Crossroads would work if they went back to the MK2 format. But there isn't the resources now to do that.
A soap would work, despite treating it appalingly, Home & Away consistently did very well in that slot - getting at least one and a half times the audience Five are currently getting for it.
Crossroads would work if they went back to the MK2 format. But there isn't the resources now to do that.
It didn't "work" then - hence it's axing. What the hell makes you think it would work now?
For long-term success ITV have still got the show they lost - they just need a new host. The POG show was hardly groundbreaking TV was it? It can be easily imitated. You're just kidding yourself if you seriously think they'll fill the slot with anything other then something from the Paul O'Grady mould. Anything that goes out before they've found the right host - which i don't think will take them
that
long - can just be dismissed as a short term filler.
it only ended up on its hiatus becuase they ran out of epiosdes and they had not contracted the actors for more. Thus when it came back as Mk3 with its very GAY (not that I'm having a go at gays - knowing many friends, including my best mate since primary school, who are actually gay) slant that is when it floundered - it was no near as popular.
Fact is when Mk2 started its hiatus it actually started to win the 5-6pm slot from both BBC2 and C4!!!!
I'm well up for the idea of something different every night. As long as they're all good. I'm vaguely appalled at the suggestion of yet another imported soap (I'm only watching Everwood to catch a glimpse of pre-Desperate Housewives Marcia Cross). Shortland Street? Please. How about:
Mon: TV Burp
Tues: Dancing on Ice (or X Factor or whatever they happen to be running) spin off
Weds: Bullseye
Thurs: Dancing on Ice etc spin off
Fri: CDUK preview
Then what about a daily Liquid News-style gossip show at 1730 every day? I think something Heat-sponsored or similar would go down well. Ben Shepherd and Laurene Laverne?
ITV should have commissioned more episodes of Crossroads Mk 2 sooner. It was getting really good when it was taken off.
Well only in his most recent series did Paul O'Grady equal, then slightly beat the Crossroads ratings (for mk2) so it was short sighted of ITV to drop it. In the 1980s ITV had plenty of afternoon soaps, yes apart from Take The High Road, they were imports, but there is an audience for afternoon soap/drama. (And the mk2 Crossroads ratings still show that to be the case.)
ITV should have commissioned more episodes of Crossroads Mk 2 sooner. It was getting really good when it was taken off.
Well only in his most recent series did Paul O'Grady equal, then slightly beat the Crossroads ratings (for mk2) so it was short sighted of ITV to drop it. In the 1980s ITV had plenty of afternoon soaps, yes apart from Take The High Road, they were imports, but there is an audience for afternoon soap/drama. (And the mk2 Crossroads ratings still show that to be the case.)
HIgh Road was a staple diet of afternoon "British Drama" for many years and when it teamed up with FAMILIES - it was just unbeatable - again short sightedness and tightening of purse stringes by the old ITV Network. Now made even worse by short-sightedness of various controllers within ITVplc
or we could just go back to the "Good Old Days!!!!!" - pre-Home and Away!!!!!!!!!
0925 Gameshows
0955 News Headlines
1000 The Time...The Place
1030 Santa Barbara
1055 News Headlines
1100 About Britain
1130 Gas Street
1200 Pre-school Series'
1230 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday The Sullivans
1230 Thursday, Friday Take The High Road
1300 ITV News at One; Weather
1330 Regional Variations
1500 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Gameshows
1500 Friday Regional Programmes
1530 Monday, Tuesday Sons and Daughters
1530 Wednesday, Thursday, Friday The Young Doctors
1600 Watch It
1715 Blockbusters/Connections
1745 ITV News at 545; Weather
1800 Regional News; Weather
1830 Regional Programmes
or they could just update the whole daytime service as such... (instead of between 5 and 6pm!)
0925 GMTV extended by 5 minutes
0930 The Jeremy Kyle Show/ Jerry Springer/The People's Court
1030 This Morning
1030 Summer Months: 60 Minute Makeover/Too Many Cooks
1130 This Morning
1130 Summer Months: Various British Factual Series'
1215 Regional News; Regional Weather
1230 ITV News; ITV Weather
1300 British Gameshows
1330 New Daytime British Soap
1400 Today with Des and Mel/Loose Women/Richard Hammond
1500 British Factual Series'
1530 British Factual Series'
1600 cITV (as it should be and
NOT
CiTV)
1800 Regional News; Regional Weather
1830 ITV News; ITV Weather
