Channel 5 Aims For ‘Desirably Different’ In Statement Of Intent
Channel 5 has set out its intentions for the year in its statement to the ITC, aiming to be “desirably different” in the face of a budget which is, by its own admission, one third of the size of Channel 4 and BBC2, even with the recent boost from its owners (see Channel 5 To Receive £6m Cash Boost From Owners).
During last year, around three-quarters of the top five programmes on Channel 5 each week were films. This category also made up over 90% of programmes with the highest rating of the week. This is unlikely to change, as Channel 5 is to continue its 9pm weekday film policy, while new deals on the cards with Warners and Columbia will increase the range shown.
The channel has stated that the new funding will go towards high profile, original programming. Highlights of the homegrowns on C5 in the coming year will include documentary series on the Fred and Rose West murders and Brooklyn Homicide which will look at the busiest homicide squad in the US. The death theme will continue as part of 5’s religious output, with It’s Your Funeral asking celebrities to plan their own send-off.
While it boasts of “discovering” Graham Norton and Sara Cox, 5 is not above poaching from other channels. Home and Away is set to return to the screen this year, having been removed by ITV when Channel 5 bought the Australian soap. Despite being refused permission to move its evening news to allow the soap to run in a 6pm slot (see Channel 5 News Move Refused By ITC), 5 is hoping to regain a reasonable chunk of the 4m strong audience the programme used to attract on the other side.
Another ITV refugee will be Jerry Springer, who is set to host Greed a game show which has enjoyed success abroad, in which small groups of people work together to win money, but have the chance to eliminate fellow team members in order to gain a larger share for themselves.
The channel’s drama output target is fairly low at 12 hours. Indeed, C5 admits “This is a difficult genre for us- we cannot hope to compete with the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 budgets.” Low budget anthologies such as Headless and Urban Gothic will therefore continue, while occasional one off drama events such as Hotel, starring Lee Majors and Art Malik will be shown in the 9pm slot usually reserved for films in order to secure maximum audiences.
Channel 5: 020 7550 5555 www.channel5.co.uk
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