BR
As part of the Q&As by the Edinburgh TV Festival this week Ian Katz revealed new drama is unlikely in the near future as they look to lower budget commissions, such as the announced "Snoop Dogs", where they attach cameras to celebrities dogs and viewers can guess whose house it is. Yep, that's what it's come too.
JO
Channel 4 have two dramas that are already in the can which are Boys and Adult Material but I expect those will air in the Autumn or early 2021.
As part of the Q&As by the Edinburgh TV Festival this week Ian Katz revealed new drama is unlikely in the near future as they look to lower budget commissions, such as the announced "Snoop Dogs", where they attach cameras to celebrities dogs and viewers can guess whose house it is. Yep, that's what it's come too.
Channel 4 have two dramas that are already in the can which are Boys and Adult Material but I expect those will air in the Autumn or early 2021.
BR
A four and a five parter, though both very C4. I do wish though they'd return to the type of character led returning comedy drama that bought us the likes of Teachers, Shameless and then Skins and Misfits on E4. The closest thing to that on TV at the moment is Brassic on Sky 1, which does return next week.
Have they filmed the next series of Ackley Bridge yet - know they said it was being retooled into a half-hour show. That's the sort of thing I'd have thought would be worth rerunning, perhaps in the Hollyoaks slot once a week on E4.
Have they filmed the next series of Ackley Bridge yet - know they said it was being retooled into a half-hour show. That's the sort of thing I'd have thought would be worth rerunning, perhaps in the Hollyoaks slot once a week on E4.
JO
The last returnable series aside from Ackley Bridge was No Offence but I think that was axed last year. I do agree they are missing a returnable drama series, apart from those two, the last one that was quite successful was Humans.
Ackley Bridge was meant to be filmed now but the current situation has put it on hold.
I do agree about going back to the more grounded comedy dramas and Katz mentioned there's developing and commissioning a number of lower cost drama. A lot of the dramas that have failed for them like Chimerica, Traitors and Baghdad Central have been high end dramas that don't resonate with British audiences but to be fair to Ian Katz, those were commissioned before he was in charge.
The things like Deadwater Fell and The Accident were successes but those also had big names in them and also one-offs.
A four and a five parter, though both very C4. I do wish though they'd return to the type of character led returning comedy drama that bought us the likes of Teachers, Shameless and then Skins and Misfits on E4. The closest thing to that on TV at the moment is Brassic on Sky 1, which does return next week.
Have they filmed the next series of Ackley Bridge yet - know they said it was being retooled into a half-hour show. That's the sort of thing I'd have thought would be worth rerunning, perhaps in the Hollyoaks slot once a week on E4.
Have they filmed the next series of Ackley Bridge yet - know they said it was being retooled into a half-hour show. That's the sort of thing I'd have thought would be worth rerunning, perhaps in the Hollyoaks slot once a week on E4.
The last returnable series aside from Ackley Bridge was No Offence but I think that was axed last year. I do agree they are missing a returnable drama series, apart from those two, the last one that was quite successful was Humans.
Ackley Bridge was meant to be filmed now but the current situation has put it on hold.
I do agree about going back to the more grounded comedy dramas and Katz mentioned there's developing and commissioning a number of lower cost drama. A lot of the dramas that have failed for them like Chimerica, Traitors and Baghdad Central have been high end dramas that don't resonate with British audiences but to be fair to Ian Katz, those were commissioned before he was in charge.
The things like Deadwater Fell and The Accident were successes but those also had big names in them and also one-offs.
Last edited by Jonwo on 29 April 2020 9:09pm - 2 times in total
GO
I think my big problem with C4 drama in the last few years has been that they've constantly been miserable. They've had quite a few drama flops this year and I think that reason plays a part. Obviously there's a big place for heavier dramas that are distinctly C4 like National Treasure and The Accident but ideally they'd be sandwiched amongst the sort of wittier ones they had in the past like Shameless, Queer as Folk etc. I think post Corona there will be a real appetite for more positive programmes and the few dramas that C4 will be able to afford now will need to reflect that.
AN
Totally agree on this. Sometimes C4 are guilty of forgetting that things have to be enjoyable to watch. The Accident was dreadful. Enjoyable doesn’t necessarily equal lighthearted btw - I “enjoyed” watching Chernobyl for example because it was beautifully crafted and well written, The Accident was just a lazy misery-fest.
I think my big problem with C4 drama in the last few years has been that they've constantly been miserable. They've had quite a few drama flops this year and I think that reason plays a part. Obviously there's a big place for heavier dramas that are distinctly C4 like National Treasure and The Accident but ideally they'd be sandwiched amongst the sort of wittier ones they had in the past like Shameless, Queer as Folk etc. I think post Corona there will be a real appetite for more positive programmes and the few dramas that C4 will be able to afford now will need to reflect that.
Totally agree on this. Sometimes C4 are guilty of forgetting that things have to be enjoyable to watch. The Accident was dreadful. Enjoyable doesn’t necessarily equal lighthearted btw - I “enjoyed” watching Chernobyl for example because it was beautifully crafted and well written, The Accident was just a lazy misery-fest.
JO
I agree, the best Channel 4 dramas in the last 20 years have been ones that more grounded and less polished in tone.
On a unrelated note, it will be interested to see how All Creatures Great and Small does for Channel 5, it seems like it’s the sort of drama that is coming at the right time.
Totally agree on this. Sometimes C4 are guilty of forgetting that things have to be enjoyable to watch. The Accident was dreadful. Enjoyable doesn’t necessarily equal lighthearted btw - I “enjoyed” watching Chernobyl for example because it was beautifully crafted and well written, The Accident was just a lazy misery-fest.
The Accident was disappointing considering how good National Treasure and Kiri were. The Virtues was good but very Shane Meadows.
I think my big problem with C4 drama in the last few years has been that they've constantly been miserable. They've had quite a few drama flops this year and I think that reason plays a part. Obviously there's a big place for heavier dramas that are distinctly C4 like National Treasure and The Accident but ideally they'd be sandwiched amongst the sort of wittier ones they had in the past like Shameless, Queer as Folk etc. I think post Corona there will be a real appetite for more positive programmes and the few dramas that C4 will be able to afford now will need to reflect that.
I agree, the best Channel 4 dramas in the last 20 years have been ones that more grounded and less polished in tone.
On a unrelated note, it will be interested to see how All Creatures Great and Small does for Channel 5, it seems like it’s the sort of drama that is coming at the right time.
I think my big problem with C4 drama in the last few years has been that they've constantly been miserable. They've had quite a few drama flops this year and I think that reason plays a part. Obviously there's a big place for heavier dramas that are distinctly C4 like National Treasure and The Accident but ideally they'd be sandwiched amongst the sort of wittier ones they had in the past like Shameless, Queer as Folk etc. I think post Corona there will be a real appetite for more positive programmes and the few dramas that C4 will be able to afford now will need to reflect that.
Totally agree on this. Sometimes C4 are guilty of forgetting that things have to be enjoyable to watch. The Accident was dreadful. Enjoyable doesn’t necessarily equal lighthearted btw - I “enjoyed” watching Chernobyl for example because it was beautifully crafted and well written, The Accident was just a lazy misery-fest.
The Accident was disappointing considering how good National Treasure and Kiri were. The Virtues was good but very Shane Meadows.
BR
Think of all those National Treasure was the only one I watched to the end. Just far too grim.
Also think so often in TV money can get in the way of a good idea and often being forced to be creative with the budget and rely on cheaper unknown actors hungry for success can actually be the making of the show.
C4 (and C5) certainly miss the structure scripted content used to give them in the schedule on weeknights. C4 actually did churn out a decent amount of comedy in the schedules last year but it was scheduled all over the place rather than them establishing a regular slot for it, and it has been the same with drama too, though now they focus on 9pm rather than 10pm it is much more difficult to find a slot where the BBC and ITV aren't really competing. Sunday 9pm is probably where C4 show most imported drama now such as Handmaids Tail and Homeland, but it's a slot where the BBC and ITV will almost always be playing their premium content too.
Also think so often in TV money can get in the way of a good idea and often being forced to be creative with the budget and rely on cheaper unknown actors hungry for success can actually be the making of the show.
C4 (and C5) certainly miss the structure scripted content used to give them in the schedule on weeknights. C4 actually did churn out a decent amount of comedy in the schedules last year but it was scheduled all over the place rather than them establishing a regular slot for it, and it has been the same with drama too, though now they focus on 9pm rather than 10pm it is much more difficult to find a slot where the BBC and ITV aren't really competing. Sunday 9pm is probably where C4 show most imported drama now such as Handmaids Tail and Homeland, but it's a slot where the BBC and ITV will almost always be playing their premium content too.
:-(
A former member
"New" ident into the Channel 4 News. I say new as it's just the Pride ident with clapping overlaid and a caption on the side.
Used the last two weeks.