ITV Programming Thread

[Jez_CymruWales]

And people say I don't like TV.

This week has always been tricky for ITV and they should be praised for doing something other than airing Harry Potter films every night yet again, even if it results in a lower audience.

Still baffled by The Voice Kids scheduling - feels like it's being burnt off rather than at the heart of the Christmas schedule, and may have been better earlier in the evening with the five hours stripped across five nights rather than three rather than disrupting the Corrie schedule - but it is nice that ITV are increasingly willing to move the soaps around for a bit of entertainment every now and then.


One thing I don't get is why the commercial channels (and their offshoots) don't use this week more to rerun some of the highlights of the year. It's the one week they can pass it off as a nostaligic look back on the year for the benefit of those who missed shows or want to watch them again rather than just repeats.

The Voice has clearly been recorded as a Christmas Special rather than them just playing out this series over Christmas. I wonder why they didn't screen it back in the summer like previous years.

Im not sure if moving the soaps around so much is a good thing IMO. It was only the other week that Corrie was shown Mon-Fri to make way for Walk The Line. They also cant decide if Fridays are hour long episodes or 2 x half hours.

Worth noting that Emmerdale will have been on consistently for 12 nights in a row come New Years Eve. This must be a record. At least Corrie is off for a couple of days now and was 2 nights last week as well. Emmerdale just seems overkill at the moment.

[Brekkie]

How did Corrie rate in the Walk The Line week when it was stripped at 7.30pm? Ideally they'd keep the soaps in that hour on weeknights only and have a more varied line up at 8pm, which with a bit of shuffling round could probably be achieved though how well pairing up the half hour fillers would sustain ratings during the evening I'm not so sure.

[Jez_CymruWales]

How did Corrie rate in the Walk The Line week when it was stripped at 7.30pm? Ideally they'd keep the soaps in that hour on weeknights only and have a more varied line up at 8pm, which with a bit of shuffling round could probably be achieved though how well pairing up the half hour fillers would sustain ratings during the evening I'm not so sure.

Im not sure how Corrie did - about the same as usual most likely as it was still in its usual 7.30 slot, at least on Mon/Wed and Friday.

Unlike when BGT airs the episodes weren't written as half hour episodes, Tuesdays episode for example carried on exactly where Mondays left off as if it was the Monday 8.30 episode. So I guess it may have been a late decision to schedule Corrie and Walk the Line in that way.

[Jez_CymruWales]

I just looked up the Corrie ratings for the week it aired nightly at 7.30 (13th-17th December)

Monday 4.95m
Tuesday 4.97m
Wednesday 5.11m
Thursday 5.17m
Friday 4.97m

Interestingly the highest episode of the week was Thursday, a day it doesnt usually air. Although to be fair there isn't a lot in it. Generally it gets about 5 to 5.5 million these days so it was slightly lower than usual but not a huge amount.

[Brekkie]

Interesting figures - expected bigger dips on the Tuesday and Thursday but they both increased on the previous night.

EastEnders not really the factor in such decisions as they once were but still it would be a risk for ITV to possibly send viewers across to the BBC at 8pm and for them not to come back, especially at 9pm. That said of course we're not in a world anymore where 80% of viewers is across BBC1 and ITV, and though those ratings may present a strong argument for stripping the soaps in the 7pm hour they also don't suggest you should be axing an episode either - though returning them to Sunday nights could help their too.

It's only really Dancing on Ice blocking them at the moment, and that perhaps could move to 8-10pm (and the two hour Vera style dramas moved midweek). A less family friendly slot granted for DoI but would end no later than the result show did for many years of it's original run.

[Jez_CymruWales]

Interesting figures - expected bigger dips on the Tuesday and Thursday but they both increased on the previous night.

EastEnders not really the factor in such decisions as they once were but still it would be a risk for ITV to possibly send viewers across to the BBC at 8pm and for them not to come back, especially at 9pm. That said of course we're not in a world anymore where 80% of viewers is across BBC1 and ITV, and though those ratings may present a strong argument for stripping the soaps in the 7pm hour they also don't suggest you should be axing an episode either - though returning them to Sunday nights could help their too.

It's only really Dancing on Ice blocking them at the moment, and that perhaps could move to 8-10pm (and the two hour Vera style dramas moved midweek). A less family friendly slot granted for DoI but would end no later than the result show did for many years of it's original run.

Id rather they kept it to 5 episodes for each soap but if they must have 6 i think having a second Corrie on either Monday or Friday (either 1 hour or 2nd episode at 8.30pm), most likely a Monday as that's usually a stronger night with a drama at 9pm that could do well with Corrie before it. With Emmerdale they could have the 6th episode at 8pm on a Thursday as now which would immediately follow Corrie.

I do think the days of the soaps providing a strong lead into the 9pm show are slowly disappearing and many 9pm dramas seem to get better viewing figures than the soaps. I know its on BBC1 but look at Line of Duty ratings compared to the soaps.

[tellyblues]

It depends on the drama. If it's the latest thing from (or associated with) Ned Mercurio then it will get big numbers.

[Brekkie]

Talking of which Trigger Point with Vicky McClure really comes off as a Line of Duty rip-off in the trailer. Difficult to accept her as another police officer - unless they do a Martin Compston on her in the first few minutes.

[Jez_CymruWales]

Talking of which Trigger Point with Vicky McClure really comes off as a Line of Duty rip-off in the trailer. Difficult to accept her as another police officer - unless they do a Martin Compston on her in the first few minutes.

I am wondering which night Trigger Point will air. Sundays will have Vera and Wednesdays The Bay. I'm guessing it could air on a Monday that is the popular choice for many dramas. They don't seem to use Tuesdays and Thursdays weekly dramas as much.

[XIII]

It depends on the drama. If it's the latest thing from (or associated with) Ned Mercurio then it will get big numbers.

It's Jed Mercurio unless he has a long lost twin brother!

[tellyblues]

https://www.tvzoneuk.com/post/moneyball-axedreport

Moneyball apparently not renewed for a second series.

I think Sitting On A Fortune may get recommissioned as it isn't an easy target and did OK.

[JAS84]

The link says they've denied that's true.

This week has always been tricky for ITV and they should be praised for doing something other than airing Harry Potter films every night yet again, even if it results in a lower audience.

They CAN'T show Harry Potter, Sky has those right now - there's even a Sky Cinema Wizarding World pop-up channel!

[Brekkie]

I never understand why broadcasters "deny" shows that have so obviously underperformed being axed when it is inevitable they will be. OK, maybe technically the decision hasn't been made yet, and I guess a show that hasn't been commissioned for more than one series technically isn't "axed" if all the episodes that actually were commissioned have aired, but denying the obvious is just making them look foolish really.

Entertainment wise though guessing there isn't much more than The Masked Dancer that debuted in 2021 that'll return in 2022. Everything else under performed really and not sure there is anything where you think it's worth tweaking the format and trying again rather than starting from scratch with something new. Really though there is nothing that ITV will lose sleep over not coming back - Limitless Win on the other hand they need to be a hit out of the gate, though probably with limited winnings!


P.S. Still no sign of Trigger Point in week 3. Wondering if it might take the Sunday slot the following week as Vera is only two episodes. Mondays are perhaps a no-go now in Q1 due to the potential of them having an FA Cup game (this round they've a Friday night game with the BBC having the Monday night match).

[boddington]

Limitless Win will get at least 15 million viewers tonight, I think.

[all new Phil]

Limitless Win will get at least 15 million viewers tonight, I imagine.

Not a chance.