God - it was absolutely dire wasn't it?? Seriously?? What was it supposed to be?? A singing contest or a platform for Harry Hill's jokes?? I noticed it was made by Endemol which probably explains why it's a big heap of dung in a field. I honestly had too high an expectation for this but I didn't think it was going to be this bad. Harry states that you can't just bring it back how it was originally. Why not?? OK, a few tweaks here and there, a jazzed up theme tune, a better studio and lighting, maybe some visual effects on the floor etc - but too much like The X Factor and decent contestants who can sing and look like the stars they are supposed to be. But no - the theme tune sounded like a cheap keyboard being played, the studio looked terrible - really cheap background and lighting and none of the presence the original studio had. OK, I didn't think the original studio was brilliant but this was the pits - and it looked very small too - the contestants only took about 3-4 steps out from the doors and they were on their spot for singing - the old studio was vast. And the contestants looked as though they didn't care, sang limply and took part in awful jokes with Harry Hill.
Frankly, it was embarrasing to watch. I watched it to give it a chance to shine but I wish I could recover that one hour in my life that I sat watching this steaming pool of urine.
Surely Harry must know it was awful? Seriously?? I can't imagine this even reaching the Not Live Final in 5 weeks time. If they can axe Shafted with Robert Kilroy Silk after just 2 episodes, then this surely deserves cremating to a blackened mess before next week.
This surely is the last we will see of Harry Hill on TV in the future.
:-(
A former member
It seems the oringal composer Ray monk did the arragment. with Jump doing the titles.
It was terrible and I'll go down the line that it should either be The Harry Hill Show or Stars in their Eyes, the both together don't gel. It was almost like Harry was sending up the show in one of his TV Burp sketches but it got padded out for a whole hour!
i am wondering if some of you boys are looking through rose tinted glasses.
let's be honest, in the 1990s the original stars in their eyes was dull and wooden. it was almost as bad as blind date, it was the least painful of the two when there was only four channels, but was pretty dire.
Although it does sound as if you're describing it referencing the repeats on Challenge. Each to their own but back in 1990 i'd argue it wasn't dull and wooden and Leslie Crowther was more a people person rather than making the show all about the host which happens a lot today. However, saying that, I was very young when the Crowther shows aired and I did believe people were instantly transformed just by walking through smokey doors!
Last edited by Put The Telly On on 11 January 2015 12:12am
It was terrible and I'll go down the line that it should either be The Harry Hill Show or Stars in their Eyes, the both together don't gel. It was almost like Harry was sending up the show in one of his TV Burp sketches but it got padded out for a whole hour!
Couldn't have put it better myself. I'm a big fan of Harry Hill on TV Burp and You've Been Framed as those are shows he's completely made his own.
With this at one point you're (not) laughing at the painfully unfunny gags and comedy sketches and next its a relatively serious singing contest. The two just don't gel at all.
He's restricted by the format of the show and that's surely a fatal error from the start. And the fact that he has to emphasise that it's a 'not live' grand final just shows he's trying to live up to the show how it used to be but ultimately he can't/won't. People are still glossy-eyed over the show from what I could see on Twitter and really it should be brought back as the show as it used to be as there were no flaws with the format at all (apart from Matthew quitting).
I found the Cat Deeley era to be too bland and maybe that was the problem which led to the Through the Keyhole revamp style where it's a bit more ironic and mocking of itself than in the past.
I found it a total and utter load of rubbish. I wasn't a fan of the original shows but just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, BOOOOM!
I usually like Harry Hill and find him hilarious but not on this. It wasn't even slightly funny. ITV have made a crap show even crapper. Hope it gets pulled soon and doesn't return.
The Cat Deeley era was bland not because of the show itself but because of the rise in reaction television such as X Factor and Simon Cowell. A little 2 minute edited VT package of Bob in Scarborough before he became George Michael is different to following Bob in Scarborough's journey over 12 or so weeks as different artists which is what people wanted and got more out of. In my opinion, you could never bring it back as a straightforward 'cabaret' contest like it once was but equally you can't try and cheese it up with a silly comedian such as Harry Hill as has been proved so far but you can see where ITV were trying to go with this.
Revamped Through the Keyhole works because it can get away with being scripted, you can't script singing and performances from regular members of the public.
Last edited by Put The Telly On on 11 January 2015 12:43am
This surely is the last we will see of Harry Hill on TV in the future.
I think that's exaggerating it a lot. It's not a career ending move.
The majority of the criticism on Twitter seems to be coming from people who expected it to be a faithful, serious revival of the show. Quite why they expected that with Harry Hill hosting is beyond me.
In terms of the currently available TV critic reviews, The Telegraph have gone with "refreshing"
