Award Winning Granada News - Your Views

Well I for one cannot get used to Granada Reports being on at 6.27pm, though I have no hope tomorrow as it's on at 4.00pm-ish, anyway they've been making good use of the extra couple of minutes this week, such as the introduction of the Special Reports for the Tenth Anniversary of the Manchester Bomb, which have been well produced, and having 2 reports a night about it, I feel blessed from Granada as usually the main News has a tendancy to stop at about 12 minutes into usually.

Plus Richard O'Brien was on tonight, they were supposed to be talking about The Rocky Horror Picture Show, but Tony couldn't help but mention The Crystal Maze, good on him.

Anna Thomas has just presented the Lunchtime News, I wonder if she is coming back or just Freelancing.

No Granada News this morning in GMTV at 710 and 810... treated to three minutes of the extended GMTV theme

There was no News at 6.35am either, they tried at first, but that was only a freeze and a break up of a picture for about 15/20 seconds before they returned to GMTV and the theme.

It was nice to hear once again aswell....

Alistair Mann left Granada today, his last apperance was at 6:20, when he said goodbye and football fans would be able to hear him on Saturday night by using your remote control.
Not sure about his commentary on Match of the Day, still a different voice is better than some on the MOTD.

Looks like Mike Hall will be taking over from him.

Has Mike replaced him this week.?.

Mann has been a Granada for years, mind you if i would have been there that long from the good days to the now poorer days i would leave for the bbc too.

Sunday's Granada bulletin is totally devoid of content. Tonight in a supposed 15 minute bulletin there were probably around 4 stories followed by a ludicrously long sports bulletin (most of it taken from speculation in the sports sections of the weekend newspapers), a pointless feature about the Settle to Carlisle railway which they're spinning into a week long series (yawn) and then a lengthy promo for Granada Reports this coming week, one of the highlights of which is their preview of the new football season...wow I'll make sure I'm tuned in for that then. Pathetic!

What do you expect them to do, make up news?

Of course not, but this happens week in, week out in a news patch which is one of the best in the country. Too much fluff and not enough substance purely to get round the lack of resources at the weekend. If you're going to dedicate 15 minutes to news at the weekend, at least plough enough money into making sure you can produce decent content.

I can't believe no-one has comented about the death of Bob Smithies yesterday. Granada did a really nice tribute to their old presenter on last night's programme.

I remember him from Down to earth in the 80's. He was without doubt one of the team from Granada's best ever era.

R.I.P Bob Smithies, though I don't remember him much on Granada, AIUI the man was a legend at the station during the 70's and 80's as you said, I thought he was still doing something for the Manchester Evening News?