Does ITV have too many Soaps?

And the imports as well, Young Doctors, Sons and Daughters and Prisoner: Cell Block H. And of course the short-lived attempts, Albion Market, Gems ect, ect.

Well Crossroads should have been the best example to ITV that less is definitely more. When it went to three times a week the writing, story lines and overall quality lifted.

And all the things critics knocked it for seem to happen a fair bit these days, which does prove its down to the time limit 'soaps' have to produce when they're making four or five episodes.

just thinking about the initial question - are there too many soaps on ITV.

I was thinking back only 15 years ago.......

Richmond Hill
A Country Practice
Sons and Daughters
The Young Doctors
The Sullivans
Families
High Road
Home and Away (twice a day)
Coronation Street
Emmerdale
The Bill
The Practice
London Bridge
Albion Market
Gems
Revelations


nowadays we have....

Emmerdale
The Royal Today
Coronation Street
The Bill

Is that too much compared to the list above?


Although saying that, I would re-arrange the soaps somewhat, which would mean re-arranging the schedules slightly!

330pm Shortland Street
4pm The Royal Today
430pm Goldenballs
530pm ITV Evening News
6pm Regional News
630pm Tu, W, Th Emmerdale (Hour long episodes)
730pm Coronation Street (although during weeks of hampions League, Mondays would be on Sunday at 730, Tuesdays would be on monday and Wednesday's would be on Tuesday)
8pm M & F The Bill (hour long episodes)

Here the Question how many of them were in peak times? back then the bill and some other on you list were not soap, I don;t think was a soap was it? I think the Question should be

Is there Too many soaps in peak time,

soaps do have a place, but I would rather have a well written, which is good quiltay instead of rushed job and a number of people even those in the business has said this:

even with this list many daytime soaps were dumped and some NEVER shown, like in STV area, and even then there thrown to the wind!

Richmond Hill -- Network but only lasted a year - daytime (
A Country Practice - Stay HOURLY! once a week - Daytime ( all over the place
Sons and Daughters, Dumped anywhere: even nightime!!!!
The Young Doctors -NEVER shown
The Sullivans - daytime all over the place, even made it onto a sunday!
Families - don;lt think stv had this
High Road 7pm monday and friday
Home and Away::: networked
Coronation Street:: networked
Emmerdale - Daytime, then in 92 - 94 peak , then DAY time and then again peak by 1999
Albion Market - only lasted a year
Gems -killed of by 1988
Revelations
Shortland street -- once again Never brought!/ shown

so not alot of Peak time soaps, and some never shown, ( a number were just clear so there could broadcast Lunchtime scotland today and more Murder she wrote 3 time a week Emmerdale was moved to daytime by stv even in the 90;s!

There's a surprise

Not too bad as a few years ago, when some Regions had Shortland Street, High Road and on the rest of the Network there was Corrie, Emmerdale, Crossroads and Night & Day with the last two always dominating teatimes and ITV2 at weekends. Also remember when they were cramming in 3 Corries a night at one point (7.30, 8.30, 10.00), that was overkill. Also going back to an earlier point of the Aussie soaps taking up daytime, also remember Corrie and Emmerdale used to get early afternoon repeats too, so there was a tad bit overkill there.

The amount of time given to Soaps hasn't gone down sadly, but they're taking a step in the right direction by taking them off on a Sunday night, I think we're entitled to at least 2 nights per week without any Soaps clogging the schedule.

Night and Day was killed by the soap culture at ITV really.

It really was quite excellent as a once a week hour long drama, but was doomed from ITV's decision to try and make it into a tea-time soap. Long overdue a repeat run really - in it's hourly format.

once again STV dumped the Hourly format onto a LATE Friday night I believe 2am.

why can;t there make Emmerdale hour long on Tuesday and Thursdays only?

I could see ITV moving The Bill to Tuesdays when Champions League is on, or like you say dropping an episode a week. Coronation Street will most likely move to Sunday. I really can't see them dropping half an hour of that.

You learn something new everyday.

Seriously though, I gave up on the soaps when Crossroads got revived for a second time. I now have better things to do with my life.

They'll probably do what they used to do when the UCL used to be on a Wednesday, either have it at 7.00pm, 9.45pm or 8.00pm Tuesday which they did for a while bizzarely.

For god's sake man give it a rest.

Do you?

I don't.