C4 lines up Simpsons slot
At Channel 4's Winter 2004 launch this morning in London, ceo Mark Thompson hinted at a possible timeslot for The Simpsons, which arrives next year after the channel poached the show from BBC2.
Thompson said he anticipates The Simpsons will take over the 18.00 weeknight slot as a lead in to Hollyoaks at 18.30. The soap opera recently moved to five nights a week.
"18.00 is a possible candidate for The Simpsons," Thompson said. "We have The Salon in that slot right now, and for the foreseeable future the 18.00 slot will continue to be used for experiments in reality shows."
The 18.00 slot has traditionally been used as a recap half-hour of Channel 4's various reality series, including Big Brother.
BBC2 currently airs The Simpsons at 18.00, but back in February 2002, Channel 4 outbid the BBC for the terrestrial rights to the Fox toon by paying �15m a season.
Lianne Stewart 29 Oct 2003 � C21 Media 2003