Best Double Act

Who are the best news-partners? Is a double-act best, or are Sky right to mix between single presenters, double acts, and three-people presentation?

Nobody's answered your post, so tfor my answer I will go back a few years. The best double act...in news presenting was...Sir Bob friend and Anna Botting. Serious when required and so so so funny when the story dictated it. Anna was always laughing with Bob. Live at Five was never the same again after Bob left.

Finighan and........anyone.

I agree.. what happened to 'Sir' Bob Friend? Best double acts for me are (were) Bill Tunrbill and Sian Williams, Sophie Raworth and Jeremy Bowen, Alistair Stewart and Fiona Foster from London Tonight back in the day..... and probably now Chris Eakin and Jane Hill on News 24 Tonight. Nobody i think looks good together at the moment. Having said that I would love to see Huw Edwards and Jane Hill together... maybe on the Ten?

Yes, Bob Friend and Anna Botting, even Bob and Lisa Aziz. Bob has retired by the way.

Without a doubt...

Fiona Phillips and Eamonn Holmes - I miss them together, GMTV isn't the same!
Kate Silverton and Simon McCoy
Louise Minchin and Jon Sopel
(before relaunch) Anna Botting and Jeremy Thompson

I would love to see...
Jane Hill and Dermot Murnaghan
Moira Stuart and Darren Jordon
(on News 24) Adrian Finighan and Mishal Husain

Justin Webb and Alistair Yates made a fine team broadcasting across the states last night.

I would say that the best all time pairing were Reggie Bosequet and Anna Ford

you missed out Allan/Lisa, Martin/Julie, David/Juliette, Bob 'n' Viv.

I agree, Reggie & Anna for the 1980s, but more recently I think Bill Turnbull & Sian Williams have the best on-screen chemistry and can switch between serious and light fairly quickly.

Mark Austin & Mary Nightingale also make quite a good partnership on the ITV Evening News.

I miss Mark and Nina, the chemistry was good and Felicity and Mark are good together on ITV News (thinking of the 'shocking violence' at the end of the EN a couple of weeks ago).

Don't even get me started on Sky News todays triple headed system! Can't see that lasting long!

As for double acts, there is a myth here that two heads are better than one - but often that's not the case if the partnership doesn't work. The best (worst) example I can think of is Granada Reports, where the banter is so forced and they always comment on each others stories - it be preferable to have one of them just reading the news to the viewer, rather than discussing the news with each other!

For some bulletins and some presenters single anchored bulletins work better.

When John Suchet moved to the Lunchtime News I didn't rate him when he co-hosted with Julia Somerville/Kirsty Young - but when he bagan anchoring it alone, it worked much better. Likewise, Nicholas Owen has lost alot of his charm since a co-host was re-introduced on the programme.

Also one thing that's annoying me now - as evident especially on the ITV Lunchtime News - it double acts finishing each others sentences.

I think the Evening News system works well though as for most of the bulletin the double act is on screen, while with the BBC 6pm News it's generally just one newsreader on screen, which makes you question why they need two?