HAVE FAITH IN ITV (THE SEQUEL)

[8.27 - French Time] According to the excellent Broadcast website, ITV's crime drama Lewis (shown as Inspector Lewis on PBS in the US) will now be watched in more than 120 territories around the world following recent sales by ITV Studios Global Entertainment (http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/international/lewis-sales-surpass-120-territories/5006154.article).

This news arrives after the return of the wonderful comedy drama Doc Martin on ITV1 for an eagerly awaited series 4. Martin Clunes stars as Dr. Martin Ellingham, a London surgeon whose career collapses when he develops a blood phobia. He decides to become a GP in the small Cornish village of Portwenn. But if "Doc Martin" (as he's nicknamed) is a gifted doctor, he's totally grumpy and he resents the company of practically everything from human beings - except his aunt - to dogs.

Doc Martin returned on September 20 and triumphed of BBC One's Waking the Dead. The second episode of series 4 triumphed too with 7.2M v 6.2M for Waking (http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/ratings/dirty-dancing-gives-five-the-time-of-its-life/5006145.article).

Perhaps this and The X Factor rating bonanza (the French version started yesterday on digital channel W9) will come as a comfort for ITV, right in the middle of a terrible leadership crisis because of the difficulties encountered in the replacement process of executive chairman Michael Grade. Whoever may become its new boss (see updated candidate list here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/sep/28/itv-chairman-chief-executive-candidiates) ITV needs Peter Fincham (1). Fincham is the current ITV's director of television and has been rumored as a possible new Channel 4 chief executive..

The uncertainty over ITV's leadership could leave the company vulnerable to a takeover bid, according to a City analyst (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/sep/28/itv-leadership-uncertainty-takeover-bid). In a recent article I joked that Disney supremo Bob Iger should buy ITV because of the synergies with the shows of Gerry Anderson (http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/09/spiders-and-mice-and-bears-oh-my.html).

I was half-joking, actually. Our dear Nikki Finke seems to believe shopping season is open (http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/time-warner-to-make-showbiz-acquisitions/). Regarding what happened to Marvel recently I humbly tend to agree.

(1) http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/07/itv-autumn-2009-drama-season-highlights.html