5 Blindingly Obvious Ways To Revitalise Saturday Night TV

5. More Investment In High Budget Dramas

Sherlock is a fantastic example of what the majority of the British public crave when it comes to prime time television. It's serious, well done and dramatic without packaging the British culture into a cornucopia of overtly corny and hyperbolic rubbish. If people argue that all we see on Saturday nights are over exaggerated 'sob-stories' that have no relevance to the programme they're included in, then why not simply commission stories with dramatic content that are treated with care and appreciation instead of forced ones that only have the bank book in mind? If an audience cries or laughs, it's because the script and performer wants them to cry or laugh for the sake of human emotion, not because they want people to vote for them. Steven Moffat is not without his critics, but at least his work on both Sherlock and Doctor Who demonstrates that at least someone involved with television wants to keep high budget dramas on the TV on Saturday nights. So yes to a few more of those! But here comes the problem: money. It's far easier to green light a show like the X Factor because it's broad-minded and easy to sell. When it comes to high quality dramas, the BBC and ITV just don't have enough cash to invest in these programmes to give them longevity. That's why we often see very short series in the UK compared to those across the pond in the United States. While there is an argument that 22 episodes per season is too long, I'm sure that viewers would get stuck in if Benedict Cumberbatch and co. were able to produce nine 45-minute episodes across a few months rather than the three 90-minute features currently on show in Sherlock. I know I'd like to see another spy-type show such as Spooks to emerge in the current line-up. And it's great that Channel Four has had so much success with the Inbetweeners and Fresh Meat, for they represent exactly why British television is so unique. Yet if the TV companies get it wrong, then investing in dramas can really backfire. The recession seemed to miss the entertainment industry on the surface, but like in film, only major franchises get the backing at the moment and it's all because execs are scared of seeing their productions bomb. Viewing statistics are what it's all about, and if you have a successful franchise bringing in the flocks of viewers each week, then why change? Hopefully as the economy recovers so too will the investment in risky-yet-rewarding dramas that stretch what it means to watch television on Saturday night.