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The Fight for Saturday Night

BBC Four documentary on the battle between BBC and ITV (December 2014)

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SW
Steve Williams
It was definitely pre-recorded! I remember when watching it occasionally noticing some fairly obvious edit points. Many of the NHP features did indeed originate on it, but it was a major part of the publicity surrounding the start of the House Party that it would be broadcast live, unlike its predecessor.


Thanks for the confirmation, I was wondering myself then. There's most of an episode of the Saturday Roadshow on YouTube and there are no examples of viewers taking part from home, all the games involve contestants in the studio. Noel makes it clear in the Radio Times interview launching House Party that it was going to be live and a potential risk, and the fact there was a Radio Times interview was a big thing in itself because I never remember reading much about the Saturday Roadshow in the Radio Times. I read more about it in Fast Forward.

Also if he was that great why was he only ITV for 3 years before going back to producing?


I could take issue with everything in this post, but I see David Attenborough was only on BBC management for about five years before going back to producing. He must have been crap as well.
HC
Hatton Cross
I'm surprised about the lack of Gladiators considering many of the people interviewed had connections with LWT. There was also no mention of You Bet or Stars In Their Eyes. If they'd covered Davidson's Gen Game they could have interviewed him about Big Break too.

I do enjoy Michael Grade's documentaries both on TV and radio. The fact that he was around and has stories to share relating to the subject adds something extra special.


Finished watching the show - it's one of the few 90 min shows, which didn't feel like it, and you wish it could have been a two or three parter.

Shame Gladiators wasn't covered, even briefly. Then they could have used Jeremy Paxman's wonderful introduction to the review of the first show on BBC Two's Did You See.

"People fear that in the future there will be more shows like this on ITV - If it is the future, then God help us..."

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