 The Bill recently celebrated 21 years on ITV |
ITV3, a new ITV channel aimed at people over 35, will launch on 1 November with dramas, films, US shows and repeats. The network has said high-quality drama, "premium" movies plus repeats of shows like The Bill and Parkinson will be at the heart of ITV3's schedule.
The channel will also get the first airing of some shows like Poirot and Miss Marple, plus US dramas including Hack, Crossing Jordan and LA Dragnet.
ITV boss Charles Allen is hoping to tempt viewers from Sky One and Five.
But the channel will only launch on the Freeview service, with negotiations continuing about putting ITV3 onto Sky Digital and cable networks. TV 'power'
The company already has ITV2, aimed at a younger audience, plus the ITV News Channel in its digital TV stable.
Mr Allen, the ITV chief executive, said: "By developing ITV2 and 3 as free-to-air channels and by making them 'big enough' for ITV, we will create a power in multi-channel homes.
"ITV3 will target the 35-plus demographic, which is a growing part of the population, controls 80% of the nation's wealth and are the main drivers of the rapid take-up of Freeview."
The plans came on the day ITV announced its advertising revenues grew at their fastest rate since 2000 during the first six months of this year.
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