Jo (ITV): we don’t have the luxury of the 10pm slot, just the pain of the 9pm slot. The problem with this slot is that there will be a lot of competition so they have to choose carefully. It is important to be innovative in the mainstream, you have to think about a Subject and a Title. Then a really smart and clever way in to it. There are different ways you can innovate. Long Lost Family started with a simple idea but grew into an entertaining and returnable Format.
A major area of interest is the current issues of the day (the Zeitgeist). For example a growing area of public health and concern is Testicular Cancer. It is an important area of public concern however if a show was pitched to ITV their answer would have been take it to the BBC. ITV wanted something heartfelt, happy and truly entertaining, for example The Real Full Monty, what a perfect way of presenting issues in society. The Real Full Monty was about raising awareness of cancer.
Another big issue in society is obesity. A pitch came in with a pair of shorts from the England 1996 team and a pair of shorts that person wears now (thinks it was John Barnes). The show was called “Match Fit” and team had to lose 40 stone (560 pounds) between them. The producer was Talkback (Thames?).