RD
I have no doubt in my mind that if Judgement Day was played out as a new series now, it would most certainly not get dropped and Brian Conley would escape relatively unscathed. Since Saturday nights are no longer the big ratings hitter they used to be, they'll broadcast any old tripe now.
And to be honest Judgement Day wasn't *that* bad.
At this rate if I were ITV I'd be reaching for my dusty copies of Brian Conley's Judgement Day...
I have no doubt in my mind that if Judgement Day was played out as a new series now, it would most certainly not get dropped and Brian Conley would escape relatively unscathed. Since Saturday nights are no longer the big ratings hitter they used to be, they'll broadcast any old tripe now.
And to be honest Judgement Day wasn't *that* bad.
WH
Whataday
Founding member
They panicked because ratings had never dropped below 3 million on ITV before, and it was around the time Charles Allen agreed that stupid contract rights renewal deal. A dark period in its history.
If ITV celebrates its 60th birthday this year it will be against a strong reputation compared to the one in its 50th year.
If ITV celebrates its 60th birthday this year it will be against a strong reputation compared to the one in its 50th year.
JB
Harry made a joke last week saying "don't worry, they haven't bought back 3-2-1 yet"
At this rate if I were ITV I'd be reaching for my dusty copies of Brian Conley's Judgement Day...
Harry made a joke last week saying "don't worry, they haven't bought back 3-2-1 yet"
:-(
A former member
I wish 321 would come back
CW
Charlie Wells
Moderator
I noticed they had made subtle tweaks to the show this week, which I felt improved things. I think the oversized 'pencil' for each contestant was an addition, though fitted in with the surrealism. I also liked the random 'backstage' action such as playing twister. Though I didn't particularly like the Adele stuff at least it was left until after all the acts had performed.
On a vaguely interesting side-note Richard Osman mentioned via twitter that Harry can no longer do TV Burp, as the show is owned by his former agent (presusmably Avalon).
On a vaguely interesting side-note Richard Osman mentioned via twitter that Harry can no longer do TV Burp, as the show is owned by his former agent (presusmably Avalon).
GO
Was that a thing? I thought it was just that they wouldn't pay a contestant's prize money on a game show if it wasn't broadcast.
At this rate if I were ITV I'd be reaching for my dusty copies of Brian Conley's Judgement Day...
Seriously though, does ITV still have that accounting quirk whereby they don't 'pay' for a programme until it's broadcast?
Seriously though, does ITV still have that accounting quirk whereby they don't 'pay' for a programme until it's broadcast?
Was that a thing? I thought it was just that they wouldn't pay a contestant's prize money on a game show if it wasn't broadcast.
WH
Was that a thing? I thought it was just that they wouldn't pay a contestant's prize money on a game show if it wasn't broadcast.
It was very much a thing, and led to many expensive dramas staying on the shelf for years, some never even getting transmitted.
Whataday
Founding member
At this rate if I were ITV I'd be reaching for my dusty copies of Brian Conley's Judgement Day...
Seriously though, does ITV still have that accounting quirk whereby they don't 'pay' for a programme until it's broadcast?
Seriously though, does ITV still have that accounting quirk whereby they don't 'pay' for a programme until it's broadcast?
Was that a thing? I thought it was just that they wouldn't pay a contestant's prize money on a game show if it wasn't broadcast.
It was very much a thing, and led to many expensive dramas staying on the shelf for years, some never even getting transmitted.
:-(
A former member
Is there a list of these dramas which were never transmitted? The only one I know is stv missing, which broadcast on its own back.
WH
Whataday
Founding member
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-117091/The-shows-ITV-afford-broadcast.html
Quote:
The shows ITV cannot afford to broadcast
By TANIA SHAKINOVSKY, Daily Mail
Big-budget dramas are being kept off the air because of a cash squeeze at ITV.
The television giant has a stockpile of star-studded shows which have been shelved because it would currently cost too much to broadcast them.
A drama-documentary based on serial killer Dr Harold Shipman, new Poirot mysteries, the children's classic Pollyanna and an adaptation of Kingsley Amis's Lucky Jim have all yet to be seen
Other postponements include The Lucky Ones, starring Sarah Lancashire, which had been pencilled in for earlier this year.
Due to a quirk in the network's accounting procedures, money is only recorded as being spent once a programme has been aired, even though programme-makers may have already been paid.
By screening cheaper programmes the channel can effectively save money, particularly as channel bosses are reluctant to put out highcost dramas if the expected level of advertising revenue does not reach expectations.
Several other programmes, including a lavish production of Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge, starring Ciaran Hinds and Juliet Aubrey, were commissioned before a downturn in advertising revenue last year, which hit ITV hard.
The network is wary of blowing its biggest programming investments when advertisers are cutting back on their own budgets.
For instance it will only schedule costume dramas likely to appeal to an ABC1 audience if advertisers indicate they have goods they want to promote to such an audience, such as cars when the new registration plates are launched.
The collapse in advertising income meant ITV's 2002-3 budget was originally frozen at £750million, although yesterday the network's director of channels announced a further £25million investment into its drama budget.
Andy Harries, head of comedy and drama at Granada - none of whose shows have been directly affected by the channel's problems - said: 'The drama output has been reduced. There is no doubt about it. ITV chose to spend its money in certain areas such as football and some people would argue the wisdom of that choice.
'In the old days there used to be a drama on just about every night of the week. That has been severely reduced.
'There is a lot of stuff piling up now which is expensive to broadcast because of this weird accounting system, but it would be better for everyone if we could clear any backlog.
'All broadcasters get stuff they've commissioned that might or might not be quite up to scratch, or which is a bit risky or experimental and that can get pushed back or wait to be broadcast in a better climate.
'I can't remember a time when there was so much piled up untransmitted though.'
Mr Harries's comments echo those of ITV Head of Drama Nick Elliott, who said at a recent industry conference that he was sitting on a two-anda-half year backlog of good drama because of ITV's financial set up.
He said: 'We have got a lot of good stuff sitting on the shelves. We've had to cheapen the schedule. A lot of what we have made, we can't afford to show.'
He added that all the shows would be broadcast eventually but that new drama would be in short supply over the summer.
Last night an ITV spokesman denied there was an immense backlog, adding: 'There are a number of reasons for delaying shows.
'The fact is you commission programmes, make programmes and schedule programmes at times that are most effective for the channel.
'We would not commission programmes if we could not afford to show them.'
By TANIA SHAKINOVSKY, Daily Mail
Big-budget dramas are being kept off the air because of a cash squeeze at ITV.
The television giant has a stockpile of star-studded shows which have been shelved because it would currently cost too much to broadcast them.
A drama-documentary based on serial killer Dr Harold Shipman, new Poirot mysteries, the children's classic Pollyanna and an adaptation of Kingsley Amis's Lucky Jim have all yet to be seen
Other postponements include The Lucky Ones, starring Sarah Lancashire, which had been pencilled in for earlier this year.
Due to a quirk in the network's accounting procedures, money is only recorded as being spent once a programme has been aired, even though programme-makers may have already been paid.
By screening cheaper programmes the channel can effectively save money, particularly as channel bosses are reluctant to put out highcost dramas if the expected level of advertising revenue does not reach expectations.
Several other programmes, including a lavish production of Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge, starring Ciaran Hinds and Juliet Aubrey, were commissioned before a downturn in advertising revenue last year, which hit ITV hard.
The network is wary of blowing its biggest programming investments when advertisers are cutting back on their own budgets.
For instance it will only schedule costume dramas likely to appeal to an ABC1 audience if advertisers indicate they have goods they want to promote to such an audience, such as cars when the new registration plates are launched.
The collapse in advertising income meant ITV's 2002-3 budget was originally frozen at £750million, although yesterday the network's director of channels announced a further £25million investment into its drama budget.
Andy Harries, head of comedy and drama at Granada - none of whose shows have been directly affected by the channel's problems - said: 'The drama output has been reduced. There is no doubt about it. ITV chose to spend its money in certain areas such as football and some people would argue the wisdom of that choice.
'In the old days there used to be a drama on just about every night of the week. That has been severely reduced.
'There is a lot of stuff piling up now which is expensive to broadcast because of this weird accounting system, but it would be better for everyone if we could clear any backlog.
'All broadcasters get stuff they've commissioned that might or might not be quite up to scratch, or which is a bit risky or experimental and that can get pushed back or wait to be broadcast in a better climate.
'I can't remember a time when there was so much piled up untransmitted though.'
Mr Harries's comments echo those of ITV Head of Drama Nick Elliott, who said at a recent industry conference that he was sitting on a two-anda-half year backlog of good drama because of ITV's financial set up.
He said: 'We have got a lot of good stuff sitting on the shelves. We've had to cheapen the schedule. A lot of what we have made, we can't afford to show.'
He added that all the shows would be broadcast eventually but that new drama would be in short supply over the summer.
Last night an ITV spokesman denied there was an immense backlog, adding: 'There are a number of reasons for delaying shows.
'The fact is you commission programmes, make programmes and schedule programmes at times that are most effective for the channel.
'We would not commission programmes if we could not afford to show them.'
:-(
A former member
Cheers, Didn't some them not get broadcas later t? Like poirot? That shipmen drama sounds interesting.
SW
Yeah, I think most of them were shown in the end, just held off for another financial year. The Shipman drama was definitely broadcast. There were a couple that didn't get on at all, there was a dreadful melodrama called Thursday 12th which was on the shelf for ages and then got as far as being scheduled and listed in all the TV guides, only for it to be dropped apparently as it was too political too close to an election. It was never rescheduled, I think they decided it was too bad to be shown and the election reason was a convenient excuse.
There was also a Lucy Gannon series called Blue Dove which I think was one of the first programmes on ITV3, and of course Bombshell with Zoe Lucker which was never broadcast at all...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombshell_%28TV_series%29
As for Stars In Their Eyes it would be different because everyone involved is contracted to make six shows so they'll have to pay them regardless, especially as it's still in production. In Chris Evans' autobiography he talks about when they did TV Mayhem on TVam and after six weeks they lost their franchise and immediately axed it - but they were contracted to do forty shows and TVam had to pay them for the 34 unmade shows. Different with a one-off drama which is all done and dusted.
Cheers, Didn't some them not get broadcas later t? Like poirot? That shipmen drama sounds interesting.
Yeah, I think most of them were shown in the end, just held off for another financial year. The Shipman drama was definitely broadcast. There were a couple that didn't get on at all, there was a dreadful melodrama called Thursday 12th which was on the shelf for ages and then got as far as being scheduled and listed in all the TV guides, only for it to be dropped apparently as it was too political too close to an election. It was never rescheduled, I think they decided it was too bad to be shown and the election reason was a convenient excuse.
There was also a Lucy Gannon series called Blue Dove which I think was one of the first programmes on ITV3, and of course Bombshell with Zoe Lucker which was never broadcast at all...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombshell_%28TV_series%29
As for Stars In Their Eyes it would be different because everyone involved is contracted to make six shows so they'll have to pay them regardless, especially as it's still in production. In Chris Evans' autobiography he talks about when they did TV Mayhem on TVam and after six weeks they lost their franchise and immediately axed it - but they were contracted to do forty shows and TVam had to pay them for the 34 unmade shows. Different with a one-off drama which is all done and dusted.