New Working Lunch

It was also on POV with much the same being said. Seems the Beeb are looking for new viewers for the show, and don't mind ditching some of the old timers.

Even at the end of Friday's show, Declan thanked the 'new viewers' that have been watching this week. Not impressed.

Not surprising to see BBC bosses rigidly sticking to their guns. They never seem to acknowledge mistakes these days. Yes, the programme may have been losing viewers but isn't that a given with the multi-channel world in which we now live? When Working Lunch launched in 1994, we had 4 terrestrial channels and a handful of satellite channels that very few people had access to. Nowadays, the TV landscape has completely changed beyond recognition and it always makes me laugh when TV bosses moan about declining viewing figures. With so many alternatives, it isn't surprising. They've taken a good quality programme and turned it into a much weaker version in the hope of appealing to the masses. This has happened so many times before and I've no doubt that it will happen again. All I'm saying is that they'd better not touch The Daily Politics.

The difference is that The Daily Politics was created in a multi-channel era - and with an aim of building a new audience, after an acknowledgement that the previous "Westminster Live" wasn't doing the job.

The new Working Lunch may be considered to be a similar response ?

I'm not saying I like or don't like the new changes - but if your audience is dropping, and getting older, then either you accept it, or you try to change it. I don't think you can criticise attempts to widen an audience - and doing something is surely better than lying back on your laurels and doing nothing?

I understand what you're saying, noggin, but it all comes down to definitions of necessary and unnecessary change. For instance, I think that bringing all BBC News output into line in April was a very good idea. Everything is streamlined and recognisable, from regions to BBC World. However, I deem the change of name of News 24 and World to be totally unnecessary change. The old names were doing just fine and if anything, the change has resulted in a weaker brand. Six months later and today Emily Maitliss mistakenly said "News 24" on air.

As for Working Lunch, only time will tell. I don't think that resting on your laurels is necessarily a bad thing. If you have a good format that works reasonably well, why change it for the sake of a few more viewers? Surely quality must win over quantity at least some times?

Working Lunch isn't that old - I would guess it only pre-dates the Daily Politics by a few years.

I would guess too that any loss of viewers in the last couple of years is more to do with Adrian Chiles moving on than anything with the format itself.

However it's a programme that's never going to have mass appeal, and it's inevitable therefore that if they do attempt to appeal to the masses they will lose their focus, and hence lose their existing audience - without picking up any extra viewers.

And badly timed too - considering the state of the world at the moment I'd have thought they'd be more viewers than ever wanting accessible, but informed, analysis of the situation.

...by about a decade, it started in 1994.

Laurel-resting was fine for the last few years of WL. I think the BBC should've listened to the siren calls telling them it was still OK, rather than the demons saying the ship had sunk without trace. Now they've holed the boat, and there isn't even a fish in sight to help drag it up to the surface.

(too many metaphors)

Brekkie Boy has hit the nail on the head there. The timing couldn't have been worse. Just now, there's probably more demand for financial news than ever before and what do the BBC go and do? Dumb down their one and only domestic financial programme. Yes, it may appeal to different people, but like Brekkie says, they're going to lose their core viewers.

And Ben is right, WL did indeed start in 1994.

As mentioned by someone else in the Breakfast thread, anyone know if Adam Shaw is still going to replace Declan on Breakfast/ the NC/ News at One? I know Adam only left WL three and a bit weeks ago and might be taking a break for a bit first, but I'm finding Simon Jack increasingly annoying! I always thought Adam was brilliant on WL and a real shame to see him go - still at the same time I'm glad he's not involved in this new version...

Adam is currently presenting the business news on The Today Programme on BBC Radio 4. Whether this is a stop gap until a re-shuffle later in the year I don't know.

I take it they've also got rid of Nik and Paddy?? Or will they be occasional presenters/reporters?

After catching a couple of programmes since the relaunch I am missing the chemistry between Adam and Nik somewhat. I only started watching the programme regularly after Adrian left, but enjoyed this past year or so with Adam and Nik. Not 100% sure on this relaunch

The pound coin main desk is awful. Sometimes i think I preferred the generic BBC News set format.