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Good Morning Britain

From Television Centre (April 2018)

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GM
Gary McEwan
I actually can't remember the last time I actually watched Breakfast and I have a funny feeling that if I was to start watching I would be bored to death.

Regarding the timing issues, I have roughly 20 minutes so for me that's plenty of time to see what has annoyed Piers that morning, the main headlines and then the local news, and that for me is perfect and it's a routine that I've now gotten into.

It is good to see finally see ITV (hopefully) putting faith in the programme and doesn't make the silly changes just for the sake of it.
PC
p_c_u_k
If nothing else, we now have a clear choice.

A Middle England-friendly, quiet, comfortable and uncontroversial breakfast show on BBC One or a hybrid of Good Morning America and a personality-led radio breakfast show on ITV which is about more than just the news.

I strongly suspect Breakfast will remain ahead because a) it has built up such a lead, and it takes a long time to build a new audience and b) it's more comfortable and what a UK audience is used to, but ITV will continue to build an audience if they hold their nerve.
Mouseboy33 and BFGArmy gave kudos
BR
Brekkie
I'd agree more if it were at other times in the day but not so much with breakfast. People normally don't have much time to watch TV before heading to work/school so if they are tuning in they want something at a pretty consistent time - if Piers ends up going on about goodness knows what for 5 minutes before GMB get to the news summary, viewers won't necessarily have the time to stick around. It's fine if it's every once in a while but not so much if it's a few times a week/month.

Viewers don't build their morning around it though - it's arguably a benefit for them to show the headlines a few minutes after Breakfast and Sunrise have, catching viewers that may have not been available at the top of the hour. For myself it's not a concious decision at all but if I do catch the show at all in the morning it's actually highly unlikely to be at the top of the hour, and frankly sometimes a Piers rant is a more entertaining watch than the headlines anyway.
UB
UBox
Have to echo what others have said. Ive been watching GMB since launch now and and when I've watched Breakfast on days where I've been away and that's been the only channel I could get or it's been a Saturday I just find it dreary and dull and that's everything from the segments, presenters, graphics and studio.

GMB might be a bit unpredictable but you sort of get used to that unpredictability when you watch it. You know the news will be a few minutes after 7am and that Piers & Susanna will chat for about 5-10mins at the start of the programme. In general it's much more energetic and the most enjoyable aspect for me are the debate segments.

Great to see that ITV are sticking with GMB after a blip in 2015 but Piers becoming permanent sent them back to the newsy root and they're doing much better for it.

I was wondering about the regions before. Currently it feels like GMB opts out to an ITV News bulletin rather than a local GMB bulletin and I was wondering how easy it would be for all of the region's to have a set panel they can push in front of the normal set. Even the GMB 'radiator' (that's what I call that white wall stuff they use) with a couple of LED strips and a whole for a screen to show through would make it more like a GMB bulletin. Could it be possible to cut up some of the old TLS set to do that?
BR
Brekkie
Ironically the old regional sets were probably more in keeping with the GMB look. However I don't think it's a problem that it feels like they opt out to ITV News - generally speaking the presenter is out of vision for most of the bulletin anyway.
BF
BFGArmy
I almost feels like there's not really a breakfast show that suits me (if I ever have the time to watch).

GMB has Piers - which means I normally steer well clear.

Breakfast is the one I probably veer to as it's a safe choice and you know what you're getting and when but as others have said it's not inspiring fare.

Sunrise is brilliant on the weekends (Gillian and Stephen are the best of any breakfast pairing IMO) but the weekday stuff is really forgettable and uninspiring - SJ Mee and Jonathan Samuels don't seem like natural breakfast presenters and those paper reviews are pointless and feel like they drag on.

CNN is OK but their bulletins are understandably not 'breakfast' bulletins as such and it really is wall-to-wall Trump at times (and there's only so much of that you can put up with)

To be honest if I had something like weekend Sunrise during the week, I'd probably watch it - it's a great mix of news, banter and all the other stuff you'd expect from a breakfast show. However, none of the Monday-Friday shows on either BBC, ITV or Sky really grab my attention.
Last edited by BFGArmy on 16 April 2018 10:13pm
RD
RDJ
I almost feels like there's not really a breakfast show that suits me (if I ever have the time to watch).


Agreed. It's a gap in the market that a rival broadcaster would surely be able to take advantage of for a new programme with a bitesize regular news service.
(Take note Channel 4!.... not that they're interested anymore these days) .
NG
noggin Founding member
RDJ posted:
I almost feels like there's not really a breakfast show that suits me (if I ever have the time to watch).


Agreed. It's a gap in the market that a rival broadcaster would surely be able to take advantage of for a new programme with a bitesize regular news service.
(Take note Channel 4!.... not that they're interested anymore these days) .


Not sure it's a big enough gap in the market to tempt eyeballs and advertisers though.

What is clear is that ITV are turning themselves into the 'Anti-Breakfast'. Big studio and hosts with strong options. The two things the BBC can't offer...

However Breakfast give you a very straightforward show, with enough warmth and humour not to be stuffy, and a rock solid 'wheel' - meaning you'll get everything you want within about 30 minutes whenever you tune in.
AN
Andrew Founding member
It also isn’t true to say Breakfast is all news, tune in across the back half hour and very little is the actual news, most of the hour is long winded sport, dumbed down business talking either about the High Street or Steph live from a factory, weather with, when Naga is on, cringeworthy samey banter slating Carol for it not being wall to wall sunshine, and in between all that, bland inoffensive items with Jayne McCubbin at a school or whatever and schoolboy giggling and grinning from Dan.

Of course bland and inoffensive means the highest ratings these days, which is why Breakfast is how it is, the same set in a tiny studio, with the same title and graphics, for years on end.
NG
noggin Founding member

Of course bland and inoffensive means the highest ratings these days, which is why Breakfast is how it is, the same set in a tiny studio, with the same title and graphics, for years on end.


Plus the adverts and competitions on GMB don't help. If you switch on or surf through ITV during an ad break, or competition, you may well switch to Breakfast and stay there. Ad breaks are a fact of life - but the competitions really need to go. Or are they still premium rate - pay to enter - jobs that help bank roll the show?
TV
TVMoments
The font has been fixed on the headlines, and we got a peek at the new gallery in the opening titles.
TV
TVMoments
The font has been fixed on the headlines, and we got a peek at the new gallery in the opening titles.

Here's the opening of today's episode:

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