[tellyblues]

I mean they could just jig things around and absorb the loss of the show, but it's another tent-pole show that's not being replaced. 

How about ITV come up with some new shows, they've never yet managed to replace XF in the autumn.

Of course they need to come up with new shows, I just think they’d be better off putting said new shows in September where they’re needed. Really they’re overstuffed on Saturdays in the first half of the year so as much as anything Takeaway going gives the rest of the lineup some breathing room.

Really The Masked Singer, Limitless Win and Starstruck are all the replacements for The X Factor. None existed whilst XF was on and it was them finding Masked Singer that meant they could shift The Voice into the Autumn. And then off the back of that it created the room in the schedule to launch Limitless and Starstruck. 

So it was a rejig but they still had to find the new shows. It just made sense to move something established (The Voice) into X Factor’s slot, and put the new stuff into the easier Q1 slot(s) instead. It’s the same here, put the new stuff where it’s more likely to work out and less likely to look like a direct replacement for the show that’s gone as that rarely works out (the comparisons to the previous show often don’t end well).

The problem with commissioning shows for later in the year is that they would face Strictly and likely be axed after just one series due to poor ratings. It doesn't really matter if they are meant to be one-offs such as BGT: The Champions but it means burning through new formats unnecessarily. It's clear that ITV don't think competing with Strictly is worth it because what they put up against it is disposable or can survive (established shows like Catchphrase, The Chase). The elephant in the room is The Voice which time after time gets recommissioned despite disappointing in the ratings anywhere it goes. I can't imagine it's cheap to make but perhaps it is kept going because no-one calls for it to be axed. It does seem to get an easy time of it compared to other shows.

Maybe X Factor for the 20th anniversary next year could work. I think a gameshow that isn't about big money would be the best long-term option all things considered.