[Score]

My post wasn’t really about this particular pack which I’d agree is probably about as much new content as there’s ever been in the Summer. It was about the lack of new hits more generally, and attempts to launch big new entertainment shows. They’ve still never really replaced The X Factor and now Takeaway is gone too, but they aren’t really trying big new weekend formats.

They’ve had a good year for drama to be fair (Mr Bates, After the Flood, Trigger Point and Red Eye all big hits) but unscripted feels weak at the moment and the ongoing cost cutting seems to be hurting there.

The Summer press pack is the sort of lineup you’d expect for Summer, with a few of the Autumn dramas creeping in as they probably launch in September (Joan, Grace, McDonald & Dodds). The ITVX stuff is probably taking slots that in Summers past would have just been filled with repeats anyway (eg Friday 9pm).

@Brekkie it’s definitely a change in strategy for the sitcoms. They seem to have done away with ITVX first releases for commissioned content (just acquisitions now) which makes sense as boxsets aligned with the linear release seems to work best. It does risk them getting lost in the schedule but with G’wed earlier in the year that’s 3 sitcoms on ITV so far this year, which is 3 more than a few years ago.

[tellyblues]

It's been the case for a long time now that ITV Saturday night = gameshows, both to ITV and viewers. The problem is so many formats have been tried out, so regardless of costs there comes a point when there aren't many new ideas kicking about and the same ones are trotted out again and again.

It's also true that production values for daytime shows have improved drastically over the years and with Saturday night shows having to be more ambitious and that bit better, which may happen if it's The Masked Singer, generally anything new that comes along isn't much different to The Chase, especially not celeb editions of The Chase. Years ago, the gulf in class was huge - Crosswits vs Millionaire.

As for current day shows, I can't see Password lasting long. I think it will be another show from the US where it hasn't been adapted enough (possibly not allowed to be) for UK audiences.

Where Saturday night TV ends up in future, I dunno, but to get away from gameshows (which it never was always about anyway), sport could be an option.

[tellyblues]

An interesting question is, if Strictly was axed tomorrow, would ITV try much harder in those slots? I reckon they would probably wait and see how The Voice rates and be happy with the slight increase in viewers. Or perhaps move another show there, but any existing shows have probably reached their limit already and ITV would commission a lesser show for the slot left vacant, so it's hardly progressive. Also, although I doubt they would find a new 8m+ show, the BBC aren't going to do an ITV and give up.

[Brekkie]

If Strictly was axed tomorrow ITV would attempt to pick it up for themselves by the end of the week.

[tellyblues]

So no real change overall. Typical.

[JMT1985]

If Strictly were axed, ITV would reboot X Factor - that was the only show which used to beat and a lot of times thrash Strictly from 2004 to around 2011, and I think they would feel able to regain that momentum - I think it would not work, as it would look like simply trying to recapture the glory years, but this is what I think they would do