Could be worse - I heard recently on the radio someone discussing having a meal in a restaurant in Zimbabwe at the peak of the inflation crisis.
The cost of the meal went up three times while they were eating it.
There's an incentive not to bother with a coffee, but just to get the bill and quickly.......
Yes, I've heard the same, pay for it when you order, not after you've eaten it. A bit like Nandos then ?
The ITV schedulers had a large problem, with the lack of new programming to air when they did return. They were lucky that they did have a good amount of pre-recorded shows in the can, especially large amounts of 3-2-1 to fill the schedules with, however the first few weeks back, the viewers were not impressed.
At least viewers who wanted a decent daytime schedule were happy, as unlike BBC 1 and BBC 2, ITV did provide a reasonable codified daytime line up from 9.30am each day in 1979.
:-(
A former member
Did this change policy at ITV to have more programmes stockpiled in advanced?
Did this change policy at ITV to have more programmes stockpiled in advanced?
I have a hunch that ITV were never planning for a ten week strike and have a backlog of programmes to record. So I doubt they would change policy and stock pile hours of material in advance.
Stockpiling television programmes in case of industrial action wouldn't have been that cheap. 3-2-1 wasn't stockpiled for that purpose. They just happened to have that in the can ready to air.
It's very different to stockpiling coal in anticipation of a strike.
:-(
A former member
It doesn't need to be connected to a strike per say but to have content waiting to go. Look at blockbusters most of the episodes were done over six week block during the summer, yet some ep never got broadcast until march the following year.
It doesn't need to be connected to a strike per say but to have content waiting to go. Look at blockbusters most of the episodes were done over six week block during the summer, yet some ep never got broadcast until march the following year.
ITV is a big network and stockpiling shows depends on the genre of show. In 2019, The Chase, Tipping Point, Tenable, will all be easy to stockpile as these game shows are filmed over a short space of time and with multiple recordings per day - however big dramas, documentaries etc take longer.
Back in 1979 the "Welcome Home to ITV" schedule on the first night was all "in the can" or imports with only ITN News really anything new, as they had a lot of work to do to get fired up again after ten weeks off air.
Also worth remembering unlike now that stockpiling episodes meant physically stockpiling episodes, and 1979 was not exactly that long after the days of episodes being wiped so tapes could be reused for other recordings. (Heck, how I wish someone could do that now with ITV's copies of Harry Potter!)
It doesn't need to be connected to a strike per say but to have content waiting to go. Look at blockbusters most of the episodes were done over six week block during the summer, yet some ep never got broadcast until march the following year.
That's just the way they're produced, saves money to do lots at one go. If they're doing 4 or 5 a day then they're going to last that long on air whe they're showing 5 a week.
Does anyone know how quick the new autumn shows on ITV got into production after the strike ended?
ITV must have been held back, especially for their big shows in autumn and Christmas. Eric and Ernie's Christmas Show which in 1979 was to be a basic talk show format due to Eric's heart surgery in 1979, but was that special delayed and recorded after the strike?
George and Mildred's new series was first to air on the first night back, so I guess that series, which turned out to be the very last series of that sitcom must have been recorded in the spring/early summer 1979?
Does anyone know was there a fast pace to production, to get more new shows on air, and not rely on imports, films and some in the can productions for their autumn schedules, as ITV were desperate to get a foothold once again and beat BBC.
