ITV Autumn 2001 Schedule Launch
ITV today unveiled its Autumn 2001 programme schedule. David Liddiment, ITV director of programmes said: “The challenge for ITV1 is to achieve a balance between attracting large audiences and developing new and innovative programmes which keep our schedule fresh and the channel relevant to an ever-changing audience.”
Highlights for the forthcoming season include: Othello, a modern day adaptation of Shakespeare’s play featuring Eamonn Walker, Christopher Eccleston and Keely Hawes; Bob and Rose, which comes from creator of Channel 4’s Queer As Folk and features Alan Davies and Lesley Sharp; and Mr Micawber, featuring David Jason as Dicken’s classic character with a script by Only Fools & Horses writer John Sullivan.
Peter Davidson, fresh from the acclaimed At Home With Braithwaites takes on the role of The Last Detective in a new comedy drama based on the novel by Leslie Thomas. Meanwhile Anybody’s Nightmare , sees Patricia Routledge star in the true life story of a woman wrongly convicted of murder. Returning dramas include the award winning Cold Feet, Midsomer Murders, Without Motive and Rebus.
Entertainment and comedy offerings include My Uncle Silas, with Oscar winner Albert Finney, based on the novel by Darling Buds of May creator H E Bates. The Sketch Show created by Steve Coogan and featuring Ronni Ancona, Lee Mack & Tim Vine and Grounded for Life from the comedy stable of Carsey-Warner.
Hoping to follow in the hugely successful footsteps of Popstars there is Soap Stars, which features the hunt for a new soap family for Emmerdale, and Pop Idol, this time looking for a solo pop artist to become the next Kylie or Robbie.
Factual programming includes a new strand of Real Life featuring such topics as a 16-year old’s battle with anorexia and The Farmer Wants a Wife, which follows a group of single farmers in their unlikely search for a spouse.
ITV sports coverage will be based around the newly acquired rights the FA Premiership and the UEFA Champions League.
ITV will be hoping for a happier autumn than last year, when revenue at the channel took a turn for the worse amid accusations that ITV could not deliver the audience its rates demanded. At today’s presentation Liddiment defended the recent launch of sport highlights show, The Premiership, which was beaten in the ratings by a special edition of the The Weakest Link on Saturday (see ITV’s The Premiership Fails To Score). He said: “For ITV the launch of The Premiership was not about Des Versus Anne. Winning a ratings battle with the BBC was not our bench mark for success.”
ITV: 020 7843 8216 www.itv.co.uk
Subscribers can access ten years of media news and analysis in the Archive