Do you bother with ITV?

Wertz

Just a thread to gauge how many people regularly tune in to ITV these days.
Since finally making the move to Sky last year, my incidence of tuning in to this channel has dropped off considerably.
Now I know that it doesn't exactly offer a lot of highbrow or quality programming but back when it was one of eight channels through the aerial, I'd usually end up watching something on it...but these days when it's a matter of going to the freeview channels on the digibox I just don't bother, and I probably miss some things which I'd have once watched.
The same goes (to a lesser extent) for the BBC digital channels...I'll really only watch stuff on them that's been promoted on BBC1/2.
Perhaps it is laziness on my part but I can't be annoyed pressing serveral buttons several times to flick through the selections and the EPG is limited to now and next so it's not convenient to plan what you might like to see later.
Obviously if you're still tuning in on terrestial or with a dedicated freeview set/box or through some cable companies then ITV is on the main menu and the digibox thing isn't an issue for you, so I suppose this thread is more relevant to Sky users.
I don't particularly miss ITV...their saturday nights filled with Ant and Dec and various celeb/talent shows (all of which can be seen on TV3 anyway) would have me switching over anyhow, but I do sometimes think that I miss out on some of their movies, sports programming or imported shows.
Anyone else?

NightStrike

Have to kind of agree with you there... I generally forget about it. Yesterday for instance after the Christmas dinner I was lying back looking for a decent film to watch but could find nothing on sky to interest me... It was only about half an hour later that I thought of checking to see had ITV anything worth watching. Now as it happened they didn't but it was just one example of how you sort of put it to the back of your mind because it's not on the EPG. I think most people would have it among their favourite channels if it were on the EPG

EKRIUQ

I wonder why they can't just list on the EPG like channel 4 did, or at least give UTV a slot as a lot of their advertisements cross over for Rep of Ireland viewers also. Now I just find myself downloading the shows that I want as I can't record them on Sky plus but miss alot of shows that I would of other wise of watched. But this debate has been ongoing for years with UTV/ITV and at the end of the day it Irish viewers of ITV just don't amount to being worth the hassle of getting an EPG number

Aidric

I think you answered your own question OP and I agree with you. I am a lazy so and so generally and so can't be bothered to flick up to other channels and scroll through. I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything because most of what they would deem to be their premium output is available on TV3. I also noticed their live sport coverage has virtually ceased to exist in the last couple of years. They also do that annoying break up of movies with news bulletins.

Our man in Havana

Also TV3 have objections to them having a place on the Irish EPG.

Firetrap

Now that you mention it, no. Either I've gotten crankier with old age (quite likely) or they seem to be showing a lot more rubbish than they used to.

mike65

Never watch it unless its footie.

They went through a good period a while back with a bunch of quality drama series but seem to have given up that sort of thing in favour of "reality" for the most part.

joepenguin

Not as much since we got the sky in but i keep an eye out for the boxing they show. Must admit i have forgotten about it once or twice and its annoying cause you cant sky+ it

OPENROAD

Still do, watch ITV London news every evening at 18:00 also watch ITV 3 a good bit and ITV 4 to a lesser extent. Watch BBC 1 London,2,3 a good bit but not much of BBC 4

Jazzy

of course not. its the worst channel ever

Wertz

joepenguin wrote: »

Must admit i have forgotten about it once or twice...

That about sums it up for me....I forget that it's there. The question of quality aside, it's a pity because as mentioned they do happen to get some sports exclusives once in a while and it can be easy to simply miss them.
Anyone know if they're on the EPG in the UK, or is it a similar situation to here?

amacachi

They're on the UK EPG, 101-105 is BBC 1, BBC 2, ITV1, Channel 4 and five.

RayM

Right now, ITV are showing 'All Star Family Fortunes', with a bunch of soap actors as contestants. That kind of cheap, lazy drivel just sums the whole channel up perfectly. It's like they've given up.

Zaph

You don't need to have Sky to forget about it. I have UPC digital, so it's got a quite prominent spot on the EPG, but I can honestly say it's been months since I've watched anything on ITV. It's cheap, lazy, lowest common denominator tv at its worst.

Elmo

No. I think ITV will start seeing a dip in their viewing figures. BBC, C4 and UKTV seem to be doing a better job of digital TV.

ITV1 V BBC1/C4?
ITV2 V BBC3/E4 even in comparison to Sky1?
ITV3 V Alibi?
ITV4 V Dave?

lostexpectation

its seems the whole of the uk didn't bother with itv at xmas as bcc got the the top ten programs apart from corrie at no.11

Rosedale6

Only time i really watch ITV is when the football is on or if i'm flicking through the channels and see the news is on there.

Our man in Havana

RayM wrote: »

Right now, ITV are showing 'All Star Family Fortunes', with a bunch of soap actors as contestants. That kind of cheap, lazy drivel just sums the whole channel up perfectly. It's like they've given up.

Chavtastic TV.

elshambo

Tv Burp, if i happen to catch it


Maggie Thacher killed ITV when she flogged the rites to the areas to her mates!
(She also took out a bit of vengence on companies who had given her grief)

1. Some of the ones who made the better programs lost their licences
2. The ones who kept/got the licences had to pay so much for them they were skint after

they havent been right since!

Wertz

...and Jonny Vegas' monkey finished the job. Well Murdoch really, but the monkey is what I remember.

genie

All I watch on ITV1 (London) at the moment is TV Burp. I never watch ITVChav (2) or ITV4 and ITV3 seems to have turned into the Poirot Channel. :rolleyes:

But ITV1 will start showing the second series of Dexter in a week or so and I'm curious to see the new Phillip Glennister show, Demons, which begins soon, too. That's all, though, the rest is rubbish.

I watch BBC 1-4 more than anything else, and a bit of More4. E4 seems to show nothing but Friends. :rolleyes:

DublinWriter

ITV made the big mistake of letting a bean-counter run the show about 8 years ago.

He came up with the wizard-wheeze of maximising profits by cutting production costs. Anyone else see the flaw inherent in this plan?

Opps! Very little new drama, precious little new documentary programming. Even the continued presence of the South Bank Show couldn't take the curse off it.

Results were disastrous; viewing figures for ITV went southward. On a last throw-of-the-dice scenario, they sacked said Bean-Counter and recruited then BBC-Chief Michael Grade at huge cost to perform a Jesus/Lazerous miracle.

...the last I heard is that everyone is still waiting for the stiff to sit up in the coffin.

Elmo

DublinWriter wrote: »

Results were disastrous; viewing figures for ITV went southward. On a last throw-of-the-dice scenario, they sacked said Bean-Counter and recruited then BBC-Chief Michael Grade at huge cost to perform a Jesus/Lazerous miracle.

They need Greg Dyke (sp?) Michael Grade just took over when Greg got on the wrong side of Blair.

nlgbbbblth

ITV is a shockingly bad station nowadays. But in the 70s and 80s it broadcast a lot of quality drama and comedy that rivalled the BBC's output.

Elmo

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

ITV is a shockingly bad station nowadays. But in the 70s and 80s it broadcast a lot of quality drama and comedy that rivalled the BBC's output.

Raising Damp is about the only good sitcom that ITV ever had.

But you are right ITV used to have good drama.

The problem with ITV and its digital set of channel is that the digital set of channel are designed to look and feel like the mother channel. BBC and C4 both avoid this and have created channels that work well together while also being able to carry each others shows. e.g. Peep Show, Skins can both alternate between C4 and E4.

And they are too brand conscience/aware. ITV2, 3 and 4 don't have their own brand or ideas.

nlgbbbblth

Elmo wrote: »

Raising Damp is about the only good sitcom that ITV ever had.

While Rising Damp is great, some of the following ITV comedies are of similar standard with the remainder being very enjoyable.

Bless This House
And Mother Makes Three
The Benny Hill Show
Watching
Shelley
Man About The House
Robin's Nest
George And Mildred
Billy Liar
Doctor At Large
Father Dear Father
On The Buses
A Fine Romance
The Goodies (LWT era)
Home To Roost
The Lovers
Kinvig
Outside Edge
Only When I Laugh
Please Sir
Duty Free
Spitting Image

eVeNtInE

This post has been deleted.

dmcg90

You can get ITV and its 2,3 and 4 channels and the BBC ones on Irish sky, you need to go into Add Channels and enter some codes off the internet, which should be on google.

Elmo

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

Bless This House
And Mother Makes Three
Man About The House
George And Mildred
Doctor At Large
Father Dear Father
On The Buses
A Fine Romance
The Goodies (LWT era)
Home To Roost
Kinvig
Outside Edge
Only When I Laugh
Please Sir
Duty Free

Ah I don't know, about those ones I have quoted above, I suppose its all to do with taste. I remember think Duty Free was funny, but I don't know why? Okay I will give some of them enjoyable but ITV have always had issues with SitComs.