ITV Regional Variations in the 70s and 80s

I have heard quite a lot about ITV's regional variations back in the days of the 15 companies. Were there still many regional variations by the 1980s?

I have also read that some American comedy series were not shown in all regions. The Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy, although an excellent book, relies on listings from the Thames/LWT regions for imported shows, so it is possible that they weren't shown in the Midlands, or some of the other regions.

Were ITV network schedules more or less consistent in all regions by the 1990s?

Although it's before my time, the answer is that ITV schedules varied a lot, even in the early nineties.

I remember looking at an early eighties TV listings, which had a whole load of ITV regional variations for that day. The interesting thing I noticed was that there wasn't a lot more regional TV than there was only a few years ago. By regional TV, I mean dedicated programmes of local interest. Most ITV stations had their local news and the main evening regional magazine, but most of the rest of the variations were non-regional programmes. For example, Crossroads was non-networked and put on a different times in different regions. Bullseye and other game shows, along with much of the afternoon schedule was different in each region. Some regions would carry a film which others didn't. Prime time seemed to be mostly uniform, up until after News At Ten, where there were great variations yet again, but very few actual regional TV programmes.

Even in the nineties, I have memories of ITV stations showing Home & Away at different times. I seem to have memories of HTV shifting Emmerdale to an early evening slot. Also, if you followed Prisoner Cell Block H and left town for the week, you could often find yourself tuning into an episode which you saw on your local station months ago, or the story had moved on way beyond where your home station is up to.

I think it was typical for foreign shows from places like America or Australia not to be networked, rather, each station came to its own arrangements to show the programme.

My memory of ITV schedules in the 1990s were where I used to live picked up Anglia Television downstairs and in my bedroom but in my parents' bedroom they would pick up Yorkshire Television. Remember that Anglia News used to be on at 18.25 but Calendar used to come on at 18.00 with Tonight at 18.30?? Also remember that on Central about 04.00 used to show Jobfinder and Asian Eye whilst Anglia didn't do that, seem to also remember that Yorkshire Television used to show Coronation Street at 05.00.

I remember Granada used to show Coronation Street at 12:55pm on some weekdays, they added Emmerdale after not too long, but by about 1997 the Emmerdale repeats were shunted to 11:40pm which was really odd, but unsurprisingly they didn't come back after that.

Home and Away was always an interesting one, Granada always showed at 5:55pm/6:00pm (up until 1997), but Border had it on at 6:30pm right the way through until 1999 when the Evening News took it's slot.

Again imports were an interesting one, Married With Children didn't get shown on many Regions did it? I think it may have been on LWT only, at one point.

Weird to think now within the English ITV regions there were some nights were between 7pm-10pm weren't always fully networked, I'm sure they were still doing this in the 1990's, and the days that ITV companies would opt out to show Champions League games that were for their Region, I remember many times Granada would opt-out and have Elton Welsby hosting.

The 70's/80's thing was way before my time, but I have the Look-In annual and that has a Junior TV Times segment from the 1970's and there were many Regional opt outs especially during Kids programmes.

Scottish TV, did get worse than others:

* Emmerdale, Was tuesday - Thursday 5.10pm ( 1994 - 1998)

* High road: Mondays 7pm so any programme there was moved or axed: Ie talking telephone was Axed. Price is right was moved to 7pm tues - thursday instead

* Married With Children, was shown up here on Thursdays at 10.40pm around that time.

* Home and away was at 6pm 1993 -middle of 1998:

* Corrie and Emmerdale repeat at 4.30AM:



Any chance of a couple?

Home and Away was one of the few imported series that got the same episode shown the same day in each region - just at different times. I remember other soaps such as A Country Practice, Prisoner and Sons And Daughers got shown at different stages. A Country Practice on Central was miles behind the other regions - I think Central didnt start it until 1988 whilst the others showed it from much earlier.

Prisoner didnt even get finished in some regions including the London region.

Central did show A Country Practice, in 1983 but was drop very fast. anthoer Oz show dumped forever was The Sullivans and this was in 1981:

STV land: The Young Doctors was never shown, Sons And Daughers took 12 to show all the espoide years! A county Practice was Dumped half way for more epsoide of murder she wrote, STV was doing what the BBC doing right now!

Shortland Street that was all over the place!

I have to ask was Families ITV Soap Networked? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NJcbqKrbIQ

On a saturday night, Cannin and ball could be seen anywhere between 5,15pm - 8.30pm,

The 1900-2200 stuff and to a degree the morning daytime schedule was similar across many ITV regions (though with some regional shows in certain slots) - but the afternoon daytime stuff, and the post News at Ten and weekend schedules varied pretty majorly between franchises in the 80s ISTR.

Different regions showed different Aussie (and a few NZ and US) shows at different times, as well as sharing various shows made by other regions that weren't fully networked (and sometimes not shown at the same time as the originating franchise?)

ITV in the 80s really was hugely regionally varied compared to now - though whether that was a good or bad thing I don't know....

I just remember having to skip every 3rd page in the TV Times cause of it being dedicated nearly entirely to regional variations for ITV!

I was [and still am at heart] a YTV viewer, and other than news we were mostly in sync with the national output. I do remember reading how varied some other regions were though, and used to think to myself how annoying it probably was. Just retuning the telly and picking up Tyne Tees news bulletin at the wrong time messed with my body clock!

I can remember STV still opt out during peak time at 8pm on Mondays and another day in 2001.

HTV even did this as late as 2000 and 2001, albeit temporarily, when they preferred instead to show complete series of Nuts + Bolts in their 7pm timeslot.

In Granadaland

1990's - from memory

1710 Blockbusters (Not networked)/regional programmes/Home and Away

1800 Granada Tonight/Granada Reports/Home and Away

1830 Granada Tonight/Granada Tonight (Hourly editions)/Home and away/Regional Programmes

1930 Tuesday & Thursday - Regional Programmes

2240 Monday - Regional Programmes
2240 Tuesday - Networked Programmes (Network First and other Documentaries)
2240 Wednesday - Regional Variations
2240 Thursday - Families Omnibus
2240 Friday - Granada Upfront

1980's - very sketchy but give it a go.....

1715 Blockbusters (Networked)
1800 Granada Reports
(1825 Tuesday to Thursday - This Is Your Right)
1830 Monday - Regional Programmes
1830 Tuesday to Thursday - Crossroads
post Crossroads.... Tuesday - Regional Variation; Wednesday - Gameshows; Thursday - The Roxy
1830 Friday - US Comedies such as ALF

1970's - just cannot remember - far too young!!!!!


70's and 80's
I do remember that afternoon were completely not networked until early 80's when they networked (or partially networked) Families and High Road (English regions) and afternoon gameshow slot and the new Children's ITV

Watch It - pre CiTV was regionalised completely and only part networked with certain programmes (did Dramarama start before CITV or at same time?)

whilst the post news at ten (which in those days had NO regional news) was also very regionalised.

I can also remember during the very late 80's and early 90's Granada and Border joined forces on Saturday afternnoons, in the post World of Sport/British Wrestling slots, with Granada Sportsworld and showing live rugby league (which I think the Rugby was also shown in the Yorkshire region as well)

whilst sunday daytimes were completely regional apart from weekend world/Eye TV (which included news headlines)