ITV Spring Summer Schedule

ITV launched its Spring Summer schedule today from the Capital Radio Café. The venue was obviously chosen to set the scene for the new, younger-feel third channel. ITV is obviously trying to break into the modern mainstream youth market that Channel 5 has identified. Indeed, ITV’s new schedule shows that ‘Britain’s most popular button’ has stolen a few ideas from its new rival; there will be a new late night comedy zone following the News at Ten. ‘Page Three stunna’ Gayle Tuesday returns for a series of Gayle’s World and ITV has its cameras at Jongleurs, a top London comedy club for Live At Jongleurs.

ITV Network director, Marcus Plaintin introduced the schedule as: “Designed to be robust in the face of the ever-increasing competition. We’ve invested more money, and we’ve reduced the number of repeats in peak-time by a third to sixty hours this year. In addition, three programme areas have come in for special attention.”

These programme areas being sport, drama and shows aimed at a younger audience. There are nearly 70 hours of sport planned this season. This includes, eight Formula One Grand Prix races, the climax of the UEFA Champions League, the FA Charity Shield and the four-nations’ World Cup curtain raiser, Tournoi de France, where England take on Brazil, Italy and France.

There are more first run dramas than ever before on ITV in the next few months. Following last year’s successful pilot, Bliss returns for a series. Simon Shepherd stars as the scientist who becomes embroiled in the mysteries of the paranormal. Robson Green is the maverick detective in the thriller Touching Evil. And, Greene is back with his screen partner Jerome Flynn in the wartime romp Ain’t Misbehavin’. Another pilot commissioned for a series is Bodyguards , a drama about the world of protection. Look out for the naughty bits in Jilly Cooper’s The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous and be prepared for new series of established favourites Sharpe, Cadfael, The Knock, Wycliffe and Bramwell.

As well as those programmes featuring in the Comedy Zone, mentioned earlier, The Grimleys , starring Jack Dee, is also supposed to appeal to young people. See You Friday is another new comedy starring Neil Pearson and Joanna Ross as a couple trying to keep their holiday romance alive, and My Wonderful Life featuring a single mum looking for love also hopes to bring in the laughs.

Factual programmes include Neighbours From Hell, which looks at social feuds, and Undercover Customs , which does just that.

For kids, there’s Wavelength , a drama from the makers of Press Gang set in a local radio station and On Your Marks , an action-packed sports series presented by Kriss Akabusi.

Finally, the Network explores the nation’s fascination with the paranormal and the unexplainable with Into The Unknown, an eclectic week of programmes which spans drama, factual programmes, entertainment and film. The week includes the futuristic crime thriller 2020, set in Manchester twenty-three years from now, and the launch of X-Files’ creator Chris Carter’s new series Millennium. There is also a two-part documentary We Are Not Alone which examines mans’ relationship with space and Jonathan Ross looks at how Hollywood deal with all things supernatural in The Aliens Are Coming.

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