User blog:Telco/TV3 announces new autumn schedule: The Euro Independent, 19th July 2005

Some call it the silly season. Not so the broadcasters, for whom summer does not mean long, lazy hols in Tuscany but frantic activity at home - finalising autumn schedules, setting promotional campaigns and, increasingly, announcing new launches.

The unveiling last week, at a swank Euro City hotel, of TV3 and ZTV's autumn schedule, was the third in a series of programme announcements by leading broadcasters. Both ETV and Prime have announced their autumn schedules.

TV3 has of course been struggling in the ratings this past year, as ETV and Prime both launched their own new series to much success as they also brought over a slew of glorious American series, notably Cold Case and Arrested Development. TV3's controller Thomas Brenner is looking to fight back for a bigger audience and in doing so have signed deals with multiple top American studios to screen much sought after new drama and comedy series as well as bringing in new programmes from Britain and of course new Euroish productions. The aim of the new schedule is to give TV3 a wider appeal, satisfying the mass audience but also appealing to a more upmarket, mature audience, particularly with the new dramas and comedies in primetime.

New daytime, new kids slot, new news
In daytime a rebranded Sunrise from 6am dovetails into Entertainment Today at 9am. This new programme appears to be created as a sort of toned down version of ZTV's Liquid News, a simple tabloid celebrity magazine show, but one that is devoid of any true personality. As we reported back in March, TV3 was piloting a straight up morning version of the nightly ZTV show to be entitled Liquid Breakfast with the aim of spotlighting news from the US celebrity world that would have broken since the main show's 8.30pm transmission, although the bitchy and offbeat style of Liquid News seems to have jarred a bit too much to be put alongside the mainstream and women's magazine-y output either side of it. Brenner however is said to be a massive fan of the programme (not surprisingly he oversaw the programme's launch back in 2001 as the controller of the then Channel 4) which does question why else the plans were dropped. Instead, what we have here is a vapid and basic celebrity buffoonery show (down to the nondescript, unimaginative title), somewhat similar to Page One, which ran on TV3 until 2001 when Liquid News took it's mantle. Rachel Thomas (reportedly a favourite to take over from Mollie Hedges when she steps down from CD:Live at the end of the year) will preside over the hour's events, with help from Joe Mace.

That is followed by This Morning, sticking rigidly to the same old successful format at 10am, which itself is followed at midday by the return of The Midday Report, and at 12.30pm by EastEnders in a new daytime slot. Chris Hargreaves returns to TV3 in a new daily programme at 1pm alongside Big Brother 's Claudia Olberman, co-hosting the new daytime chat and variety show, Today with Chris and Claudia, closely modelled on the success of Today with Des and Mel in the UK and Live with Regis & Kelly in the US.

The impending loss of Home and Away to ETV 1 has prompted Brenner to slot rival Australian soap Neighbours into the 2pm slot, and Shortland Street will continue to be shown at 2.30pm. Children's television also sees a revamp as C3 is junked in favour of a new brand, The Fix, which will lead the new afternoon lineup for TV3 from 3pm to 5.30pm, as well as it's breakfast slot on ZTV (to be joined by a new after school slot there which will aim to a younger demographic than TV3's The Fix offering at that time) and it's own dedicated digital TV channel, radio station and website.

The Fix, which replaces C3, is placing all it's hopes on a new hybrid live action/animated drama series based on the Warriors series by Erin Hunter, a fantasy series about several clans of feral cats. Live and Dangerous takes over from SM:TV as TV3's new Saturday morning entertainment show, and there's a new sitcom for kids, Lunch Club. TV3 has also acquired new US sitcoms Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide and Zoey 101, adventure action series Avatar: The Last Airbender and animated comedies Catscratch and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends to fit into the new children's schedule, and there is a new version of Gerry Anderson's cult classic action series Captain Scarlet. Davidson Park also returns for it's new term and junior news junkies will find The Rundown in a new 4.15pm slot.

The early evening showing of Neighbours will be shifted to an earlier 5.30pm slot whilst EastEnders will be exclusive to lunchtime from September. TV3 will be slotting in a new series of the popular quiz show The Weakest Link to show in the 6pm slot, bridging the gap between children's programmes and the main evening news.

Three News will be overhauled with new music, a new studio and graphics, which have been designed by leading British designers Lambie-Nairn. The relaunch has came after years of audience research, careful timing and lengthy preparation. Andrew Gordon has been lured over from ETV's Evening News to present the new look and feel programme, whilst current host John Evans moves to host the new look Nightline. Stephen Cole joins from the BBC to present The Midday Report, and Rebecca Oatley, who last week hanged up her status as weathercaster for Prime News, is joining to take the reigns at The Rundown.

Barcroft welcomes in a new family this Autumn, but scandal is just around the corner, so business as usual. That show moves to a 7.30pm slot on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, whilst the remaining three nights will play host to Coronation Street.

New drama
The supposed jewel in TV3's Euroish production line would appear to be The Force, which will aim to take a "brutal and hard-hitting" look into the police force in Faulkshire, and Silverthorne, an offbeat and darkly satirical new detective drama, which Brenner dubs "Jonathan Creek meets A Touch of Frost."

TV3 has heavily taken aim at the popularity of American series on ETV & Prime and has decided to launch a ratings war against them, dramatically increase the amount of US drama for the new Autumn season, acquiring the rights to a selection of recently acclaimed and popular US dramas, as well as bringing some over from subscription siblings Spark and Premiere. Grey's Anatomy is a new drama on Monday centered on the personal and professional lives of surgical interns and their supervisors, secrets and truths unfold through the lives of female friends in one suburban neighborhood after the mysterious suicide of a neighbour in the Tuesday comic drama Desperate Housewives, and Hugh Laurie stars as an antisocial maverick doctor who does whatever it takes to solve puzzling cases with his wits in House which will be showing on Thursday nights.

British spy drama Spooks is also returning for a new series, which will be screened on Thursday nights before House, and TV3 stays in the UK with the long awaited return to Euroish television of Doctor Who as the new series starring Christopher Eccleston as the Time Lord will show at 8pm on Fridays. TV3 has secured the rights to broadcast the new Christmas special episode (which will see David Tennant take the lead) on the same evening as it's UK transmission on the BBC, which means it is guaranteed to take pride and place on Christmas night. ZTV will also screen the behind the scenes companion series, Doctor Who Confidential, following the transmission of each episode on TV3.

Films and football
Wednesday nights are dominated by football, despite the scheduling of the American adaptation of British sitcom The Office at 8:00pm, live matches from the UEFA Champions League will be broadcast live every Wednesday on TV3 throughout September and October, before live coverage switches to Tuesday matches for November and December. They will run until 11pm by which time the channel would be going to it's nightly sequence of Nightline and The Sopranos. From November TV3 will be showing double bills of films on Wednesday night primetime.

TV3 has spent millions on securing the rights to top-flight movies, and they will be screened at 10pm on Saturday and 9pm on Sunday evenings, and from November in doubles on Wednesday nights, and particular highlights include Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets, The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Bend It Like Beckham, Signs, Lilo & Stitch, Elf, Insomnia, Minority Report, 24 Hour Party People, About a Boy, Die Another Day, Holes, Bruce Almighty and The Matrix Reloaded.

Whilst Brenner refuses to promise anything in relation to the scheduling of films, he has hinted that Harry Potter, Star Wars and The Lord of The Rings are the most likely candidates to be held off until the festive season, when ratings are usually always high. He has also stated that one week in the lead up to Christmas will feature a nightly run of films in the prime 8pm slot.

Entertainment and comedy
Autumn entertainment is headlined by Deal or No Deal - a "unique" and "compelling" new quiz show, where the crux is that it isn't a quiz, as it's about luck, not knowledge. It will be shown at 8pm on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and also on Friday and Saturday for week one. The idea of a whole hour of people opening boxes can't help but sound like a tough watch, although it may show promise considering it's been a massive hit in the countries it has travelled to, and both the US & UK have picked the format up for broadcast later this year. Saturday evenings from the next week onwards will play host to The X Factor, an Idol-esque singing competition series (the UK version of which will be screening on ZTV).

Comedy is covered with the returns of The News Show and Skitshow, a local version of British series TV Burp fronted by Matt Hughes, Australian comedy sensation The Panel arrives in the Euro Republics, and The Day They Call Saturday (called that as it airs at midnight Saturday morning) aims to take the radio shock jock format to what Brennner promises will be "hilarious" new heights on television.

Doubling with Desperate Housewives on Tuesday nights is The Apprentice, the Euroish adaption from the US format helmed by Donald Trump, where the successful person will work for Scott Technologies chairman Sir Jonathan Hogan. Following Doctor Who on Friday nights is the star-studded Extras and Paul Whitehouse stars in the Sunday late comedy Help.

TV3 is relinquishing children's slot Super Saturday to the ZTV channel and will focus on "family entertainment" with Deal or No Deal, the continuation of The X Factor and the 10pm film.

Into 2006...?
Brenner has also gave his forecast for how he will carry the TV3 schedule to 2006. He is planning to launch a new Sunday night flagship for the new year - Dancing with The Stars, a gentile dancing contest with celebrity faces, which in it's homeland in the UK (where it is broadcast under the title Strictly Come Dancing) is shortly making a comeback for it's third series, and has been highly successful on Saturday evenings for the BBC as a more sensible and upmarket alternative to The X Factor on the competing ITV network.

Ray Cokes has also been signed to present a late evening entertainment programme aiming to be a Euroish equivalent to David Letterman's Late Show, and a new series of Popstars is in the pipeline. Next year's series of Big Brother will also go out on TV3, whilst ZTV will keep the side-shows such as Little Brother, Big Mouth and Uncut.

Brenner also highlighted his acquisition of the upcoming BBC time travel drama series Life On Mars for the Jan 2006 lineup, with John Simm playing a young detective who, after a near fatal car crash, finds himself transported back to 1973. Law & Order and ER will also return in the new year.

Monday

 * 7:30pm - Coronation Street
 * 8:00pm - 60 Minutes
 * 9:00pm - Silverthorne
 * 10:00pm - Grey's Anatomy
 * 11:00pm - Nightline
 * 11:30pm - The Sopranos

Tuesday

 * 7:30pm - Barcroft
 * 8:00pm - Deal or No Deal
 * 9:00pm - The Force
 * 10:00pm - Desperate Housewives
 * 11:00pm - Nightline
 * 11:30pm - The Sopranos

Wednesday

 * 7:30pm - Coronation Street
 * 8:00pm - The Office: An American Workplace
 * 8:30pm - UEFA Champions League Live
 * 11:00pm - Nightline
 * 11:30pm - The Sopranos

Thursday

 * 7:30pm - Barcroft
 * 8:00pm - Deal or No Deal
 * 9:00pm - Spooks
 * 10:00pm - House
 * 11:00pm - Nightline
 * 11:30pm - The Sopranos

Friday

 * 7:30pm - Coronation Street
 * 8:00pm - Doctor Who
 * 9:00pm - Extras
 * 9:30pm - Skitshow
 * 10:00pm - The News Show
 * 10:30pm - The Panel Live
 * 11:30pm - Nightline
 * 12:00am - The Day They Call Saturday

Saturday

 * 7:30pm - TV Burp with Matt Hughes
 * 8:00pm - Deal or No Deal
 * 9:00pm - The X Factor
 * 10:00pm - Saturday Night at The Movies

Sunday

 * 8:00pm - Heartbeat
 * 9:00pm - Sunday Night at The Movies
 * 11:00pm - Help
 * 11:30pm - The Sopranos