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ITV cuts The Bill to once a week

Also set to move post-watershed in a major schedule shake-up (January 2009)

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AM
Andrew M
Surprised no-ones mentioned this, but that fantasy schedule has corrie every night at 7.30pm, meaning corrie vs eastenders on tuesday & thursday, which I have never seen before (unless they have a rule meaning they do not clash). Like the Emmerdale at 6.30 3 nights a week idea, (and news at 5.30), though it may lose younger viewers to Hollyoaks.
JE
Jez Founding member
I think they could easily cut Emmerdale and Corrie down to 3 episodes a week and have other programmes for Mon/Fri at 8.30pm and Wed/Fri (for example) in the 7pm slots. Look at the Krypton Factor - thats ideal for the 7pm slot.
PA
pad
I'd do something like this to the schedule:

Sunday
6.30pm Comedy Classics - weekly series, probably cheap to make
7.30pm Heartbeat / The Royal etc - fixed slot
8.30pm Coronation Street
9.00pm Drama

Monday
7.00pm The Krypton Factor - Fixed quiz slot, could try Family Fortunes and others here
7.30pm Tonight
8.00pm Emmerdale
8.30pm Coronation Street
9.00pm Whitechapel - Monday Night Thrillers
10.00pm News at Ten

Tuesday
7.00pm Regional programming
7.30pm Creature Comforts - new series
8.00pm Emmerdale
8.30pm Coronation Street
9.00pm In The Line of Fire, Black Market Britain - Documentary strands
10.00pm News at Ten

Wednesday
7.00pm Here and Now - new regional show
7.30pm Creature Comforts - new series
8.00pm Lewis / Poirot etc - 2 hour dramas, or awards, or football
10.00pm News at Ten

Thursday
7.00pm The Colour of Money - entertainment, could try All Star Mr & Mrs, Beat The Star etc here too
8.00pm Emmerdale
8.30pm Coronation Street
9.00pm Trial & Retribution, Law & Order: London, The Prisoner
10.00pm News at Ten

Friday
7.00pm Regional programming
7.30pm Tonight
8.00pm Emmerdale
8.30pm Coronation Street
9.00pm The Bill - fixed slot
10.00pm News at Ten
BR
Brekkie
I guess it's a gamble both ways whether they schedule the soaps in the 7pm or 8pm hour - though we've seen on Mondays and Fridays that an inheritance from Corrie doesn't really affect the ratings of the 9pm programme too much at all.

Ideally I'd rather the soaps remain tucked away in the 7pm hour and it's the 8pm hour freed up for more drama, entertainment and comedy, especially comedy. It's about time ITV tried their luck with a family sitcom again, probably pairing it up with something established like TV Burp.
DA
David_02
Brekkie posted:
I guess it's a gamble both ways whether they schedule the soaps in the 7pm or 8pm hour - though we've seen on Mondays and Fridays that an inheritance from Corrie doesn't really affect the ratings of the 9pm programme too much at all.

Ideally I'd rather the soaps remain tucked away in the 7pm hour and it's the 8pm hour freed up for more drama, entertainment and comedy, especially comedy. It's about time ITV tried their luck with a family sitcom again, probably pairing it up with something established like TV Burp.


I agree. The 8pm hour provides a decent lead-in but it makes the schedule too restrictive. With 8pm freed up you can experiment with different programing - comedy, entertaining, family drama, and it opens up the possibility of more midweek entertainment shows that can air between 8pm and 10pm.

The soap hour would work better as a lead-in for the evening's programming, rather than acting as the centrepiece.

I can see why people suggest the 8pm idea though - mainly because EastEnders often occupies a later slot on BBC1 so when viewers switch over they may not switch back.

10 days later

BR
Brekkie
A few words from Peter Fincham as he speculates how "Saturday night TV" might spill into the weeknight schedule:

Quote:
But there is one area that seems almost bullet proof - big reality/entertainment shows, such as Strictly Come Dancing and Britain's Got Talent. These "shiny-floor shows" - which deliver ratings and cost savings - are enjoying a global boom. "They're the biggest shows on TV and they played a part in saving Saturday night for UK broadcasters," says Peter Fincham, the director of television for ITV.

"So far they've played out on the weekends, but I see a lot of potential for these shows to spread out across the schedules and even into midweek slots, as they do in America. They're especially interesting as budgets mean networks are finding it hard to commit to the same amount of drama - and [different slots] would mean we weren't playing those valuable dramas out against each other in primetime."


http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/feb/02/independent-television-producers
DA
David_02
Definitely think that's where ITV are heading now, and The Bill moving post-watershed frees up more slots for that kind of programming.
CW
Charlie Wells Moderator
Brekkie posted:
A few words from Peter Fincham as he speculates how "Saturday night TV" might spill into the weeknight schedule:

Quote:
But there is one area that seems almost bullet proof - big reality/entertainment shows, such as Strictly Come Dancing and Britain's Got Talent. These "shiny-floor shows" - which deliver ratings and cost savings - are enjoying a global boom. "They're the biggest shows on TV and they played a part in saving Saturday night for UK broadcasters," says Peter Fincham, the director of television for ITV.

"So far they've played out on the weekends, but I see a lot of potential for these shows to spread out across the schedules and even into midweek slots, as they do in America. They're especially interesting as budgets mean networks are finding it hard to commit to the same amount of drama - and [different slots] would mean we weren't playing those valuable dramas out against each other in primetime."


http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/feb/02/independent-television-producers

I wonder if ITV are considering using a scheduling format similar to what Channel 10 uses for Australian Idol. Whilst out there I noticed that they have the main show on a Sunday, with the results show on a Monday night.
ON
onsky
X Factor would be good on a weeknight. Just no Sundays though! Probably a Tues/Wed or Wed/Thurs. That would mean 2 live shows a week! Obviously more contestants though.

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