Is ITV going to hell in a handcart?

mike65

Okay this is'nt a new thought but it really does appear that ITV has now Lost the Plot. This week saw another desperate move to stop ppl turning to BBC and C4 as they scheduled Corrie in the 20.30-21.30 slot on Monday, something they have NEVER done before. Whatsmore it did'nt work as they still lost viewers at 21.00 hrs. The reason for this move? To try and shore up the rating for Celeb Love Island the existence of which has boosted all other channels at 9pm!

Also this week the controller has axed two brand new progs - Real Good Life and Fat Families. Okay neither is a loss but to abandon ship so quickly smacks of desperation. Celeb Wrestling went west only a few weeks back

New or new series primetime drama on ITV appears to be at an all-time low with The Last Detective, Murder in Suburbia and Bad Girls the sum total at the moment. I wont count the Bill its an ongoing drama these days.

Meanwhile we're overwhelmed with soaps/soap specials and reality formats
of increasing desperate hue, this stuff is relatively cheap but self defeating
for the network as they loose viewers which inturn supresses ad revenue which means less money to make quality drama and so on.

So is ITV entering a vicious circle from which it can't escape as viewers escape to other channels?

Mike.

JohnC.

Some are hopeful. As you say, they have axed 2 new reality shows before they even begun, axed Celebrity Wrestling and they are apparently thinking of axing Celebrity Love Island. Some think "reality" TV may be finally turning the corner and going away, which is a good thing. Hopefully they will make some effort to fill the gap.

BuffyBot

Well CLI's ratings have picked up, so that seems safe. I remember reading somewhere that this is perfectly intentional on the part of ITV - they're taking a very American attituide..it's sink or swim, no mercy.

Ulsterman 1690

ITV has been going slowly downhill since the 1990 Broadcasting act and the franchise auctioning farce. The mergers of the English ITV regions have only accelerated the process to the extent that Channel Five now wipes the floor with them.
If Sky one were to go FTA and start broadcasting on freeview ITV would be in BIG trouble

Mind you Channel 4 and even the Beeb are being dragged down with them :mad:

byte

ITV have been rubbish for ages. As it stands, Corrie and Emmerdale are on overkill atm. Then of course, that means Eastenders is overkill now too, to compete. Why, oh why, must they rely so much on soaps?

ITV have one good thing... Champions League (perhaps Formula 1 also). Other than the CL, I don't watch any ITV channel much. I'd probably have more interest in ITV3 than in ITV1 and 2 put together! And that's pushing it

DMC

Repeats of the 1990's versions of Van der Valk on ITV3 have reminded me just how good it used to be....

Elmo

I don't think they have lost the plot.

They are just showing their true colours, they were never able to make suffocated TV.

they're taking a very American attituide..it's sink or swim, no mercy.

If they where they wouldn't be proping up CLI with Coro St.

I think they need to give their Soap Opera output a rest and do something orginal.

I wont count the Bill its an ongoing drama these days.

No the bill is a just cop soap. Was never anything else.

It's unfortunate that TV3 is being drag along with them. :mad:

BuffyBot

If they where they wouldn't be proping up CLI with Coro St.

Actually, CLI seems to have made a bit of a comeback ratings wise. It's out performed Big Brother on many occasions, something ITV are quite happy about.

I think they need to give their Soap Opera output a rest and do something orginal.

Well, that would be suicide. Why would a commercial organisation kill of it's best rated product? Coronation Street is one of their top rated programs and a big advertising draw.

No the bill is a just cop soap. Was never anything else.

It was something else. In it's previous incarnations, The Bill was a drama - and one that didn't pull punches. Now, it's a soap - but when ITV wanted to do drama, and in the old days it did, it very often did them quite well.

Elmo

Why would a commercial organisation kill of it's best rated product?

They might end up in over kill.

Celeb Love Island and all the other Celeb shows are in over kill at the moment.

It was something else. In it's previous incarnations, The Bill was a drama - and one that didn't pull punches.

I call Prime Suspect and Cracker Drama, Most american cop shows are becoming very generic (CSI and L&O) yet I would still say, while they are very safe (generally never being contraversial), they aregood drama. The Wire is Drama and most other American TV.

C4 and BBC continue to do drama well outside their soap operas.