Out of the Blue

[vaughany]

If you missed any of the first five episodes, they are available on YouTube. Here is the link to

Episode 1: Part 1

[ldscott]

this dissappeared onto bbc 2 but now has gone from there as well any ideas y? is it just for wimbolden or have they axed it al togheter?

[vaughany]

No, it's just for Wimbledon. The email from BBC confirms that it'll be back on 7th July.

[Creeker311]

I like this show. It is pretty good so far. I have only seen a few episodes on youtube. But so far, I like it.

Kristen

[Miranda]

Lets all write to Five and suggest they pick up OOTB once the Beeb finish with it. Maybe a lot of requests would make them think about it? People power!

[Lesley Bee]

^ Count me in

[Miranda]

I just emailed Five. I think that lots of emails might be better than a petition or something like that.

[Lesley Bee]

I've followed my leader and emailed five as well Lets hope they consider picking it up.

Have you had a reply yet Miranda?

[DE4DJ]

Acording to digtial Spy the BBC has axed Out of The Blue.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a106170/...-first-run.html

I called the BBC and they said well not much.

[Dan F]

Here's the article from Broadcast, the industry paper:

BBC Axes Out of the Blue

Out of the Blue, the Australian soap ordered by the BBC as a successor to Neighbours, is to be axed after just a single series.

The expensive soap was commissioned from Australian producer Southern Star Entertainment after Five outbid the BBC for the rights to Neighbours, and was widely seen as its attempt to replace the FremantleMedia offering. However, Out of the Blue has attracted disappointing ratings since its launch.

It debuted on BBC1 in April in a 2.10pm weekday slot with just under 1.2m viewers, but was switched to BBC2 less than a month later after its audience halved – at one point dipping as low as 527,000. Since its move to BBC2 it has averaged just 125,000 viewers, with lows of just over 80,000.

When it was commissioned, BBC head of fiction Jane Tranter hailed the show as "an ambitious project that we think will break new ground, at the same time as providing daytime audiences with a compelling and intriguing watch".

But last night Tranter told a Royal Television Society event that Out of the Blue would not be recommissioned after the current run. She added that it "just didn't grab hold" of the loyal, daily audience that soaps need to survive.

The BBC commissioned a total of 130 episodes and has so far aired just 31. It is expected to air the remaining 99 but a spokesman could not confirm the end date as it is expected that scheduling will be disrupted by the summer's sporting events.

Tranter also distanced herself from the decision to downgrade the soap to a BBC2 slot, saying "the scheduling wasn't my decision at all."

Out of the Blue centres on a group of 30-something friends who return home for a school reunion, but are flung together in a way they had not expected after one of the group is murdered.

The series is also aired in Australia by Network Ten, which also broadcasts Neighbours.