ITV boss shakes up programming for 2017 with slate of new shows and anti-competitive news slot
ITV’s director of television Kevin Lygo unveiled a number of new entertainment formats and returning shows at its Upfronts last night (24 November) as the broadcaster looks to shake up stale programming and boost viewing to its News update by moving slots away from the “dead hand” of the BBC.
ITV's director of TV Kevin Lygo
This year's Upfronts was Lygo’s first as director of television, formerly ITV Studios managing director, having taken up the role from Peter Fincham in February this year. Addressing the broadcaster’s most prolific advertisers, Lygo announced a programming shake-up intended to help new shows break-through, stop competing with the BBC, and reach younger audiences.
New shows include; Time Wasters, a comedy about a four-piece jazz band who travel back in time to the 1920’s; Tina & Bobby, a drama about footballer Bobby Moore and his wife, played by Michelle Keegan; Little Big Shots, a children’s talent show hosted by Dawn French based on the US format; and The Keith and Paddy Picture Show, which sees Keith Lemon and Paddy McGuinness parody characters from blockbuster Hollywood movies like Superman, Toy Story and When Harry Met Sally.
The broadcaster has also secured a US TV format Lethal Weapon, produced by Warner Bros as a spin-off from the movie. Existing hits Broadchurch, Victoria and Cold Feet have been commissioned for further series. Meanwhile popular soap opera Coronation Street will get another weekly episode.
News at Ten is temporarily being moved from the 10pm slot to 10:30pm, to get away from the “dead hand” of the BBC, Lygo said, which commands the lionshare of news viewing at this time. In its place the broadcaster will run a “live-ish” entertainment show The Nightly show over an 8 week period, which will have a new host each week. Week one will be hosted by comedian David Walliams. Lygo compared it to James Corden’s US hit The Late Late Show.
Busting myths that young people don’t watch TV, the managing director of commercial Kelly Williams told audiences that TV reaches 95% of 16- to 24-year-olds every month, thanks largely to entertainment formats like Love Island, which he claimed is the 6th largest show in the UK for that audience. The other five, including The X Factor, Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway and Britain’s Got Talent, are also owned by ITV.
Half of all 16-34 year olds are registered viewers on its digital on-demand service ITV Hub, which has over 17 million registered users in total, eclipsing Channel 4's 15 million on All4. The BBC would not share its total iPlayer users.
To reach more households with connected TVs, Hub has launched on Google’s streaming device Chromecast, and will be available on Xbox “within the next few weeks”. Next year it will introduce personalised and addressable advertising on Hub, much like Sky’s AdSmart platform.
In a further bid to reach the coveted millennial audience, the broadcaster is next year launching a drama, comedy and docu-reality programming strand on ITV2 - 2Awesome - in partnership with US online TV platform Awesomeness TV.
ITV will broadcast exclusive UK premieres of the global youth brand’s long-form series as part of a two-hour ITV2 show on Sunday afternoons. Hosted by UK presenters from both TV and social media, 2Awesome will have a permanent home on the ITV Hub.
The partnership will also see AwesomenessTV and ITV Studios joining forces to co-produce scripted and unscripted programmes for ITV2, starting in 2017. ITV Global Entertainment will license these newly co-produced shows in international markets.