Coronavirus | Schedule Changes

Yes, the current episodes are the ones that were supposed to be on in April, but seemingly the Beeb decided it was a waste debuting new episodes on BBC2 opposite the briefings, so they went to repeats much earlier than planned. As of last Friday, they've started showing new ones again (which of course they wouldn't have done in normal circumstances as it should be Wimbledon when it's not on at all).

As mentioned, the last episode before the end of a run of new episodes or repeats usually involves the jackpot being won, so it's not left hanging and it doesn't look odd when the jackpot changes between episodes. I know it has completely different contestants.

Former ITV Encore drama Harlots will be aired on BBC2. There's 3 series all together though I think only the first was commissioned by and shown on ITV Encore. It was only watched by 240k when it was first shown so still a chance for a decent audience when it's repeated.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2020/bbc-two-announces-harlots

Might be a bit of a stretch to link it to Corona but I think it is a case of having big gaping drama-shaped holes to fill in the schedule. I thought ITV might have dipped into its small ITV Encore pot for dramas but judging by this their rights might well have expired anyway.

The circumstances around it are very odd but Harlots is a better fit for BBC2 than ITV.

Do they have many unaired Encore dramas left? Midwinter of The Spirit and Bancroft were both planned for Encore but ended up airing on ITV main channel and the Dark Heart one off was aired on the main channel as part of the series they commissioned.

I think The Frankenstein Chronicles got a 10.45pm repeat run on the main channel last Summer and from what I remember didn't do great. So unless I'm missing anything the only other original they commissioned was Houdini and Doyle which I think flopped across the world so I doubt they'll go for that.

I suspect you might be right about the rights expiring though. Would also explain The Road To Coronation Street turning up on ITV last week having originally aired on BBC4. I wonder if some of the BBC4 biopics that did well a few years back could get a run out? Maybe on BBC2 if available.

I notice ITV are repeating their 1999 drama The Murder of Stephen Lawrence in a couple of weeks, and directly before it are running some sort of new debate called "Stephen Lawrence: Has Britain Changed?" I doubt any of it will rate well but it does feel quite relevant just now with what is going on in the world. It matches what they were saying a while back about trying to get creative with repeats during this period and trying to turn repeats into more than the sum of their parts.

I think Harlots is second run rights as StarzPlay has been showing it since series 2.

More shows that surely would never have aired if it wasn't for Corona:

ITV will be airing the inaugural Sport Gives Back Awards that happened back in March and you can watch in full on YouTube!

https://www.itv.com/presscentre/ep1week30/sport-gives-back-awards

ITV are also going to be showing the Welsh opt out show Wonders of The Coastal Path with Sean Fletcher nationally. It only actually finished airing a month ago so I wonder if they'll be showing something else in Wales. Only a matter of time before Lesser Spotted Ulster gets a network outing?!

Lesser Spotted Ulster is probably a bit too regional for ITV, Wonders of the Coastal Path has a familiar face in Sean Fletcher so won’t look too out of place in the schedules

And a couple of similar ITV Wales series have aired previously across the network.

I think BBC should follow suit. There are some brilliant regional productions, like Rhod Gilbert’s Work Experience that have had limited exposure on the national network, but would be great for filling gaps in the schedule caused by Coronavirus. The carer episode aired earlier in lockdown earned enormous praise and they had an opportunity to take advantage of the interest in the programme.

I'm sure most series of that have got a rerun on BBC2. BBC Wales seems to do far more drama and comedy than NI and even Scotland, some of which has had a network outing (like Keeping Faith).

Downton is getting a rerun on ITV from a week on Sunday, but just the final series I think.

BBC Scotland dramas and comedies tend to air nationally compared to Wales and Northern Ireland although a number of BBC Wales dramas have aired on BBC Four like Hidden and Hinterland. The only Scottish drama I think of that isn't networked is River City.

Ah, that famous Scottish comedy Mrs Brown's Boys.

Surprised really the BBC haven't rerun River City nationally as part of the daytime schedule. I guess the issue is that will take a good chunk of the local drama budget, and although I'm in little doubt it would be value for money on a cost per hour basis I think I prefer the BBC Wales strategy of having two or three flagship drama series a year, which I imagine then have more resale value.

They have shown it nationally I think, possibly in Doctors’ usual slot?