Pov used to get a mid week slot at 20.45 for most of the 90s then it went to Sunday and cut and cut and cut to two ten week runs. and become full of fluff.
Pov used to get a mid week slot at 20.45 for most of the 90s then it went to Sunday and cut and cut and cut to two ten week runs. and become full of fluff.
It was always full of fluff, and one of the only reasons why it used to be on pretty much all year round was because of the requirement for ten minute fillers around fifty minute shows. There was no massive editorial imperative for it to be on all year round otherwise, it's hardly the only way you can complain to the Beeb.
That said, I did used to love it when Anne did it, I always thought she was great on it. In the eighties I used to dart back from Cubs on a Wednesday so I could be in the front of the telly at 8.50, after Dallas of course, to see it. One of the best things about it was that it did seem to have a bit of wit about it and viewers' opinions could sometimes be sent up (there's a great one on YouTube of someone pointing out a "mistake" by Barry Norman - "I believe that's called a spoonerism!" - followed by Barry Took saying "And I believe that's called a joke, madam!"), as opposed to now when all comments are treated with absolute seriousness and viewers are allowed to say what they like without ever being challenged or corrected, regardless whether it's idiotic or just plain wrong.
BBC quiz " Beat the Teacher " had the same theme except for the final series.
I'm pretty sure it was used for both of the last two series, in 1987 and 1988, that were hosted by Bruno Brookes. I love the way the mechanical noughts and crosses board makes that clunking sound when the blocks are turned, you'd never get anything like that these days.
London Plus had their theme tune remixed, and it never quite worked the same afterwards!
The original is probably my favourite ever news theme, but probably wasn't considered newsy enough and so got revamped into a horrible-sounding mess after less than a year.
In a similar vein, the Top of the Pops repeats on BBC Four have just reached the point in 1984 where the Yellow Pearl countdown theme was re-recorded with an electric guitar all over it - absolutely awful!
The original Masterchef theme is very of its time and reminds me of The Channel Four Daily. Though I happen to love that kind of production style. Great title sequence that takes someone cracking an egg and turns it into a slow motion epic.