ITV pulls Endemol gameshow

In the UK, ITV has dropped Endemol's new primetime show Shafted from its Monday night slot after a mere three outings.

The show has been replaced with further episodes of the ITV stalwart Millionaire, in an attempt to boost audiences for the channel's new Cold Feet airing on Mondays.

Shafted, fronted by MP-turned-presenter Robert Kilroy-Silk, drew average ratings of around 6m but ITV mandarins have deemed this insufficient for the 20:30 slot. The first outing pulled in 6.6m viewers but the third had shed about 1m of these.

The 12×30' gameshow, produced by Endemol-owned Initial, is expected to return later in the year, so the move appears to be tactical rather than strategic.