Doctors Encore Screening

[telebox2001]

Apologies if there's already a Doctors thread, but the BBC Two encore screening has been axed already.

https://metro.co.uk/2022/04/29/bbc-axes-...-16559931/

Playing Devil's Advocate here but it didn't help four nights in they dropped an episode to accommodate The One Show due to extended news on BBC One - and the episode didn't get repeated.

But I'm not sure the lunchtime/teatime thing is really needed anymore to be honest.  Neighbours is going, Home and Away viewers are seeking it out on 5 Star and My5 (and interestingly aren't bothered about losing HD) and I imagine Doctors fans who couldn't watch at lunchtime were already seeking it out on iPlayer anyway.  I'm not sure an evening linear repeat bought much to the party.

[eyeTV]

An attempt to pick up some displaced Emmerdale viewers but must have rated really badly to have been axed already. 

Several weeks in is there anything to suggest how the schedule changes have affected audiences for The One Show / Eastenders / Emmerdale / Corrie / ITV News?

[telebox2001]

I thought that Channel 5 might have trialled Home & Away there to be honest in an attempt to drive trial/retrial, I'm guessing not for the reasons I mentioned in the O.P. - although I notice the UK social media accounts have sprung back to life after 2 years or so dormancy.

[Brekkie]

An attempt to pick up some displaced Emmerdale viewers but must have rated really badly to have been axed already. 

Several weeks in is there anything to suggest how the schedule changes have affected audiences for The One Show / Eastenders / Emmerdale / Corrie / ITV News?

Pretty much all held their audience - no real significant impact either way from what I've seen.

Doctors initially at least was doing terrible numbers - less than 200k - so no surprise really.   Do have to wonder if it's vulnerable with future programming cuts on the cards.   The afternoon dramas have so much more potential for overseas sales, bringing in co-production partners and have repeat value so concentrating efforts there may be wiser.

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I thought that Channel 5 might have trialled Home & Away there to be honest in an attempt to drive trial/retrial, I'm guessing not for the reasons I mentioned in the O.P. - although I notice the UK social media accounts have sprung back to life after 2 years or so dormancy.

Home and Away is almost certain to stay on 5Star for it's primetime airing.  Hour long show probably work better at 7pm both for BBC2 and C5 in the hope of keeping any floating audiences around for the full hour rather than sending them back to Emnerdale or EastEnders at 7.30pm.

[tellyblues]

Neighbours at least had the benefit of appealing to a teen audience who would have been at school/work during the daytime showing and the CBBC block leading into it also helped.

Doctors was never going to gain any traction after 22 years.

[James2001]

And I'm sure people who wanted to watch it who couldn't catch the original showing would already be either recording it or watching via iPlayer anyway, so would be hard getting them to switch to a linear showing when they already have a routine.

[Brekkie]

Neighbours at least had the benefit of appealing to a teen audience who would have been at school/work during the daytime showing and the CBBC block leading into it also helped.

Doctors was never going to gain any traction after 22 years.

Surprising really it's now been on air longer than Brookside was.

[adamiow]

It is not surprising it didn't pick up a bigger audience at 7pm given the limited promotion the BBC did. I believe it was pretty much limited to an interview on Morning Live and BBC Radio WM and a few snippets in the press.

One of the difficulties with Doctors is the transmission gaps. Given all of the other soaps air year round, disappearing for extended periods would inevitably impact the retention of the new audience at 7pm. Within a short period, it has already gone off for Easter and will only be back until late June before going on its summer break until September. It will lose some days from the World Cup and then off again for Christmas.

[VMPhil]

I think more likely what's happened is that this move was originally driven by the extension of the ITV Evening News, which some predicted would severely damage Emmerdale's audience. In reality this hasn't really happened, and the Doctors repeat therefore was not as successful as anticipated.

[Brekkie]

It is not surprising it didn't pick up a bigger audience at 7pm given the limited promotion the BBC did. I believe it was pretty much limited to an interview on Morning Live and BBC Radio WM and a few snippets in the press.

One of the difficulties with Doctors is the transmission gaps. Given all of the other soaps air year round, disappearing for extended periods would inevitably impact the retention of the new audience at 7pm. Within a short period, it has already gone off for Easter and will only be back until late June before going on its summer break until September. It will lose some days from the World Cup and then off again for Christmas.

But that also works for BBC2 who need it off air for the snooker and Wimbledon for example - indeed suspect the Easter break was pushed back a week to fit in with the snooker taking the 7pm slot on BBC2.

Are the BBC restoring it to 5 episodes a week anytime soon?

[telebox2001]

I assume that Doctors takes a break for Wimbledon (or the summer break begins at that point.)

Neighbours used to get shunted all over the place during the WC/Euro season - not only hopping channels but also you could have a lunchtime only showing one day and a teatime only showing the next, which must have made it an absolute PITA to follow in the days before streaming.