ITV - Tune In or Turn Off?

[vald]

As a newcomer to the site, I was just wondering why the anti-ITV stance? I know the ads get annoying, but they have done some classy drama over the years, (Poirot, Sharpe, Dickens.....) Incidentally I think it might have been the beeb who transmitted Dracula with Marc Warren.....

[David]

As a newcomer to the site, I was just wondering why the anti-ITV stance?
Well, I'm not as rabid as some, vald! There are those who won't watch the channel at all, but I'm just wary. There have been some reasonable ITV dramas but many have been too dumbed-down for my liking, concerned with populism rather than full dramatic integrity. To take a recent literary example, casting Billie Piper as Fanny Price in Mansfield Park - guaranteed to pull in the viewers but actually not a great choice as Fanny.

Anyway, I shall certainly be watching The Old Curiosity Shop: I think if you like Dickens it would be silly not at least to try a bit of it to see how it appears to be panning out. You can always change channels if it's duff!

[lipstick_librarian]

As a newcomer to the site, I was just wondering why the anti-ITV stance?

Well, I can only speak for myself, but when I was a child ITV was definitely frowned upon by my parents and I guess that that's probably stayed with me. I've met people over the years who'd been strictly banned from watching it! I've occasionally watched things, in the hope that they'd be any good, and I've usually been disappointed so I just don't bother at all now. Like David says, I think they try to emulate the Beeb with costume dramas and then spoil it by going for the popular vote. The adverts don't bother me at all - I just record programmes and then skip through them.

[Barblue]

As a newcomer to the site, I was just wondering why the anti-ITV stance? For me it's a bit like broadsheet v. tabloid! As David so eloquently puts it..
There have been some reasonable ITV dramas but many have been too dumbed-down for my liking, concerned with populism rather than full dramatic integrity

[Hazel]

I will only watch Corrie on ITV and that's only if I catch it. ITV specialises in dumbed-down telly for the masses. It treats its audience like imbeciles and relies on tired franchises far too much.

[Grammath]

Well, I can only speak for myself, but when I was a child ITV was definitely frowned upon by my parents and I guess that that's probably stayed with me.

It was the same in my house, where it was rather sniffily referred to as "commercial television".

Like David, I approach ITV dramas with caution, but there have been some undeniable gems. The late Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes, for example, is a masterclass in how the role should be played, as is David Suchet's Poirot.

[Viccie]

It's not the content of ITV shows that stop me watching so much as the adverts. I'm too used to French TV which might have lots of ads but doesn't break up programmes or films to tolerate having a film extended by thirty minutes or so because of the ad breaks.

That said I can't thnk of anything bar the odd film that I've wanted to watch on ITV recently.

On French TV we've got Little Miss Sunshine over Christmas so we'll definitely be watching that.

[My Friend Jack]

It was the same in my house, where it was rather sniffily referred to as "commercial television".


My parents just referred to it as "commercial." As in, "There's nothing worth watching on commercial tonight."

[Grammath]

My father still rather looks down on most television. Radio, specifically Radio 3 and Radio 4, is proper entertainment.

[vald]

Don't get me wrong, I have no connection with ITV, but I do think that there is a rather blinkered attitude by some. They have produced some poor drama, and I agree about Billie Piper in Mansfield Park, but the BBC are also guilty of pandering to the populist vote. Although they do some magnificent productions, (Pride and Prejudice from the 90's comes immediately to mind), they too rely on "tired old franchises". and feel the need to emulate ITV with things like "Fame Academy" and my most hated programme ever, "Eastenders." What were the Beeb doing introducing a soap opera 3 times a week? I for one am tired of seeing so-called soap "stars" from this particular programme milking every opportunity they can to appear on our tvs, in our papers and magazines etc. I know ALL soap "stars" now do it, but they are responding to the shameless publicity machine that the beeb initiated with this programme. Until Eastenders came about, ACTORS from Corrie were not seen on other things. Unfortunately, TV's a profit-making business, and the days are gone when the "quaint" beeb could take the moral high ground against the "commercial", stations. They are as guilty as ITV of "dumbing down", and somehow it's worse coming from them, because they portray themselves as superior. So why not take each programme on its merits? The excellent Sherlock Holmes, Poirot etc. may be from ITV, but they ARE quality. "Waterloo Road", "Casualty", "Holby" et al are rubbish, and even the watchable and fun "Tudors" is a dumbed down version of history. Loosen up, you may find you enjoy something on ITV!

[Elfstar]

yes I do , currently only watchable by those at home during the day Loose Women is brilliant. Just like a girly chat. Coleen Nolan is wonderful.

[Hazel]

Don't get me wrong Vald, I completely agree that the dumbing down of TV is spread widely across all the channels, and I actually watch very few scheduled programmes in reality. The only ones I regularly tune into at the present time is Heroes on BBC2, Dragons' Den BBC2, QI BBC2, and Neighbours/Home and Away at mealtimes BBC1/Five respectively. I just never find anything on ITV watchable. Hubby watches You've Been Framed though.

[David]

You're quite right, vald - the dumbing down is universal and I simply scream at the copycat lack of originality that leads to a successful show being endlessly cloned. The primacy of soaps has squeezed the space and funding for a greater diversity of programming and although it makes no money, the BBC is just as commercial as any other broadcaster.

That said, though, although they all do it, ITV started from a lower base anyway and so the greater proportion of decent programmes that remain tend to be on the Beeb and C4. My current totem of loathing on ITV1 is the Early Evening News, which is essentially an animated copy of a tabloid. It is outrageously dumbed-down and packed out not with news so much as 'human interest' stories. I really want to put my foot through the screen.

[David]

Quite an interesting discussion has developed about ITV which I think merits its own thread - so here it is!

[David]

currently only watchable by those at home during the day Loose Women is brilliant.
Really, Elfstar? Tell me more...

Just like a girly chat.
Ah.

Now you see I think I can spot the flaw in that argument.

Coleen Nolan is wonderful.
No really, I can...

[Jen]

I'd never put a blanket ban on any TV channel, there may be gems hidden and why deny yourself? That said, I tend to skim over ITV when scanning the TV pages. In fact, I tend to skim over most channels and can miss out as a result!

[megustaleer]

I don't take much notice of which channel a programme is on when I choose something to watch. I go on what I've read about it, or on the trailers I've seen (and as they usually show the best bits in the trailer, if that doesn't appeal it's not worth watching the rest).

Currently I will make a point of watching: Corrie, Strictly, Takes Two, Heroes and Cranford. Otherwise I look to see what is on when I get round to sitting down, and choose the one that appeals most - or, frequently, not bother.

My lunchtime viewing was Neighbours until this week, but they have swapped its place in the schedule with Doctors, so the timing is all wrong - but I did get to see The Return Of The Native one day this week, which I would have missed if Neighbours had been at the old time.

[FirelightSpirit]

In Ireland we have ITV and their Irish equivalent TV3 and there's a similar sort of feeling in our house about TV3, i.e. that there's never anything worthwhile to watch on it. Compared with our other homegrown channels RTE 1 and 2, TV3 is waaaay below par in it's programming. Their news programme is absolutely dire and all the female presenters seem to be clones of each other. RTE news is much better, but the programming on RTE still leaves a lot to be desired also. If I want quality television, I watch BBC.

Having said all that, my dad still watches the news on TV3, before the news on RTE 1, and complains about it every single day. I can't understand why he watches it if it irritates him so much.

ITV doesn't really get watched in our house much, but my mum used to watch A Touch of Frost when that was on and Cracker was good too. And I didn't mind Billie Piper as Fanny Price. I thought the adaptation itself was more the problem.

[Lovesreading07]

Sometimes the adverts do come in handy. You don't miss bits of a flim or tv programme. if you need the toilet. Or to replace a drink/food.

[My Friend Jack]

Although we watch very little of ITV's output, our decision process on what to watch takes no account of which channel the show is on. The only thing is, if it's on a non-BBC channel, we record it so we can skip through the adverts. We regularly watch Journeyman, Desperate Housewives, Lost and Heartbeat :o this way.

[Bill]

(I wrote the following several days ago, but was unable to post it as my Internet has only just come back after six days.)

My Mum was a bit snobbish about it, but didn't 'ban' it, thankfully. Let's not forget Brideshead and Jewel In The Crown were on ITV, although they would never be commissioned now, at least not at their length. There was also Rumpole, which was a delight for many years, and...well, I could list good shows from the past, but that would be pointless.

I also judge a programme on its merits, not what channel it is on. However, I'm no fan of ITV, and agree with most of the points made, and find that I watch it rarely. Harry Hill's TV Burp is a rare beacon in its schedules and (to mix my metaphor) feels like a fish out of water. Their comedy is so bad, they've virtually given up, unless you count Benidorm, which I don't.

Having watched more of its drama output than usual this year, my main impression is a lack of trust in the audience from the executives, which means they encourage the writers/producers to overload the shows with unnecessary plot, which hinders the development of the story and the characters.

An example would be a three part series shown a couple of months ago called Torn, about a four year daughter who was snatched from the beach, and brought up by the kidnapper as her own. The real mother then sees her daughter by accident, the woman is arrested and goes to prison, the daughter comes to live with her real family, who are strangers to her. There were some very powerful themes here for the writer to dig his teeth into, especially the difficulties for both sides of the daughter coming to live with them. Also, how would she react to the woman she had loved as her mother, who turns out to have ruined so many people's lives? Yet the drama descended into a completely ludicrous murder/suicide plot involving the kidnapper, released from jail, falling over and hitting her head on a coffee table, and then being hid in the bins by Bradley Walsh! Everything that was interesting about it was chucked away in favour of one of the most implausible denouements ever seen on TV.

Other dramas have followed this pattern. I watched the first and last episodes of the extremely popular Doc Martin. The finale, building up to his wedding to his on-off girlfriend, threw in every single wedding plot cliche. In order to fit in all the things that could possibly go wrong, it must have taken plaxce on a 48 hour day. Every twist was so predictable, we were doing a running commentary on what would happen next.

Incidentally, my partner is watching Loose Women as I type, and I can't stand to be in the same room, entirely because of the loud cackling at the most basic remark from the studio audience. I have nothing against the panellists, but they are encouraged to go for the lowest common denominator and tend not to delve beyond stereotypes, especially when talking about - yes - men. Having said that, I'm hardly the demographic and I expect there is no other show on TV that has such a high percentage of one sex watching it.

[David]

Their comedy is so bad, they've virtually given up, unless you count Benidorm, which I don't.
Ah yes, I remember tuning in with interest on the night that was supposed to re-launch ITV's comedy fortunes with Bonkers followed by Benidorm.

Oh dear.

[nonsuch]

Apart from sport I only use ITV or Sky if desperate, though On Demand is useful as the ads are blanked out.

[Hazel]

Ah, my favourite thread. Time for a little resurrection I think.

I saw that ITV, not content with hideous reality TV shows, have now put on a drama about a reality TV show. Based around...you guessed it...a music talent show. Genius!

Also, I must confess, in the interests of transparency, that the Hazel household now regularly tunes into You've Been Framed and TV Burp of a Saturday. You should see the boys (and in this I include hubby) laugh over their pizza at both shows. I, myself, have always been a bit partial to schadenfreude.

[David]

I saw that ITV, not content with hideous reality TV shows, have now put on a drama about a reality TV show. Based around...you guessed it...a music talent show. Genius!
D'you know, I actually screamed out loud when I saw the first trail for that! I really couldn't believe that they could milk these formats so shamelessly and with such a staggering lack of originality. Hamlet would have dubbed it a quintessence of crud.

Also, I must confess, in the interests of transparency, that the Hazel household now regularly tunes into You've Been Framed and TV Burp of a Saturday. You should see the boys (and in this I include hubby) laugh over their pizza at both shows. I, myself, have always been a bit partial to schadenfreude.
It's quite some years since I watched YBF, but yes, I also enjoyed it. Except the bits about babies. Babies falling over; babies looking bemused; babies dropping food over something...

That's what babies do!! It's not that funny and simply aims for the ahhhhh factor, which will fail with me every time.

I never used to watch TV Burp since I'm not a huge fan of Harry Hill, but actually it has some very funny moments. If he'd only include a little more of the narrative humour as opposed to gurning or slapstick then it would be far more consistently hilarious.

[Hazel]

It's quite some years since I watched YBF, but yes, I also enjoyed it. Except the bits about babies. Babies falling over; babies looking bemused; babies dropping food over something...
Harry Hill's voiceover, rather than a studio presenter, works much better and can be quite funny. It's the elderly I don't get on this show - they attempt things that can only have one outcome. (Really, I am just jealous, I am not adventurous at all.)

[David]

Harry Hill's voiceover, rather than a studio presenter, works much better and can be quite funny. It's the elderly I don't get on this show - they attempt things that can only have one outcome.
There's a wonderful tragic inevitability, isn't there?!

Yes, the studio format was always a drag. There was simply no point and it was nothing more than padding: you watch for the clips - that's all.

Jeremy Beadle was tolerable (surprisingly), the big girl from Emmerdale was a bad move and as for the dreadful 'comedian' who 'doesn't have a catchphrase' - well he didn't have any decent material either.

[Hazel]

as for the dreadful 'comedian' who 'doesn't have a catchphrase' - well he didn't have any decent material either.Wasn't that the singer, Jonathan Wilkes, friend of Robbie Williams, ex-footballer, ex-Frankenfurter?

[David]

Wasn't that the singer, Jonathan Wilkes, friend of Robbie Williams, ex-footballer, ex-Frankenfurter?
Proper Jack-of-all-trades then. Well he certainly wasn't master of that one.

But yes, Jonathan Wilkes was the one I was thinking of.

[Adrian]

You've Been Framed and TV Burp
But which is better? There's only one way to find out. FIGHT!

Even though I haven't seen a single programme he's talking about (and that might actually help) TV Burp is hilarious. Not the most intellectual half hour of the week, but I think Harry actually watches and likes the shows he's gently mocking.

[Elfstar]

And the best of this is it is proper FAMILY entertainment. All my boys like watching Harry Hill, I've seen them cry with laughter over YBF and Tv Burp. The younger ones like Ant and Dec too. It makes for pleasant Saturday evening viewing. No arguing, noone left out because they don't want to watch. It's such a relief. The line up was better with Primeval tho.

[Hazel]

But which is better? There's only one way to find out. FIGHT!

:D

[Hazel]

A character in Boy A, my current read, warns said boy not to watch ITV because there is a lot of "rot" on that channel. Warming to the book already...though obviously she hasn't seen YBF and TV Burp.

[Hazel]

The Independent is reporting that Bionic Woman, brought a record 2.2 million viewers to ITV2. On the back of that, it'll probably get moved to ITV1.

[Grammath]

One upcoming ITV drama that does intrigue me is the adaptation of Jake Arnott's "He Kills Coppers", due to air later this month.

The BBC did a magnificent job with his first novel "The Long Firm", and it looks like this has a strong cast - Rafe Spall, James Dreyfus, Maureen Lipman - so I'm hoping they do a decent job.

[Adrian]

One upcoming ITV drama that does intrigue me is the adaptation of Jake Arnott's "He Kills Coppers", due to air later this month.

The BBC did a magnificent job with his first novel "The Long Firm", and it looks like this has a strong cast - Rafe Spall, James Dreyfus, Maureen Lipman - so I'm hoping they do a decent job.
Have you read the books? If so, you'll realise that even Mark Strong couldn't save the first adaptation so I don't hold out much hope for this. I like the idea of Rafe Spall as the lead, but I'm not hopeful.

[megustaleer]

For some quirky reason our TV in the sitting room has really lousy reception of ITV, so if I want to watch anything on that channel I have to go up to the spare bedroom and watch the TV in there. I can watch Coronation Street there, but as I lie on the bed to watch I usually fall asleep during the ad breaks of anything longer.

[Adrian]

Ah yes, I remember tuning in with interest on the night that was supposed to re-launch ITV's comedy fortunes with Bonkers followed by Benidorm.

Oh dear.
OK, it's all relative and maybe I'm pining for British TV but I'm quite enjoying Benidorm. The caricatures are spot on and 'Brits Aboard' is always a ripe vein to mine.

[Squirls]

OK, it's all relative and maybe I'm pining for British TV but I'm quite enjoying Benidorm. The caricatures are spot on and 'Brits Aboard' is always a ripe vein to mine.
I thought Benidorm was going to be pretty rubbish when it first came on, but then thought it was one of the best comedies on TV in years. I nearly cried with laughter at the "bull" fight. Not sure how they're going to be able to keep making excuses for all the characters to keep coming back year on year - especially the snobby couple.

Another one of the funniest moments was when the snobbier one of the gay couple was complaining about the holiday reading from his Lonely Planet affectedly saying "Apparently the sun set over the Uffizzi Gallery is marvellous at this time of year" and his lover, who was reading the local rag and not really listening says "Eh look, there's a Chinese Elvis on at the Dog's Bollock tonight" :D

[David]

OK, it's all relative and maybe I'm pining for British TV but I'm quite enjoying Benidorm.
I possibly stopped watching too soon (I managed two episodes) and I've noticed some positive vibes since. I'm sure I've lamented elsewhere the inability of TV execs to give series a proper chance to bed in so perhaps I should have listened to my own advice. Sticking to my guns about Bonkers, though!

[woofwoof]

The late 1970s to early 1990s was the golden era for ITV - think of the production values and quality of Morse, Poirot, Miss Marple, Brideshead Revisited, The Jewel in the Crown, Sherlock Holmes, Jeeves & Wooster, Edward and Mrs Simpson, Edward VII, Jesus of Nazareth, even Upstairs Downstairs (!) etc. You only have to look at the schedules on ITV3 to see what I mean. Unfortunately it all came to an end with Mrs Thatcher's reform of the TV franchising system and especially when the biggest producer of these programmes, Thames lost its franchise to the wretched Carlton. Even in recent years, ITV has managed to produce the occasional high quality drama (eg The Forsyte Saga), but probably with advertising revenues so reduced we will never see anything of quality ever again

[Squirls]

I thought Benidorm was going to be pretty rubbish when it first came on, but then thought it was one of the best comedies on TV in years.
Still enjoying Benidorm in the new series but it's not nearly as good as the first two series. The half hour format definitely worked better than the new hour long show.

[Apple]

I adore TV Burp! Ok I am going to make a confession now, I watch the X Factor as well! Having said that they are about the only two ITV programmes I do watch.

If you have Sky+ a neat way to avoid the ads on ITV (or any other commercial channel) is bung it on the planner and tune in half an hour or so later and then just fast forward through the adverts.

I tend to watch the Discovery Channel and History channel more than anything else

[tuscan]

It was certainly not on the agenda in my childhood and as a consequence I still have a dim view of it now.
The demented children's shows and presenters that screamed at you were the icing on the sickly-sweet cake.
Just awful.

[tagesmann]

I might have said this before. If so, I apologise for my poor memory. I was brought up watching BBC. ITV had few programmes that appealed to me. Except for their drama. We always think that the BBC produces good drama. But ITV excels at quality drama. They are lucky that they can afford the expensive productions that the BBC finds hard to justify now. But then they always have. ITV crime drama is excellent and now they challenge the BBC for the classics.

[tuscan]

I might have said this before. If so, I apologise for my poor memory. I was brought up watching BBC. ITV had few programmes that appealed to me. Except for their drama. We always think that the BBC produces good drama. But ITV excels at quality drama. They are lucky that they can afford the expensive productions that the BBC finds hard to justify now. But then they always have. ITV crime drama is excellent and now they challenge the BBC for the classics.

Yes but surely after fifteen years of the same tired formula,even the most die-hard fan must be thinking is there anything else left in the tank.