UTV rebrand

I wasn't aware that BGT and the X Factor were mine to sell!

BTW, is pre-recorded Julian on tonight? If so, how animated were his links into Corrie and Emmerdale?

Didn't see it, but turning on now, Julian mentioned ITN twice in the space of a minute - once in the credits of "The Level", once in the intro to News at Ten. No mention of ITV at all.

I can't see XF and BGT being a 'deal breaker' in a channel - particularly since they can't get any money from phone-ins and ultimately, they'd also have to license the shows from Fremantle.

AFAIK this year's negotiations haven't even reached a deal for next year onwards.

It would bring in big advertisement? Just to ask are you on about TV3? ITV has signed a 3 year deal until 2019 for both.

Anyone catch Julian's Corrie intros tonight? Just wondered what style they took.

They were very like what someone here described about Gillian's , being read directly from the TV times.

Will anyone be checking today to if the ecp have come back, if the menus are on use around 17.55, and of course if additional appear.

To be fair, those Corrie announcements contain content warnings - in the past when they have done this at UTV the announcements have been just as mellow.

He is clearly a relic of a bygone era though - the "new" look UTV is much younger and vibrant than what they had before and the voice really doesn't fit.

He doesn't really suit the weather either. I've seen him present weather forecasts recently where he literally justs stands still with his arms by his sides, and doesn't move his hands or arms at all, which is unusual for a weather presenter. That sort of thing is fine for a newsreader (which is something he'd probably be more suited to), but not a weather presenter.

It's not impossible for Julian's style to adapt to that new look - though it feels like the difference between a DJ being told he has a bit of time to speak and one who's been given a 15 second speedlink to do. It is perfectly possible to get some personality in there, but it's a very different skill.

It's hard to imagine anyone making a concerted effort to make it any different though. This is very much an intermediary stage. Julian's act is really not what ITV are after any more. It was good while it lasted, but it's hard to argue that it's not a step forward.

Personally, I'm gutted Santawatch is almost certainly a goner.