• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Clean Feed

Clean Feed

  • Timeline
  • News
  • Opinion
  • PresWatch
  • Bloopers
  • News+
  • Resources
  • Other Pages
    • About This Site
    • Contact Us
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Our Other Websites
    • Rewind
    • Showreel
  • Related External Websites
    • Pres Café
    • TV Pres

New regular EastEnders slot in response to ITV changes

Posted on 21st February 2022 by Andrew Nairn
Last updated on 21st February 2022 Filed under Opinion

So now we know the BBC’s response to the big ITV schedule change. EastEnders will move to 7.30pm four nights a week. There will be no episode on Fridays but there will be an episode on Wednesdays.

It is probably the least radical thing the BBC could have done other than simply doing nothing. But is it the right thing to safeguard the programme’s future?

The good news is that there will be consistency – clear scheduling, four days in a row. It also keeps faith with the show’s heritage by preserving the traditional Tuesday and Thursday slots.

But there is a very big risk. It will mean EastEnders will always be shown opposite Emmerdale. When the soaps clash EastEnders usually loses. Even with the iPlayer and BBC Three repeats there are real risks.

There will inevitably be some knock-on changes to the schedule – Panorama will need to move to a new slot. But from a political point of view, a radical shake up to the BBC One schedule in direct response to ITV’s changes was always unlikely. EastEnders is but one BBC programme.

With the BBC’s role under scrutiny, a major direct response to ITV’s changes could send out the wrong signals. As always the challenge for BBC One is to be both popular and distinctive. But no doubt fans and strategists alike will be watching the ratings closely come March.

It is no longer impossible to imagine BBC One without EastEnders and easy to imagine an eventual cut in the number of episodes if the ratings suffer badly. But remember judging the ratings now means judging catch-up viewing and repeats as well as the overnights. Live viewing is less important than it used to be.

But, of course, a soap on the BBC can only be justified if it plays a strategic role bringing viewers to the channel and bringing them to more demanding or innovative programmes.

Where will things be in a year or two?

Related

Acknowledgements

Related

FEATURE IMAGE:

PICTURED: EastEnders promotion. COPYRIGHT: BBC.

Related

Related

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Sidebar

Tags: BBC, BBC One, EastEnders

Dates for the Diary

6th/7th February: BBC One West Midlands HD, BBC One East Yorkshire/Lincolnshire HD and BBC Alba HD launch on satellite. BBC One/Two Wales SD services close on satellite.

13th/14th February: BBC One West HD, BBC One South West HD, BBC One Channel Islands HD, BBC One London HD and BBC RB1 HD launch on satellite.

20th/21st February: BBC One North East and Cumbria HD, BBC One North West HD, BBC One Yorkshire HD and BBC Parliament HD launch on satellite. BBC One Scotland SD and BBC Scotland SD services close on satellite.

22nd/23rd February: BBC One South East HD launches on satellite.

February 2023: new set for BBC Midlands Today goes live.

13th February 2023: Sky Kids launches.

Q1 2023: BBC Chameleon branding introduced on air for BBC Weather, CBBC and CBeebies.

April 2023: BBC News Channel and BBC World News merge.

November/December 2023: World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC-23).

Q1 2024: SD versions of BBC channels close on satellite.

2024: BBC Four and CBBC go online-only.

2024: BBC Radio 4 Extra goes online-only.

Don’t Miss Out – Follow Us on Twitter

Our Twitter account will usually report the latest broadcast-related events shortly after they've happened and ahead of the website. You'll also catch a variety of items there that will not be covered on the website.
Clean Feed on Twitter.

© 2023 The TV Room. This site is not affiliated with any broadcaster, production company or design/marketing/talent agency.

Back to top