Daybreak - the launch onwards

The best thing for daybreak is to keep everything as it is but go 7 days a week. This way it can steal viewers at the weekend as many people want a lighter version at the weekend. Then if people like they may continue to watch on weekdays. Perhaps 7-10 at weekend with local news

I agree broadcasting Daybreak seven days a week could be part of a wider strategy to attract more viewers especially during the weekends, maybe testing out potential new breakfast presenters within the existing Daybreak team such as Tasmin Lucia Khan, Nick Dixon, Anna Williamson etc. One of the major problem's is the legal minefield when it comes to the breakfast franchise 'opt - out' with STV / UTV in particular between 6.00 - 9.25 am. The children's programmes could be continued to be broadcast from the CITV channel. Also if Daybreak could maintain it's weekday viewing figures of 700,000 it might be able to compete much better with BBC Breakfast as it only averages around a million on the weekends with a 33% share of the viewing audience.

With reference to the rumours regarding Natasha Kaplinsky being lined up to anchor Daybreak, as Rob says I find it difficult to see them axing Adrian or Christine at this stage. Unless they were to axe Christine meaning that Adrian would probably quit the show in protest that way they won't have to pay the vast amounts of compensation. Adrian has been known to quit if he's not happy

As Joshua pointed out moving them to the evening's to front a show would attract the same negative media attention and publicity that they both experienced when Daybreak launched. The One Show's popularity wasn't just based on their chemistry. However, having said that The One Show has experienced a ratings decline year-on-year of more than 12% since they left last summer. Newsatten quite righty argues that one of Daybreak's major problem was that they made a huge deal about Adrian and Christine fronting the show. In hindsight given the circumstances in which they left the BBC and the gradual axing of GMTV with the loss of some popular breakfast presenters it's easier to see how the show failed to meet hightened expectations.

I fully agree with one of the point's Badger 264 raised earlier I also had the impression that A + C were only ever lauching the show then they would be phased out. I think what will happen is that from 2012 Adrian will cut down to three days then will leave in 2013. I think Christine might be kept on but with reduced presenting duties. But, I think Dan and Kate will in the near future become the main anchors of Daybreak, however anything can happen.

Also the latest about the revamp, someone from the Daybreak team has tweeted to say interesting changes were happening towards the end of the month indicating that a revamp of some scale will happen for the first year anniversary.

does anyone think they should introduce a this morning style hub to be more interecting with the audience? set changes need to happen, surly they cant go another winter with th dark mornings?? just thinkins natasha kaplinski could be replacing grainne seoige?

Just thinking, was Natasha Kaplinsky popular during her 'BBC Breakfast' days? If ITV was planning on bringing her into Daybreak as a replacement for Christine or Kate, it could easily be another case of bringing in a big name but gaining no real reward in terms of the ratings.

GMTV was ahead of Breakfast when Natasha was the presenter, but it was when GMTV had Eamonn & Fiona and before the phone in stuff happened.

Just adding in from what neilly said about the gradual axing of GMTV, I do think part of Daybreak's problem is that it simply isn't GMTV. GMTV had loyal viewers and the very public axing and demise doesn't seem to have gone down very well. A lot of viewers may have viewed Daybreak along with Adrian & Christine with animosity due to the changes. ITV should have handled that very differently and maybe should have even introduced Adrian & Christine to GMTV whilst other presenters were leaving. It didn't do Dan Lobb any harm and would have made the transition a lot easier for viewers.

I came across the EPG Schedule for Daybreak next week, for next Monday 22nd August it says that the show will be presented by Dan Lobb and Lucy Watson. It might be an error or mistake (as EPG's are notorious for at the best of times). I do not want to sound offensive to Lucy Watson I think she's a great correspondent with a lot of experience but as Badger 264 said in a previous post she comes across a bit dull and robotic when she covers the news for Tasmin. If Christine or Kate were both unavailible to present Daybreak at the same time I would have thought of maybe using Cordelia Kretzschmar who has had experience presenting the GMTV newshour a few years ago. Likewise someone like Anna Williamson or Tasmin Lucia Khan would be a better choice in my opinion.

Maybe they could get a female guest presenter such as Helen Fospero or even Kate Thornton perhaps? I know Kate T has been talked about on the forum and everybody is entitled to their own opinions. However, she is an experienced presenter and I think she would have great chemistry with Dan. It could be a way of 'testing the waters' to see if Daybreak viewers would respond and warm to her presenting on the programme. Also she presented This Morning's 'Hub' last week so she'll be probably looking for new opportunities.

I think these last 3 weeks or so are holiday time for some of the main presenters, Tasmin tweeted about going on holiday to the Middle East a few days ago.

If that is right about Lucy presenting, it'll be interesting to watch - she certainly seems quite robotic as you said, when shes reading the news.

Yes I would be surprised if they had Lucy Watson presenting. Kate Thornton would be a great stand-in, they have even used Katie Hill in the past to present with Dan, she's not my first choice though.

My guess is that Dan will be presenting, Lucy will be reading the news as cover for Tasmin but they are yet to confirm Dan's co-host possibly.

On another note, I thought Fiona Phillips' interview with Gail Porter this morning was brilliant, Fiona handled the subject so sensitively.

I agree that part of Daybreaks problem is that it simply isn't GMTV, we all know that the British public don't like change and I think that if GMTV had just moved to studio 7 without even introducing Daybreak in the first place would've been a much simpler change, and I doubt that there would've been a problem.

But they did introduce daybreak and ITV Breakfast is in a bit of a pickle, I do think that Kate Garraway should never have been brought down from main presenter, and pair her with say 5 News' Peter Lane and have Dan Lobb present along side Tasmin and have Lucy Watson deliver the news on Fridays ITV could've been laughing right now.

As much as Fiona may have got on my wick a bit on GMTV, she is definitely missed from Breakfast TV, and as this has shown she is completely competent at the job, even after a few years away, and could easily be Lorraine's main stand in.

They didn't even need to do that. Something needed to happen but not on the scale it did. they could have easily got away with Ben & Penny, Kate & Dan as the two main teams with Emma on the news and Helen in the 'Lucy' role. It was a bit drastic, ITV just got caught up in the moment and didn't really think about things.

I can completely understand what Daybreak were trying to do but I feel they were trying to chase an audience that simply isn't there or is a niche audience that is perfectly happy with Sky News.



I agree, she had a very bad habit of notoriously putting her foot in it but I think that's why she lasted so long. On breakfast TV viewers want normal people who have faults and are relatable to them and Fiona fitted that bill perfectly. I don't think she'd ever return full time but I do hope she gets the Lorraine job. Penny is another that is missed a lot, she had the rare quality of being able to read the news but be able to switch to light items seamlessy and was warm and quite witty at the same time. I never quite understood why she was never given GMTV Today and was mainly restricted to the Newshour. Of anyone to survive from GMTV I wanted it to be her- even over Kate.

Agreed, she's a fantastic presenter. She reminds me in a way of Louise Minchin - very warm, honest and quite a giggly personality when the light stuff was on - and a decent newsreader for the more serious stuff. It's a rare quality.