Sky One Poaches Lost

The future of Desperate Housewives is still in the balance too. Losing both of them would hit C4 alot more than just losing Lost, so they'll probably be willing to stump up a bit more to secure the rights here.

Surprised though it's being left so late, especially when the new programmes were signed up back in the Spring.


I assume E4 probably still have the rights to rerun Lost series 2 if they want to - I think they've done it once but were probably due for another airing prior to series 3.

Have Sky One ever rerun the first couple of series of 24 (originally shown on BBC2)?

So will Sky One get their hands on the first two series eventually? A bit like with 24.

I also hope Channel 4 hold on to Desperate Housewives. TBH, I don't think Sky One would bother - it's not the type of show I could see them going for, looking at the rest of their imports. Then again, I could be wrong.

I agree, Channel 4 would probably want to hold on to it, as US imports work quite well on 4, and DH still managed to pull in good figures for its second run earlier this year.

I'm glad Channel 4 didn't bother attempting to match Sky One's sum. Like you said, it's a huge amount of money for a show which isn't likely to pull in massive figures.

Maybe ITV will come in for Desperate Housewives, didn't they want it for daytime ?

Good that Sky are actively doing something about showing series in quick succession after the US. Avoiding spoilers is quite a skill in the age of the internet.

Yes, and what a disaster that would have been. I think it's a show which could work well in a primetime slot for ITV1, but not daytime.

Plus I wouldn't have discovered it...

The only other channels I could see going for it are Five and possibly Living - with only Five as a serious contender.


I would hope though that rather than looking for a replacement US import, C4 will look towards estabhlishing more home grown drama series.

Shameless is the only returning series at the moment - whether Goldplated will return remains to be seen, but from episode 1 I'd say no!

And it's longer run series they need to be looking too - OK, Hollyoaks In the City is a soap spin off, but it's filling a one-hour slot on E4 every week for 20 weeks - and isn't doing a bad job at it too!

isn't Hollyoaks: In the City getting around 80-90,000 viewers on average every week? Hardly impressive.

Hollyoaks in the City is hardly gripping drama either.

Id like to see ITV get some US imports in primetime. I understand they are going to be showing one US series in the New Year?

Don't know about the ratings - it was around the average 300,000 mark last I saw - but the point is that it isn't impossible to make longer run series without the budget of a US network!


Everyone here knows how I've praised C4 over the years - but the reality is now that many of the programmes that were fresh and innovative two years ago are now pretty tired. How many of us are watching Wife Swap, Supernanny and Brat Camp then?

US wise they'll have Ugly Betty and ER from January, and if they keep the rights, Desperate Housewives, with Without a Trace airing later in the year.

C4 presumably pretty much have their winter schedule commissioned, but I think in many respects Autumn 2007 could be a blank canvas, and there certainly should be at least one hour a week reserved for an original drama. I'd like to see them use this slot to pilot a couple of 8 part series which have the potential to return as longer run series.


P.S. It's Six Degrees ITV1 plan to screen in primetime - but it also seems destined for the axe, in which case I'd expect ITV1 will change their minds!

Yes, from the creator of Lost. Although it hasn't been that well received over there.

Channel 4 were very clever to pick up Desperate Housewives (Lost came with it I believe), because that was a massive hit. ITV haven't been so lucky with their latest acquisition and probably would have found a better show with Heroes.

Point taken. I watched all of these shows when they first began, but I haven't watched any of them this year (apart from Brat Camp, but not the family version).

I have to say, Supernanny's ratings have fallen dramatically as well. Last year it was one of Channel 4's biggest shows, getting more viewers than Big Brother managed - it's a different story this year.

That's a point. ITV cops all the flak for having a repetitive, predictable schedule, whilst Channel 4 do the same thing and seem to get away with it. They also seem to have given up on weekend evenings as well recently.

But I believe that's Channel Four's quality - being able to find and nurture new and creative material. Whilst I accept the points raised there are also alot of examples, such as Green Wing, which has served to prove Channel 4 does know when to call it a day.

Incidentally, I see alot of the 'older' stuff, Wife Swap, Brat Camp, is starting to be moved off to E4 alot more now.

It still think Channel 4 remains one of the best channels here in the uk, not least for pres but for the way they continually re-evaluate programmes and don't adopt the 'Ant and Dec' tripe on weekend night, I mean, how many broadcasters on a Saturday night are showing a hard-hitting documentary on illegal immigration in Zimbabwe? It's a nice and welcome break, and that's what Channel 4 do best!