I have only just heard the news that the Sunday morning GMTV politics show is beoing axed on 20 July and won't be replaced. This means that there is now not a single national politics programme in ITV's schedules. I also hear whispers that it is axing its General Election night programme. Last year it axed Andrew Rawnsley's Sunday Edition. All we are left with now is the increadingly ludicrous Tonight with Trevor McDonald. If that went any more down market it would meet Big Brother coming the other way.
I'm sad to see the Sunday programme going. Having appeared on it a number times I can honestly say it was one of the few programmes left where you could have a reasonably lengthy discussion without fear of beong cut off after the statutory three minutes. The programme, presented by Steve Richards and produced by the excellent David Mills, also punched above its weight in breaking stories and got GMTV serious news coverage it would never have got otherwise.
What a sad development in political broadcasting.
34 comments:
Only the BBC will be left.
Clive James on a bike ! this is $h!te !
From the channel that brought you Peter Jay and Brian Walden on 'Weekend World' which I grew up on.
From the channel that brought us 'World in Action' with the likes of John Pilger.
But I guess once the government was committed to going down the 'multi channel' programmes being beamed in from Mars route, this was the sort of 'Lowest Common Denominator' tosh which would result.
But hey, the Tories want to kill the BBC and the Licence Fee - and then where would we be ??
How was the dentist, by the way ?
Please keep fighting for ITV regional political programmes, not the same I know, but at least they'll be there for the time being,,,,albeit only for a few weeks at a time. Programmes, incidentally, that must cost about tuppence to make, so why chop them back?
And where is Ofcom eh? What's the point of a watchdog which seems more interested in promoting it's own PSB channel on the web and fitting out some very nice offices in London.
Shame when you think of the glory days with Weekend World with Brian Walden.
Its very hard to do politics for TV and get an audience.
Even the BBC with all its resources struggles to find the right tone for its election specials. Veering from hard faced economists to journo pundits to spinning politicians to its dreadful comedy moments.
GMTV politics show.. never watched it.
beoing!
Gobsmacked. The Sunday GMTV is actually far superior in content to Both Marr and Boulton. Its main failing is that it is not live, then neither are large parts of Marr and a significant part of Boulton.
Iain,
Did you expect any better
when ITV is being run by Michael "Pornographer-in-chief" Grade?
Weekend World was the programme that got me interested in politics.
It won't be long before the hypocrites will be airing a programme about voter apathy among da yoof.
And they used to have PROPER farming programmes on Sunday lunchtime as well, not that tird-rate lifestyle $h!te with Michaela bl**dy Strachan and the likes of Muriel Gray going whoopy-do about the joys of tramping over the countryside and trespassing over farmers' private property..
Right to bloody roam indeed !!
Bring back the Tories !¬
never mind - there is always some neocon rubbish on Sky with Adam Boulton.., or some super incisive questioning from Andrew 'injunction' Marr...
Steve Richards, eh? Is he as inane and illogical in his defence of all things Labour on the box as he is in print?
Trevor McDonald is now a pastiche of himself.
Nothing to do with the fact that it was on so early? Perhaps if it had been on in the evening it would have drawn a larger audience.
Come offf ir Iain,
Richards is as biased as the BBC and SKY.
We are left with just the blogospherefor real debate.
Whose the dead MP Iain?
It's my impression that the only politics left on TV is regarded at the last legitimate form of blood sports.
And as far as radio is concerned, I find it almost impossible to listen to the Westminster Hour on Sunday night since the ghastly Caroline Quinn took over; it was the last bastion of political discussion and information under Andrew Rawnsley.
So I get most of my real politics and news and debate from the political blogs.
Why are you surprised?
It's a natural consequence of party politics.
If you have politicians being whipped into voting, instead of thinking and representing voters, then they are an irrelevance.
Why pay them?
Why listen to them?
ITV are just reflecting the reality.
Nick
It is a shame that the BBC does not have an hour or even two hour programme where people can discuss issues in depth without the unseemly scramble for a soundbite. Surely better than hours of tat that currently gets created.
BTW, why does BBC produce Eastenders? It seems to have one purpose - to make everyone paranoid, insecure, treacherous, unhinged, violent, ranting morons.
I was very interested in your report on Hazel Blears' speech. Those words of hers summed up Neu Labour in a way that a two minute piece on Newsnight never could. It's there if you look. I don't need to know that she looks like a glove puppet suffering pleasant shock as a hand grabs her internal workings. All I need to do is read the copy and consider.
So, you lament the loss of ITV's political show. But it's only television! If one is really interested in what is going on in politics there are plenty of alternatives, such as this blog and latterly, Total Politics. Even the crapulous Guido can be useful on occasion.
Failing that there is talking to people.(listen, consider, reply - it's easy to get the hang of it). Or critically reading the speeches of the ginger homunculus and her colleagues.
I have lived quite happily without a tv for nearly a year now and I don't miss it. As you so rightly point out, it is difficult to put forward a point of view when you get cut off. (You'll be lucky to get three minutes these days.)
Let's not bemoan the loss of a telly programme. Western Civilisation has managed without it for 99% of it's existence.
Brilliant! Just following the BC's lead I guess, they gave up political shows in 1997...
I'm afraid this is the outcome of the 'light touch' regulation Labour and the Tories appear to favour.
Then the license fee is even more important to keep now. If commercial TV can't or won't do serious, then the BBC must.
Doesn't matter - there are enough about anyway.
The Labour government will be pleased about this. It will give the left wing BBC less competition.
GOOD- i'm glad that Sunday shi*e is being removed from the screens. That 'Liberal Facist' Richards twat trying 'to be like Tony Bliar' makes me retch. It was/is on FAR too early, and far too 'chatty', or either to bloody dull to keep screening. Bring back Brian Walden!
The ITV regions will still be making high quality political programmes next year but once again they've been cut down to just 11 for the whole year!!!
The regions need our support more than ever at the moment and politicians should recognise what a great opportunity the programmes present to talk to their constituents
Obnoxio The Clown said...
"Steve Richards, eh? Is he as inane and illogical in his defence of all things Labour on the box as he is in print?"
Yes. And pompously self-important. And smug.
ITV is finished, the shares are in freefall and their new lifesaving programmes are even worse than last years offering. Politics should be on the wireless (instead of tennis)
Pity about the loss of the Sunday Programme.
As others has said here - and politicians wonder why the electoral turnout falls...
Very bad news, but I'm more disappointed by Sky's taking Fox News off Freesat. Now I'll have to watch the US presidential election results on CNN.
Can't say I'm really surprised if ITV ditches it's GE coverage - it was obvious from the dumbed down effort last time (with the 'celebrity party' on the Thames) that its heart really wasn't in it.
And if the BBC coverage of the GE is anywhere near as bad as this year's crapulous coverage of the local elections, it'll be Sky News for me on GE night. Jeremy Vine thinks he's the new Peter Snow. He isn't. He's the new Alan Partridge.
Having said that election voting should run from 7am to 7pm so the public can join in with the excitement. At present only the retired and dole dossers can watch the results and by the time the workers see it on the Friday teatime news the excitement has gone. Also the count won't take as long due to my ban on people in receipt of benefits or working for the Government NOT being allowed to vote.Asked my disabled mate why they are all driving round in 4x4s and he says they don't pay Road Tax so good to see they don't have to be green.
stv in Scotland do the mid-level politics Scotland on thursdays which covers mostly Holyrood, but also major issues at Westminster. It is midway between Politics Show and the Record, with media and political pundits mostly, with a few tame backbenchers.
So there is some current affairs out there....
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