Daybreak - the launch onwards

Figures of 300,000 for Monday's show. Still a holiday of course, but worrying too - Breakfast got 1.2 million.

Watching the show today, I couldn't help feel that the first 15 minutes were fine. The news bulletin was good, a lot of thorough reports and lives. Also, I really do like the 'In The Mix' section, its got an informative tone so it works well for what Daybreak was trying to achieve - news with a 'friendly', more approachable style.
Despite that, I'd say the lead presenters need to introduce the top story instead of handing straight over to the newsreader at :02 past the hour. Adrian and Christine did do read the top story for a good few weeks, but for some reason that was dropped. Part of the problem is that the news on Daybreak seems to be over quickly, and then when the main presenters are on, they seem to talk about nothing of importance. Making the lead presenters introduce the first story would at least create an illusion of more news, I think.

Again watching this morning, from about 20 past the hour, the format seems to be much slower, with really poor poor stories and segments. I think at least the first half hour should include Adrian & Christine interviewing someone - a politician perhaps. I noticed this morning a female Conservative on both Sky News and Breakfast defending the VAP increase, and she didn't appear on Daybreak - I'm sorry, but even on rare occasions, GMTV interviewed politicians etc.

My main gripe is from about 20 past the hour until the next hour - that slot seems very slow, the format is weak. The stories and easily forgotten.

The new 'screen' to cover up the window looks a lot cleaner, much less cluttered. Thats one positive!

It looks disgusting. Looks like the windows have been plastered with custard. Way too much yellow in the studio and not enough of its actual colour scheme purple.

Once again, not new. Just outputting a different colour.

You're wrong, Beep. The new screens cover the whole of the windows floor to ceiling.

Yes, I realise that now. It's a blind, I think.

I think you have to cut them some slack - it was the week after the Christmas holidays, of course.

However, I must say I'm not pleased with Daybreak. It's had a decent amount of time to settle into the schedule but every time I watch it I feel as if the programme itself doesn't know what it's supposed to be. Some days it's driven by news, other days it's centered around fluffy, light-hearted stuff. But generally, there's not enough news! Fair enough if you want to create a lighter alternative to Breakfast and Sunrise, but there's no justification for shunting it the short news updates. You can create a lighter programme still based around the news of the day. To think viewers were switching GMTV off in their thousands because there wasn't enough newsy content...! ITV have got a real problem in their hands if ratings don't improve over the course of the year - there has been a real decline in terms of quality (and thus ratings) in their schedules where news is concerned. Even ITV News bulletins rarely score higher than 4m nowadays thanks to the bizarre decisions made by the powers that be.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12112479

A couple of audience-figure related quotes in that article...

"Daybreak, which replaced GMTV, saw its audience dip as low as 500,000 at one stage last year although it has since risen, achieving 800,000 on 20 December."

and

"The show hit a rocky start when it was launched in September but recently drew a million viewers for the first time."

Daybreak will find its feet late spring to summer. They will be able to open up the view behind them and there will a recongised system on the way the program flows.

They will probably get around 900,000 - 1,100,000 viewers for this period.

Yes. A big window solves the problems of all struggling/failing TV programmes.

I know this is a TV Presentation forum, but sometimes I genuinly think people on here think it's all that matters in the world...

Figures were back up to a more healthy 700,000 yesterday. Still lower than the 900,000 during late November and December.

That's not really any better than the programme they are attempting to replace.

ITV don't normally give programmes a 4 month run if they are losing viewers for the slot. What do you think the time limit will be for Daybreak?


Nobody is suggesting that TV presentation is an issue of world importance, and I shouldn't need to state the bleedin' obvious: but the intended purpose of this forum is to discuss that topic, not world crises!

Nor did I suggest that we should be discussing world crises, but when people genuinly believe a window or better use of Barcos will turn a failing programme around, it goes a bit too far.