows!
Comments
Hmm, I know the Beeb can take risks but I think the Beeb would have considered bringing back a show that didn't do all that well at all last time enough of a risk this time round, let alone putting it straight on primetime BBC1. I think if it manages to stay consistent at 10.35 for the rest of the run, which it looks fairly likely to do, it'll be in primetime for the next series.
Depends if you welcome the breaks to nip to the toilet or make a cup of tea, surely?
Monday - No changes here. This night works well, they just need to make sure they keep showing drama here at 9pm pretty much every week.
EXAMPLE SCHEDULE:
19:00 - Emmerdale
19:30 - Coronation Street
20:00 - Richard Wilson on The Road
20:30 - Coronation Street
21:00 - Broadchurch
Tuesday - Probably the most difficult day of the week. I think they need to put more effort in at 7.30pm to make it easier for them at 8pm. They should try some quizzes or some factual with more ambition. They could even run 60-90 minute shows from 7.30pm. It might be worth them trying a live weekly current affairs show at either 7.30pm or 8pm so they could build up a brand they could work with. More serious factual should play at 9pm but they need to be more coherent than they are just now. Rather than commission random one off documentaries and have them all flop they could introduce strands with several shows or even themes or seasons around a particular topic that they could hype up and make a big thing out of. I think it's unlikely that they will start airing dramas here so factual is probably there to stay, but if they put more effort in to develop brands and shows viewers can identify and commission shows with a bit more ambition then they could do better than they are now.
EXAMPLE SCHEDULE
19:00 - Emmerdale
19:30 - NEW GAMESHOW
20:00 - NEW LIVE CURRENT AFFAIRS SHOW (not particularly heavy going, I'm thinking a similar tone to Watchdog)
21:00 - DOCUMENTARY SEASON
OR
19:00 - Emmerdale
19:30 - NEW GAMESHOW
20:30 - 90 MINUTE DOCUMENTARY
Wednesday - the 8pm gameshow, 9pm drama format hasn't worked for them. I'd do more 2 hour shows on Wednesdays (both entertainment and drama). The entertainment shows on Wednesdays wouldn't be the filler gameshows they've been airing here, it would instead be the home of more ambitious entertainment pieces, some of which would run to 2 hours. I'd also try some pre-watershed drama. They could then potentially try drama at 8pm into entertainment at 9pm rather than the other way around. That could work better. Also pre-watershed sitcoms could play here.
EXAMPLE SCHEDULE:
19:00 - Emmerdale
19:30 - Coronation Street
20:00 - Midsomer Murders
OR
19:00 - Emmerdale
19:30 - Coronation Street
20:00 - NEW 2 HOUR ENTERTAINMENT SHOW
OR
19:00 - Emmerdale
19:30 - Coronation Street
20:00 - NEW DRAMA
21:00 - Through The Keyhole/Bear Grylls: Mission Survive
Basically I think having the drama at 8pm and entertainment at 9pm rather than the other way around would be much better for the drama and the entertainment would probably be no worse off.
Thursday - At 8pm they should attempt to launch an all year round drama. Whether it's a revival of The Bill or something new, they could really do with that kind of fixture in the schedule. They should commission a few shows with the potential to do that and try and find one that could potentially run all year round. Then they'd actually have a decent launch pad to air dramas/documentaries out of at 9pm (especially crime dramas).
EXAMPLE SCHEDULE
19:00 - Emmerdale
19:30 - Current Affairs Slot
20:00 - The Bill/NEW CONTINUING DRAMA
21:00 - DCI Banks
OR
19:00 - Emmerdale
19:30 - Current Affairs Slot
20:00 - The Bill/NEW CONTINUING DRAMA
21:00 - Long Lost Family
Friday - This would be a cheaper night as dramas are probably better served airing elsewhere. Only one episode of Corrie at 7.30pm. Then at 8pm they could have a gameshow slot, much like they have on Wednesdays now. The likes of All Star Mr & Mrs, Big Star's Little Star, All Star Family Fortunes, Catchphrase, Surprise Surprise etc could all play in the 8pm hour. Between all of those shows (plus they could introduce some new ones) they've got enough to run all year round. Then at 9pm it could either be more entertainment or drama repeats. It would be worth trying to find a new chatshow that could work in that slot. It would probably be older skewing but if they found a decent show they could hold that slot down for half the year. Jonathan Ross wouldn't rate well there really and Piers Morgan's show seems to have collapsed so they'd probably need to find someone new. Other older skewing entertainment could air there and also some drama repeats (especially over the Summer).
EXAMPLE SCHEDULE
19:00 - Emmerdale
19:30 - Coronation Street
20:00 - All Star Mr & Mrs
21:00 - NEW CHATSHOW
OR
19:00 - Emmerdale
19:30 - Coronation Street
20:00 - Big Star's Little Star
21:00 - Grantchester (R)
Saturday - Not much different to now except I'd have Celebrity Chase and Tipping Point: Lucky Stars alternate in the 6pm hour throughout the year. They'd give them a much better launch pad for their Saturday schedule than You've Been Framed does and would still be pretty cheap. The 7pm slot would be home to Saturday Night Takeaway, BGT etc and lead into newer shows at 8.30pm. With dramas Jekyll & Hyde and Beowulf arriving onto the schedule then there's more variety on Saturday nights which can only be a good thing. I guess the exact scheduling of The X Factor would depend on Strictly. In a way it would actually be good for ITV if BBC1 swapped Doctor Who with Strictly so Who ran 6.30-7.15pm and Strictly 7.15-9.15pm as ITV could then have TXF running 6.30-8.30pm with Jekyll & Hyde at 8.30pm. Not sure how likely that is though. Also some repeats of Thunderbirds at 5.30pm could work.
EXAMPLE SCHEDULE
17:30 - Thunderbirds (R)
18:00 - The Chase: Celebrity Special
19:00 - Saturday Night Takeaway
20:20 - Beowulf
21:20 - Take Me Out
OR
17:30 - You've Been Framed
18:00 - Tipping Point: Lucky Stars
19:00 - Britain's Got Talent
20:20 - Ninja Warrior UK
21:20 - The Jonathan Ross Show
Sunday - Move the soaps back to Sunday. The Sunday 7pm hour is a bit of a disaster zone right now. The soaps would probably be much more beneficial here than Emmerdale is on Thursdays at 8pm or Coronation Street is on Fridays at 8.30pm. I'd move them back there over the Summer as Countryfile tends to air at 8pm over the Summer so the 7pm competition would be minimal. Then by the timeCountryfile shifts back to 7pm in September the soaps would be established. I wouldn't change much from 8-10pm. What I would do is commission a couple more 2 hour detective formats. They've lost Foyle's War, Poirot and Marple recently and could do with a couple of new shows to fill the void, especially as Mr Whicher ended up not working out. Sunday Night at The Palladium could run at 8pm over the Summer.
EXAMPLE SCHEDULE
19:00 - Emmerdale
19:30 - Coronation Street
20:00 - Vera
OR
19:00 - Emmerdale
19:30 - Coronation Street
20:00 - The X Factor
21:00 - Downton Abbey
Any thoughts?
I dont actually see your point as the figures prove 5m people watch the one with adds and 5m people watched the other one.
Same here. Watched the first ep of series 2 and simply haven't bothered since then and the rest are on my humax. May watch them if there is a free weekend later in the year....
it also depends how good it is. If ITV are showing something must see, so good I want to watch it and join in the conversation at work, then I'll watch it regardless at the time it is on. I'm 46 years old, so I am used to how commercial TV works regarding ads. The only downside now is the amount of ads they have, but that asides, I still think that most people watch unmissable things at time of TX.
Score, here's my post from yesterday morning. It seems that we may be singing from the same hymn book on this subject.
Indeed, they could have shown all the documentaries they have done over the last year or so but as part of a vague strand - they had one a decade ago called Real Life, it can be as broad as that - and at least they might have got a bit more attention and a couple more viewers might have checked them out. Of course, Modern Times is back on BBC2 this week, presumably after they decided the one-offs were getting a bit lost in the schedule.
Yeah, and you could still have watched Broadchurch more or less as it happened, if you started watching it at 9.10 and fast forwarded through the adverts you could be back live by the end of it. And then watched Silent Witness.
I see from the Radio Times that "series two" of Your Home In Their Hands starts next week. On Sunday afternoon.
The bit about SW overnights is not exactly true. Last year only the first 2 eps were over 6m ( and only just at that) while the rest of the series were in the 5-5.5m range. I think most peole were expecting BC to be considerably ahead based on its previous overnights.
and how many of the 5m who watched SW then watch BC ad free? a few given the final ratings and that is my point.
That's true, but this series launched with 6.7m and then continued with 6.4m. The Tuesday episodes indicate that this series would be rating in the 6-7m range if not for Broadchurch. The fact that the episode 2 weeks ago jumped from 5.5m to 8.1m in the officials is testament to that.
Yes we've got quite a few similar ideas. I definitely think some restructuring is needed. I think it would be easier for them to launch a pre-watershed continuing drama than a post-watershed one though (look at how The Bill turned sour when it moved to 9pm). I think it's definitely time for the soaps to move back to Sundays.
Christ, I missed that one.
Broadchurch got beat in the overnights by The One Show!
BROADCHURCH GOT BEAT IN THE OVERNIGHTS BY THE ONE SHOW!!!!
i completely agree with moving the soaps back to Sunday, itv needs to move away from the idea that light ent. is the key to that night, without dancing on ice it just ain't gonna happen.
the problem itv have with new formats is that bbc does not have any holes in the schedule. spring/summer is the only gap itv have to launch new product and that's when audiences are down.
BBC have done well to cultivate a culture of returnable shows that do not require any variation, they are literally the same format/show etc year in year out and audiences love them.
ITV are unlikely to be able to compete in this area without spending big money on either talent or format and i can't see them doing that with their austerity drives and the unbankability of new programming.
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jan/27/itv-scores-cricket-world-cup-highlights
Putting soaps back on Sundays is a solution that I suggested yesterday. But then you have to ask the question as to why is ITV's programming so much at rock bottom that it has to rely, once again, on soaps? Their over reliance on soaps in weeknights is one of the reasons that the channel is overlooked nowadays - if you don't like soaps you don't go anywhere near it. Soaps would certainly bolster an early evening Sunday line up, but could it fail them in the long run? It's a tricky one.
And that was with no snow day! Do the Comic ReliefChildren In Need night editions of The One Show usually get 5m?
Putting the soaps back won't sort out Sunday night after 8pm. ITV were fine for years on Sundays without soap when Dancing On Ice and Wild At Heart worked in Winter. And X Factor/Downton/I'm A Celebrity work in Autumn. Viewers are switching over at 8pm to BBC1 or BBC2 in Winter. That's where the real problem lies.
I keep going back to Silent Witness on Mondays. Panorama is no great lead in mists weeks and SW gets 5m. If 5m aren't watching Mr Selfridge it's because it's not popular enough to win its timeslot and hasn't been since last year. Ratings have dropped each year. If the soaps went back to Sunday it would free up weeknights on BBC1 and they'd say thank you very much. ITV are so reliant on soap that moving it back to weekends could weaken weeknights on Thursday and Friday. They need better programmes at weekends instead of reheated moron fodder light entertainment . Good quality L.E. rates well, poor quality L.E. doesn't. They also need a stronger winter drama than Mr Selfridge.
5.04m for last year's Children in Need night edition, and I think some of the other specials were higher 5m range a couple of years ago (Strictly launch, CiN, Jubilee concert). But the percentage share is probably higher than it's managed before...
Edit - 6.82m back in 2011 for the CiN launch night. But that was the first year of their Rickshaw Challenge so probably their highest ever rating
The big problem that ITV have is their lack of variety. If you do not watch any of the reality shows - XF, BGT, IAC, or the soaps, then what chance do you have for catching a trailer for a new drama which might interest you. ITV have relied too heavily on their big branded reality and soaps, and haven't reacted to their gradual burnout.
You could parachute into the schedule on a Tuesday evening something like The Chase at 8pm - this would, if the viewers followed it, probably double what their low rated factual gets. As much as relying on the extra episode of the soaps to boost the schedules elsewhere, I think that they should stay as they are until they can get something in to replace them.
Considering the scheduling headaches for the autumn Saturday nights, I would shift the XF away from Saturday and stick it right in the middle of the week on a Wednesday night for 2 hours. Then drop the 2nd Emmerdale on a Thursday and have XF Results on a Thursday at 8pm leading into a big drama at 9pm. It would be a bold move, but it could work well.
Drama works well on a Sunday as the BBC have shown. Give the viewers some pre watershed cosy slipper drama at 8pm. If BOAF gets another series, 7.30pm on a Sunday. Many years ago, there was always a sitcom at some point between 7 and 8pm on a Sunday. People like to have a laugh the day before going back to work as it takes them away from the thought of it all
I guess what I am saying is that ITV should be different, shuffle things around and spend some money !
correct, and i hope they find one. it seems that no one is giving new formats a chance these days. in the past five years only the voice has launched to success and that's an import and basically the same as XF. where do you find a brand new format that pulls in millions straight away without filling it with celebs?
The 7pm hour is the biggest problem they have on Sundays. Whilst 8-10pm is poor right now for most of the year it's fine. They have X Factor and Downton/IAC there from September-December and Vera/Endeavour hold it down from April-May. That only really leaves the January-March period (they tend to do OK there over the Summer) where 8-10pm is a major issue. Whereas 7pm is an issue for most of the year now with Dancing on Ice gone. Get Your Act Together and Keep It In The Family are/were disasters. Catchphrase does OK there but it could just move elsewhere. But generally that slot is a bigger problem than 8-10pm. Plus the soaps would provide a better lead-in to the 8-10pm content. I'm pretty sure X Factor was dragged down by Keep It In The Family and even All Star Family Fortunes would probably be above 3m right now if the soaps were at 7pm. They'd provide a really good base for the night. Plus if they really were to take the lazy option and just revive Dancing on Ice then that could just go 8-10pm after the soaps (not that I think they should at this point). But whatever new show they try next year would have a better shot there with a soap hour lead-in. Plus the soap fans always moan about the doubles anyway, that would also solve that problem. It's definitely worth doing I think.
You fill the schedule with quality drama. But as yourself said, you only give one episode a go and then watch no more. So what's the point?
Grrrrr...
You'd think if they have to push it out of slot for some regional guff they'd at least move the displaced programme to a respectable slot. It's like how HIGNFY gets shown in NI, to my knowledge, at 11.20/11.50 on Fridays and this is one of the BBC's most enduring and respected shows!