Channel 4 has very strong schedule structures, with it's "First Look" system and it's E4 "9 Thing" system. IMO ITV can easily implement such tactics into its schedules. Sure it will be called a copy cat, but it's powerful and impatient viewers love it.
Here's an example of what they could do:
5.00 The 5 O’Clock Show
6.00 Regional News
6.30 ITV Evening News
7.00 Emmerdale
repeated at 10.30pm on ITV3, or 5.30pm tomorrow on ITV3
7.30 Coronation Street
repeated at 11.00pm on ITV3, or 6.00pm tomorrow on ITV3
or Regional Programmes (Tue/Thu)
followed by ITV News Update
8.00 Tonight with Trevor McDonald
or The Bill (Tue/Thu, with next episode at 9pm on ITV2) or other (Wed)
9.00 ITV Drama Premiere
or Drama Series (Wed/Thu, with next episode at 10.30pm on ITV2) or Film (Fri)
10.30 ITV Nightly News
11.05 Night time Programming
I think it's about time they sorted out the schedules a little bit at ITV.
What's right for C4 may not be right for ITV though!
I think while C4 have managed to hold onto ratings and build up their digital channels, ITV is under more pressure to maintain the performance of it's main channel - so "first look" episodes of original series would go against that idea.
It is noticable though ITV are beginning to take a different attitude to imported programmes, screening them at some point on ITV2/3 and repeating them in an off-peak slot on ITV1 before the next episode.
The first look idea though has worked well for E4 - with Lost being the best example. On the surface, the C4 editions lost around half the viewers during it's first series - but the majority of these can be accounted for with the E4 "First Look" and "Second Chance" editions, which between them attracted up to 2m viewers.
It's interesting now that the digital/terrestrial difference in screening is typhically down to at most one week now - with downloading said to be a significant reason for broadcasters getting US imports on screen quicker.
It'll also be interesting to see how the schedules change over the next few years with analogue switch off - will E4 still have "first look" episodes when everyone who gets C4 can receive it?
Talking scheduling though - C4 very naughty tonight in extending Big Brother for no other reason than to ensure people miss the beginning of Prison Break!
Talking scheduling though - C4 very naughty tonight in extending Big Brother for no other reason than to ensure people miss the beginning of Prison Break!
That was very crafty. "Specially extended", eh Channel 4?!
Yes ITV have done something simular with Supernatural. it was shown last night on ITV2 before its ITV1 screening tonight, so viewers with ITV2 get the chance to see it before its shown on ITV1.
I think ITV need to get some more imported series. Its a shame channel 4 seem to get their hands on so many american imports such as Desperate Housewives and Lost - something like that would be good for ITV1.
Yes ITV have done something simular with Supernatural. it was shown last night on ITV2 before its ITV1 screening tonight, so viewers with ITV2 get the chance to see it before its shown on ITV1.
I think ITV need to get some more imported series. Its a shame channel 4 seem to get their hands on so many american imports such as Desperate Housewives and Lost - something like that would be good for ITV1.
They wouldn't pull in the sort of ratings that you expect from a hit ITV show. 4 million on Channel 4 is a success, on ITV its a flop. ITV's core schedule still needs to be made up of UK series
Yes ITV have done something simular with Supernatural. it was shown last night on ITV2 before its ITV1 screening tonight, so viewers with ITV2 get the chance to see it before its shown on ITV1.
I think ITV need to get some more imported series. Its a shame channel 4 seem to get their hands on so many american imports such as Desperate Housewives and Lost - something like that would be good for ITV1.
They wouldn't pull in the sort of ratings that you expect from a hit ITV show. 4 million on Channel 4 is a success, on ITV its a flop. ITV's core schedule still needs to be made up of UK series
More people would watch though if it was on ITV1 wouldnt they? Who's to say an imported drama wouldnt do as well as ITV's homegrown dramas?
Yes ITV have done something simular with Supernatural. it was shown last night on ITV2 before its ITV1 screening tonight, so viewers with ITV2 get the chance to see it before its shown on ITV1.
I think ITV need to get some more imported series. Its a shame channel 4 seem to get their hands on so many american imports such as Desperate Housewives and Lost - something like that would be good for ITV1.
They wouldn't pull in the sort of ratings that you expect from a hit ITV show. 4 million on Channel 4 is a success, on ITV its a flop. ITV's core schedule still needs to be made up of UK series
More people would watch though if it was on ITV1 wouldnt they? Who's to say an imported drama wouldnt do as well as ITV's homegrown dramas?
Exactly, a Channel 4 show could do better on ITV1. Desperate Housewives would do well in a Monday 9pm slot on ITV1, after Coronation Street.
I was going to start a fresh topic on US imports, but I might as well say it here - what do you think of them? Is it important we get to see hit US shows, or should broadcasters be looking for more hits of their own?
I read last week that C4 expect the battle for new imports to be tougher than ever this year with UK broadcasters spending up to $750,000 per episode on US imports.
Now, according to a recent report the BBC spend about £450,000 an hour on original drama - which works out roughly the same.
Also a bit of a side note but it looks like Friends have done a Only Fools and Horses style U-turn according to Teletext today. Apparantly the cast have agreed to make four hour-long specials to air later this year - just two years after the show ended. Also reports that Joey will be axed and a new spin off with Chandler, Ross and Joey is in the pipe-line.
