TV Home Forum

Shows abandoned before broadcast

Things that were filmed, but never made it to air. (August 2012)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
SJ
sjhoward
In the early 2000s or thereabouts, ITV made a Survivor -style reality gameshow called called Press Ganged set on a tall ship. It seemed like a fairly big-budget affair, and I think it made the news either during or shortly after the filming because the ship involved sank, or became grouded, or something noteworthy. But for some reason, the show was postponed from whichever season's line-up it was supposed to be in, and I think it ended up never being broadcast. Anybody happen to know why, or whether it's ended up being broadcast on ITV47+6 or something?

Are there any similar examples of whole series that have been made then binned? There's this example that I know of, and there are obivous examples of episodes of shows, like most of the series of Shafted and other such axed-mid-season trash, but is there anything else where a whole series was made and then forgotten about?

What's the advantage of doing that rather than putting it on air at some godforsaken hour to boost the original programming ratio? Presumably, it'll depend on how the programme was commissioned, and there might be financial consequences to actually airing the show - but for a big budget affair like this, I'd have thought they'd have sunk a lot of money into it up-front?

Would the prize-money still be given when things like this happen? I'd assume that most gameshows would have a clause in their participant contracts or whatever saying that prizes would only be paid out if broadcast, but for things like this - where contestants have effectively been "working" for the TV production for an extended period of time - would this be different?
DA
David
I had reason to read Lucy Siegle's Wikipedia article today. It turns out she was involved in a programme that was not broadcast.

The programme is called Guilt Trip...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/06_june/26/bbctwo_el.shtml

but it was apparently never completed or broadcast...
http://www.brandrepublic.com/news/806110/BBC-axes-guilt-TV-show-exploitation-fears/
SE
Square Eyes Founding member
I think 7 part ITV1 drama 'Bombshell' starring Zoe Lucker, filmed in 2004 is still waiting to be aired. Although it's been broadcast in other territories.
RO
rob Founding member
Wasn't there a programme hosted by Lorraine Kelly that had to be dropped shortly before broadcast because it co-incided with a big news story at the time?
SW
SWatson7
Although it is a slightly different situation, Britain's Got Talent was originally pulled before going back on air a couple of years later. A clip of the pilot was shown on some programme a while back, with Fern Britton as the female judge and it was terrible, looked like something from the mid 80s. It instantly became a huge show, so it does make you wonder what other potential huge shows the TV market has missed out on.
BU
buster
Although it is a slightly different situation, Britain's Got Talent was originally pulled before going back on air a couple of years later. A clip of the pilot was shown on some programme a while back, with Fern Britton as the female judge and it was terrible, looked like something from the mid 80s. It instantly became a huge show, so it does make you wonder what other potential huge shows the TV market has missed out on.


Wasn't it a non-broadcast pilot? In which case it's no surprise it didn't look amazing. Plus this was 2005-ish, before X Factor really started pushing the whole uber-glossy look of these type of shows. (I think the clips you saw were on The Talent Show Story, a great series from Shiver that's being repeated at the moment)

Isn't there a second series of Shane (Frank Skinner's sitcom) in the can, that never got broadcast?
IS
Inspector Sands
Yes, if you include pilots that never made it then this will be a long thread!


David posted:
I had reason to read Lucy Siegle's Wikipedia article today. It turns out she was involved in a programme that was not broadcast.

The programme is called Guilt Trip...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/06_june/26/bbctwo_el.shtml

but it was apparently never completed or broadcast...
http://www.brandrepublic.com/news/806110/BBC-axes-guilt-TV-show-exploitation-fears/

That's probably more common than you think..... not the explotation thing, just production being abandoned.

I know of a case fairly recently where a programme being made for one channel was abandoned because a rival started showing something virtually identical
BE
Ben Founding member
Isn't there a second series of Shane (Frank Skinner's sitcom) in the can, that never got broadcast?


Did it not get shown on Paramount Comedy?
SP
Steve in Pudsey
Isn't there a Richard Whiteley episode of Countdown that hasn't been shown? One of the extras that were made for days when the cricket finished early.
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
Isn't there a Richard Whiteley episode of Countdown that hasn't been shown? One of the extras that were made for days when the cricket finished early.


Two I think, both back from the days of the purple set.

As for shows abandonded before broadcast, it was reported a few years ago that ITV commissioned bucketloads of programmes, mostly dramas and other expensive stuff, then found out it couldn't afford to broadcast them. Think it was a Guardian/Media monkey article.
WP
WillPS
Going back to Press Ganged - the reason it's not been aired in a low key slot is probably because there will be a clause in the contestants contract which states something along the lines of 'prizes will be paid following broadcast'. If 'Press Ganged' had a Survivor-style "million pounds - cash" prize, then that'd be an expensive airing!

Incidentally, it's these causes which have ruined modern gameshows, as rather than behaving like normal people, gameshow contestants now have to act in such a contrived manner that shows such as The Cube don't feel at all natural. The Colour of Money was the worst example I've seen, but they all do it now, even stuff like Blockbusters.
SE
Square Eyes Founding member


As for shows abandonded before broadcast, it was reported a few years ago that ITV commissioned bucketloads of programmes, mostly dramas and other expensive stuff, then found out it couldn't afford to broadcast them. Think it was a Guardian/Media monkey article.


I think eventually the majority of those dramas were screened, albeit some many years after production.

Making Waves is another drama that ITV axed mid-run in 2004. So 3 of those 6 episodes are never likely to see the light of day again.

Back then ITV were notorious for axing or moving shows that performed poorly. These days they tend to tough it out, keeping poor performers in the schedule. Better for the viewers, even if the show is not meeting the broadcasters expectations.

Newer posts