Channel 4

They've been celebrating throughout the year haven't they? There was a mash up thing earlier this year as well as Funny Fortnight. I do hope there's some big climax in November though and this isn't just thinly spread throughout the year.

Questions:

Anyone else think that C4 should be rebranded as 'The Come Dine With Me Channel'?

Can anyone remember the last time there was any actual drama on C4? (Btw, half an hour of Hollyoaks doesn't count)

Hasn't the new series of Shameless just started? There's one.

Drama's expensive, and C4 havent got a lot of money at the moment. However we don't seem to have seen anything decent spring from the new content promised when they axed Big Brother.

My point is that C4 has evolved into a reality channel with very little quality programming featured. I'd go so far as to say that it has become overwhelmingly irrelevant regarding must-see programmes and has become by far the weakest of the five mainstream terrestial channels.

Black Mirror, This Is England ’89 and Top Boy have all been great dramas over the past year or so on 4 and they've also had the excellent Homeland. There's some really interesting stuff coming up too, particularly looking forward to Utopia.

I have to disagree. I can't deny that the reality programmes have been thick on the ground, but that can be said for almost all major broadcaster. ITV have their talent shows, TOWIE, and God only knows what else on ITV2. Channel 5 have Big Brother, The Bachelor and whatever other flops they've had in the past, and the BBC have (albeit more high brow) Who Do You Think You Are and The Voice as well as others in the past. It's hardly a Channel 4 issue.

But ITV and BBC air bucket loads of drama as well as airing factual/reality shows. ITV1 are airing drama at 9pm for 5 nights out of 7. Outside of Shameless C4 air what? 10 hours of drama a year.
Channel 4's current schedule is incredibly depressing. '999 what's your emergency'. This is the type of stuff that was on ITV and BBC 1 15 years ago. Hours upon hours of tired 'Million pound drop' and a Sarah Beeny property show . They've halved the running length of Dispatches to make way for more cookery shows. I'm not even going to start on what happened More 4. Remember this was once a rival to BBC 4.

Do You remember when C4 was an innovative network which ITV and the BBC used to copy?

Well Channel 4's remit means they are meant to provide an alternative to the other broadcasters and I think if you look back they've only ever done so much drama down the years. I do agree with your other points though, and the direction More 4 has been taken really sums up what has happened to the channel in recent years.

Ooh an entire 10 hours of home produced drama for a full year. The last run of One born every minute was 16 hours long . They should stop spoiling us. Homeland is an import, are we really calling that a C4 drama. Because Sky Atlantic will have the next run no doubt especially as it's fox owned.

It's being spent on 'groundbreaking' docusoaps like 24 hours in A&E, Coppers, One Born every minute and 999. I really wish I was joking
It cant be long until Embarrasing bodies/ Embarrassing fat bodies/ Embarrassing Teen Bodies or Embarrassing Bodies- live from the clinic returns. Creative renewal -C4 style.
The only bit of risky commissioning they've done this year is The Audience,

Wouldn't you consider their bid for the Paralympics as risky?