ITV to move away from crime

CONTENT LONDON: ITV’s director of drama has said the UK commercial broadcaster will shift away from crime dramas to focus on family and romantic series.

Speaking at the International Drama Summit strand at C21’s Content London event, Steve November said ITV was searching for more “contemporary non-crime dramas” to broadcast in 2014/15.

“The biggest prize is contemporary non-crime drama, I think that’s what we really want to have,” November said during his keynote speech yesterday. “We have a couple of things in development but we have got space for a lot more.

“We really would like to feel we offer more choice than just contemporary crime, which is a very broad area.”

He added that ITV was looking for shows that reflected “modern, blended families and romance,” and said the broadcaster was also on the hunt for workplace dramas.

“We will be looking at family relationship dramas, probably family more than friends, which can often give a horizontal view of modern life,” he said.

The news comes just days after ITV shelved gothic crime drama Whitechapel after four seasons.

However, November told Content London that ITV would continue to look for some new crime series as they were the “staple diet of entertainment.”