Midsomer Murders isn't on ITV's axe list, it's still one of ITV's most popular dramas and in terms of ROI very high up in terms of their drama programming due to how popular its repeats are on ITV1 daytime and ITV3. Brian True-May, producer of MM, was saying the other day that the production company Bentley Pictures and ITV hope that the show can run for many more years and that's why they hired a relatively young actor to replace John Nettles instead of someone in their late 50s or 60s. You're just spreading rumours and lies as usual Angus and STV have obviously decided not to show it due to financial reasons
Financial reasons? You are not kidding "supposedly" in profit but get things on the cheap what does that say about STV?:rolleyes: lol
I was the first to report STV opt outs, STV HD and Freeview going down hill
It seem's I am on a winning streak and time will tell on the rest.
You didn't reveal anything about Heartbeat, The Bill, The Royal which wasn't public knowledge anyway. There were reports of Heartbeat and The Royal being axed as far back as January 2009, before you were posting properly on DS.
The stuff you "reveal" about STV HD are not particularly relevant when it comes to this thread. Alot of what you've said in recent times have been false information - for example saying that STV were making massive profits which were their biggest in over a decade, was not true (have a look at their annual reports). You saying ITV were on course for losses were not true (they made ~£200m profit last year), saying that top ITV shows were going behind a pay-wall soon which isn't the case. You've obviously got a massively biased pro-STV/anti-ITV agenda on here, and will post things which are false just to portray STV in a positive light.
STV were and still are making massive profits more so without ITV and i provided several links. It's not my problem if you can't understand the financial markets or many people on here are spitting the dummy because they cant get ITV shows. STV is a seperate company and is entitled to opt out and show what they wish to show. They are the facts plain and simple and STV is better off now than ever before.
Angustay my dear, can you please explain how it is that Marple, which was 'not relevant' to viewers in the STV region when originally shown on ITV, is NOW considered the ideal filler for the gap in our schedule?
Try to do so without using the words "cheap", "reduced" and "desperate". :rolleyes:
Even you must see the irony of STV now showing these when, according to your link, viewing figures have been falling for both series of Agatha Christie based dramas.....;)
(Although this could be explained by the fact that viewers in Scotland cannot access the new episodes when they are screened.)
And as has been said many times on here, at least ITV make NEW dramas - some may be rubbish, but there are gems. Apart from the now woeful Taggart, what exactly is STV's 'drama output'? :mad:
Stv still plan on working on their own schedule and still do not want to rely only on ITV for programming. After DSO they will provide some ITV programming but not all. They are currently working on other productions and with other suppliers to offer a more diverse channel. After DSO there is no point ITV, STV and UTV providing the same programmes.
STV being more diverse thats the biggest joke of all, its nothing more than Glasweiganised telly with programmes bought from Oz and Ireland and what relevance is that to Scotland?
STV work on a schedule? what the never ending "the hour" and "postcode challenge" wow STV have alot to convince me to switch back with them and as far as I can tell you they are way off my radar and ITV1 wins with me
STV were and still are making massive profits more so without ITV and i provided several links. It's not my problem if you can't understand the financial markets or many people on here are spitting the dummy because they cant get ITV shows. STV is a seperate company and is entitled to opt out and show what they wish to show. They are the facts plain and simple and STV is better off now than ever before.
I don't deny that STV are making more profit now than a few years ago - I suppose that is what happens when the advertising market recovers from a recession and when you cut down your programming costs! All commercial broadcasters are making more profit than a few years ago. What I don't like is your excuses as to why STV are opting out of certain dramas, when it's obviously a cost-cutting exercise. You don't need to keep making excuses about why STV are opting out of drama, it's blatantly clear why they're doing that.
By the way, what are STV going to do with Taggart, now that the latest series tanked on ITV? Have your "sources" told you if STV will continue making it by themselves or not? Given that in reality, they don't make much money from worldwide sales of Taggart (they like to pretend in press releases that they do, but they don't really), I wouldn't be surprised if that's the end of dear old Taggart.
I do think that STV treats its catchment area with undisguised contempt. It knows that it has an effective third channel monopoly in Scotland terrestrially so, instead of putting on relative quality shows (or, at least what ITV defines as quality), it puts on dross knowing that, short of investing in a satellite system, there is nothing that the Scottish population can effectively do. I have no doubt that, if ITV1 was allowed to broadcast terrestrially in Scotland, STV would cease to exist and deservedly so. Changed days from the real quality programming that Scottish Television (Channel Ten) provided fifty years ago. Progress? I think not.
STV being more diverse thats the biggest joke of all, its nothing more than Glasweiganised telly with programmes bought from Oz and Ireland and what relevance is that to Scotland?
Diverse does not mean local. It means different and that is what STV is providing and apart from a few complainers many prefer the opt outs.
It does not have anything to do with cost cutting now.
STV has spent many hundreds thousand on local regions online, HD, A higher Internet profile, STV player and there's still more to come with local tv regions they are also a potential invester in channel 6. So it is now not down to money they have already shown they have the cash by investing in all these ventures they don't want to rely only on ITV for programming and they want to control their own schedule which they are entitled to do.
It does not have anything to do with cost cutting now.
STV has spent many hundreds thousand on local regions online, HD, A higher Internet profile, STV player and there's still more to come with local tv regions they are also a potential invester in channel 6. So it is now not down to money they have already shown they have the cash by investing in all these ventures they don't want to rely only on ITV for programming and they want to control their own schedule which they are entitled to do.
They may be legally entitled to control their schedule but morally, given that ITV1 is excluded so freedom of choice is limited?
Profits invested in the latest techology has to be a good thing - but surely the main idea behind a TV station is to MAKE PROGRAMMES - something that STV is clearly not prepared to do, at least when it comes to drama.
This is failing their audience who have become used to 2 hour stand alone dramas of various types over the years.
Have they any plans to remedy this - or do they believe that old, cheap English spoken buy-ins are sufficient?
Most of the programmes on STV are ITV programmes if anything STV should be cutting more to allow other programme makers the same opportunities that ITV have had so good over the years at STV's expense. If this happend they would be the same complaints. STV is not doing anything ITV has not done for years except sticking to the Channel 3 license unlike ITV who have destroyed their regions and local programming. People talk about the days of Grampian TV with rose tinted glasses but the same arguments of today exsisted back then with STV and Grampian. Grampian produced no drama and only had 3 studios for news and the very occasional documentary or cheap kids show in Dundee.
Most of the programmes on STV are ITV programmes if anything STV should be cutting more to allow other programme makers the same opportunities that ITV have had so good over the years at STV's expense.
Well of course most programmes on STV are ITV Network programmes as STV is and always has been part of the ITV Network and they have network commitments, they are merely not owned by ITV plc which as we all know is a totally different thing.
I can totally understand any ITV region opting out of network programming. It just seems that STV seem to replace new programming with a lot of what could be considered cheap filler.
But DRAMA has taken the brunt of the cuts, Angustay. And I really find it hard to believe that the established audience for Midsomer is going to settle down to watch Underbelly.
STV owes drama fans some decent, quality programmes that are not over 10 years old and bought from somewhere with less of a link to Scotland that our nearest neighbour!
I would happily sit and watch a fresh drama made by STV, but I somehow doubt anything will ever be forthcoming despite the wealth of writers we have here whose works would make excellent TV dramas!
I can totally understand any ITV region opting out of network programming. It just seems that STV seem to replace new programming with a lot of what could be considered cheap filler.
Have you seen ITV's night time schedule or the crap STV and ITV has to show during the daytime and Daybreak, Jeremy Kyle and these are considored the cream of the crop. Vet School was far better quality.
But DRAMA has taken the brunt of the cuts, Angustay. And I really find it hard to believe that the established audience for Midsomer is going to settle down to watch Underbelly.
Many especially younger audiences see shows like Midsomer, Downton Abbey and Lewis as old fashioned standard formula drama and there have been thousands of them more or less with the same storylines on ITV over many years. Many prefer to watch Underbelly, South Park or anything thats a bit more different from the usual ITV show. They may not all have huge budgets but are original and not recycled scripts like most ITV primetime drama's. I have never said that all ITV programmes are bad just the majority in recent years. If ITV still had a good schedule similar the 80s where they had a good variety of shows home grown and from abroad instead of X factor, BGT and run of the mill dramas I would not be complaining. ITVs chairman himself has admitted most of their stuff is pap and appeals to the lowest common denominator. As for me being biased against ITV it is not in my best interests to be biased against them or any UK broadcaster. Anyone who can say ITV don't recycle scripts I ask you to look into ITVs past the evidence is everywhere.
Van der valk
Jewel in the Crown
The Bill
Rumpole of the Bailey
University Challenge
71 degrees North
Cold Blood
Budgie
and many more
All great ITV shows but nothing in recent years has come close to any of these great shows quality wise and when something does have potential ITV axe it.
Many of ITVs programmes back then were small budgets but the attention to detail and continity and original scripts made them top quality programmes. This is sadly lacking today on all channels. I would like to see a smaller budget to drama and then maybe they will pay start to pay more attention to detail and produce great quality programming again.
Have you seen ITV's night time schedule or the crap STV and ITV has to show during the daytime and Daybreak, Jeremy Kyle and these are considored the cream of the crop. Vet School was far better quality.
I won't quote your entire post, Angustay, just this bit
"Many especially younger audiences see shows like Midsomer, Downton Abbey and Lewis as old fashioned standard formula drama and there have been thousands of them more or less with the same storylines on ITV over many years. Many prefer to watch Underbelly, South Park or anything thats a bit more different from the usual ITV show."
Are Underbelly and South Park (!) the best examples you can flag up of STV providing something 'a bit different'? Catering for the 'yoof' market is all very well, but do they make up significant numbers of viewers in the peak time slots - or are they out enjoying themselves?
I am not saying that TV drama must be cosy but STV are avoiding a chance to show us what they CAN do by failing to make a fresh drama of their own. One they could then sell to other countries.
And I will continue to berate them for opting out on the grounds of COST and nothing else until the prove otherwise.
I would however welcome them daring to drop Coronation Street, Emmerdale, X-Factor or BGT. But I suspect they wouldn't DARE. Drama fans are seen as a soft touch, not likely to storm the Glasgow HQ, so let them 'eat cake'.
An average ITV drama is around £750,000 an hour i believe. STV pay about 8% of the budget, so they are paying roughly £60,000 of this. Now this is apparently too much, and they need to reduce this. So in all honesty what programmes are you going to get for less than £60,000 an hour?
£60,000 an hour is not going to be no where enough for a terrestrial standard drama or sitcom. What you are left with is older imports (you would struggle to get even a newer american import for that cost), talk shows that have long runs to cut costs or archive programmes. There is no way STV can provide anything near an ITV level schedule with that budget.
PS STV does not SHOW Daybreak, Daybreak is a seperate franchise.
As I have said repeatedly, if the bosses of STV had made their financial position clear from the start they would probably have carried the majority of their audience with them. It is understandable when you see the figures. But to deny that the reason is financial and promise 'quality homegrown programmes relevant to Scotland' and then offer clip shows, ancient buy-ins etc is treating the viewers with contempt.
And Angustay (are you like me, you have NEVER watched an entire episode of X-Factor or BGT????) you did not answer my point about 'Marple' - previously not screened as not relevant - now being considered suitable because of the cost of the new Midsomer Murders. :rolleyes:
This sort of muddled decision making helps no one.
For drama, how about a remake of Prime of Miss Jean Brodie with the excellent Shiobhan Redman reprising the role she recently performed on stage? Or a drama on the life of Mary Queen of Scots? The Tudors, with its romp through Henry's court, has its fans - I suspect a similar take on the trouble Scottish Queen would attract viewers. Even the gentle charm of Hamish MacBeth could be remade - twee yes, but very watchable. If STV could bite the bullet and make some quality drama they dvd sales, rights to other countries etc would surely be of benefit!
Many especially younger audiences see shows like Midsomer, Downton Abbey and Lewis as old fashioned standard formula drama
How would stv audiences of any age know anything about Downton Abbey? Your beloved channel didn't show it.
Thankfully we do have alternative viewing sources to prevent the ludicrous stv scheduling which makes no sense at all - Benidorm not relevant to Scottish audiences? OK, so aside from the fact that it is still a popular destination for thousands of Scots, why show the Christmas episode and not the series? Why pick and choose episodes of Midsomer Murders? Are some more relevant to Scotland?
Spare us from Hain's "rich and varied" nonsense. It's all about money, and everyone knows it.
Comments
Financial reasons? You are not kidding "supposedly" in profit but get things on the cheap what does that say about STV?:rolleyes: lol
The stuff you "reveal" about STV HD are not particularly relevant when it comes to this thread. Alot of what you've said in recent times have been false information - for example saying that STV were making massive profits which were their biggest in over a decade, was not true (have a look at their annual reports). You saying ITV were on course for losses were not true (they made ~£200m profit last year), saying that top ITV shows were going behind a pay-wall soon which isn't the case. You've obviously got a massively biased pro-STV/anti-ITV agenda on here, and will post things which are false just to portray STV in a positive light.
Try to do so without using the words "cheap", "reduced" and "desperate". :rolleyes:
Even you must see the irony of STV now showing these when, according to your link, viewing figures have been falling for both series of Agatha Christie based dramas.....;)
(Although this could be explained by the fact that viewers in Scotland cannot access the new episodes when they are screened.)
And as has been said many times on here, at least ITV make NEW dramas - some may be rubbish, but there are gems. Apart from the now woeful Taggart, what exactly is STV's 'drama output'? :mad:
STV being more diverse thats the biggest joke of all, its nothing more than Glasweiganised telly with programmes bought from Oz and Ireland and what relevance is that to Scotland?
STV work on a schedule? what the never ending "the hour" and "postcode challenge" wow STV have alot to convince me to switch back with them and as far as I can tell you they are way off my radar and ITV1 wins with me
By the way, what are STV going to do with Taggart, now that the latest series tanked on ITV? Have your "sources" told you if STV will continue making it by themselves or not? Given that in reality, they don't make much money from worldwide sales of Taggart (they like to pretend in press releases that they do, but they don't really), I wouldn't be surprised if that's the end of dear old Taggart.
Diverse does not mean local. It means different and that is what STV is providing and apart from a few complainers many prefer the opt outs.
It does not have anything to do with cost cutting now.
STV has spent many hundreds thousand on local regions online, HD, A higher Internet profile, STV player and there's still more to come with local tv regions they are also a potential invester in channel 6. So it is now not down to money they have already shown they have the cash by investing in all these ventures they don't want to rely only on ITV for programming and they want to control their own schedule which they are entitled to do.
This is failing their audience who have become used to 2 hour stand alone dramas of various types over the years.
Have they any plans to remedy this - or do they believe that old, cheap English spoken buy-ins are sufficient?
Well of course most programmes on STV are ITV Network programmes as STV is and always has been part of the ITV Network and they have network commitments, they are merely not owned by ITV plc which as we all know is a totally different thing.
I can totally understand any ITV region opting out of network programming. It just seems that STV seem to replace new programming with a lot of what could be considered cheap filler.
STV owes drama fans some decent, quality programmes that are not over 10 years old and bought from somewhere with less of a link to Scotland that our nearest neighbour!
I would happily sit and watch a fresh drama made by STV, but I somehow doubt anything will ever be forthcoming despite the wealth of writers we have here whose works would make excellent TV dramas!
Have you seen ITV's night time schedule or the crap STV and ITV has to show during the daytime and Daybreak, Jeremy Kyle and these are considored the cream of the crop. Vet School was far better quality.
Many especially younger audiences see shows like Midsomer, Downton Abbey and Lewis as old fashioned standard formula drama and there have been thousands of them more or less with the same storylines on ITV over many years. Many prefer to watch Underbelly, South Park or anything thats a bit more different from the usual ITV show. They may not all have huge budgets but are original and not recycled scripts like most ITV primetime drama's. I have never said that all ITV programmes are bad just the majority in recent years. If ITV still had a good schedule similar the 80s where they had a good variety of shows home grown and from abroad instead of X factor, BGT and run of the mill dramas I would not be complaining. ITVs chairman himself has admitted most of their stuff is pap and appeals to the lowest common denominator. As for me being biased against ITV it is not in my best interests to be biased against them or any UK broadcaster. Anyone who can say ITV don't recycle scripts I ask you to look into ITVs past the evidence is everywhere.
Van der valk
Jewel in the Crown
The Bill
Rumpole of the Bailey
University Challenge
71 degrees North
Cold Blood
Budgie
and many more
All great ITV shows but nothing in recent years has come close to any of these great shows quality wise and when something does have potential ITV axe it.
"Many especially younger audiences see shows like Midsomer, Downton Abbey and Lewis as old fashioned standard formula drama and there have been thousands of them more or less with the same storylines on ITV over many years. Many prefer to watch Underbelly, South Park or anything thats a bit more different from the usual ITV show."
Are Underbelly and South Park (!) the best examples you can flag up of STV providing something 'a bit different'? Catering for the 'yoof' market is all very well, but do they make up significant numbers of viewers in the peak time slots - or are they out enjoying themselves?
I am not saying that TV drama must be cosy but STV are avoiding a chance to show us what they CAN do by failing to make a fresh drama of their own. One they could then sell to other countries.
And I will continue to berate them for opting out on the grounds of COST and nothing else until the prove otherwise.
I would however welcome them daring to drop Coronation Street, Emmerdale, X-Factor or BGT. But I suspect they wouldn't DARE. Drama fans are seen as a soft touch, not likely to storm the Glasgow HQ, so let them 'eat cake'.
Yes it does.
At least we agree on one thing:)
An average ITV drama is around £750,000 an hour i believe. STV pay about 8% of the budget, so they are paying roughly £60,000 of this. Now this is apparently too much, and they need to reduce this. So in all honesty what programmes are you going to get for less than £60,000 an hour?
£60,000 an hour is not going to be no where enough for a terrestrial standard drama or sitcom. What you are left with is older imports (you would struggle to get even a newer american import for that cost), talk shows that have long runs to cut costs or archive programmes. There is no way STV can provide anything near an ITV level schedule with that budget.
PS STV does not SHOW Daybreak, Daybreak is a seperate franchise.
It doesn't. Daybreak isn't STV's airtime.
And Angustay (are you like me, you have NEVER watched an entire episode of X-Factor or BGT????) you did not answer my point about 'Marple' - previously not screened as not relevant - now being considered suitable because of the cost of the new Midsomer Murders. :rolleyes:
This sort of muddled decision making helps no one.
For drama, how about a remake of Prime of Miss Jean Brodie with the excellent Shiobhan Redman reprising the role she recently performed on stage? Or a drama on the life of Mary Queen of Scots? The Tudors, with its romp through Henry's court, has its fans - I suspect a similar take on the trouble Scottish Queen would attract viewers. Even the gentle charm of Hamish MacBeth could be remade - twee yes, but very watchable. If STV could bite the bullet and make some quality drama they dvd sales, rights to other countries etc would surely be of benefit!
STV HD does not show Daybreak, for reasons I have forgotten. It is no great loss, and is available on STV (SD) if considered necessary.
Alternatively,there is a continuous loop of inoccuous music, if you like, on STV HD.
How would stv audiences of any age know anything about Downton Abbey? Your beloved channel didn't show it.
Thankfully we do have alternative viewing sources to prevent the ludicrous stv scheduling which makes no sense at all - Benidorm not relevant to Scottish audiences? OK, so aside from the fact that it is still a popular destination for thousands of Scots, why show the Christmas episode and not the series? Why pick and choose episodes of Midsomer Murders? Are some more relevant to Scotland?
Spare us from Hain's "rich and varied" nonsense. It's all about money, and everyone knows it.