Originally Posted by James J:
“I don't look at it that way. I look at like building viewer habits through a predictable schedule in terms of where you can expect to find specific genres, then offering a wide variety of programming within this genre in those expected slots.
I don't think it's boring to move from Broadchurch to Cold Feet, for example, on a Monday night or Victoria to Grantchester on Sundays. Big bold dramas, different in scope, but in a slot viewers expect to find good drama.
I don't see the point of throwing things to the slaughter, especially since the BBC has Tuesday nights - Our Girl for example could probably have gone out on Tuesdays at 9pm after Holby and done better. Why? Because the BBC1 schedule architecture is built for Tuesday night at 9pm to be a drama slot.”
Rigid schedules can also build viewer apathy. Certain programmes on certain nights like The One Show or soap mostly has me looking elsewhere. There could be more people some days in those slots but channels are happy to go along with a regular 4/5m that can spike to 7/8m every so often rather than seeing if a programme can get a higher rating there.
Tuesday night drama at 9pm on BBC1 only does well when it's good. Since Happy Valley ended nothing has done great there and it's because ITV has factual on that viewers go for a drama alternative. That didn't save The Living And The Dead from bombing. The same is true for Mondays at 9pm on ITV. When New Tricks was at its peak it saw off every single drama that ITV put there. Some popular 9pm programmes on Mondays on ITV this year haven't all been dramas. There was comedy with Benidorm, factual with When Ant & Dec Met The Prince, light entertainment with BGT. I don't think channels should always limit a slot to one style of programme.
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“It's that, and the fact that viewers have been trained to subconsciously expect drama on Monday night on ITV. I think a lot of them would have performed worse in another slot. Putting Broadchurch on Thursday at 9pm wouldn't have helped it, IMO. Thursday night is not a drama night on ITV. It just feels wrong.”
I said that about Death In Paradise and was proved wrong. There are generally more viewers around on Monday, but I think established programmes can do a series on another and bring an audience there.
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“We have totally different lines of reasoning. I'm talking about maximising overnight ratings, and to do that shows should be scheduled where they are to be expected to air.”
Or they can air with lesser competition on nights not particularly known for drama. That's a scheduling choice that could pay off.
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“Victoria is a good example. ITV could have run scared of the imminent Poldark threat and aired on Monday night or Friday night or something but it's a quintessential. It 'feels' like a Sunday show. Just like Broadchurch 'feels' like a Monday show. I'm saying ITV should focus on Sunday and Monday for drama, reintroducing Wednesday as well - but only if they implement some pre-watershed drama there again.”
Sunday and Monday are definitely the best day for dramas as they tend to be two of the best rated nights of the week. I do think Cold Feet could have gone out on Sunday like it did before and be successful. Doc Martin played well there too as does Sherlock. They didn't look like traditional Sunday shows on paper. Back in the 90s I could see Broadchurch being a Sunday show.
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“And leave Tuesdays and Thursdays for factual, develop and build great factual formats there and grow that audience. Shows like POG's Dogs have shown factual suits these nights. Putting Trevor McDonald shows there too would do well, and the Love Your Garde-esque formats.”
One reason why Paul O'Grady's Love Of Dogs took off was because when it started it played on Mondays at 8pm against a dreadful period of EastEnders where viewers were starting to drift away from it. POG Dogs found a bigger audience than expected there and was eventually moved away from EastEnders where it grew further. Popular factual can work most nights if viewers take to it.
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“Weak argument - can you point me towards a show other than Bake Off that's made Wednesdays so incredible for BBC1? Cuffs maybe? 
”
BBC1 had a successful Wednesday last year with Inspector George Gently followed by Car Share. A drama followed by a sitcom. This was after years of putting mainly factual there. The viewers turned up for it. I did and I usually avoid BBC1 on Wednesday most of the year.
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“Slots 'feel' right after a long period of almost training viewers to expect certain genres there. I firmly believe in sticking to genre in slots, as I think it helps with the overnights and viewer engagement. ITV let Sunday and Wednesday go, it's time to try and get them back, and build Tuesdays and Thursdays up in other areas.”
Wednesday feels right for feature length drama because nearly 30 years ago ITV put Morse there for two hours from 8-10pm. Slots can be created when a chance is taken instead of sticking to a schedule.
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“Viewers are creatures of habit, put shows in the right place and they stand a much better chance of doing well, or better if they already do well.”
I agree. And that right place isn't always the traditional place.
: A good night for The Paralympics on Channel 4. Great British Menu is doing the business for BBC2 at 7.30pm.
