I have been registered here since 2003 and while not a regular poster, I do often pop in to have a butchers. One thing I noticed when doing a search of all my historic posts is that every summer since 2003 there have been threads on the end of ITV due to its failing summer shows but then come the autumn it picks up again. For example shows like Trouble in Paradise, The Vault, The Block and Simply the Best all done terribly during the summer either being put in a graveyard slot or axed mid-run, yet come Autumn, ITV gets its big guns out and it gets decent audiences again.
Do you think this year will be any different? With shows like X-Factor on for months and other draws like Saturday Night Takeaway and ITV’s Drama Premieres penciled in, do you think this is now just ITV’s customary summer lull?
I often think these stories of 'lowest ever ratings' are a bit overblown. Channels typically get their lowest figures in the summer, and with more of them competing for viewers every year, it's almost inevitable that their reach will fall accordingly, year on year.
Plus in the case of the latest reports on ITV1, we've just had a scorching July - so of course more people will be outside enjoying the sunshine, rather than watching telly.
Do you think this year will be any different? With shows like X-Factor on for months and other draws like Saturday Night Takeaway and ITV’s Drama Premieres penciled in, do you think this is now just ITV’s customary summer lull?
Yes. of course it is - This happens *every* year. With the way people get worked up here you'd be forgiven for thinking it was the end of the world. The turn around will begin in 2 weeks with the return of 'The X Factor' - then of course you won't here a peep
To be honest, I don't think this is just another ratings blip for ITV- the simple reason is that it's caused a change in culture and programming in two key respects:
1. Event programming- they're going big on this more so than ever before, and are likely to accept the odd failure in order to find successful formats that can survive being stripped across the schedule for weeks on end.
For me this indicates a shift towards less variety on the channel.
2. This coming autumn, ITV1 will screen the US drama "Six Degrees" in a primetime slot. This is the new drama by JJ Abrams, the creator of "Lost". Given that fact, I imagine they've paid top dollar for this series, hence the fact they're showing on ITV1 and not one of the digital channels.
For me if this is a success (and it has every reason to be given the pedigree of the production team), this will be just the beginning of ITV buying in US programming for peak time broadcast on ITV1. I think this will probably make the channel more watchable to many people (including me), but it will further drift away from any public service remit that it barely fulfils today.
There's no doubt that, apart from a few programmes like Corrie, the days when ITV, or any other channel, can command a dominant share of the audience have gone. The problem is that they seem to have lost their way completely. Take drama. Heartbeat and Where the Heart Is are pale shadows of their original selves...ITV must surely realise that you can only milk a formula for so long before a programme becomes a parody of itself. Then there's Poirot...the more recent productions have been much further from the Christie originals than the earlier programmes. Granted, if they stuck to the novels, Poirot would hardly appear in some stories. But there's adaptation, and there's gross distortion. Think of the quality drama series ITV produced in the 70s...Family at War, Sam, Within These Walls, Upstairs Downstairs, Budgie,Callan....think, and weep!
The turn around will begin in 2 weeks with the return of 'The X Factor' - then of course you won't here a peep