Why am I not surprised ITV have set its end date to the last possible moment? What happened to the "gradual phasing out" of ITV Play we were promised?
This is it's phasing out. It's already gone from ITV2, they are down to one type of programme - Make Your Play, Glitterball ended, and the genre went down to 6 days a week, in two weeks time it will have ended.
The thing I like about Radio Times Christmas Covers is that they are memorable. I like this year's cover. It is white but very Christmassey. The difference between the RT and TV Times covers is that the TV Times covers are virtually always the same year in and year out. Indeed, another white themed cover, but we know that because in 2005 the Dr Who Christmas Cover was also white!
Quite like this year's RT cover - sometime they try and be a bit too artistic about it, but that's quite simply and does the job perfectly. Better than the bloody cast of EastEnders anyway!
Have the Christmas guides hit the shelves anywhere yet then?
Wouldn't be too surprised in BBC ONE unveil there Christmas ident next Saturday evening, look at the pattern in past years.
2004: Saturday 18th December
2005: Saturday 17th December
2006: Saturday 16th December
2007: Saturday 15th December? (If they unveiled there ident on the third Saturday in December in the last three years, don't put it past happening again this year)
Wouldn't surprise me - but far too early. The next Friday would be best, but I think it'll get an outing in time for Oliver Twist a week on Tuesday.
Personally I think it be best if in the week leading up to Christmas they just use the ident for Christmas specials, sticking with their regular idents for other programmes, and then at the weekend introduce it permanently.
"It's nearly here - our biggest-ever Christmas double issue…with Dustin Hoffman, Kylie Minogue, Victoria Wood, Ricky Gervais, Billie Piper, Stephen Merchant, Catherine Tate, Alan Bennett, Brian Sewell and lots more plus a free DVD of classic Morecambe & Wise and The Two Ronnies! On sale from Saturday 8 December"
They could easily bring back the awful The Mint in it's place.
