ScreenBrands' posts

Something I've noticed in recent weeks/months on ITV News West Country...

The programme name of course changed to incorporate the phrase "West Country" (rather than plain old "West") in 2009, as part of the amalgamation with the Plymouth region.

However, outside of the actual name/title of the programme, the presenters have generally continued to refer to the region as e.g. "here in the West" (look, no "Country"!) on the HTV version until at least as recently as early 2016.

It's only in very recent times that I've noticed them starting to generally say e.g. "here in the West Country", thus finally bringing the way that the region is generally described during the bulletins in-line with what the actual title calls it.

They also like talking about the "South West" (government region) when it suits them to do so, which seems to be at least once per week most weeks. I didn't live in this region until long after "HTV News" was dead, but I doubt that "south west" was ever uttered on the programme in the pre-ITV plc era (and/or pre-2009)?

Until recently, on those occasions that the HTV version had the luxury of being the live edition the presenters' opening blurb would include something like "we're live across the West tonight". The opening wording would of course be more vague if the programme was the pre-recorded edition. Nowadays if there is any bragging about being genuinely live to be had, it seems to be reserved for e.g. throws to OBs etc rather than at the top of the programme.

It's not tonight, if that's what people are thinking. Won't be long, though.

Hello, this might sound a stupid question, what is Channel 4's Walter Presents?

Do you think any of the other cast members, apart from Steve McFadden (Phil Mitchell ) and maybe Adam Woodyatt (Ian Beale), knew about Gillian Taylforth (Kathy Beale) returning? The fact that scene was filmed away from Eastenders set may have been to keep it secret from the rest of the cast. It would be nice to think the cast had a surprise too!