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Central News East

(July 2001)

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MA
mark Founding member
Has anyone else noticed that Central News East seems to have much more of an American style than any of the other regional news programmes (at least the ones I've seen)? If you haven't seen it, download this (from TV Ark):
http://www.users.totalise.co.uk/~rob.frowen/itvmidlands/news/centralnewseast1100.rm

Look at the pictures of the presenters in the titles (complete with names), and the really cheesy 'hello, it's good to be back' at the start of the bulletin!
NG
noggin Founding member
It certainly feels a lot more US than most. It reminds me of London Tonight when it launched - that was very in your face and American too.

(Could the 'Good to be back' bit be because one of the presenters had been on holiday, or off ill?)

The only thing that struck me as out of place was presenting from what looked a bit like a sofa? Hmm... Not exactly hard news in style.

Maybe the titles are the hard news bit and the sofa is an attempt to keep those viewers who like soft and fluffy news.
TV
tvyvr4derek Founding member
Now they only need a bit more voiceover in the open to be completely American-like.
RO
rob Founding member
God that makes central south seam crap!
Central south looks like its been shoved out of the way in the corner of a studio.
MG
MikeG
[B]It certainly does look/sound American.

Does any other Regional News Programme mention the company that makes it? YTV doesn't. I mean they don't even have a voice over to introduce the show - which I think is better!

TV is starting to get all Americanised these days - and I think that's a bad thing. A thing that British TV has always been is 'unique' and I think we should stay thay way!

Oh, and why were they on a sofa? YTV did it with Calendar once and it didn't work!
RO
rob Founding member
(why bold?)
MG
MikeG
Sorry mate, I'm just getting used to the boards, I just wanted to put a few words in bold but it wouldn't let me!
MA
mark Founding member
As far as I'm aware, Central News East is the only regional news programme to be broadcast from a sofa. To be precise, it's a sort of sofa/desk combo - there's a table in front of them is a bit too big for a coffee table, but a bit too small to be a proper desk. Very creative!

I live in the Central South region too, by the way! I have to say I quite like the new(ish) purple set - it looked a bit dull at first, but then they tweaked it a bit with the colour window captions and a few more of the square thingys on the backdrop, and now I think it looks pretty good. Certainly a lot more professional-looking than the old blue/yellow set. My favourite was the old multi-coloured studio (before they toned it down to blue and yellow), though. But, whatever the set, Anne and Wes have to be the best on-screen partnership on local TV!

Don't know why I'm being so nice about them, though, seeing as they turned me down for work experience this summer - grrrr!
AN
Andrew Founding member
mark posted:
As far as I'm aware, Central News East is the only regional news programme to be broadcast from a sofa. To be precise, it's a sort of sofa/desk combo - there's a table in front of them is a bit too big for a coffee table, but a bit too small to be a proper desk. Very creative!



And theres also Granada Tonight as well, famous for not having a desk!
TB
tbj
Carlton themselves are quite proud of Central News at Six (East) and have no plans to drop the sofa desk combo or the comical astons that acompany most of the packages!

Personally I always find central news east excellent for a good laugh, especially at the end of the programme when Marie Ashby and Llewella Bailey start flirting with the sports presenter (usually Kieth Daniel).  Sometimes it gets sooo out of control that the director just plays the end music without anyone saying goodbye. In terms of its news content, lets just say it really makes you appreciate (sp?) East Midlands Today!

Also, after the first few items, i almost expect Marie and Llewella to discuss the latest showbiz gossip as per GMTV.  

Although in it's defence,  the presenters from Central News East that I have met are really nice and down to earth unlike some of their BBC counterparts, some of which are very anal-ey retented! Shocked (my lips are sealed;) )
AN
Andrew Founding member
Notice that voiceover seems to be the 'From ITN, The ITV Evening News....' man

tbj posted:
Sometimes it gets sooo out of control that the director just plays the end music without anyone saying goodbye. In terms of its news content, lets just say it really makes you appreciate (sp?) East Midlands Today!


Mmm, sounds exactly like Calendar, in the Mike and Christa era, the inane banter used to go right up to the last second of the programme, with a quick goodbye from Christa just as the Endcap is shown, the music was talked over fully.

Christine Talbot seems to be learning that style as well!
TB
tbj
Yep, definetly a case of 'from ITN the ITV News...'.  and with a VO like that you'd expect the content to be even a little bit newsy but more often than not, the 'real' news is pushed to item 4 or 5 or is contained in brief in the 'Central News Wrap'.

Now, don't get me wrong i have a generally high opinion of carlton presentation and in terms of it's graphics, music, titles and production, the show (bearing in mind it is (supposed to be) regional news) is very slick.  But in true sense of the word Central News East is a Regional News MAGAZINE i.e very light on the news with a strong emphasis on the  magazine.  I just feel that it would be more appropriate (sp?) if Marie and Llewella hosted a chat show rather than a so called news programme.  

(Also having lived in wales for most of my life and being in Uni in Nottingham i find that Central News East takes a bit of getting used to so apologies to anyone from the East Midlands who thinks that the show is the dogs b******sSmile )

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