Fantasy Press Releases

ITV1 RESURRECTS CROSSROADS...AGAIN
ITV1 has announced that Crossroads will be returning to our screens for a fourth time. While the last two attempts at resurrecting the soap failed, TV bosses promise that this version will be different.
"We realized we were aiming the soap at the wrong audience, and putting it on at daytime instead of primetime was a bad idea," ITV1's controller Nigel Pickard said, "We're thinking it through properly this time and taking our time to get it just right."
Keiran Roberts, the man responsible for reinvigorating Coronation Street, has been drafted in as Executive Producer.
So far, former stars Jane Gurnett (Kate Russell), Colin Wells (Jake Booth), Cindy Marshall-Day (Tracey Booth), Jane Rossington (Jill Chance), Tony Adams (Adam Chance), Joanne Farrell (Sarah-Jane Harvey/Louise Dickson), Luke Roberts (Ryan Samson), Graham McGrath (Jimmy Samson), Jessica Fox (Belle Wise), Anne Charleson (Betty Wadell), Roger Sloman (Rocky Wesson), Sherrie Hewson (Virginia Raven) and Max Brown (Mark Russell) have all signed up to return when filming begins in May 2004 for a Christmas Day launch.
The hotel is being given a new look, a cross between the bland 2001/2 and high camp 2003 versions. The 2001/2 logo will return and the theme tune will be given a saxophone/electric guitar remix.
The storylines are thought to be focused on staff again this time, although the 2003 version's Special Guest Stars will return, with celebrities such as Graham Norton, Kelly Osbourne and Julie Goodyear already lined up to appear in the first few weeks.
The show has been given a commission of two years. Of course, for fans of Crossroads it is great news, however...

ITV1 AXES EMMERDALE
Emmerdale has been axed, with Crossroads being it's 7pm Monday-Friday replacement. The rural soap had "gone stale" according to fans and although the show still retained the 8million regular viewers, bosses wanted the show to go out on top and not follow the same fate as Brookside.
Emmerdale will end in November 2004 before The Christmas Show returns in the 7pm timeslot until Christmas Day when Crossroads relaunches.
However, Emily Symonds (Louise) has found work at Crossroads as Tracey's sister Rachel, and and Kelvin Fletcher (Andy) will also be seen in the hotel soap as the hotel's handyman Robbie.
Emmerdale star Leah Bracknell (Zoe) has hit out at ITV1 bosses: "It's outrageous! Emmerdale has been a TV staple for the past three decades and now they're axing it and replacing it with something that's already flopped before...THREE TIMES!"
Bracknell has signed a three year deal with the BBC to star in a number of projects, starting with drama series called Acres, in which she will play a country doctor.
Emmerdale is rumoured to end with a fire that engulfs the village, caused by legendary bitch Kim Tate.

What would everyone else love to see happen in the crazy world of television?

TV Forum members grow up

Nuff said.

Hope that wasn't aimed at me.

Perhaps it is time for Emmerdale to end...not only is today's version so far removed from the original idea, it's also incredibly sleazy and uninteresting. Going five nights killed it IMHO.

5 Nights was ok at first, but recently it's gotten stale. Anyone else have any fantasy press releases?

Okay I thought I'd keep the game going, but someone else should have a turn as well...

Lottery Changes
The BBC is changing the National Lottery Draw for a 2004 launch, with the balls being drawn as the main feature. No quiz, no celebrity guests, no annoying presenters: just the lottery numbers.

Good.

Very good Personally I'd have slipped in Kieran Hardcastle (keep James Martin happy) and Matthew Maude (keep Hymagumba happy) as well in a "case of mistaken identity" storyline. Apart from that - excellent.

Let me have a go:

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ITV1'S "DIGGING UP THE PAST" SEASON
ITV1 is pleased to announce that it has re-purchased the transmission rights to various programmes that were once shown on the ITV Network, in an attempt to inject more variety into the schedule.

2004 starts with the return of Jim Bowen and Bullseye to Sunday evenings, it's previous home on ITV for eight years. As a tribute to the late Sir Harry Secombe, who sadly died last year, specially selected episodes of Highway will replace the current Sunday night episode of Coronation Street on alternate weeks for three months.

Veteran entertainer Michael Barrymore, in better times, hosted Strike It Lucky. This returns from March 2004 every Monday evening at 8pm.

Also look out for classic archive episodes of Heartbeat - The Early Years, London's Burning, The Darling Buds of May, and - to replace the outgoing SM:TV - classic episodes of Tiswas, on Saturday mornings from Jan 3rd. Younger viewers will never see Chris Tarrant in the same way again.

For daytime, ITV will repeat the 2001/2 episodes of Crossroads as well. Although this programme did not perform very well first time round, we now realise that its failure was our own doing and we wish to give it another outing. Fans of veteran Crossroads will be pleased to know that we have ordered a transmission quality check on Crossroads episodes from 1978 onwards, and we hope to show these to complement Emmerdale on alternate weeknights.

ITV1 Network Controller Nigel Pickard spoke of the Digging Up The Past season: "This is a great opportunity to show to everybody that ITV really did exist before 1999. We have thousands of hours worth of archive material gathering dust in archives up and down the land so why not use it?

"Of course viewers can be assured that they will not miss out on newer programming as well - Coronation Street wil still be there thrice weekly. Emmerdale will be seen five times every two weeks and hopefully, quality checks ensuring, sharing its slot with Classic Crossroads, to complement the re-run of the 2001 series. There is plenty of new material to look out for.

"We hope that by shaking up the schedule in this way and providing more variety than endless soapy hours, viewers will return to ITV1 to see the best of ITV's past. We have come to rely on soaps too much at primetime - its time for a change."

The ITV1 Digging Up The Past season starts from next month on ITV1.
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There we go.

[B]Rupert Murdoch Has Died

Newspaper Monopoly Takes Away Murdochs Grip On Power

Robert Maxwell Alive And Well As Fiona Phillips

Yay my game's getting participated

Here's more.

NEW CROSSROADS ANNOUNCES NEW CAST
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The entire Crossroads Mk4 cast has been announced:
Jane Gurnett as Kate Russell
Colin Wells as Jake Booth
Cindy Marshall-Day as Tracey Booth
Guy Burnett as Scott Booth
Jane Rossington as Jill Chance
Tony Adams as Adam Chance
Joanne Farrell as Sarah Jane Harvey
Max Brown as Mark Russell
Luke Roberts as Ryan Samson
Graham McGrath as Jimmy Samson
Jessica Fox as Belle Wise
Anne Charleson as Betty Waddell
Sherrie Hewson as Virginia Raven
Roger Sloman as Rocky Wesson
Lucy Pargeter as Helen Raven
Emily Symmonds as Rachel Lockwood [Barmaid]
Kelvin Fletcher as Robbie Fletcher [Handyman]
Philip Olivier as Calvin Wallace [Barman]
Ian Kelsey as Patrick Irving [Co-owner/Millionaire]
Susie Amy as Stephanie Irving [Patrick's Wife]

Major Overhaul for ITV1
Look out for some changes on ITV1 beginning in January, as the channel will be split into 16 different 'regions'. Although they will all have different looks and names, they will all still carry ITV1's famous programmes- some exclusive to that region. So if you're in the Midlands, Central Independent Television (which will be known as simply 'Central' on screen) will be broadcasting a full seven day service. Londoners will also see the welcome return of Thames Television on the Weekdays, and London Weekend Television (LWT) on the Weekends. Other regions consist of 'Tyne Tees' for the North East, and ''HTV' for Wales and the West. But it doesn't stop there. Other revolutions in television mean you will now see your local announcers in the flesh introduce all your favourite programmes, and animated 'frontcaps' before each programme will tell you exactly who made it. And clocks will be introducing the National and Regional news when the time comes, too. So get ready for a brand new ITV1 come January!

Proof? Is that Ture?