Channel 5 Schedule Launched

Channel 5 yesterday launched its long awaited programme schedule, revealing a “stripped and stranded” approach dominated by hourly news updates, soap operas and evening movies.

David Elstein, C5’s chief executive, berated ITV’s attempts to keep viewers away with its extra episodes of the Bill and Emmerdale (see yesterday’s Newsline) in launch week, saying that it was merely cloning C5’s stripped approach. He also pointed out that C5’s audience share would immediately dwarf cable and satellite’s and that free TV is still the preferred distribution for advertisers. Mr Elstein predicted that C5 would reach 40 million people at launch and 45 million after twelve months, attaining a 5% viewing share of total viewing by Christmas.

Dawn Airey, C5’s programme controller, said that the channel aimed to provide a schedule which was both mainstream and modern, filling the gap which the other terrestrial channels had left. She pointed out that 60% of the schedule would be new programming with 7 hours per day being live transmissions.

The two main soaps C5 will offer are Sunset Beach and Family Affairs. From the producer who brought us Charlie’s Angels and Beverly Hills 90210, Sunset Beach is billed as the surf soap about “babes, big hair and biceps” and follows the lives and loves of characters in a small, isolated beach community. Dropping the convention of drama set in a close-knit community, Family Affairs focuses on just one family, the Harts. It claims it will not be as sensational as some soaps and will concentrate on everyday dramas.

Quizzes include Name That Tune with Jules Holland and Whittle, a gameshow where the entire audience are the contestants who compete for cash prizes while dramas such as Halifax JP, following the cases of an Australian forensic psychiatrist, and Fire, another Australian offering, about a female firefighter, will be appearing on C5. Other acquired series will be Xena and Hercules, two mythical action adventures series, Melrose Place and a repeat of Twin Peaks.

Movies lined up for the much-vaunted slot at 9pm include JFK, Mrs Doubtfire, Speed, Henry V and Independence Day.