Channel 4 Shuns Brookside For More Hollyoaks
Channel 4 is moving its long running soap Brookside out of its peak-time slot to make way for Hollyoaks, which will now be shown five nights a week.
Brookside will have its last peak time broadcast at the end of November, and will then be shown in 90 minute broadcasts on Saturday afternoons.
Mark Thompson, chief executive of Channel 4, commented: “Peak-time has changed radically across British TV and is no longer an environment in which Brookside can thrive. We want to explore new ideas in peak-time while still giving Brookside regulars a chance to enjoy the show over the next year.”
Brookside, which is produced by the same company behind teen-soap Hollyoaks, has experienced a steady decline in viewing over the past few years and audiences figures from BARB show that, on average, the soap now attracts around 1 million fewer viewers than it did two years ago.
Channel 4 has been under increasing pressure recently after reportedly suffering one of its worst ratings weeks in history (see Five Sets Its Sights On Toppling Channel 4). Industry speculation has suggested that Brookside is set to be axed completely as the channel seeks to retain its share of viewing. The channel suffered a fresh blow today as last night’s episode of the much hyped Faking-It series, which managed a 7% share of viewing and attracted an audience of 1.6 million, was beaten in the ratings by Channel 5’s history programme Who Killed Tutankhamun?, which achieved an 8% share and drew 1.7 million viewers.
The decision to broadcast Hollyoaks five nights a week is likely to cause controversy, similar to the criticism the BBC encountered when it upped its Eastenders output to five nights a week. At the recent Guardian International Television Festival Channel 4’s chief executive, Mark Thompson, criticised British television for being “dull mechanical and samey”. He also promised that Channel 4 would provide a creative space for new programming (see GEITF 2002: Thompson Outlines New Vision For Channel 4).
Channel Four: 020 7396 4444 www.channel4.com
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