[Scarlett.]

Michael Grade, the new boss of ITV, today said he would chuck out "tired old programmes", screen fewer repeats and promised more long-running drama hits in the showpiece 9pm slot.

Grade, who was poached from the chairmanship of the BBC to turn round an ailing ITV nine months ago, said: "There are lots of new shows coming. There will be a major face-lift for ITV1.

"The channel has to be fresher, better and higher quality. I want to see fewer single 90-minute dramas and more high-quality drama series that run for 13 weeks at least.

"I want to increase our share of 'light' viewers in the key time slots." He said he wants far more quality dramas like Cold Feet and the Morse successor Lewis.

"We have fallen way behind. We lost our edge with the 9pm slot during the week, although we're doing very well at the weekend," he said. "We currently have less than half of that peak-time, we have to win it back."

Reality TV shows would appear "only if they really work well" and he promised "no more poor copies of other people's programmes". That includes Tycoon, the recent failed attempt to copy Sir Alan Sugar's The Apprentice.

Grade also promised that programmes would be scrapped "before they have been on too long or passed their sell-by date" - something which some critics say has happened to the current series of Hell's Kitchen.

ITV1, the flagship channel, has been losing its audience for the past four years as more and more households switch to multichannel television. That began with Sky but has increased sharply since the arrival of Freeview.

But better viewing figures today showed the loss of viewers is slowing down, with more than eight out of 10 homes having already switched to multichannel television well ahead of the official digital switchover in five years' time.

Grade recently poached Dawn Airey from rival Sky to be ITV's head of content, and today she is being charged with doubling the amount of money ITV makes from its own programmes - from the present £600 million to £1.2 billion by 2012. That will come not just from broadcasting but from internet and DVD sales.

Mr Grade said: "Paul Potts, who won Britain's Got Talent, has received more than 30 million hits on YouTube... internet companies are desperate for our content."

"In the old days ITV made a programme costing a million quid an hour, showed it on our one channel twice and then it disappeared into the archive. Now we have our own shop windows in ITV1, ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4 which makes it a lot easier to sell overseas."

But Grade said that ITV1 stalwarts Coronation Street and Emmerdale were not under threat. "By God, I'll say they're safe. They are the jewels in the crown of ITV."

However, he is planning to pull the plug on the controversial ITV Play phone-in quiz because the negative publicity surrounding it had caused calls to drop sharply.

Grade also said that he wants ITV2 to overtake Five as the third most popular commercial channel for the key 16 to 34-year-old market.

[Retroman]

Does ITV-Play mean Glitterball as well?
Im not sure if they fall under the same category.

Also, I thought I saw on the News today that he was talking about cutting down on "The News" and showing it less, but instead changing the times it is shown throughout the day to something more appropriate [the peak hours that people would watch the news I assume.]

[Scarlett.]

yeah its a phone in show so it will be

Im not sure about the News but they are gonna stop the Dumbing down

[Ruth*Star]

I'm surpised that hell's kitchen was mentioned, i didn't think it was doing that bad.

[Scarlett.]

I know but M. Grade didnt actually mention it being axed

[Retroman]

Originally posted by Chewy
yeah its a phone in show so it will be

Im not sure about the News but they are going to stop the Dumbing down

I take it you mean the dumbing down on the News?
I think putting a stop to the "dumbing down" of things is a good move.

I will say one thing though, does anyone remember the days of Saturday night ITV?

Blind Date
Strike it rich/ Strike it Lucky
Stars in their eyes
Blankety Blank
Bruce's Price Is Right
Family Fortunes
Moment of Truth

Etc etc.

That is something I miss, and something im sure that would benefit ITV, it's viewers, profit and reputation if things like that were to come back.

Ant and Decs Saturday Night Takeaway returned last Saturday, and even though im not a major fan of there's or the show, it was good to watch some quality Saturday night ITV entertainment that involves an audience, the public, prizes and lots of general fun =]

[Scarlett.]

I think the X factor should be either axed or moved, and then we either get a drama or a Blankety Blank type show

[Matt]

HOW DARE you suggest The X Factor should be axed!

[Scarlett.]

Lol

[Foebane100]

Originally posted by Retroman
Does ITV-Play mean Glitterball as well?
Im not sure if they fall under the same category.

Also, I thought I saw on the News today that he was talking about cutting down on "The News" and showing it less, but instead changing the times it is shown throughout the day to something more appropriate [the peak hours that people would watch the news I assume.]

Please god let them axe Glitterball and the rest of the similar crappy show.

[Scarlett.]

They are axed

[Foebane100]

Michael Grade is an arrogant ass he will axe a show if he doesn't like it. Though if he can improve the standard of shows on ITV I'll be glad, I honestly don't think I really watch ITV at all.