Options
Why The Hate For ITV?
drwhoru
Posts: 242 Forum Member
✭
I might be wrong, but it appears as though there is a strong loathing for ITV here on the DS forum pages and to a lesser extent from the public generally and I wondered why that is?
ITV is a British company with over 50 years of heritage and has over time made some of the best and most successful programming ever. it employs over 3000 people in this country, invests in the facilities used not only by themselves but other independent production companies.
also, it is free, as in really free. you do not have to pay a penny to watch it.
i probably only watch 10 shows from across all their channels across the year, and the rest is not for me, but it doesn't bother me that it makes Jeremy Kyle or Benidorm or Emmerdale, i just watch something else.
ITV is a British company with over 50 years of heritage and has over time made some of the best and most successful programming ever. it employs over 3000 people in this country, invests in the facilities used not only by themselves but other independent production companies.
also, it is free, as in really free. you do not have to pay a penny to watch it.
i probably only watch 10 shows from across all their channels across the year, and the rest is not for me, but it doesn't bother me that it makes Jeremy Kyle or Benidorm or Emmerdale, i just watch something else.
0
Comments
the grammarist website says
"Sped and speeded are both dictionary-approved inflections of the verb to speed, and neither is more correct than the other".
and again you've illustrated my point, you've taken one thing from one programme and attributed to the networks whole output.
For the sake of debate maybe you could expand on your argument that it is "cheap tv for the dim" - are you meaning ITV1, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, CITV ???
Chav tv - mmm, let's see now - something the glorious corporation isn't guilty of? Eastenders anyone? BBC3? :sleep:
It also seems as if the 'discovery' of Simon Cowell meant absolutely no effort or thought for original Saturday night entertainment need to be had again.
well its certainly not free,who pays for the adverts on ITV???? yes you guessed it,us the public,everytime you go into a supermarket,nothing in life is free,except fresh air:)
As far as the so called hate for ITV i find they produce great dramas,but find myself watching the nations commercial broadcaster much less these days than i used to!!!
I agree about the reliance of soaps - at times it seems as if there is a constant stream. But to be fair, that's what is working for the channel at the moment. And next week sees 3 new dramas on during the week.
As for Cowell, I have no problem with the channel milking the value of Cowell and capitalising on a genre of programme that has proven popular over the last few years. Don't worry, his popularity will probably wane at some point and ITV will move on to the next thing!
To me, ITVs pairing with Cowell is no different to the BBC capitalising on Strictly Come Dancing's popularity - and again for the BBC, why not?
but it has to be populist to survive. ITV is regulated to the point that if it loses audience it loses money.
you could also argue that these shows are what people want and therefore it is giving people what they want and that should be a good thing. it's not for you and not for me, but it is making someone happy so is that reason to hate it?
You can pick up anyone for misprounced word, even BBC newsreaders do it occasionally. Kaplinsky, who I think you are referring to, has worked for Sky, the BBC and C5.
As for being cheap, that's not true. Cheap TV is US imports, endless repeats of low budget progs. Sky TV?
ITV has very good programmes in the main, not all of them, of course, because there are repeats and others that do not live up to hopes. ITV has to offer progs that people will watch, otherwise advertisers will not pay good money for slots.
Drama, e.g. Downton Abbey, and many others, is particularly expensive.
Of course it is populist, for the reasons you've correctly indicated. I have no issue with a populist ITV1 in a multi channel digital age showing the stuff they do.
Their other channels do offer something - at least ITV3 shows older dramas and progs (although even that could be improved given what ITV has shown over the years) and ITV4 skews to a male audience (football and other sport, films etc..).
that's like saying you finance criminals because you buy a Big Mac and someone who works in Mcdonalds then goes and buys drugs!
My peers tell me ITV1 make good family viewing that adults and Kidz can watch together, good luck to them, personally I have never seen one edition of X-Factor but I'm sure it must be good.
I can get my output elsewhere so why should I begrudge others their entertainment and have delusions of grandeur by belittling family viewers.
you dont seriously think that these huge corporations pay millions to advertise on commercial tv,and then dont pass those costs onto us consumers do you??? now thats a world i would gladly inhabit!!! but alas not true!!!
getting a bit of topic.
I'm not saying they don't incorporate the cost but when you watch or don't watch a show on ITV you are financially equal so watching a show on this channel does not cost you money.
ITV in the good old days had a winning format. It had strong current affairs programming from Weekend world, This week and world in action.
ITV had regular sunday morning and afternoon religious programming. It had quiz shows like krypton factor winner takes all,play your cards right. Slots now taken by emmerdale
ITV was a great channel and it was far better than the BBC. Not being controversial but it is not the case now
I guess in a multi channel era they are playing to their audience winners - and these are soaps, X Factor, BGT etc..
Unfortunately those winners (World In Action etc..) in a 3 channels of yesteryear wouldn't cut it in today's fierce multichannel scene - or at least not on "mainstream/primetime" ITV1.
Agree we miss the quiz shows to Emmerdale - but look at the BBC - every night at 7pm - The One Show! :yawn: Mind you supporters of that show would argue is it any different from the (long gone) Nationwide that used to come on every night?
Like you personally I think ITV (1) used to be better than the BBC - now I think they are about the same.
I hardly watch it now, I like the Soaps Emmerdale and Coronation Street and the Dramas, I too do not like the Simon Cowell shows X Factor, Britain Has Got Talent and Red or Black
I would have preferred it if they kept the following programmes
The Bill
Heartbeat
The Royal
Where The Heart Is
Wild At Heart
I haven't got anything against ITV per se - it's just not the same organisation it used to be.
The Bernsteins, Grades, were geniuses, Central TV made Spitting Image, Thames made decent sitcoms that whiled away many an evening. My late '70's Monday viewing was Coronation St, Thames sitcoms, World in Action (if it was not too grim) then over to BBC2 for another hour of comedy.
Wednesdays were good also.
ITV hasn't been the same since the 90's licence renewal round saw the advent of Carlton.
After that time sitcoms vanished form the schedule, Coronation Street has been exploited to the point of insanity, and all other shows revolve around Cowell and his cronies.
The ITV executives they have now, are just corporate numpties. US TV networks scheduling (which ITV was originally based upon) have a mix of new sitcoms, dramas and chat shows, amongst the game shows. ITV have none of that.
ITV do not invest for the future, they don't allow experimentation - can you imagine Spitting Image being done these days - and yes Channel 4 was around when it first happened so the argument that "Channel 4 oes the experimenting" doesn't wash.
Thye have also destroyed the regional stations that were so strong, and which also provided training for upcoming talent for ITV network programmes, both in front of and behind the cameras.
The day Carlton joined ITV was when the slide began.
Rupert Murdoch originally saved LWT from going under, and look at Sky One now - more like ITV was in the '70's and '80's. New comedies, new dramas.
"Walking and Talking" by Kathy Burke on Sky Atlantic was brilliant, exactly the sort of thing you might have seen made by Granada decades ago -but not now sadly.
ITV needs a new head from either Australia or USA to get it back on track to be what a commercial channel can be.
Oh yes i remember that, my grandma still calls channel 3 'Tyne Tees'
I don't 'hate' ITV but as many have already said, the adverts are now beyond a joke, i understand they need adverts for money but so does every other non-BBC channel and they don't bombard us with adverts EVERY 5 minutes and i'm not over exaggerating, the first advert of the X factor was about 7 minutes after it started and after one act, after that it was one advert for every one act, although the ad breaks were longer.
Yet, I think the channel has turned a corner, there are some decent docs, the news output has been better since 2008 and drama has improved without relying on a bank of 2 or 3 actors.
The only show I've watched consistently on ITV in years was The Chase
And the argument comes full circle! For not hardly watching it, you must watch it plenty if it's Emm & Corrie! Of the other shows you mention that have finished, I watched none of them
- but unlike you I watch X Factor & BGT.
And that's the crux of the matter - it's all about personal taste. IMO I don't think it's lost it's way - ITV2, ITV3 & ITV4 are strong in the multichannel market and have clear identities. ITV1 I think you are eluding to could do better - and I agree. I think part of their problem is bizarre scheduling and a reluctance to break from the mould.
Jealousy,competition,rivalry