Saturday night "Entertainment" on ITV

Before I sit down to "enjoy" the Eurovision Song Contest I thought I'd have a moan about the options on the other main channel.

There's always talk about variety which may be a bit out of date but I'd rather see "Celebrities" paid for doing what they do best - i.e. singers singing. actors acting etc.

There is no drama, sitcom, comedy or music programmes on ITV tonight - a typical Saturday.

What do we have?

6.40 - Vernon Kayes's Game Show Marathon. A reworking of Mr & Mrs featuring a has-been singer, news reader, breakfast TV presenter and ex-footballer with their spouses answering questions about each other. WOW.

7.45 - Grease is the Word live - an audition on TV. Shouldn't we watch them AFTER they've passed the auditions?

9.25 - Who wants to be a Millionaire? Game shows are NOT prime time viewing.

10.25 - Parkinson - loads of celebs talking about their favourite subjects "Themselves".

Variety eh....moan, moan, moan.

ESC is just starting. Goodbye.

Ah to be young, free and single.

I think ITV are going for the Northern working class demographic. It always seems to me that the BBC do programs aimed at the southeast while ITV's market is the North.

Because of Eastenders and Corrie? I know what you mean though.

I barely watch ITV, it's not aimed at me but more family based viewing, so I expect it to play safe with game shows and variety shows.

They seem to be pretty good at those dramas, when I've watched them. The only prime time music shows their capable of producing is pop pap, and endless Abba/Queen nostalgia. Although there is a good show on sometimes called Forever, but I haven't seen it since those TV Quizzes appeared.

I'd use a Saturday night as an opportunity to watch a DVD or something, if I had to choose ITV or talking to loved ones.

I never even watched much ITV when I was a kid, although I wasn't conscious of it then. All the best kids shows are BBC.

I was the opposite, I loved CITV when I was little. I always thought it had better cartoons. Whereas CBBC had all these middle-class kids getting into middle-class situations, which I didn't care about.

I only watch Doctor Who, then i watch Confidential on BBC3.

I just wish there were more programmes on the family drama level. I have to wait till the end of the year for Robin Hood, maybe the BBC will mix it up and put the Merlin drama they were talking about in the middle of DW and RH.

Quote: Leevil @ May 12, 2007, 10:00 PM

I was the opposite, I loved CITV when I was little. I always thought it had better cartoons. Whereas CBBC had all these middle-class kids getting into middle-class situations, which I didn't care about.

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Oh, well I am a bit middle class, so that's probably it.
Stick to your own and all that, old chap!
Pip pip.

Quote: ajp29 @ May 12, 2007, 9:06 PM

I think ITV are going for the Northern working class demographic. It always seems to me that the BBC do programs aimed at the southeast while ITV's market is the North.

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Couldn't have put it better myself.

Quote: zooo @ May 12, 2007, 9:58 PM

I never even watched much ITV when I was a kid, although I wasn't conscious of it then. All the best kids shows are BBC.

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Ditto.

To be perfectly honest (and I make no apologies for this), I feel that ITV is aimed at those significantly less intelligent than myself. It's so lowest-common-denominator. ITV1 in particular doesn't seem to try and push boundaries or educate the audience any, and aside from quite literally a handful of programmes, it's totally brain-dead. (Not that I'm bored watching anything less challenging than the Antiques Roadshow of course, but there's a line, and ITV1 is significantly below it.)

Ahem.

BBC2 & Channel 4 are the only ones I watch, although with Paul O'Grady it seems to be morphing into ITV1,

If you want really good saturday night ITV programs you have to wait till 1:30 for SNL on ITV4 and the exceptionally brilliant Larry Sanders show.

I hate SNL, but I agree Larry Sanders is fantastic.

I used to watch Larry Sanders when I was about 10, I doubt I understood it. But since ITV4 have been showing it I'm always too tired to watch and when I have watched it hasn't done much for me.

I always like to watch things from the start, so I'll have to buy it one day on DVD, but for now I'm not a fan. I'm just awkward like that.

As for S.N.L, don't make me laugh, I really don't think that is a funny show. It's creates a lot of good comedians, some of my favourite, but I've watched a few episodes of ITV4 and nothing. I borrowed 'Best of Steve Martin' (who I love) tape off my mate and nothing, it all just feels rushed.

Paramount started playing SNL a few years back. They stopped pretty sharpish, thank God. Pretty much the antithesis of comedy.