Some idiot here posted the other day that News at Ten would return with Trevor McDonald joined by Sky's Julie Etchingham - and we treated it with the pinch of salt it deserved.
But it's true, apparantly!
Pathetic move IMO - it shouldn't have been resurrected the first time, and certainly shouldn't be now. And why bring back Trevor to present it? I can't see Mark Austin being too happy about that - or Mary about Julie for that matter. It's not as if ITV haven't got enough female presenters.
Although ITV News has gone downhill again of late, the 10.30pm bulletin had estabhlished itself better than the previous version of News at Ten and better than the Nightly News.
Let's face it - the only reason it's back is to save ITV a bit of cash in trying to fill the 10pm slot.
Really pleased to hear that News at Ten is coming back, but why is Trevor coming back? Mark Austin does a far better job than Trevor. Will also be nice to see Julie Etchingham return to terrestrial after all these years.
Maybe now's the time for a complete relaunch of ITV News.
I think this is excellent news. I must admit that I think the ITV News at 10.30 is fairly good as it is now, with the exception of Mark Austin. The bulletin is quite generous to major political stories, and it does provide good coverage of international stories compared to the Lunchtime and Evening News bulletins.
I'm glad Trevor is coming back to get the programme underway. I know he isn't the most versatile of presenters, but he is well-known and people generally like him. He is also closely associated with the News at Ten brand so his presence should help boost the programme's profile. I also like Julie Etchingham. I haven't seen her for a long time, as I don't generally watch Sky News. However, I do remember her presenting BBC Breakfast News in the late 1990s and she was excellent. I hope that they are equal co-presenters rather than the old BBC Six O'Clock News format of main presenter/secondary presenter. I'd rather they follow the format of the Lunchtime/Evening News where both presenters share the bulletin equally.
However, there are a few things which definitely need to be addressed:
1) News at Ten needs a distinct look, separate from the rest of ITV News.
2) The orchestral music needs to be brought back. The 1992 NaT music was excellent. I'd love to hear a fresher remix of that for the new programme. To be honest, I think all the ITV News music needs to be overhauled - I've never really like the 2004/2006 themes; they are not a patch on the pre-2004 themes. I would like to see a return to the mid-1990s where the Lunchtime and Evening News have one look/theme and the News at Ten has another. Otherwise, it will just become another ITV News bulletin which was the problem with the 2001 News at Ten. I hope ITV makes NaT a programme worth tuning in for.
Has anything been confirmed about the length of the bulletin?
I think one of the reasons none of the replacements for News At Ten have had the same depth or gravitas is the shorter 20-minute time-slot.
I really think if they're serious about bringing NaT back for good and giving it back the status it used to have, it needs to be the full 30 minutes (not including the regional opt).
Has anything been confirmed about the length of the bulletin?
I think one of the reasons none of the replacements for News At Ten have had the same depth or gravitas is the shorter 20-minute time-slot.
I really think if they're serious about bringing NaT back for good and giving it back the status it used to have, it needs to be the full 30 minutes (not including the regional opt).
Yes, they need to give it a 45-minute time slot. News at Ten between 2200 and 2230, followed by a 10-minute regional bulletin with time for ad breaks. If they are only going to go for the 20-minute format again, it is hardly worth the effort of bringing it back. I think the News at 10.30 has been much better since it was extended earlier this year. It always used to finish at 2300 including the regional news, but now we get a good 25 minutes of national news, followed by 10 minutes of regional news. Let's hope they continue this with the move to 2200.
Maybe now's the time for a complete relaunch of ITV News.
Without question. We need an editorial revamp as well as a presentational revamp. And obviously News at Ten needs its own branding to exist in its own right.
This seems to be an unspoken subject at ITN. 2 friend of mine have seen or heard nothing of it, other than what's in the papers, and on the wires.
I really can't see Mark Austin sticking around. All the fanfare and PR over his appointment to anchor of the late bulletin, to then have that 'prized' role revoked! He must be feeling sick! I can't see him settling for Trevor's relief either for that matter.
As one of the papers today pointed out, Austin is ITV talent, and let's face it - as far as male newscasters go at ITN, they are rare.
If ITV think they can woo back viewers by bringing back a news programme hosted by someone who is clearly past it - they need to think on. Trevor was barely managing things when he was last presenting the news, he had Sissons syndrome, looking here there and everywhere but not at the right camera, and boy if there was a last minute change he'd look blank at the screen.
MediaGuardian appears to say that it will be Monday to Thursdays only at 10pm - so News at When on Friday returns. I hope this is untrue, or at least it is clearly branded 'Weekend News' on Friday.
