Well, for better or worse the show at least looks like it's broadcasting from the 21st century. The set is really nice (apart from the wall ticker). The intro/music/graphics are nice too but there's too much on-screen clutter. I don't mind the speedy pace but the introduction of tags like "Developing Story" and swipes galore....urgh. As for content: the news/fluff ratio seemed tolerable enough but "Britain's Biggest Family" seems a little bland and uninspired.
Weather bug: the order of locations displayed seems to be somewhat random. It's not by alphabetical order, or by region, it just seems to be a somewhat random order to display them.
Sports bulletins: I noticed the sports segments had the ITV Sport brand on the over the shoulder graphics, just like the news segments had the ITV News brand. That's a nice touch. Now, if they could add an ITV Sport section to the ticker, that would help as well.
Lower thirds: The programme logo and clock almost seems out of place next to the story specific graphics, weather bug and ticker. Minor quibble, but visually quite jarring.
Programme pacing: Not sure why anybody thinks this is pacy, it actually feels quite relaxed.
Weather: Considering they've used ITV News and ITV Sport brands on screen, why have they not used the ITV Weather brand on screen? That just seems a little inconsistent.
Set: The desk is obviously the main feature, with the interview area and the sofa as small extra presentation points. Overall, like the look of the set. Each area works well within itself, and compliments the overall look.
Music: Serious and warm tones, but not musically impactful or jarring, perfect for a morning programme.
Overall: I like this. This is a decent attempt to do a quality breakfast show, mixing in what the audience wants in the morning, with what they need. This might not be a game changer, but it certainly comes across as a programme that could revive ITV's fortunes at breakfast time. Yes, the Andi Peters segments felt a bit jarring with the rest of the programme, and I've never been much of a fan of his anyway, but overall, they're pretty close to hitting this spot on. Breakfast now seems to have some proper competition.
-The regional handovers are too obvious and don't work. This morning one of the Granada opts had four seconds of Ben waiting to read the script and the end of the bulletin was cut off. Granada's graphics were actually identical to the main programme apart from the size of the time in the clock, presumably as they have one of the newest regional newsrooms.
The time graphic was the GMB style correctly, but the rest of the graphics were their usual ITV News style, which did not line up with the GMB ones (at least in the first bulletin of the day). There were also several graphics clashes with things appearing behind the GMB logo and clock. The ITV News logo on a name strap (just one, it was removed from most) and the sponsorship sting for the weather had the company's branding hidden, along with text "Sponsors of weather on Good Morning Granada" (can't remember the exact phrase). As VMPhil says, the pause at the start of the "hand-over" made it obvious it was pre-recorded (and part of it was a pause of the recording rather than waiting for Ben to say his line). Of course all of this could and should be easily sorted out, as they are probably just minor teething troubles with the new set up.
Recorded the ITVHD version, how did the graphics stand up on SD? I suspect the text on sub 42in screens might be a little compromised.
As for the material, decent, grabbing Nadine Dorries as the first politician rather unfortunate, 1D a reasonable and acceptable draw in. Most of the professional reviewers are happy if not ecstatic with the first programme.
Set and graphics could date rapidly though as tastes change, Maybe a little too busy and could do with a few toning down tweaks.
I dont think the regional handover's work, and would rather it be scrapped TBH.
They're quite good, but do need some work. It would be nicer if they did a couple of alternative takes every morning but as most viewers might only see one a morning it doesn't really matter too much. The change of clock from #gmb to the region name is clever, though the logo in the region I saw it on wasn't as smooth.
Their effectiveness does depend on how tightly they're clipped. Presumably the national presenter stands in camera and rattles them off one after the other for the regions to record and clip up.
Central's was edited a bit loose and there was also an odd audio buzz so the difference between live national Ben and recorded local Ben was quite obvious.
Still, a nice idea
ITV London's clock had a leading 0 (unlike the main show) which didn't quite fit into the lozenge it was supposed to. The link from Ben was very loose at the top. It is something that ITV can do more easily than the BBC - as their format has far more stings for sponsorship and breaks giving you a chance to run a clean, self-contained recorded link without having to pick up off the same presenter reading live.
There's no reason I suppose why the regional intros from England and Wales can't/couldn't be played out
from Chiswick and Leeds ? Presumably those two centres fire off the 'salvos' for the opts to happen, would it be operationally any easier for them to record and play out the intros ?
Probably not in my experience. Playout/Presentation areas are usually a bit more cumbersome when handling last minute fiddly bits of video - so handing 10+ of them at short notice is probably pushing it a bit. I suspect there is also less chance of the wrong intro being played if the region in question is playing it (and checking it first).
Also ITV London were running their intro via a VR 'plasma' which wouldn't have been possible (though whether this is that important)
I wonder if GMB are clipping them up separately and sending them as files, or whether each region sits across a line-feed from the studio and records their own. I suspect the former.
When GMTV were in St5 and Daybreak iin St7, the opts were initiated via an optout panel in front of the director - it was coded onto a teletext line to begin with (line 10 rings a bell), so Chiswick and Leeds played no part in that part of the operation. I will ask if no-one answers in the meantime.
I'm very impressed with what I saw this morning. The music and the set are absolutely fantastic. The only moans I have were the competition feature with Andi Peters being rather long and pointless, and some of the graphics not doing what they were supposed to.
So far the only real gripe I do have is to do with the VO, if they are going to do the day, date and year, I find 'twenty fourteen: just a bit eurgh really.
IMO 'two thousand and fourteen' sounds more authorative and has more punch...
Recorded the ITVHD version, how did the graphics stand up on SD? I suspect the text on sub 42in screens might be a little compromised.
I had no problems reading the captions from bed on an SD 20 inch TV, 2.8 metres away.
Once the Lancashire family with defective contraception came on, that was my cue to switch off, and get up !
Kate Garraway's Twitter bio now says that she is a "Good Morning Presenter - catch me on Thursdays". Could Susannah be dropping to 3 days a week as she did at the BBC after the initial settling in period? It is confirmed that she will be working Friday's for the first two weeks before Ranvir takes over (and before anyone comments - I feel the rota is important to the show presentation/structure and worthy of discussion).