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ITV to axe South Bank Show after three decades as Bragg steps down
Amar Singh6 May 2009
The South Bank Show is to be axed by ITV after more than 30 years as the channel's flagship arts programme, it was announced today.
The show, presented by Melvyn Bragg, 69, will air for the last time in June next year when the current series comes to an end. Bragg will also be retiring as ITV's controller of arts. He said in a statement today: “I have decided to leave ITV at the end of my current contract.
“I have had the privilege to work with fine programme makers and hundreds of the best artists of the last half century.” ITV is at the sharp end of an unprecedented downturn in television advertising revenue.
There has been speculation that the collapse in income would lead to cuts in public service programming and the South Bank Show would appear to fit that definition.
The show's last series will feature programmes on the Royal Shakespeare Company, Coldplay and Andy Warhol.This Sunday it will focus on the work of writers from Nigeria.
The first South Bank Show in 1978 featured Germaine Greer, cartoonist Gerald Scarfe and Paul McCartney.
Over more than 700 episodes it has won more than 110 awards, including 12 Baftas, six Emmys, five Prix Italia awards and four Royal Television Society awards.
ITV chairman Sir Michael Grade, who originally commissioned The South Bank Show, said: “Over three decades the South Bank Show has become the benchmark for popular arts programming.”
Peter Fincham, ITV director of television, channels and online said: “Up until the show's arrival, this genre had been narrowly focused on classical music, ballet, operas and art.
“The South Bank Show and Melvyn go hand in hand and given that he has decided to step down we felt that this was the right time to lower the curtain on this series.”
■ Some of Channel 4's biggest stars face pay cuts as it slashes 10 per cent, or £100 million, of its programme budget. Paul O'Grady, Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and Davina McCall will bear the brunt of the cuts.
Reader views (10)
I am extremely sad that the South Bank Show will be no more. This show has brought me a huge amount of pleasure, inspiration and knowledge that I would certainly not otherwise have experienced. The diversity of content and genre has lent itself to a widely diverse audience and, I for one, will sorley miss its richness.
- Dawn Hodgson, Poulton-le-Fylde, UK, 20/05/2009 01:28
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Could Peter Fincham clarify the comment which he has made in the piece above which implies that the demise of the South Bank Show is due to the impending retirement of Melvyn Bragg. The South Bank Show has an excellent team of writers, researchers and producers and can continue perfectly well without Melvyn as evidenced by many recent programmes, there have been lots of excellent shows aired which have worked well despite his not actually being in them as an interviewer.
It seems that ITV are using the excuse of Melvyn's retirement as a cover to get rid of their flagship arts programme, a short-sighted move – and I think that they have misjudged the mood of the nation. It seems grossly unfair and frankly wrong of Mr Fincham to imply that Melvyn's retirement is responsible for ITV's decision in axing the programme.
- Bernadette Kennedy, Silloth, 20/05/2009 00:28
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About time too most of it is self indulgent rubbish. Bragg is boring broadcaster given far too much credit for poor programming of the emperors new clothes variety.
Next for the newsnight review another pantheon of self indulgent luvvie pointless programming.
I could just about stomach him on radio 4 but even that gets a bit much.
Television is entertainment Film is entertainment it can have pathos integrity and lots of other fine qualities but at the end of the day its people who change the world. The best films and books reflect those attempts of people to change the world in themselves they can't do it. The luvvies fail to grasp this.
- Duncan, Kent, 20/05/2009 00:28
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I'm surpised ITV aren't updating it ‘to make it relevant for a modern audience’ with Chris Moyles presenting programmes on Paris Hilton and Kerry Katona.
- Ian, London, 20/05/2009 00:28
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The last show will air in June 2010 " when the current series comes to an end " !! So that means Melvyn gets to make yet another batch of shows that has the nation switching off to have an early night ready for work the next day. He must be laughing all the way to the (south)bank.
Who the heck are the 2009/2010 shows going to feature?
Vernon bleedin' Kay ? Graham flippin' Norton? The opening titles will be replaced by a short film featuring the bottom of a barrel being scraped.
Let's face it, anyone who's made a significant contribution to the arts & literature has been done by the SBS.
Comedian Richard Digance once said "....I met my wife on a Sunday. It was definitely a Sunday because there was someone on the South Bank Show I'd heard of ".
But please don't take off NEWSNIGHT REVIEW. It makes for hilarious viewing. Four pretentious prats arguing over obscure art exhibitions, New Latvian Cinema and other 'must-see' cultural events. All of which means absolutely sod all to people living outside London.
- Jargonaut, South London, 20/05/2009 00:28
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I shall miss it, especially the programmes produced by Nigel Wattis.
- Derek, London, 20/05/2009 00:28
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ITV have shot themselves in the foot. The South Bank Show is a cultural institution and Melvyn is a National Treasure – ITV's arts programming consumes only a tiny proportion of budget expenditure. Weighing that cost against the gravitas which SBS adds to the channel's output makes nonsense of this decision. It would serve ITV right if they lost even more advertisers over this issue – what now sets them apart from the hundreds of other 'light entertainment' channels widely available?
Up until now ITV and Channel 4 have bridged the gulf between this dross and the quality of BBC programming – it would be interesting to survey advertisers about whether they would go for product placement on the BBC were it available (as a purely intellectual exercise only, of course) – you bet they would rather be associated with that level of quality.
Shame on you Mr Fincham. With or without Melvyn the South Bank Show should stay.
Mrs H Howard
- Mrs H Howard, United Kingdom, 20/05/2009 00:28
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I'm really sorry about the South Bank Show ending – where I grew up I would never have learned about the stuff that is on the South Bank Show but watching it inspired me to start going to the theatre and now I really love it, I'm even getting into opera now as well. Without the South Bank Show the arts will go back to being just for posh people.
James
- James Conway, London, 20/05/2009 00:28
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I agree with Ian. As far as I can see, the majority of the British viewing public today are perhaps more suited to programming based around the cult of personality, or more accurately, the lack thereof. Let’s allow the likes of The South Bank Show to retire gracefully and make way for the vacuous current 'popular' offerings to dominate completely. As a clever man once sang, "the public gets what the public wants".
- Simon, Melbourne, Autralia, 20/05/2009 00:28
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If he could now retire from serving up his boring clap trap on Radio 4 my life would be enriched.
- Jack Spratt, Richmond, England, 20/05/2009 00:28
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