Sacked ITV boss attacks "downmarket" Channel 4

But its typical of ITV light entertainment and Channel 4 has a remit to be diverse. This all goes back to my argument of Channel 4's contribution to the dumbing down of television. Now, instead of one light fluffy celebrity filled chat show, we have two at tea time, therefore restricting choice further.

This from Channel 4's statement of promise : “to foster the new and experimental in television. It will encourage pluralism, provide a favoured place for the untried and encourage innovation in style content perspective and talent on and off screen”.

Really ?

Thing is, there are still quite a few new shows being developed on Channel 4. These bigger shows (which you obviously must watch because you speak more of them than the smaller experimental programming) just help pay for them.

In my opinion—yes. Though I don't know what ‘pluralism’ means :-s!

Some other snipets from the Edinburgh TV Festival. The Awards have been dished out tonight (voted on by a panel of media execs):

Terrestrial Channel of the Year- Channel 4 (unlucky for Charles Allen!)

Multichannel Channel of the Year- BBC Four

TV Personality of the Year- David Attenborough

Industry Player of the Year- Russell T Davies

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In other news Armando Iannucci has revealed more about his upcoming pilot for BBC Three called "Lab Rats". It could be commissioned for a full series.

"It's a silly, funny show shot in front of a studio audience, which is something I haven't done since Partridge." he said

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Kevin Lygo has revealed that Channel 4's programme budget for next year will rise by £20m. He also hit back at Charles Allen's McTaggart lecture:

"ITV is three times the size of us. I don't think it should be worried about us. I don't talk about ITV. I don't know anything about it. I don't watch it" he said.

He also admitted that Space Cadets was "grim" having cost so much for so little reward in terms of audience.

That's so funny - for once they've made the right choice!

As for BBC4 - can't really say another channel has bettered it. BBC4 has improved alot in the last year since the launch of More4, and is certainly a more deserving winner than BBC3 was last year (I think)!





It rated poor - but was a good programme though! One of my personal highlights of last autumn! And it illustrates the risks C4 are willing to take!

Sorry. Should have put up more of what he said:

"Because it was so expensive to make we lost sight of the fact it should be a four day show"

I think that's fair comment- it wasn't a two week show, but it cost so much it really had to be stripped across the schedule for that long.

I also thought it wasn't that bad as a risk taking venture.

Should have also added that

Programme of the Year- Planet Earth.

And another Lygo dig aimed at Charles Allen:

"I've got to go to dinner with [him] tonight," he told the audience. "I could always show him this [award] - because he's probably never seen one."

At the end of the day it was just yet another reality show, adding to the 17 weeks that BB and CBB took up

But haven't C4 being doing reality shows for years anyway? They've just being in a different form to the obvious ones your thinking of. So what if they do. At least they started the whole thing!

Yes to be fair to Space Cadets it wasn't your average reality show.

It required taking a massive risk and is the kind of show that would only have ever appeared on the BBC or Channel 4.

It had zero potential as a long-term show (you can't do Space Cadets 2), cost a huge amount of money to set up, and could have been blown as a concept at any point.

They dragged it out too much, but this was no ordinary reality show (like BB or Love Island etc.).

I wouldn't say it was too long too - maybe they could have got away with a couple less episodes, but still.

I think alot of people who enjoyed it though agreed the whole training process was far more interesting than the mission itself - but I think it had to be done "live" to add to the programme the risk of it going wrong!

If it had been recorded and we'd known the outcome before hand it just wouldn't have worked at all!


And why on earth would anyone want to have dinner with Charles Allen!

Because all the comments they make between each other are not personal and just reflect the official line of the broadcaster they are currently working for?

You can see where all this is going.
Gordon is short of money at the moment and he can't squeeze anymore out of the pension funds so he's having a go at the broadcasters. The BBC will have to pay for its own spectrum which is a tax on a tax & Channel Four is ripe for selling off and will bag the government a tidy sum.
As for Charles Allen having any credibilty, moral or otherwise, in respect to running a TV company, I think not.
There are plenty who work in ITV who would be happy to see him haninging by his wotsits from the London Studios - now thats an idea for a good programme