ITV News

That was an interesting open - Bill and Mary are sat down instead of standing up! I wonder if they'll make it to the end of the programme and resist the temptation to wander round the studio?

Certainly sounds as if the previous reports of sitting down for the whole of the bulletin have now came into force.

It's quite interesting actually - the solo shot at the desk looks very nice.

I'm not usually one for the whole should they stand up/sit down debate but it was different to see them sat. They still had the same opening story formula though (camera moves around to give the picture a lot of screen space).

I wonder of this is finally the tweaks coming in to place that Michael Grade promised? Also I wonder if it will last, and whether the rest of the bulletins will still open standing up? If its to become a permanent fixture on the evening news and no other bulletins then there is no reason at all why they should keep the superimposed walkway (for the EN at least). They might as well ditch it for the News at Ten floor if they're not going to get much use out of it. It would already look so much less tacky without that floor.

I prefer the standing start.
Perhaps there's scope to work on the very short zoom into the presenters but today's opening sequence was singularly unimpressive. (The pan and fade after the adverts was better).
Personally I think much of the criticism of the presenters standing at two or three points in the programme stems from people looking to criticise the ITV News and seizing on that as a convenient stick with which to beat them, rather than anything inherently wrong with the approach.

I also didn't like the 'extreme' close-up as Mary's eyes flicking from side-to-side looked a bit robotic. Ideally they would move the cameras physically closer and have more words per line on the auto-cue.

I agree. When you look at the set they've created for News at Ten, it beggars belief that they made such an unrealistic looking walkway for the other bulletins. IMO its time for a slight revamp for the other bulletins - someone else on here (think it was Brekkie?) said that the floor would look much better if the clockface that surrounds the curved screen could come inside and replace the fake walkway - effectively becoming a walkway of sorts. The inner clockface pattern design on Big Ben would look nice on the studio floor. Also when will the desk be replaced?!

That desk has been going strong since 2004, its only broke once. I remember when it was just a horrible dark grey for at least two months.

As for the sets, the atrium background is fine, I have no problems with it at all except I'd make it teal once again. However the floor is terrible, one good thing though is that the desk platform is lower.

As for my ideas for the floor, I'd change it to light grey. There used to be a picture on the ITN website just after the 2004 relaunch and the floor was grey, it looked nice. Add a shadow of the clock around the current floor area, and it would look ten times better!

I like the idea of the clockface idea. I don't see why they couldn't mix the current generic ITV News formula with the News at Ten one. What I mean is let the generic ITV use an adapted version of the News at Ten graphics (ie change the colour of the astons and create a nicer studio) but I think some things that could be retained for the generic ITV News including the atrium (which IMO they should never ditch, its been with ITV in some form for years and you can tell its an ITN programme because ITN use the atrium, ie C4 News) and the current theme tune which does suit the style of ITV News. They could do with a new set of titles though.

The initial idea was to make News at Ten an exclusive bulletin which is different from the rest, but I think its already tied down to ITV News because of the fact that often the ITV presenters cover on News at Ten, and News at Ten is promoted in ITV News. It comes across as though its supposed to be a standalone show but I think they should let it link into ITV News. But I think they could essentially keep its individuality by the 'glass', the different set and its own theme tune/set of titles. But I think they could get away with sharing graphics in some form to show the bulletins are linked together.

I don't think the journalism style of ITV should be changed yet though, afterall it has won them award after award for the EN.

I do think the News at Ten graphics, minus the London landscape, would be a great basis for a new look ITV News.


The Morning News is being axed at the weekend to make way for CITV - but rather strangely and stupidly it's airing Tuesday to Saturday, rather than Monday to Friday.

I suppose it is like that as the presenter of the London Tonight late news mainly presents the morning news. So if there is a late local bulletin Monday to Friday then it would follow that the morning news would be Tuesday to Saturday. Saves a bit of money. But yes Tuesday to Saturday is strange.

Also daily schedules tend to run from 6am-5.59am so although it is t its Monday morning at 5.30am in most tv guides it would be under Sunday's listings I guess?

They'll still need to get someone in for the London GMTV bulletins on Monday mornings, though

That is if ITN continue to provide GMTV bulletins. The rumours going about are that GMTV are to go elsewhere for the bulletins. But until that happens, if they do, then someone will have to be found.