I'm not sure why there's such an anti-ITV feeling about the thread - I think they've made an intelligent move. What's the point of airing exactly the same thing as BBC1? When that's happened in the past BBC1 have thrashed them so they may as well stick to their usual schedule and hope to pick up those who are sick to the back teeth of policitans and elections. Both Channel 4 and Five are PSBs yet neither of them are broadcasting the Prime Ministerial switchover.

Cameron'll have to hurry up if they want to air EastEnders at 8.30pm - I haven't seen him leave Buckingham Palace yet.

Back to last night, and a strong night for ITV1 - maybe they should look at half hour shows on favourite soap characters for the 8pm slot on Monday's. BBC1 did not have a good night, and High Street Dreams limped home behind BBC2.

They have done this before during Wimbledon I think. Saying that a drama will follow the tennis and then dropping it all together to show a Vicar of Dibley repeat AFAIK.

Apparently theres 2 Holby episodes next week. No decision yet on whether they can bump Holby. It may air tomorrow with Waterloo Road bumped.
Watchdog may be axed in favour. All still up in the air.

Eastenders is now on iPlayer :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode...rs_11_05_2010/

EastEnders has no chance of airing.

They cant air it at 930 being so close to BBC3

Airing it at 9 would leave a 30 minute gap at 930

No chance of an 830 airing

Try and watch it - you get a content not working error.

Hmmm... I wonder what they'll do with Holby City. Usually they'd just air the episode the following week, but next week there's the special 2-parter.

I suppose the TBC for tomorrow at 8pm, currently shown on the EPG, means that Holby could move there.

Not unless Cameron comes out on the Palace right now, says 'thank you' then disappears quicker than a Labour majority.

Yeah, just noticed it

Thursday at 8pm or possibly Sunday/Monday at 9pm? Watchdog can wait while BBC1'll hardly miss Modern Masters or High Street Dreams.

I think they'll just postpone Waterloo Road for a week.

They could with Holby free up 9pm next Sunday or Monday...

I think though out of the three shows they could have scrapped, the first one, childrens hospital would have been best. They showed a 1 minute promo about the events which effectively (as someone else put) was saying "turn over to BBC1 as we're not giving you live coverage".

Holby to air tomorrow. Waterloo Road Thursday 2000

This isn't about ratings though. Its about being a PSB. Channel 4 and Five don't have the mass audiences that ITV has therefore shouldn't really have to broadcast it.

Unfortunately for ITV they have a commitment to deliver event programming live such as this.

ITV1 is the second biggest channel in the UK. You don't turn around people's preconceptions by not showing it at all. Persistence is key.

I love how people were praising ITV's election coverage on here the other day. Well they can't now because they're not even bothering with it at this crucial time. Children's Hospital is more important.

I wouldn't approve of that. It gives the feel of a pecking order of programming, EE more important that HC which is more important than WR. Plus doesn't WR take a strange break the following week anyway?

I don't think they should do that. Waterloo Road has been doing pretty well and the last thing it needs is to be thrown about the schedules - though it's missing next week, of course.

I can't believe ITV are still running Millionaire whilst all this is going on.

Precisely.

I am frankly embarrassed for ITV.

I can't recall that attitude when people were gloating in how much ITV were beaten by on Election night and how Channel 4 beat them?

Of course there's a pecking order with their flagship show and the most watched show in Britain barring XF/BGT taking priority.

Oh, it's not on next week? Okay maybe not.

They wouldn't be airing the exact same thing. Most of the BBC coverage has been studio based, interviewing guests, speaking to commentators, etc.

The ITV News team must be fuming that they are being denied the opportunity to tell the story, as it happens, their way, partly to air an edition of a game show that has been past its sell by date for several years.

As you well know Channel 4 and Five don't have the funds/resources to be able to cover this live, and to be fair they probably expected it to be covered in depth on commercial TV via ITV1 and Sky News.

True. People wondered why they bothered at all but they still had respect for them for doing it.