Sitting in judgement: a scene from forthcoming drama Rock Rivals. Photograph: Patrick Redmond/ITV
It's either an arch bit of intertextuality, or a way to make a quick phone-in buck. Either way, the recent announcement by ITV that the ending of a new drama, Rock Rivals, will be decided by viewers is bound to get up the nose of a few people and a lot of screenwriters.
Admittedly, in a channel filled with the likes of I'm a Celebrity ..., Holly and Fearne Go Dating and more dull 9pm dramas then you can shake Sarah Lancashire at, you'd think that giving the viewer the ability to steer the narrative would be a positive move. Hey, incorporate a few more twists and you could have the prime time version of the Choose Your Own Adventure books. Wa-hey!
The fact that the drama in question is about an X Factor-like TV reality show makes the phone-in idea seem like a pleasingly meta-fictional touch. If not that, perhaps it's a sly dig at the organisation's reliance on coffer-boosting phonelines even after the GMTV and Gallowgate fiascos of 2007, or even a nod to the fact that it's these cheap but profitable shows that help pay for expensive dramas. Or, more likely, it's a cheap gimmick aimed at drumming up ratings.
If it is, then fair enough. So, as long as it's a one-off, like Smell-O-Vision, then ITV head of television Simon Shaps and his team can be commended for their innovation (although let's not forget that Dubplate Drama has already done this on British telly). The worst case scenario would be the phone-in proving a roaring success.
If the formula is repeated - and, let's face it, when was the last time a successful TV format wasn't? - what's left of ITV's quality control will be thrown out of the window faster than Steve Brookstein's descent to the obscurity. The sentimental British public isn't noted for its impeccable taste after all - Angels the best song of the last 25 years anyone? You'd doubt the likes of Kay Mellor and Paul Abbott would be keen on subjecting themselves to a live focus group, especially the kind that would prefer it if Old Yeller had managed to shake off the rabies.
