JO
Well, BBC1 do quite well in terms of ensemble dramas like this with Silent Witness and Death In Paradise, and all channels really could do with schedule staples like these, not to make the schedules boring and samey, but to have something they can count on to act as insurance, to encourage new talent in front of and behind the camera, and bring audiences to the channel so you can promote and launch new things off the back of it.
Silent Witness and Death in Paradise are also good examples of programmes that have successfully navigated major cast changes, as London's Burning, Peak Practice and Heartbeat also did very successfully. There are lots of very good dramas at the moment, but a lot of them either involve the same person writing them all, or they're based entirely around a particular lead, so they're always going to have very limited runs. There should still be those, of course, but it would also help improve the range of drama if you also had some long runners that could run for several weeks of the year, every year. Of course it didn't always work, Soldier Soldier's ratings absolutely plummeted when Robson and Jerome left for example and it was soon axed, but you get the general idea.
Polly Hill at ITV did say a few years ago she was interested in doing story-of-the-week dramas, citing The Good Wife as an example of the kind of thing she'd like to do, where it didn't matter so much if you missed an episode. Sadly nothing seemed to come of that.
The BBC does seem to have moved towards serialised shows or big event series rather than having story of the week type shows whereas ITV seem to be a mix of serialised and story of the week. This year we've seen new procedurals like McDonald and Dodds and Van der Valk with more coming next year like Grace. If you manage to launch a new series, it gives you freedom to retire one of your long runners if they're reaching the end of their natural life.
Well, BBC1 do quite well in terms of ensemble dramas like this with Silent Witness and Death In Paradise, and all channels really could do with schedule staples like these, not to make the schedules boring and samey, but to have something they can count on to act as insurance, to encourage new talent in front of and behind the camera, and bring audiences to the channel so you can promote and launch new things off the back of it.
Silent Witness and Death in Paradise are also good examples of programmes that have successfully navigated major cast changes, as London's Burning, Peak Practice and Heartbeat also did very successfully. There are lots of very good dramas at the moment, but a lot of them either involve the same person writing them all, or they're based entirely around a particular lead, so they're always going to have very limited runs. There should still be those, of course, but it would also help improve the range of drama if you also had some long runners that could run for several weeks of the year, every year. Of course it didn't always work, Soldier Soldier's ratings absolutely plummeted when Robson and Jerome left for example and it was soon axed, but you get the general idea.
Polly Hill at ITV did say a few years ago she was interested in doing story-of-the-week dramas, citing The Good Wife as an example of the kind of thing she'd like to do, where it didn't matter so much if you missed an episode. Sadly nothing seemed to come of that.
The BBC does seem to have moved towards serialised shows or big event series rather than having story of the week type shows whereas ITV seem to be a mix of serialised and story of the week. This year we've seen new procedurals like McDonald and Dodds and Van der Valk with more coming next year like Grace. If you manage to launch a new series, it gives you freedom to retire one of your long runners if they're reaching the end of their natural life.
RO
Sunday night on bbc1 sometimes involved screen one, which for those under a certain age, was the name given to a slot for one off dramas. Sometimes screen one was on a Saturday.
For a while there was also screen two on bbc2.
For a while there was also screen two on bbc2.
OC
I feel like Screen Two came first. This isn't my best ever anecdote, I fully accept...
MA
Ha. Wasn't Screen Two the Sunday 22:30 ish to 00:00 ish drama/BBC films slot in the 80s ?
Used to stay up and watch that most weeks,
ITV used to do similar at the same time
Apart from that, for me it was The Money Programme, and Howard's Way
I feel like Screen Two came first. This isn't my best ever anecdote, I fully accept...
Ha. Wasn't Screen Two the Sunday 22:30 ish to 00:00 ish drama/BBC films slot in the 80s ?
Used to stay up and watch that most weeks,
ITV used to do similar at the same time
Apart from that, for me it was The Money Programme, and Howard's Way
NW
We were much more of an ITV house, in the early 90’s when I was young, it meant Coronation Street Omnibus and Bullseye. But as the 1990’s went on, it always Corrie, Heartbeat, London’s Burning, even Tarrant on TV (not to my parents knowledge). Sunday mornings and afternoons used to be extremely dull if you were a younger viewer stuck with the 4 channels. I’d say Sunday TV is a lot better now than what it used to be, even if it’s comfort repeats and films, it’s more entertaining than politics and religion.
When we got cable installed in 1997, Sky1 was very much the place to be on a Sunday. Even Sky Sports and Sky Movies put a concerted effort in to complement this, in the form of a big Premier League match, a new Simpsons and then a family premiere. Certainly they provided a more entertaining alternative than BBC1 and ITV did back then.
In recent years from the late 2000’s onwards, I’d say Sunday nights have been signified by Top Gear, despite the fact you never get more than 12/13 episodes a year, even now.
When we got cable installed in 1997, Sky1 was very much the place to be on a Sunday. Even Sky Sports and Sky Movies put a concerted effort in to complement this, in the form of a big Premier League match, a new Simpsons and then a family premiere. Certainly they provided a more entertaining alternative than BBC1 and ITV did back then.
In recent years from the late 2000’s onwards, I’d say Sunday nights have been signified by Top Gear, despite the fact you never get more than 12/13 episodes a year, even now.
SW
Yes it did, fact fans.
Yes, and that helped Sunday become a big young and male-skewing night on BBC2 for many years, which made sense when BBC1 and ITV skewed particularly old and female with the likes of Heartbeat and Call The Midwife. Certainly about ten years ago you had Top Gear, a male-skewing documentary like Louis Theroux and Match of the Day 2, and they did really well out of that for a long time.
I wish MOTD2 was still on BBC2, if only because it used to be able to start at ten, whereas on BBC1 it doesn't start until 10.30 and I have to stay up later on a work night.
I feel like Screen Two came first. This isn't my best ever anecdote, I fully accept...
Yes it did, fact fans.
In recent years from the late 2000’s onwards, I’d say Sunday nights have been signified by Top Gear, despite the fact you never get more than 12/13 episodes a year, even now.
Yes, and that helped Sunday become a big young and male-skewing night on BBC2 for many years, which made sense when BBC1 and ITV skewed particularly old and female with the likes of Heartbeat and Call The Midwife. Certainly about ten years ago you had Top Gear, a male-skewing documentary like Louis Theroux and Match of the Day 2, and they did really well out of that for a long time.
I wish MOTD2 was still on BBC2, if only because it used to be able to start at ten, whereas on BBC1 it doesn't start until 10.30 and I have to stay up later on a work night.
BR
Yes, agree re: MOTD2 - especially in recent weeks when it's been pushed back to starting around 11pm, and usually has 4 matches to cover now. Talking football though Soccer Sunday on HTV Wales and Granada were both late Sunday afternoon regulars, as well as many other regions.
Back to the God Slot and memories of however awful that was, the summer replacements were even worse. Were BBC2 and C4 allowed to schedule against it from their respective starts?
Back to the God Slot and memories of however awful that was, the summer replacements were even worse. Were BBC2 and C4 allowed to schedule against it from their respective starts?
SW
No, up until 1977, BBC2 would also broadcast something religious during what was quaintly referred to as "the closed period", albeit usually something aimed at a younger audience, as you can see here - https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1974-12-08
In April 1977, though, the God slot was cut from an hour to half an hour, and BBC2 were permitted to show something secular, which was usually News Review or The Money Programme. As were C4 when they started.
Back to the God Slot and memories of however awful that was, the summer replacements were even worse. Were BBC2 and C4 allowed to schedule against it from their respective starts?
No, up until 1977, BBC2 would also broadcast something religious during what was quaintly referred to as "the closed period", albeit usually something aimed at a younger audience, as you can see here - https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1974-12-08
In April 1977, though, the God slot was cut from an hour to half an hour, and BBC2 were permitted to show something secular, which was usually News Review or The Money Programme. As were C4 when they started.
AB
Yeah it was Heartbeat for me. I didn't watch it, but just hearing the theme tune passing through the house sent a shiver down my spine! Sorry Nick.
I quite enjoy Sunday nights now - I don't make a point of watching Antiques Roadshow - and would never watch it on iPlayer - but sometimes watching it for 20 minutes as it goes out with a cup of tea is oddly comforting. I also really like when they put Millionaire on a Sunday night - seems to just work for me. Last Tango is another nice one though of course that's not on very much.
I quite enjoy Sunday nights now - I don't make a point of watching Antiques Roadshow - and would never watch it on iPlayer - but sometimes watching it for 20 minutes as it goes out with a cup of tea is oddly comforting. I also really like when they put Millionaire on a Sunday night - seems to just work for me. Last Tango is another nice one though of course that's not on very much.