What Has Happened to Bank Holiday Telly?

when I was a kid I remember the Easter schedules being almost as important as the Christmas schedules. while I realise that times change and people's lifestyles are different now, why do schedulers now offer just more of the same at easter and other bank holidays. Granted BBC1 is showing The Passion, a few repeat films and of course Anthony Minghella's last project, but the morning schedules are just daytime programmes. As for ITV, they seem to have no recognition of the festival at all. I know I'm an old git, but couldn't more effort be made? What do others think or am I the only one who is bothered and therefore a pedantic old knacker!

I used to hate Bank Holiday TV, it was damn right awful, mainly just wall to wall Movies, which as a child you would find boring. But saying that it's not much better these days, although an emphasis should be taken on Family entertainment, ie some good Movies or Dramas during peak time, when most people are off work and school.

You're about six years late with that question

What's happenning north of the border in terms of TV, given that today is a normal working day in Scotland?

Good Friday is a holiday in Scotland, but Easter Monday is not.

Good Friday is a holiday in most - if not all - of Europe.

There are probably a few reasons why the broadcasters don't feel the same need to produce such elaborate schedules for Bank Holidays.

Social changes mean that shops are open as normal, so people aren't confined to the house. To many it's a working day, to others it's just an extended weekend.

Christmas has degenerated into a 'soap-fest'. For Easter the schedules seem largely unaffected for most channels. Today is certainly just a normal day for most of the terrestrial channels. Easter Monday is only different on BBC One by the addition of some films during the day.

Very poor Easter schedules - pretty much the regular schedules, though BBC1 have got films during the day and a "drama premiere" of sorts on Sunday, though they crop up throughout the year too.


Only real change on ITV1 is the dropping of This Morning - but that slot is still filled with daytime crap rather than a movie or kids TV or something.


As said though, they used to be as important as the Christmas schedules - and generally it used to be the case if you had bad Christmas TV, you'd get good Easter TV - and vice versa.

Also wasn't unusual for programmes to be held over from the Christmas schedule to air at Easter.



I agree though it's very poor - if it wasn't for the shortened news you wouldn't notice it was Easter.


BTW, any Easter idents anywhere. I know Five used to do them in the (5) era, but not so sure they've bothered since it became "five". ABC1 used to squash their logo up too to make it an egg rather than circle.

Well Good Friday on BBC One this afternoon looks quite different to me, as does Easter Monday.

And if you want something a bit different, ITV2 are showing The Grinch today. Did they get their seasons mixed up or something ?

UTV are opting out of network later this afternoon to show Mary Poppins!

But the main reasons are the laziness of television executives and their general contempt for viewers:

"Hey, it's multichannel television now so why should we bother and, anyway, we're off to the south of France."

A Grand Day Out and Freaky Friday this afternoon on BBC1. How many times have these been on now?

Presumably BBC One Scotland is using recorded announcements today, given the dialogue-obliterating timing cock-up at the end of The Magic Roundabout. Not that any depth have incompetence would surprise me anymore.