ITV Discussion Thread

I still hope there a Game show somewhere in peaktime,

I see its borders is the one that casing him the problems, it that the only area which is kicking up a fuss about the cuts? and now wonder 60,000 people isn't alot, I still think that the Scotland area should go to STV

There is. It's called Duel.

I mean a good one, Strike it rich etc

^^ Quite how you can say Duel is no good before it even airs astonishes me.

Moving on, let's open this out into a debate. Just what is Michael Grade talking about? He has said clearly now that the ITV1 schedule revamp has been kept secret, which means there is more than just the switch to 60 minute dramas at 9 and News at Ten involved.

What in god's name could he mean? He has spoken of how you don't "just change one aspect" of the schedule, which alludes to the idea that a lot of things will change. He has also said it will become more "streamlined" and "efficient".

Let's just say we're talking weeknights here. I can't see the Evening News moving, so 6-7pm is likely to remain the same. One possible change could be the 7-8pm soap hour every night:

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/8017/itvweeknightsdq2.gif

This is efficient on several fronts: firstly, it means that there is a repetitive, daily routine going on. Every day, you tune in at 7, or 7.30, depending on soap preference, to watch your show. It frees up the 8pm slot every night. This also allows for a strong lead-in every day to the 8pm show, and that in turn to the 9pm show. It also fits, therefore, with the 'streamlined aspect' of things.

However, this brings up some issues. Firstly, what about BBC1? Where will the 7.30 editions of EastEnders go without annoying Holby City and shows like that? I suppose ITV would just say that is 'their problem'. Secondly, where goes the bi-weekly regional programming?

Then we have 8pm. Well, at the moment two of the three weekly hour slots (Monday and Friday are fragmented) are taken up with The Bill, though it is regularly dropped. Perhaps a permanent reversion to once a week from 2008 and possibly day change? Wednesday at 8pm is a good time and day though. As for Tonight with Trevor McDonald, who knows. Should it stay at 30 minutes twice a week or change to once a week at one hour in length? Since 9pm is conquered now from the looks of things, 8pm should be the next challenge.

9pm is, as I say, already sorted, with a raft of new dramas planned to fit there. We know about what's in store and it looks good. 10pm is obviously News at Ten, whence primetime ends.

Obviously this is all hypothetical but can anyone else think of what Grade could be on about with his secret overhauled schedules?

The average viewer will of course notice, ok 60,000 it may be, but some of these viewers are not involved in the digital age, and there are bound to notice if Lookaround suddenly disappears as its been their for donkeys,

Has anyone posted this?

Mr Grade taking abut itv in Commons

goes into a hell of a bit more depth, all talk

Discussed several times how stripping Emmerdale and Corrie in the 7pm hour would free up the 8pm slot - but they're not going to do that as freeing up the hour means they have to find the money to fund the programmes to fill it. They've made no secret that they're throwing their money at 9pm.


Considering Michael Grade's moves so far I'm not expecting anything drastic at all - it'll just be what they do they aim to do better.

The only changes other than the news I can see will be in the late night slots as generally with ITV it's always been a dumping ground rather than concentrating on anything substantial.

Brekkie - I take you to be more intelligent than to think that Grade's persistent statements of an "architectural revamp of the entire schedule" merely mean late night slots being altered a little.

He has said on many occasions that the schedule will be "streamlined", "more efficient" and undergo a "major facelift". He has openly talked about News at Ten and 9pm one hour dramas, but has now also said that the schedule is being kept a "commercial secret" which hasn't been "revealed yet" and that the News at Ten's move will "make sense when you see the rest of the schedule."

The amount he has harped on about it would suggest there are to be major, major changes to the schedule. You say it means they have to spend money on 8pm if the soaps go in the 7pm hour - why is this, when only one night in the week at the moment has a soap after 8pm anyway? (Monday)

The soaps could go Monday-Friday 7-8pm with Tonight airing once a week at 8pm for an hour, and The Bill on Wednesday (and Thursday) at 8pm. This leaves Tuesday for Trinny and Susannah-esque shows and Friday at 8pm for 2-hour dramas like Midsomer Murders.

On Sundays, the schedule could easily go 7pm Heartbeat, 8pm Kingdom, 9pm Foyle's War / Lewis.

That, to me, seems a commercially viable change which is "major". I personally am not sure I'd like the soaps stripped Monday to Friday but it makes a lot of sense commercially.

"Streamlined"... "more efficient"... but what does it all mean?

Pad, you seem to be getting all excited at things that currently make no sense. We already have soaps predominantly in the 7-8 slot. We already have The Bill, Trinny and Susanna and Tonight in the 8-9 slot. We already have drama at 9. Whatever changes are made, they're hardly going to be groundbreaking.

Hear me out. Not really, the soaps are fragmented in the 7-8 slot. Emmerdale is on 6 nights a week which should be cut to 5, and Corrie is on Sunday, Monday (but twice), Wednesday and Friday. It's not that organised and "streamlined" is it?

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/3616/schedulezo4.gif

Yet another schedule grid thing, but take a look. Monday to Friday, the clearly defined "soap hour" on ITV1 has Emmerdale and Corrie. This means every night has a boost, including Tuesdays and Thursdays, from Corrie. Following it is 8pm programming, which has a healthy lead-in.

Sunday nights also keep most of the demographic interested with Heartbeat occupying the 7pm slot previously taken up by Corrie and Emmerdale. The loss of Corrie and Emmerdale wouldn't be very huge on this night, and certainly compensated in the rest of the week. Shows like Kingdom would work well at 8pm for an hour, with drama premieres which run for longer like Foyle's War and Lewis going at 9pm. To me, that is more efficient and streamlined and to be honest something like that is all I can see ITV doing.

The problem here is that you've got Coronation Street clashing with EastEnders. I can hardly see BBC1 moving EastEnders out of the way just so ITV1 can have a streamlined schedule.

I think you are building up to be disappointed, I doubt there will be such major changes as you are suggesting

Hmm, you're right, and I thought that too until that speech Grade gave the other day where he said the entire schedule was revamped and that "you can't just move one thing" - it suggests more is to move. And when he said it's being kept under wraps. Plus it's like the fourth independent time he's said ITV1 is to get overhauled, revamped, a facelift, etc...

I'm sure the BBC would quickly move EastEnders if it happened anyway. I can't see what else would constitute to what he's saying, as the 9pm dramas and 10pm News have already been announced, and he says these changes are secret still!