Top writer blasts STV
06/11/2009
Anthony Horowitz incensed as Scottish channel ditches his new ITV drama
Award-winning writer Anthony Horowitz has blasted STV saying they risk “losing everything” if they continue to ditch quality drama.The comments came after The Big Issue broke the news to Horowitz that his brand new prime time programme, Collision, which is due to screen on five consecutive nights next week (from November 9) across the rest of the UK, will not be aired in Scotland.
“It’s the first I’ve heard of it and I’m absolutely staggered,” he said. “I know that money is tight but if you don’t show quality programming – and I can assure you Collision is high quality – you are going to drown, you are going to go under all together. I don’t know what STV are playing at.”
Horowitz said he was particularly shocked given that the star of the show is Scottish. “Dougie Henshall seems to me to be a very good reason to be showing it,” he added. “It’s a great shame and I think it is crazy.”
STV have been at the centre of a viewer storm in recent weeks after opting out of broadcasting major ITV shows such as The Bill and Midsomer Murders. STV managing director of programming Bobby Hain said that the channel had to look at their schedule “holistically” and admitted they had to save money by not showing some of ITV’s big dramas in order to make more Scottish programmes.
“The objective is to make a programme schedule that is relevant and affordable,” he said. “We’re a commercial business and there is a commercial consideration here.”
He also defended The Greatest Scot, the show STV will broadcast instead of Collision. In The Greatest Scot viewers vote for their favourite Scottish person. “One of the things we were very keen to try and get was a run of peak-time slots for the finale to our Homecoming programme, which has been a big theme this year, and The Greatest Scot will be on for five nights in peak,” he said.
STV is currently being sued for £38m by ITV over their opt-out strategy but this week announced that they would be mounting a “robust defence”, including a £35m counter-claim against ITV.
To read our full investigation into whether STV has lost the plot see The Big Issue, out on November 9
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