ITV’s Crossroads Comes To A Dead End
ITV’s recently appointed director of programmes, Nigel Pickard, has axed the recently revived Crossroads after it consistently failed to attract viewers.
Pickard told members of the cast and production team earlier today that the soap will be moved from its current 5pm slot to a new early afternoon slot, before ending its run in the summer.
Commenting on the decision, Pickard, who replaced David Liddiment last October (see
ITV Appoints New Director Of Programmes
Attempts were made to revive the show, which included introducing a range of new stars such as Jane Asher in order to appeal to a wider audience. However, the show failed to gain any significant following.
Pickard added: “In the commercial interests of the channel we have to take action to improve our performance in the highly competitive daytime schedule. This is a tough decision to have to make and I would like to thank everyone involved for their hard work and commitment to the series.”
The departure of Crossroads will leave a hole in ITV1’s daytime schedule, which has suffered since departure of former This Morning presenters Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan and the loss of Australian soap, Home & Away, to Channel Five.
ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.com
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