MA
The whole thing was a hour of my life I’ll never get back
And the Oxford camera 🤮
The set was lovely, but the conduct of the debate was awful Half the time they were just squabbling. Furthermore, does that bloke Rory have piles? He seems incapable of sitting on a simple bar stool. 
The whole thing was a hour of my life I’ll never get back
And the Oxford camera 🤮
NJ
It'd be improved greatly by some caustic commentary from Annie, though.
"Having been the worse liar in the last round, Boris goes from the strongest to the weakest link. The strongest link is Jeremy. But who will lose the vote?"
Neil Jones
Founding member
It'd be improved greatly by some caustic commentary from Annie, though.
"Having been the worse liar in the last round, Boris goes from the strongest to the weakest link. The strongest link is Jeremy. But who will lose the vote?"
BR
What did you expect. This is middle aged politicians, not The Secret Life of 4 Year Olds.
Is it daily votes now until we find out who faces Boris in the sing-off?
The set was lovely, but the conduct of the debate was awful Half the time they were just squabbling.
What did you expect. This is middle aged politicians, not The Secret Life of 4 Year Olds.
Is it daily votes now until we find out who faces Boris in the sing-off?
MB
I thought this was very disappointing.
Apart from Boris pretty much ignoring Emily Maitlis' line of questioning (most of the time) the format didn't really lend itself to a 'big occasion' either. The lack of a studio audience also seemed to contribute to a closed set mentality and those regional links were straight out of 1970s 'Nationwide'.
Hopefully ITV can learn from this and do a better job?
Apart from Boris pretty much ignoring Emily Maitlis' line of questioning (most of the time) the format didn't really lend itself to a 'big occasion' either. The lack of a studio audience also seemed to contribute to a closed set mentality and those regional links were straight out of 1970s 'Nationwide'.
Hopefully ITV can learn from this and do a better job?
ST
ITV don't have debate do they? I thought just BBC and Sky had head-to-head ones when the final two are known.
Ste
Founding member
I thought this was very disappointing.
Apart from Boris pretty much ignoring Emily Maitlis' line of questioning (most of the time) the format didn't really lend itself to a 'big occasion' either. The lack of a studio audience also seemed to contribute to a closed set mentality and those regional links were straight out of 1970s 'Nationwide'.
Hopefully ITV can learn from this and do a better job?
Apart from Boris pretty much ignoring Emily Maitlis' line of questioning (most of the time) the format didn't really lend itself to a 'big occasion' either. The lack of a studio audience also seemed to contribute to a closed set mentality and those regional links were straight out of 1970s 'Nationwide'.
Hopefully ITV can learn from this and do a better job?
ITV don't have debate do they? I thought just BBC and Sky had head-to-head ones when the final two are known.
JO
It was pretty poor really. No real structure. It didn’t last long enough and Maitlis wasn’t strong enough at holding it together. I don’t know whether Maitlis is at fault or whether they were just uncontrollable. I do think Andrew Neil or Paxman would have done a better job, not sure whether Boris would have agreed to that set up.
I think the candidates having an uninterrupted closing statement is really important.
I feel this has made even less difference to the contest than Sunday’s debate.
I think the candidates having an uninterrupted closing statement is really important.
I feel this has made even less difference to the contest than Sunday’s debate.
Last edited by Jon on 18 June 2019 9:51pm
JO
Ones where the formats are dictated by the participants don’t.
Is it just proof that primetime leadership debates just don't make great television.
Ones where the formats are dictated by the participants don’t.
NJ
Maybe if we had more say in the outcome it could have been more interesting.
But of course we don't, so it wasn't. Might as well filmed a paper bag floating in the breeze.
Neil Jones
Founding member
Is it just proof that primetime leadership debates just don't make great television.
Maybe if we had more say in the outcome it could have been more interesting.
But of course we don't, so it wasn't. Might as well filmed a paper bag floating in the breeze.
JO
Maybe if we had more say in the outcome it could have been more interesting.
But of course we don't, so it wasn't. Might as well filmed a paper bag floating in the breeze.
You mean to say you aren’t a fully paid up member of the Conservative party?
Is it just proof that primetime leadership debates just don't make great television.
Maybe if we had more say in the outcome it could have been more interesting.
But of course we don't, so it wasn't. Might as well filmed a paper bag floating in the breeze.
You mean to say you aren’t a fully paid up member of the Conservative party?
MB
Sorry, I don't agree.
I'm no fan of Krishnan Guru-Murthy, but the Channel 4 debate was far more engaging than tonight's BBC debate.
And as Jon says, I'm not sure Maitlis was the right choice for moderator. Andrew Neil would have held the panel more to account (especially Boris who seemed to sidestep every challenge)..
But I still think the main problem was the lack of a studio audience. At least that might have given it some sense of atmosphere and occasion. The programme didn't even feel like a live broadcast.
Is it just proof that primetime leadership debates just don't make great television.
Sorry, I don't agree.
I'm no fan of Krishnan Guru-Murthy, but the Channel 4 debate was far more engaging than tonight's BBC debate.
And as Jon says, I'm not sure Maitlis was the right choice for moderator. Andrew Neil would have held the panel more to account (especially Boris who seemed to sidestep every challenge)..
But I still think the main problem was the lack of a studio audience. At least that might have given it some sense of atmosphere and occasion. The programme didn't even feel like a live broadcast.