Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House in House on Five.
Photo: Channel 5

Five Looks to In-House Drama

Dan Chambers, Five’s director of programmes, has announced the channel is working on a new homegrown drama serial for next year. Plans for the show are still in the early stages of development but Chambers revealed that the six-episode series will be aimed at young, upmarket viewers. He added that there would also be more single dramas, each lasting two hours.

He explained that the channel’s decision to axe flagship soap Family Affairs has freed up around £13 million, which will be reinvested in original production. But he admitted that the show would not be replaced by another drama. The broadcaster plans to move away from its staple of reality programmes, films and acquired programming, such as popular US shows House and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Chambers said: “From next year there will only be two primetime movies a week.” He added that reality television had run its course and there would be no more series of The Farm or new commissions in the genre.

He also stood by expensive acquisition Joey, for which the channel is reported to have paid £450,000 per episode. The Friends spin-off was widely panned by critics and attracted ratings of around 1.5 million but Chambers said having the show was an important part of the comedy strategy and helped people associate the genre with the channel. The channel’s first original comedy, Swinging, has been recommissioned and new sitcom Suburban Shoot-out will appear on screens next year.

The channel will also launch a new science series The Creation of Modern Man, as part of a drive to target upmarket viewers.