I've always wondered about moving In it to Win It into a Wednesday slot, without the National Lottery involvement, or alternatively hold the draw just after it, eg:

7.00 The One Show
7.30 Regional Programming
8.00 In it to Win It
8.50 Midweek Lottery Draws
9.00 Waterloo Road

Waterloo Road has a more primetime position, and I think IITWI would do well as it offers a real alternative to The Bill (for the moment) and the football.

On Saturday's I'd only have short Lottery draws, to give more time to dramas, comedies, quiz shows and reality TV. Take the current schedule:

6.00 The Old Guys - from what I've heard it's not truly offensive, so move it to a pre-Prime time slot
6.30 Total Wipeout - after strong ratings early on, give it a better position in the schedules
7.15 Let's Dance for Comic Relief - centrepiece of the evening in a centrepiece slot
8.30 National Lottery Draws
8.40 Casualty - Slightly later than normal but out of the way of the bulk of SNT
9.30 Green Green Grass - I'd repeat the series in a slightly better slot to the one it was given, and give it another chance to impress
10.00 BBC News at Ten - Keep News at Ten on every day to support it's audience
10.20 Match of the Day

IITWI would work well on a Wednesday. Maybe Points Of View at 7.30? I miss that having a midweek slot. Although they would then need to overhaul the Saturday lottery show. Noel's House Party maybe?

I HATE Saturday comedies altogether. I just don't want to be watching comedy on Saturday night. If they really need them there should be 2 of them back to back. The Old Guys looks very odd in their current schedules. This and GGG seem more like Sunday comedies to me anyway. Shunt these to Sunday at 8 and move Lark Rise to Saturday after Casualty This would mean shunting everything in your schedule forward half an hour. Alternatively move Mistresses to Saturday after Casualty and put LRTC on a weekday at 9.

That's food for thought for late at night

Mistresses would work well on a Saturday night. Actually, didn't it start off there?

So we could say:

Saturday
5.50 Total Wipeout
6.40 Let's Dance for Comic Relief
8.00 National Lottery Draws
8.10 Casualty
9.00 Mistresses
10.00 BBC News at Ten
10.20 Match of the Day

Sunday
5.00 Songs of Praise
5.30 BBC News and Weather
5.50 Regional News and Weather
6.00 The Old Guys
6.30 Green Green Grass (Repeat of last series)
7.00 The Antiques Roadshow
8.00 Lark Rise to Candleford
9.00 Nature's Great Events

The Old Guys gets an earlier slot, just before Dancing on Ice on ITV. Green Green Grass gets a repeat in a less competitive slot, albeit having a slight overlap with DoI. The move of Nature's Great Events is risky, but it isn't doing well enough on a Wednesday and is more like Sunday night programming. I dare say it'd do better than The Victorians in the slot.

Monday
7.00 The One Show
7.30 Watchdog
8.00 EastEnders
8.30 Rogue Traders
9.00 Motorway Cops

Tuesday
7.00 The One Show
7.30 EastEnders
8.00 Holby City
9.00 Who Do You Think You Are?

WDYTYA? fills the voild left by Mistresses, and should win a less competitive night. Motorway Cops, a 'seen it all' documentary which gets good figures nonetheless is placed against L&O: London.

Wednesday
7.00 The One Show
7.30 Points of View
8.00 In it to Win It
8.50 Midweek National Lottery Draws
9.00 Waterloo Road

Thursday
7.00 The One Show
7.30 EastEnders
8.00 Top of the Pops
8.30 Panorama
9.00 QI
9.30 Not Going Out
10.00 News at Ten

Top of the Pops was being strangled on a Friday night with Coronation Street taking the half hour slots, so bring it back and move it to a Thursday with an EastEnders lead in. Obviously Crimewatch fills the 9pm slot this week, with New Tricks taking up the rest of the air space, but I fear they'll strangle the show by airing it too often and the comedy Hour on Friday night is not doing great (that may change this week admittedly!) Move the comedy hour to a Thursday - a night which is already worked comedy wise for BBC2 (Mock the Week, Graham Norton, Lead Balloon etc.)

Friday
7.00 The One Show
7.30 Rogue Traders
8.00 EastEnders
8.30 Top Gear: The Bloopers
9.00 Friday Night with Jonathan Ross

A real 'guys night' as it were (not stereotyping). Jonathan Ross gets a risky but I think rewarding (considering the pull he has) prime time slot. Rogue Traders is moved from Thursday 8pm to a 'giveaway' slot to make room for TOTP, while Top Gear: The Bloopers is very much like Outtake TV, but is more specific and appealing to more of a set audience.

Trying to create that schedule was hard going, and mainly because BBC1 haven't got many hour long shows, because of EastEnders' 8pm episodes.

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On an unfrelated note I've just spotted in the TV guide that The Feelgood Factor is back on ITV1, airing at 8pm on Monday. Awful scheduling for it - I guess ITV have given up on it already?

Well apparently nobody does BBC1 'fantasy schedules' so here's something for you to mull over while you're waiting for the ratings to come in tomorrow.

(I'd also like to add, I don't really like the term 'fantasy schedule' - this is not something I dream about )

With a couple of half decent additions, I think BBC could be quite strong on Saturday nights, putting up a challenge all year round.

Jan - mid Feb
5:40 Top of the Pops
6:10 Total Wipeout
7:15 Doctor Who
8:00 Lottery Quiz
8:50 Casualty
9:40 Outtake TV
10:10 News
10:30 Match of the Day

mid-Feb - mid March (Six Nations break)
Scheudle as appropriate, although sticking to the above schedule as closely as possible

mid-Mar - mid June
5:40 Top of the Pops
6:10 Gary Barlow Band Competition
7:25 Robin Hood
8:10 Lottery Quiz
9:00 Casualty
9:50 Gary Barlow Band Competition Results
10:10 News
10:30 Match of the Day

mid-June - early-mid Sep
5:30 Just of Laughs (or other filler)
6:00 Top of the Pops
6:30 Family Film
8:10 Lottery Quiz
9:00 Live at the Apollo/Michael McIntyre's new show
10:00 News
10:20 Film

early-mid Sep - Christmas
5:40 Top of the Pops
6:10 Strictly Come Dacning
7:25 Merlin
8:10 Lottery Quiz
9:00 Casualty
9:50 Strictly Results
10:10 News
10:30 Match of the Day

Just a few (!) notes about what I've put above:
[LIST][*]The return of ToTP to the schedule[*]There should be three family dramas a year, with Doctor Who the focus of the Winter schedule[*]Again, they should be able to have Lottery Quiz's on through the year. If it's matter of money, half the prize for each show a you can make double the amount. Also bring back Jet Set (shunted to Wednesday's a couple of years ago where it died) and Winning Lines. That would give you five strong quizes to play with - ten episodes each.[*]The Gary Barlow band show could really work if it's done right (see below)[*]The whole schedule gets a summer break - no point in putting big hitters out at this time of year[*]Casualty gets a summer break of roughly 13 weeks, so its feels fresher when it's on, and less like a soap[*]Strictly results moved back to Saturday's to keep people with BBC One all the way through the night[*]Only two 'reality' shows all year[/LIST]
Regarding the Gary Barlow search for a band thing, this really could work if the BBC do it right:
[LIST][*]With Gary Barlow's name attached it to, it bound to do better than the other half-hearted efforts[*]No Norton. The reason people like TXF is becasue they take it seriously, and they want a presenter to can do this too. How about Ben Shepard or Kate Thornton (she does have an axe to grind after all)[*]Get a proper panel - Gary Barlow, Emma Burton, Brian Friedman and someone from the industry[*]MAKE IT BIG - these BBC One shows always like they're feel crammed into tiny studios. I'm not saying do it outside of Television Centre - just use the space you have better[/LIST]
Enjoy - I look forward to reading your comments tomorrow when I'm supposed to be doing reasearch for my Scottish Politics essay.

Ok, I'll take this segment at a time. And just to say, I don't dream about schedule either.


Great schedule, would work really well.


Please tell me this Gary Barlow Band Competition show is one of your own invention and not a bright idea from BBC1. For the reasons you state, reality shows on BBC1 often fail miserably - and I can't see them changing the format. Besides, BBC1 should be trying out new ideas, not searching out rip offs. And the Musical show involving Andrew Lloyd Webber'll be back next year to fill the slot.


Hmm, I hate the idea of BBC1 clogging up their peaktime schedule with a film. How about...

5.30 Just for Laughs
6.00 Hole in the Wall
6.30 Top of the Pops
7.00 Sound of Musicals
8.00 Lottery Quiz
9.00 Rome

Rome was a big production placed on BBC2, give it another run out on BBC1. Sound of Musicals would attract a particular kind of audience who'd probably like the quiz as well. I like the idea of resting Casualty though.


Possibly a bit late for the Strictly Results?

I think:

5.30 Top of the Pops
6.00 Strictly Come Dancing
7.15 Merlin
8.00 Strictly Come Dancing: Results
8.30 Lottery Quiz
9.20 Casualty
10.10 BBC News
10.30 Match of the Day

would work slightly better.

Early on during SCD when plenty of couples remain, and more time is needed I'd just ditch the Lottery show in favour of just the draws.

I agree with the entertainment on Wednesday idea for BBC1.

With ITV being inconsistent with football, awards ceremonies and drama, BBC1 could really take advantage of this with light viewing, as entertainment shows don't usually slip like dramas - usually quite steady.

They've got to get it right though: I agree with the idea of the National Lottery. It will not only add stability to a Wednesday night that is usually boring and uneventful, it will make it eventful and fulfilling. But I feel it will open Saturday nights up for a lot more ambition.

The advantages would be:-

1) Strictly Come Dancing can run on Saturday nights uninterrupted, which I think will help it gain an advantage over The X Factor.
2) It opens BBC1 up for real stand-up comedy and variety on a Saturday night, which will allow it to be fresh & original, not tired & predictable. A young audience can interject with the schedule, instead of the older National Lottery audience that will enjoy an old comedy afterwards.

Also
Comedy nights for BBC2 are on Thursday nights, so it would be tough to link the two. And I think stuff like 'Have I Got News For You' works very well on a Friday night, along with other sketch-show vehicles.
What I don't agree with: Both BBC1 and ITV1 playing out their comedies on the same night - it's just not good for their audience.
It would be ideal for ITV to play out their comedies on Thursday nights with BBC1 airing all their stuff on Friday nights.

However, cosy sitcoms would be better placed on Sunday nights as someone said. A steadier audience would surely follow.

I bet Robbie Sykes will be quaking in his boots when he reads all of these BBC fantasy schedules. I mean, I didn't make one, as I am banned from that. But I've done some considering.

I doubt the Gary Barlow thing will make it to air unless the beeb are really desperate. Even Simon Fuller and Simon Cowell seem to be looking away from the talent show formats in favour of broader entertainment projects (not that they're necessarily making it to air yet. But they are trying.). I don't think there is anything that can be done (successfully) that hasn't already been tried which would leave us with Gary Barlow making some kind of rip-off of Popstars/X Factor. But I suppose, if anyone will try, it will be BBC1.

I don't know where the future lies, if I did I'd be trying to sell it(!), but I'm sure it's not in more half arsed talent shows. I can't envision any possible way in which the format could notably evolve or be twisted. They need to start looking for something new and settle on the 3 talent shows they have (SCD, ALW shows and Last Choir Standing).

Predictions:
TV Burp - 5.3m
COM - 4.7m
SNT - 6.4m

LDFCR - 6m
TNL - 5.8m
Casualty - 5.6m

I had toyed with putting the nature programme on Sunday and having WDYTYA as the early Sunday repeat. So I think that schedule looks very good. I'm not sure Jonathan Ross would be suitable for 9pm though. TOTP back is needed I feel. Already that schedule looks much improved from the BBC version!

Hmmm. Candleford is very much a Sunday night show, so I don't think that would work well on a Saturday. For BBC1, maybe something like this (also, I don't dream of these schedules either ):

Monday
7.00pm The One Show
7.30pm Watchdog
8.00pm Eastenders
8.30pm Panorama
9.00pm The Apprentice

Mondays at 9pm would be the new home for The Apprentice and Who Do You Think You Are. For the rest of the year, they would simply air filler documentaries which are alwaya good for 4m. Crimewatch would always air on Monday (except for when The Apprentice is on).

Tuesday
7.00pm The One Show
7.30pm Eastenders
8.00pm Holby City
9.00pm Mistresses

No changes here. Dramas that would appeal to the Holby audience would air here.

Wednesday
7.00pm The One Show
7.30pm Inside Out
8.00pm Lottery Quizzes
9.00pm The Old Guys
9.30pm The Green Green Grass (given a repeat run)

Classic episodes of Only Fools would also air in these slots, as would new comedies aimed at am older audience. QI would also air here (not neccesarily an 'older' show, but it blends in better here).

Thursday
7.00pm The One Show
7.30pm Eastenders
8.00pm Waterloo Road/Hope Springs
9.00pm Ashes To Ashes

A night of pure drama. Hope Springs would eventually air 20 episodes a year, just like Waterloo Road. However, it would run on a 10 weeks on, 10 weeks off basis.

At 9pm, some of BBC1's best dramas would air, such as Ashes to Ashes, Hustle, Spooks and The Street.

Friday
7.00pm The One Show
7.30pm Sky Cops
8.00pm Eastenders
8.30pm Comedy Connections
9.00pm Have I Got News For You?/Friday Night With Jonathan Ross
9.30pm Armstrong and Miller/Friday Night With Jonathan Ross

When HIGNFY and the sketch shows (Armstrong and Miller and one other) aren't on, Jonathan Ross would air (giving him two 16 week runs a year, as the comedies would run for two 9 part runs a year).

Saturday

January-March
6.15pm Top of The Pops
6.45pm Total Wipeout
7.30pm New Entertainment Show
8.45pm Lottery Draws
8.55pm Casualty
9.45pm BBC News
10.05pm Match of The Day

When the Six Nations is on, it would go like this:

5.00pm Six Nations
7.30pm Top of The Pops
8.00pm New Entertainment Show
9.10pm National Lottery Draws
9.20pm Casualty
10.10pm BBC News
10.30pm Match of the Day

The new entertainment show would not be a voting talent show. Instead, it would be something for everyone, a bit of comedy, a bit of talent, a bit of 'Jim'll Fix It' style stuff etc.

Total Wipeout would just take a week off when the Six Nations is on.

Casualty would air later to keep it away from ITV's main stuff.

April-June
6.10pm Top of The Pops
6.40pm I'd Do Anything (Lloyd Webber stuff)
7.45pm Doctor Who
8.30pm National Lottery
8.40pm Casualty
9.30pm I'd Do Anything Results
10.00pm BBC News
10.20pm Match of the Day

Fairly self-explainatory. Doctor Who takes a slightly later slot to prevent the weather from knocking it.

July-Mid September
6.00pm Hole In The Wall
6.30pm Top of The Pops
7.00pm Last Choir Standing
8.00pm National Lottery
8.10pm Love Soup
8.40pm Last Choir Standing: Results
9.10pm Live at The Apollo
10.00pm BBC News
10.20pm Film

Casualty would take a longer break to make it feel fresher. A fairly cheap schedule, which will deliver solid results. Love Soup would return in a family friendly slot.

Mid September-December
5.45pm Top of The Pops
6.10pm Strictly Come Dancing
7.30pm Merlin
8.15pm National Lottery
8.25pm Casualty
9.15pm Strictly Come Dancing: Results
9.50pm BBC News
10.10pm Match of The Day

General point, Robin Hood would be axed. Strictly's results will air when Family Fortunes is on.

Sunday
7.00pm Antiques Roadshow
8.00pm Lark Rise To Candleford
9.00pm Nature's Great Events

A typical schedule for the Autumn and Winter. A new 8pm period drama would sit alongside Candleford. When the 8pm drams and Antiques Roadshow are not airing, this would happen:

7.00pm Seaside Rescue
7.30pm My Family
8.00pm The Victorians
9.00pm Britain From Above

All the shows listed in this schedule are examples of shows which would air in theses slots (apart from Saturdays and long running shows, obviously).

Sorry for the long post.

I notice in Scores post it states "new entertainment show". Totally agree, but therein lies a problem. There is a huge scarcety of light entertainment presenters, with ITV having the best available. Apparently BBC1 is to bring a new format to Saturdays in a few weeks presented by...........you guessed it-Graham Norton! GN is certainly earning his money these days and is a brilliant presenter of live telly-but he is an adult act at heart. Same with Jonathan Ross, and the fact that Nick Knowles does any LE at all highlights the problem.
In the Express today there is an artlicle-not that I think there is much in it-that states Ant and Dec have been "in talks with the BBC" 10 months before the end of their current ITV golden handcuffs contract. Now that would be a coup-whether A and D do leave or not I think they need a fresh showstyle as SNT is starting to look a bit stale.

No ratings yet?

A & D are a couple of inteligent, shrewd young men and maybe they're thinking the same thing.

Agree with that, the BBC needs a big LE show in addition to Strictly Come Dancing and the Barlow format really is the only way forward to distance it from the host of moderate to poor reality formats the Beeb have half heartedly tried in the face of the Cowell bandwagon.

Doesn't look like we'll be getting any today at this rate!

The last few weeks DS has posted the ratings around 7:00pm .. so a while to wait yet

What would they do if they were at the BBC though? Most of Graham's projects have been woeful - I'd say only the Maria/Joseph show has been a success and even then that was an ALW vehicle. Graham was simply the Kate Thornton to Andrew's Simon Cowell.

I suppose if Ant and Dec were able to develop their own projects then it would be a good move. They seem to be stuck in a rut at ITV right now. Their two biggest shows (Celeb and BGT) are formats that don't necessarily require their contribution (even though they almost always make their respective shows for me). SNT is dying a slow death and needs to be put to rest sooner rather than later. What would they replace it with though? It seems even A&D have lost their touch - most of the new features they've brought in have not been very well received. Could we trust them with creating an entirely new format if they can't even get the tweaks on an already established show right?

If they did end their golden handcuffs deal with ITV I think they'd work on a freelance basis, rather than sign exclusively to the BBC, so they could still front the big shows on ITV (they still seem to enjoy doing IAC and BGT) but also develop other programmes for rival broadcasters.

If Ant and Dec went to the BBC, I'd like to see the return of Friends Like These! That was a brilliant programme for Saturday night!

Right. Well it is Sunday so it's easy to forgive Neil for being a little slow on the uptake.

I agree with all you say. If Ant and Dec do work for BBC it wouldnt be exclusively. SNT is starting to go the way of Noels House Party which became increasingly desperate before it was axed. There is an air of Morecambe and Wise about the way Ant and Dec react to each other on stage and I think they should try a family style sketch show-with some added audience participation segments. Tv was full of these shows in the eighties but fell out of fashion in the nineties when more adult comedy was pushed. The trouble is that along the way tv lost alot of the skills needed to make family shows.

Interesting article on DS now about Angus Deayton being axed from Hells Kitchen because of clashes with Marco. I never really had a problem with Deayton on the show, but maybe a new presenter will breath new life into the struggling show? Also DS reports it is set to return in April which suggests it won't be getting the 9pm slot all the time because of fixed stuff like Law & Order.

I think the only way that show will be a success is to bring back Gordon Ramsey, but even then it could be going up against shows like New Tricks or Ashes To Ashes so might have a rough time in the ratings.

A shame really, the acerbic put downs from Angus was one of the few things that made the series worth watching.

Can't imagine who they'll get for it.

Probably one of the rent-a-blandies like Fearne Cotton or Kate Thornton.

ITV1 have only scheduled 7 episodes of L&O in this run, so the last episode would be 6th April.

I can't help noticing that there has been rather a shortage of 9pm dramas on BBC1 so far this year. There's only one - Mistresses - on at the moment. Perhaps they're saving them all to start when Hell's Teeth returns.