Is ITV dying on its ARSE ?

[Easy 10]

I found myself watching It'll Be Alright on the Night on Saturday night (whilst flicking between that and the Peru-Uruguay match...hey, I know how to live). Anyhoo, IBAOTN is still the same tired old format with maybe 1 in 5 clips raising a small chuckle, and the mildly irritating Gryff Rhy-Jones now replacing Dennis Norden. Its clearly an ITV spacefiller that can be shoved on any old time to plug a gap after the news, as has always been the case.

Now bearing in mind it was Saturday night, and not overly late (started at 10 I think), I was AMAZED to see that there was not ONE ADVERT during any of the commercial breaks. All they were breaking to were their own previews for upcoming ITV shows (that bloody Lumley cat thing was on every break). Are advertisers really that shy of buying Saturday night airtime now after X-Factor ? Yes, we all know Alright on the Night is quite shit, but I was still surprised there were no ads whatsoever.

Struck me as odd, is all.

 

[coventrygull]

I don't watch ITV very often but I have heard that advertisers were cutting back.

 

[algie]

Don't concern yourself Dave

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I found myself watching It'll Be Alright on the Night on Saturday night (whilst flicking between that and the Peru-Uruguay match...hey, I know how to live). Anyhoo, IBAOTN is still the same tired old format with maybe 1 in 5 clips raising a small chuckle, and the mildly irritating Gryff Rhy-Jones now replacing Dennis Norden. Its clearly an ITV spacefiller that can be shoved on any old time to plug a gap after the news, as has always been the case.

Now bearing in mind it was Saturday night, and not overly late (started at 10 I think), I was AMAZED to see that there was not ONE ADVERT during any of the commercial breaks. All they were breaking to were their own previews for upcoming ITV shows (that bloody Lumley cat thing was on every break). Are advertisers really that shy of buying Saturday night airtime now after X-Factor ? Yes, we all know Alright on the Night is quite shit, but I was still surprised there were no ads whatsoever.

Struck me as odd, is all.

It's very rare that I watch anything on ITV1 or BBC1 these days. I'm not at all interested in so-called "reality TV", talent shows, celebrities or soaps - so that takes care of 95% of their combined output.

I can't think of any regular ITV show that I watch at all, and on BBC1 ... after F1 I'm struggling to think of anything - not even MotD (well, rarely anyway)

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

i don't think i willingly watch ANYTHING on itv

it's all shit

 

[strings]

There are only 3 programmes I watch regularly nowadays. The formula one (BBC), Match of the Day (BBC) and Eastenders (BBC) - although I don't watch Easty's if the missus is out. I love the inbetweeners (E4), but that is hardly a regular tellyshow.

Otherwise, I'll stick on a DVD or watch the news.

So, in conclusion, the is nothing on ITV that gets reguarly watched in the strings household(except the occasional England match).

 

[bhafc99]

You should try living up here.

Even the few quality things that ITV invests in don't get shown. OK so the "Wuthering Heights" adaptation that was on the other weekend may not be your cup of tea, but at least ITV have put some dosh into making it, rather than just sticking on another "It'll be Alright on the Night" rerun from 2002.

So what have STV done? "Opted out" of all ITV drama like Wuthering Heights, The Bill, Miss Marple, Blue Murder etc etc.

And instead we get UTTER GASH like "Made in Scotland" about famous Scots who've made it on the world stage (ie ****ing Lorraine Kelly and Sean Connery AGAIN) and "The Scots Who Fought Franco" – the kind of obscure shite that would struggle to raise three viewers on The History Channel, but here is Thursday evening prime time.

f***ing joke.

 

[logan89]

i don't think i willingly watch ANYTHING on itv

it's all shit

England matches? they may be shit but you must watch them.

 

[Simster]

ITV has always been shit but is now worse than ever.

Things that are good about ITV:
Corrie remains the best soap on the box by a mile
ITN is well produced
Er, that's it.

Leeds at Histon in the FAC last year: "ITV is fookin shit, ITV is fookin shit" (cue, ITV commentry turning off the sound. ) But this says it all really.

 

[itszamora]

ITV lost something like £100 million in the last six months. So yes, it is entirely dying on its' arse.

 

[Stat Brother]

ITV doesn't have a pot to wee-wee in.
They are many many millions in debt.

The only things keeping them broadcasting (generating enough revenue through advertising) is Simon Cowell & to a lesser extent Ant & Dec.

ITV cutbacks are across the board, with most of the 'new' drama stuff, only commisioned for the here and now with no further plans for developing series.

 

[Johnny Crumplin Football]

Didn't they just sell Friends Reunited for ZILLIONS less than they paid for it just recently?

 

[crodonilson]

I hope it isn't because ITV makes some of the best T.V on any channel.

 

[strings]

Didn't they just sell Friends Reunited for ZILLIONS less than they paid for it just recently?

Yes, yes they did.

They bought it when it was the biggest thing on the interweb and they thought that they were onto a sure thing. However, they didn't forsee the rise of other social working websites (myspace, facebook, twitter).

Apparently the only profitable bit of friends reunited now is 'genes reunited'.

On a seperate, but related, issue why did they not foresee the rise of a competetor to friends reunited(?) - whatever sector you work in a competitor will eventually arrive on the scene. It all strikes me as slightly shortsighted thinking by ITV.

 

[Easy 10]

Not the brightest at ITV are they. There was the utter FIASCO over ITV Digital paying gazillions for Football League coverage, then they wondered why people wern't subscribing in their DROVES to watch Birmingham vs Reading, and ended up laying off hundreds of staff and nearly bankrupting half the League.

 

[sod1]

apparently ITV are getting rid of their teletext service due to the power of the internet

definitely dying on its arse

 

[itszamora]

I don't think ITV will be allowed to go under though, as like with the car manufacturers it will lead to massive redundancies. However seeing as these will be middle-class redundancies maybe the Government will just let them happen.

Long-term though the BBC needs a competitor and so it will probably be alright.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I hope it isn't because ITV makes some of the best T.V on any channel.

I do hope that was meant in jest - it is absolute rubbish.

 

[Hiney]

I hope it isn't because ITV makes some of the best T.V on any channel.

f***ing hell Crodo!

If someone had a shit on your face, you'd claim it had some amazing moisturising properties.

The MOST positive man in the world - EVER!!

 

[Giraffe]

I hope it isn't because ITV makes some of the best T.V on any channel.

You're not serious surely?

It's a working class channel.