Originally Posted by fodg09:
“I think Sky Atlantic could do with its own channel controller. At the moment it seems to be something of a side project for Stuart Murphy (the Sky1 boss) but the channel needs someone to steer it in a coherent direction.
I think it could also do with picking up a few more shows from the U.S but I guess its a question of deciding what content should go on Atlantic and what should go on Sky1. For example, I imagine Sky will go for Alcatraz and Touch but they seem more like Sky 1 shows. Atlantic certainly could do with a few more 'mainstream' shows but obviously ones of high quality so that they fit in with the channels image.”
I agree that an independent (from Sky1) channel controller would be helpful. At the moment there's increasingly very little difference between the two channels and its beginning to feel more and more like Atlantic is just being used as an overflow for Sky1 rather than its own unique channel. It does however surprise me that Sky haven't put more into really establishing the channels core identity because as a selling point for Sky its potentially incredible.
It seems that they realised very late in the game that the HBO content alone wasn't enough to sustain the channel and they've been scrambling for content ever since. The thing is there's a lot of stuff out there that they could and probably should be buying for it but aren't. Where, for example, is Breaking Bad?
Originally Posted by derek500:
“It was always part of the plan to have UK commissions both factual and entertainment developed for the pre-watershed 8pm slot.”
I'm not objecting to the idea of British commissions (in fact I welcome them) but I do think the shows they've commissioned to date haven't really done anything to establish a coherent brand or point to the channel. If you look back at the way Atlantic was promoted upon launch at the start of the year the channel isn't even coming close to living up to that billing and in fact the latest round of commissions are arguably driving it further away from that.
At some point they need to decide what exactly they want this channel to be and create a coherent brand around that.
Originally Posted by rzt:
“The BBC has recommissioned drama 'Case Histories' in a new feature length format:”
Presumably this new format is to accommodate Jason Isaacs' schedule on US drama Awake. Although this 90 minute format (and I assume it'll be 90 minutes) did work incredibly well for Sherlock and is the way ITV produce their Christie dramas as well.
