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ITV Autumn Schedule

(July 2003)

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JE
Jez Founding member
Quote:
I havent seen Blue Heelers as my ITV region (HTV Wales) has never shown it - I believe it was shown in the other Carlton regions for years and also on Anglia/Meridian in the mid 1990s - I believe SS did better on Central than Blue Heelers as otherwise they would have chosen that for the current 2.30pm slot rather than SS


Blue Heelers was on Central as recently as last year, or the year before, I recall it propped up many a Friday afternoon schedule in the region when the Friday showing of Crossroads was dropped. It does seem though to have disappeared now so whether they still have any rights on it I do not know.[/quote]

I e-mailed Carlton last year as I was wondering if Blue Heelers would effect SS and they told me that BH had not been performing very well in any of the Carlton regions - however SS did well on Central/HTV so they decided to show that on London/West too - although I dont know how well it is doing now in the ratings as ITV wont tell me
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
fanoftv posted:
By strengthening CiTV, they could get better audiences for this as is already hapening and enhance that and drag it through to 5:30 at least. Why do itv think children stop watching tv at 5; they dont, many watch big brother at 10! CBBC gain more viewers at 5 when CiTV stops; this is the way its always been; when CiTV went til 5:10pm, CBBC had their main shows start at 5:10 so kids would flick, now they flick at 5pm and hence shows now start at 5!

By enhancing childrens shows they may be able to hook onto the young audience that wont flick if there is something good on!


But what exactly are they going to show at 5pm if CiTV gets the extension? I mean, Grange Hill, Blue Peter, Byker Grove et al are all pitched for this post 5pm slot. None of CiTV's stuff is really aimed at this same market, stuff like The Worst Witch has trouble cutting it at 4:30 never mind 5pm.
SE
Square Eyes Founding member
Jez posted:

I e-mailed Carlton last year as I was wondering if Blue Heelers would effect SS and they told me that BH had not been performing very well in any of the Carlton regions - however SS did well on Central/HTV so they decided to show that on London/West too - although I dont know how well it is doing now in the ratings as ITV wont tell me

Well as Nigel Pickard has made daytime a key battle ground to turn ITV back into the no.1 channel again (and besides the majority of opinions here they aren't that far behind the BBC, and already dominate overall in peak time) I would fully expect to see Shortland Street disappear from the schedule all together. Strengthening of the daytime schedule ought to include regional output as well, and for Carlton to be putting out an imported soap in a regional slot is nothing short of a disgrace. At least YTV make original regional output for the afternoons.
TV
tvmercia Founding member
Neil Jones posted:
Jez posted:
Neil Jones posted:
Jez posted:
They have never tried SS networked at 5pm so we will never know. The schedule is mostly the same as it is now except I have changed the 2pm and 5pm slots.

And how do you know whether SS is a third rate soap? Have you ever watched the program? I watch it and it is mostly of high quality, certainly more superior to everything else that has been shown at 5pm this year ie Xroads, Planets Funniest Animals, Crocodile Diaries etc


Oh here we go. Isn't it the case that SS is not networked because the only rights at this time are on a four regional basis? Surely for a fully networked transmission, ITV would have to go and buy a new rights package or something from whoever sells SS abroad and if they do that then there wouldn't be any point Carlton having a 2:30 showing anymore networked through their areas and they'd have to spend more money on a four region network basis package for, say, Blue Heelers* or something. No, much cheaper to keep things as it is, both for ITV and Carlton.

*For anybody who hasn't seen Blue Heelers, it's essentially a daytime version of The Bill.


It would be a lot cheaper to buy SS than make a home grown show, for example Crossroads - thats the main reason Neighbours is on the BBC for so many years, it is quite cheap and gets good viewing figures and ITV could at least give SS a chance. As for the 2.30pm slot they could show proper regional progs as that is what it is for!


As stated, the BBC contribute to the making of Neighbours, but they've had that 5:35 slot for years in any case.

As I say, I reckon the fallout from moving SS to 5pm from 2:30 and transmission rights and so on and so forth is a factor in why this show hasn't been networked yet (plus I don't need to say that Nigel Pickard has all but ruled out another soap in this slot before autumn anyway).

Quote:
I havent seen Blue Heelers as my ITV region (HTV Wales) has never shown it - I believe it was shown in the other Carlton regions for years and also on Anglia/Meridian in the mid 1990s - I believe SS did better on Central than Blue Heelers as otherwise they would have chosen that for the current 2.30pm slot rather than SS


Blue Heelers was on Central as recently as last year, or the year before, I recall it propped up many a Friday afternoon schedule in the region when the Friday showing of Crossroads was dropped. It does seem though to have disappeared now so whether they still have any rights on it I do not know.

yep blue heelers was on central up until the revised itv regional slots came into force (summer 2002?) - and a damn good show it was. i guess if central wanted to show it nowerdays it would be awkward seeing as the shows are an hour, and the slots only 1/2 hour. although saying that - weren't carlton london chopping up the episodes (previously shown on central) into 1/2 hour chunks after the revised timeslots.

but yes, fab show - get it on itv network or itv2 i say!
JE
Jez Founding member
[quote="Square Eyes"]
Jez posted:

At least YTV make original regional output for the afternoons.


except for when they and Tyne Tees/Granada screened Shortland St during the regional slot in the summer of 2002!

Why shouldnt Carlton have a soap on Mon-Thurs - they show local progs on the Friday

And if Blue Heelers is sooooo good how come Carlton choose to show SS on London/Carlton for Central England/Wales etc instead of Blue Heelers - more of the Carlton regions had shown Blue Heelers in the past than SS which would have made it easier but they still went for SS

Carlton also made a preview/introduction program for SS and made trailers for the show to try and pull in a few extra viewers (few being the word!)
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
Jez posted:
except for when they [Yorkshire TV] and Tyne Tees/Granada screened Shortland St during the regional slot in the summer of 2002!


You just can't leave it, can you? Rolling Eyes

Quote:
Why shouldnt Carlton have a soap on Mon-Thurs - they show local progs on the Friday


Because the whole point of a regional slot is to show, believe it or not, regional programmes.

Quote:
And if Blue Heelers is sooooo good how come Carlton choose to show SS on London/Carlton for Central England/Wales etc instead of Blue Heelers - more of the Carlton regions had shown Blue Heelers in the past than SS which would have made it easier but they still went for SS


Rights to Blue Heelers ran out? Cheaper to run SS across 4 regions bceause one already has them all? Anyway, Blue Heelers so much better than poxy Shortland Street.

Quote:
Carlton also made a preview/introduction program for SS and made trailers for the show to try and pull in a few extra viewers (few being the word!)


Only because they jumped a few hundred episodes in some regions for networking the 2001 lot, that's all. Wouldn't have bothered otherwise.
AN
Andrew Founding member
[quote="Jez"]
Square Eyes posted:
Jez posted:

At least YTV make original regional output for the afternoons.


except for when they and Tyne Tees/Granada screened Shortland St during the regional slot in the summer of 2002!

Why shouldnt Carlton have a soap on Mon-Thurs - they show local progs on the Friday

Meridian show regional programmes every weekday in the 2.30pm slot. 4 out of the 5 are repeats though
JE
Jez Founding member
Quote:

Because the whole point of a regional slot is to show, believe it or not, regional programmes.


Well how come ITV1 allow ITV1 Carlton for Central England (and some of the others) to show overseas progs then?

Quote:
Rights to Blue Heelers ran out? Cheaper to run SS across 4 regions bceause one already has them all? Anyway, Blue Heelers so much better than poxy Shortland Street.


No Blue Heelers was getting poor viewing figures - I cant remember exactly what Carlton told me but it was something like "Blue Heelers wont be returning in 2003, it has not been performing well in any region"

Quote:


Only because they jumped a few hundred episodes in some regions for networking the 2001 lot, that's all. Wouldn't have bothered otherwise.


They would have been better off sticking to 1998 episodes for the HTV region at least - these earlier episodes were so much better than the newer installments Carlton have on now.
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
Jez posted:
Quote:

Because the whole point of a regional slot is to show, believe it or not, regional programmes.


Well how come ITV1 allow ITV1 Carlton for Central England (and some of the others) to show overseas progs then?


They don't, they designate "14:30-15:00: Regional slot". I dare say when it's all a single ITV this'll change.

Quote:
Quote:
Rights to Blue Heelers ran out? Cheaper to run SS across 4 regions bceause one already has them all? Anyway, Blue Heelers so much better than poxy Shortland Street.


No Blue Heelers was getting poor viewing figures - I cant remember exactly what Carlton told me but it was something like "Blue Heelers wont be returning in 2003, it has not been performing well in any region"


Said that about Crossroads.

Quote:
Quote:
Only because they jumped a few hundred episodes in some regions for networking the 2001 lot, that's all. Wouldn't have bothered otherwise.


They would have been better off sticking to 1998 episodes for the HTV region at least - these earlier episodes were so much better than the newer installments Carlton have on now.


But this is just it:

Do you annoy everybody SS-wise in Carlton Central by jumping back four years, or do you annoy everybody SS-wise in HTV by jumping forward two years, or do you annoy everybody else in the Westcountry and London by scrapping whatever they were watching before SS started there? Tough decision.
JE
Jez Founding member
Quote:
They don't, they designate "14:30-15:00: Regional slot". I dare say when it's all a single ITV this'll change.


But for years and years the ITV regions have shown "overseas" progs in the regional slots - e.g Prisoner Cell Block H, Sons and Daughters, A Country Practice, Blue Heelers were all shown in some regions in local slots so SS is no different

As for the regional slot going I wouldnt count on it - remember between Jan-April they networked Friday but struggled to find a prog for the slot so have given it back to the regions to do their own thing


Quote:
Do you annoy everybody SS-wise in Carlton Central by jumping back four years, or do you annoy everybody SS-wise in HTV by jumping forward two years, or do you annoy everybody else in the Westcountry and London by scrapping whatever they were watching before SS started there? Tough decision.


I dont see why they needed to skip any eps on HTV at all - for years and years HTV screened the same eps as Central had shown years earlier (2 years to be exact) and this worked out ok - but networking it I think viewing figures for HTV eps of SS have dropped
:-(
A former member
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
chrisb posted:
Despite what you may want, I think I can safely say that Shortland Street will not be headlining ITV's new daytime schedule.

We might see it pop up on ITV2 nonetheless...


There is a God! Wink

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