You have to feel sorry for ITV, it has made great efforts to develop high quality dramas and change the way it is seen, but before this project really got started the axe has fallen. Some shows have already been cut, and other big budget investments like sci-fi/dinosaur show Primeval, face an uncertain future as budgets are slashed.Back in 2007, ITV executive chairman Michael Grade promised more innovative and quality drama. And we got it. It was needed. It sounded like the start of a brave new experiment that could lift the overall quality and perception of ITV.ITV green lit the type of programming that is largely absent from its schedules. Along came shows such as 'Lost in Austen', yes it was another British costume drama, but it was modern and genuinely fun – not to mention a great success for ITV (it sold in 90 territories worldwide). It commissioned a new version of 'Wuthering Heights' and why not, the British love a bit of high quality moorland doom and gloom and ITV's track record on this is good (its 1996 production of 'Emma' with Kate Beckinsale is good).Along came 'Primeval' which used the 'Walking with Dinosaurs' technology to put dinosaurs on the streets of London. Bold, with a big budget, and created to compete head to head in the Saturday tea time market against the BBC's revamped 'Doctor Who'.This year it was followed by a big budget vampire drama 'Demons' with Philip Glenister aka Gene Hunt from 'Life on Mars'. It was a British stab at doing a 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and why not? If you are going to imitate then imitate the best in Buffy creator Joss Whedon -- although why they gave Glenister an American accent when it was clear that he could not master it is anyone's guess.Flash forward to, well, right about now, and this bold experiment has been undone. Everything it seems is coming under the axe as part of ITV's efforts to slash £65m from its £1bn programming in the face of the downturn. There have been reports that 'Demons' is to be axed and 'Wuthering Heights', while made, has been sitting on the shelf for a good long while as ITV wasn't sure if it could afford to air it. Although it has been recently reported that it will now air shortly.ITV has also looked at axing family drama 'Wild at Heart' because it is filmed in South Africa although a reprieve is possible. Yorkshire-based 'Heartbeat' and 'The Royal' are also going.This week there were reports that 'Primeval', which is now into series three, could be axed as well because of its large budget. Primeval, which recently parted company with two of its stars Douglas Henshall and Lucy Brown, is currently still on air until May 30 and is awaiting a decision from ITV bosses on whether it will get a fourth season.It has done really well for ITV and it would be a shame if it lost the show, which is has recently started airing on BBC America, because of budget. There has also been talk of a US film version, another indicator of its success.ITV, often unfairly criticised for over reliance on the Simon Cowell Reality TV Factor, has made much head way since 2007, but that chapter in its history seems, temporarily at least, to be at an end. And that is a shame.
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Perhaps a touch dramatic yourself there, Gordon. 'Tatters'? Really, really not.
The shame is that much of the ambitious and original drama that ITV shows doesn't get properly recognised. Last year, in addition to 'Lost in Austen', there was 'The Fixer', 'Place of Execution', and He Kills Coppers, at least one of which deserved a BAFTA nomination.
But the maintenance of such important and appreciated content is one of the reasons Thinkbox fights to get the facts out about all commercial TV and to keep advertisers' support. I certainly wouldn't be nearly so motivated if I was promoting, say, the outdoor industry.
Cancelling a whole raft of dramas and cutting £65m from your programming budget sounds like tatters to me.
£65m out of £1bn? I'd call that a small hole. Not nice and a bit draughty, but still enough to maintain decency.
It is where the cuts are being made as much as anything. ITV is slashing at innovation and falling back on soaps, reality and cop cappers. Nothing wrong with that at all, but it doesn't to me that doesn't move ITV forward.
Gordon Macmillan
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