This has always puzzled/annoyed me:
Show 'X' on BBC 2 gets 2m viewers. Put the same show on BBC1 and it gets 5m. BBC1 & ITV will get much higher viewing figures than the ther channels because of 'tradition/prejudice', even when they show shite like 'Celebrity Grimefighters'.
It is almost as if some people are afraid of watching BBC2/C4. The masses are asses.
It's also a lot to do with what other programmes the channels have to line up against, and inherit the audience.
Quote: TopBanana @ July 30 2011, 2:31 PM BSTIt is almost as if some people are afraid of watching BBC2/C4. The masses are asses.
They are, and they don't realise what they are missing out on sometimes!
The repeats of Miranda on BBC One on Fridays goes to show that what channel you are on can make a difference. As mentioned above, what's on beforehand can help (e.g. these repeats have another comedy on before, whereas on BBC Two they went out with some nature programme beforehand if I recall correctly)...
But there's lots else at play too. TVs stuck on in pubs, hairdressers etc tend to stay on a 'flagship' channel knowing the programme will be suitably populist, people channel hopping for something to look will start at the top of the 'dial' till they find something to watch, and there's just the general perception too - many people think of BBC2 as a bit too 'arty' for them, so it's not until something lands on BBC1 do they get the indication that it is suitably 'mainstream' enough to match their tastes.
All nuts though I agree, and what channel something is on really does matter. The IT Crowd hits a ceiling on C4, whereas if it was on ITV or BBC it would have a much bigger audience I'm sure.
The only ITV sitcoms I can think of from the last 10 years are Barbara (Gwen Taylor) and Benidorm.
If they can't make new sitcoms, why don't they repeat old ITV sitcoms like In Loving Memory or Only When I Laugh?
Quote: Snork @ August 30 2011, 3:26 PM BSTIf they can't make new sitcoms, why don't they repeat old ITV sitcoms like In Loving Memory or Only When I Laugh?
Presumably you're unfamiliar with ITV3? It's full of that stuff.
Quote: john lucas 101 @ August 31 2011, 9:53 AM BSTPresumably you're unfamiliar with ITV3? It's full of that stuff.
That's what I miss most about you, Lucas. Your TV Quick mind.
I'm not unfamiliar with ITV3 I always watch all these but you know how desperate ITV can get.
Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ July 10 2011, 2:00 PM BSTI remember ITV in the 70s, its glory years. I tell you something, there was as much class on ITV in the evenings as there was on BBC1. They need to recapture this balance because nowdays it is way too down market on the whole, and this is their young executives' fault, because they really don't understand the true ITV from the past. They have ruined it. They come out of fancy unis with this and that but they know nuuuuthing.
The kind of stuff Kudos does for BBC, Spooks, Life on Mars and Hustle would have been snapped up by ITV in their day. They do occasionally have some good short series but no Prime Suspect, Rumpole, Minder, Out, Cracker, Jewel in the Crownetc.
People like Lew Grade had great instincts and although BBC old guard would sniff at his variety background he wouldn't hesitate to commission a Pinter play in a mid-week schedule.
After Patrick McGoohan pitched the Prisoner in Grade's office he said something like:
"Patrick I don't understand a word of it, but it sounds marvellous- get it in the can by Christmas."
Class.
On ITV comedy, their early evening Day Today pastiche; ITV News is highly amusing though.
The BBC seem to try a show on BBC3 and if it works it can make the jump to 2 or even 1.
ITV don't have that.
As long as they keep looking at ITV2,3,and 4 as places to repeat stuff.
If they work it in reverse like the BBC, first tried out Hidden away on a digital channel, then repeated on ITV if it works it takes a lot of the risk out of things doesn't it?
The problem is greed. Spending money on something that might not work out? Why not play safe and go with what you know.
Well, it's all a bit confused because of the differing priorities of each network. For ITV it's all about the viewer figures, as it allows them to charge more for advertising. The BBC have very different incentives in how and why to try things, and indeed unlike ITV have a certain guaranteed income no matter how good or bad their shows are.
To be fair to ITV, they have repeated Celebrity Juice on ITV1, but you're right, there's a difference in migrating a show across stations.
I guess it comes down to the economics of it - ITV's digital channels don't get as many viewers as ITV1, and scripted comedies are so expensive that it'd just never be financially sensible to try things out on the lower-earning stations.
Pity though, really is.
I haven't heard all of it but there was a discussion regarding the 'problem of comedy' and why stuff does or doesn't get commissioned on R5 on Sunday morning around about 10ish. (Spouse very kindly turned it off part way through.) It included the vexed question of why doesn't ITV do comedy and one of the experts was Micheal Jacob. I'll have a listen and find a link as hopefully they talked about more than the chocolate willy.
I'm not sure it was really there to begin with. Bless, they gave it a shot with 'Benidorm', but even that was a crock of shite.
At the moment I only dedicate one hour to ITV each week and that is purely for the Jonathan Ross show, which is almost as good as his old BBC show, much to my amazement.
NO, despair
Quote: dennispennis123 @ July 8 2011, 4:51 PM BSTI can't help but think a couple of poorly rated shows and they will give up again. That being said, they do have Caroline Aherne's new sitcom to show soon.
First I've heard of this. Have I missed it or has it been scrapped or delayed? I see that post was from a while ago.