The Newsroom

Final election programme for David Dimbleby

Huw Edwards after 2015. Split from UK Election debates (February 2014)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
BA
bilky asko
Worzel posted:
Thing is surely the need to find something for Jeremy Vine to do. Apart from appearing at election time, his TV appearances are few and far between (Radio 2 aside). My money's on Jeremy Vine replacing David D on Question Time in the next 5 years.

Presumably this image is meaningless to you...

http://procartoonists.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/eggheads.jpg

EDIT: Dimbleby's successor for Question Time will most likely be a veteran, in my eyes. I reckon Jeremy Vine is too young, and doesn't suit the role of impartial mediator well.

On another Vine note, someone I know did mention how much they enjoyed Jeremy Vine on Radio 2, and was their favourite presenter. Seeing as I rarely hear such gushing praise for a presenter, I took it as him being very well liked as a presenter there.
Steve Williams and Jon gave kudos
BR
Brekkie
Steve Williams posted:
Jon posted:
It's not odd. It's different decisions by different management about different people.

It would be odd if they just mirrored every decision.


And it's certainly not a hard and fast rule anyway, because in the seventies and eighties Alastair Burnet did the lot, elections, weddings, everything. It just so happens that at the moment it seems Stewart is good at the political stuff while Austin maybe less so, or less interested, and is better on the state occasions (although as pointed out, he doesn't really do them much). Whereas Edwards likes and is good at both. I think so, anyway, I think he's a very warm presenter.

It's also fair to say that ITV News in recent years has gone very much for a team approach with there not really being an obvious pecking order between the four main presenters - they're pretty much used where their strengths lie.

I know people here will argue with this and I'd agree when you look beyond BBC1 there are others that might rival him, but don't necessarily top him, but Huw Edwards is clearly the number one at BBC News. The only other genuine contender for the job might have been Paxman or possibly John Humphries as far as credentials go, but neither really have the profile of Huw or the ability to appeal to a dumbed down audience without dumbing down (if you know what I mean).
HO
House
Brekkie posted:
Steve Williams posted:
Jon posted:
It's not odd. It's different decisions by different management about different people.

It would be odd if they just mirrored every decision.


And it's certainly not a hard and fast rule anyway, because in the seventies and eighties Alastair Burnet did the lot, elections, weddings, everything. It just so happens that at the moment it seems Stewart is good at the political stuff while Austin maybe less so, or less interested, and is better on the state occasions (although as pointed out, he doesn't really do them much). Whereas Edwards likes and is good at both. I think so, anyway, I think he's a very warm presenter.

It's also fair to say that ITV News in recent years has gone very much for a team approach with there not really being an obvious pecking order between the four main presenters - they're pretty much used where their strengths lie.

I know people here will argue with this and I'd agree when you look beyond BBC1 there are others that might rival him, but don't necessarily top him, but Huw Edwards is clearly the number one at BBC News. The only other genuine contender for the job might have been Paxman or possibly John Humphreys as far as credentials go, but neither really have the profile of Huw or the ability to appeal to a dumbed down audience without dumbing down (if you know what I mean).


I think it's a stretch to suggest Huw Edwards has a greater profile than Jeremy Paxman, or even necessarily John Humphries (particularly given his years on Mastermind and Today), but certainly has a broader appeal. To me, Edwards is the smart leading man of the Kate Silverton generation of newsreaders, if you follow.


Regarding a future successor on Question Time, it wouldn't surprise me if it went to someone highly established in that field of political broadcasting like Andrew Neil or Andrew Marr (or indeed John Humphreys if he were to step down from Today before wanting to retire from current affairs entirely, and the timing coincided with Dimbleby's retirement), but alternatively I'd suggest someone slightly left of field like Kirsty Wark, Gavin Esler or Martha Kearney. Or, perhaps, even Kirsty Young. The BBC's accrued a large base of female broadcasters like Wark and Kearney who, while I wouldn't describe them as old, have reached the age that men are perceived to lock-in broadcasting jobs for many years and women are perceived to be moved aside. With the current policy of raising the profile of female broadcasters at the BBC (from Today and Newsnight to Strictly Come Dancing), I think it's only a matter of time before women are given slots (like Question Time) that are usually dominated by solo-hosting men.

And if Huw Edwards ever stepped aside from the BBC News at Ten, I would be stunned if women like Fiona Bruce and Sophie Raworth weren't on the very short list of contenders to replace him.
CR
Critique
EDDIE MAIR.

EDIT: Woops, forgot I'm not that great a fan of him. Sorry to the 99% of TVF that are.
BR
Brekkie
House posted:
And if Huw Edwards ever stepped aside from the BBC News at Ten, I would be stunned if women like Fiona Bruce and Sophie Raworth weren't on the very short list of contenders to replace him.

Fiona would be the obvious choice - but personally I'm surprised Sophie Raworth has lasted as long as she has on the One - don't really rate her at all.

Not much point thinking about it now though - I suspect this deal means Huw will remain with the bulletin through to the end of the decade.
NE
Newsroom
Sophie Raworth is very much rated within the BBC, and also with viewers, though I agree with you she's spent way too long on the One. She is always part of the core press team for major/poignant events/coverage and remains so.

I'd envisage any contenders for the top spot on the Ten to include: Raworth, Bruce or Husain. Alagiah is really the only other male presenter they use - my how times have changed..
SW
Steve Williams
Brekkie posted:
I know people here will argue with this and I'd agree when you look beyond BBC1 there are others that might rival him, but don't necessarily top him, but Huw Edwards is clearly the number one at BBC News. The only other genuine contender for the job might have been Paxman or possibly John Humphries as far as credentials go, but neither really have the profile of Huw or the ability to appeal to a dumbed down audience without dumbing down (if you know what I mean).


I think that's exactly right, for many people the General Election is the only time they watch politics on TV so they need someone they know and can trust and can appeal to a wide audience. Paxman is far too much of a political animal to do it, and also the thing with Paxman is he's already involved on election night doing a job he clearly likes and also is good at, so there seems no point in taking him off that to do something he probably wouldn't be as good at.

But Huw certainly knows his stuff. There's the story about how he did the Nick Robinson role on BBC Radio in 1992 and didn't need to refer to any of the notes about the constituencies and MPs on the night because he'd learned it all. But he has a friendliness and a warmth to his presentation as well. He's presented Songs of Praise!
MA
mansoor
Newsroom posted:
Sophie Raworth is very much rated within the BBC, and also with viewers, though I agree with you she's spent way too long on the One . She is always part of the core press team for major/poignant events/coverage and remains so.

I'd envisage any contenders for the top spot on the Ten to include: Raworth, Bruce or Husain. Alagiah is really the only other male presenter they use - my how times have changed..


How? She has been the main presenter since 2006. Huw, George and Fiona have been in their roles since 2003.

Considering the main presenters for the One, Six and Ten are still quite young its unlikely there will be any vacancies for many years.
MA
madmusician
Steve Williams posted:
Brekkie posted:
I know people here will argue with this and I'd agree when you look beyond BBC1 there are others that might rival him, but don't necessarily top him, but Huw Edwards is clearly the number one at BBC News. The only other genuine contender for the job might have been Paxman or possibly John Humphries as far as credentials go, but neither really have the profile of Huw or the ability to appeal to a dumbed down audience without dumbing down (if you know what I mean).


I think that's exactly right, for many people the General Election is the only time they watch politics on TV so they need someone they know and can trust and can appeal to a wide audience. Paxman is far too much of a political animal to do it, and also the thing with Paxman is he's already involved on election night doing a job he clearly likes and also is good at, so there seems no point in taking him off that to do something he probably wouldn't be as good at.

But Huw certainly knows his stuff. There's the story about how he did the Nick Robinson role on BBC Radio in 1992 and didn't need to refer to any of the notes about the constituencies and MPs on the night because he'd learned it all. But he has a friendliness and a warmth to his presentation as well. He's presented Songs of Praise!

Indeed he did - and I think he did a great job! For those saying that he doesn't have a warmth/informality to his presentation - take a look at this clip:
DT
DTV
On Question Time I do hope they don't do a 'wilderness' few years and just have no fixed presenters as that would be terrible, it seems a bit odd though announcing it over 400 days in advance.
SU
sunray
I'm surprised Jon Sopel's name hasn't popped up here yet as a question time host, and also as a future male 1/6/10 anchor as it's a role that he seems to being molded for.
DT
DTV
sunray posted:
I'm surprised Jon Sopel's name hasn't popped up here yet as a question time host, and also as a future male 1/6/10 anchor as it's a role that he seems to being molded for.


He's just started a programme of BBC World News so I wouldn't expect him to give that up to soon.

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