ITV to BBC - 'Don't schedule against us'

ITV made an unprecedented plea to BBC last night not to schedule its blockbuster autumn costume drama against its own glossy remake of Dr Zhivago.

In an attempt to prevent its £8m three-part epic being scuppered by what it considers the increasingly aggressive scheduling of its rival, ITV called on the BBC not to pit Daniel Deronda against its lavish production of Boris Pasternak's romance.

The BBCs version of the George Eliot tale, stars Hugh Bonneville and Jodhi May, while Dr Zhivago features Keira Knightley, who made her film breakthrough in the popular Bend it like Beckham.

Both series were scripted by Andrew Davies, the award-winning – and often racy – adapter of period dramas including Pride and Prejudice.

Dr Zhivago undoubtedly has a higher public profile, because of the classic and fondly-remembered 1965 film starring Julie Christie and Omar Sharif .

But in a move suggesting ITV is fearful of the outcome of any ratings battle, executives made a determined effort to secure it a clear run by naming 24 November as transmission date.

A spokeswoman said ITV was taking the unusual step of revealing the date three months in advance to give the BBC the chance to avoid a clash. ITV had tried to establish the BBC's plans for Daniel Deronda before setting a date but was unable to do so and it could not now move a premium show that had been sold to advertisers. But the spokeswoman said: "We're sure that the BBC will want to avoid a clash as much as we do. These are two high-quality dramas that will be a highlight for viewers this autumn."

ITV bosses have been infuriated by what they regard as aggressive scheduling by the BBC whenever the network tries to raise its game and produce more challenging quality television.

Its modern Othello found itself up against an extra edition of the hospital soap Holby City. The BBC also showed the new Auf Wiedersehen Pet when ITV was broadcasting its Forsyte Saga.

A BBC spokesman said: "The slot they want to put Dr Zhivago in is the slot where we play our costume drama. We have Daniel Deronda waiting to go. Our duty is to schedule our programmes in the best interest of viewers."