The Stage

Shaps wields axe on ITV hits in war on complacency

Published Friday 12 May 2006 at 11:20 by Liz Thomas

ITV director of television Simon Shaps has vowed to reinvent the broadcaster’s drama, entertainment and comedy output and will cancel a string of popular programmes including Celebrity Fit Club, Rosemary and Thyme and Footballers’ Wives to make way for more innovative shows.

Shaps admitted it would be a “painful but necessary” process and explained it as a “kind of Clause IV moment for ITV,” referring to Tony Blair’s modernisation of the Labour party’s policies.

“I am going to hold my hands up and say we actually agree with some of the criticisms levelled at ITV over the last few years,” said Shaps and added that the network had to aim higher, take more risks and lead rather than follow.

He added that drama needed to be more focused on attracting the best writers and being less predictable. The genre has come under fire in recent years with high profile talent such as Jimmy McGovern and Paul Abbott lambasting ITV’s 9pm drama for being “crap”.

Shaps also conceded that the broadcaster was falling well behind in other areas. He said: “Then there’s comedy - or rather then there isn’t any comedy.”

However the network has brought in a new line-up for its entertainment and comedy commissioning, as well as two new former BBC executives to its drama output. Shaps said the aim was to attract new talent to the channel and convince writers it was the place to work and pointed to the recent signing of Catherine Tate for a forthcoming ITV production.