ITV, Five list '03 goals
Increased U.K. drama, quality pix promised
ITV will spend at least half of its commissioned program budget outside London. ITV's budget for 2003 is £830 million ($1.33 billion), up from $1.2 billion in 2002, and it will increase its investment in U.K.-produced drama. Original production will account for 65% of the schedule, with 85% in peak time. ITV1 also expects to exceed the 25% indie production quota this year. Current affairs will account for at least 78 hours in 2003, factual and documentary series a minimum of 91 hours.
Network also intends to revitalize its children's programming strand, CiTV.
Five is shifting away from its policy of running a movie at 9 p.m. each evening but promises greater quality. This year sees the network TV premiere of "Gladiator," "Erin Brockovich" and "Charlie's Angels."
Five wants to buy more one-hour U.S. drama series. It already airs "CSI" and bought "Boomtown" from MGM/DreamWorks. "CSI Miami" will debut in the winter, and "The Shield" will return for a second season.
New drama will include an ambitious new take on the police drama with a relatively unknown cast from Tony Garnett's World Prods.
The channel said it is also doubling its investment in current affairs but declined to reveal a figure.
