Shake up for Crossroads

Following falling lunch time ratings, ITV bosses have decided it is time for a change of image For Crossroads. Viewers for the lunchtime episode of the show dropped from 2 million in 2001 to 0.8 million this year, with the evening show dropping from 3 million to 2.4 million over the same period.

Earlier in the year production was stopped while bosses made decisions about the future and the show has recently dropped it's lunch time show focusing on the evening slot.

The hotel based soap is in for drastic changes that may involve the departure of up to ten characters.

At the present time there are a lot of soaps all trying to attract younger viewers, but Crossroads writers intend to target an older age group. Speaking to Inside Soap magazine, Carlton's director Jonathan Powell said "The show is slightly too young at the moment. The middle-ranking age group needs to be solidified."

As well as a change in cast the show looks likely to change in format, moving from it's current long running plots to shorter weekly storylines.

The changes seem to be intended to give the soap a last chance at sucess.