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UTV rebrand

New look to bring it in line with ITV (October 2016)

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MM
MMcG198
RDJ posted:
Julian is pretty much pants at presenting the weather. Very wooden and straight off the autocue. How many weather presenters use autocue? And what weather presenter never uses their hand to highlight something on the map? Every one of his forecasts follows the same pattern:

(a) Face camera and read first few sentences off autocue.
(b) Turn to the side and read next few sentences off autocue.
(c) Turn and face camera again and read final few sentences off autocue.


He hasn't changed at all nearly ten years on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ8kXDNCb5Y

There does seem to be a lot of dislike for Julian, in essence I can understand the criticism.

It's nice that ITV feel that the old familiar voices can still be part of the continuity team. But I feel now ITV need to look at revamping the continuity team though and getting some fresh talent in to bring UTV more in line with the ethic of ITV.

It would be nice if they did keep it local though rather than just drafting in the Network announcers. That's a touch that ITV Wales has since lost and it's a shame that no welsh voices do even the local continuity there.


Haha. He's actually marginally less wooden in that clip than he is now. I recall a behind-the-scenes clip from about 10 years ago where I'm almost certain Julian said that he adjusted the weather script to make it sound a little less formal. I suspect the phrases "good and heavy" (to describe the rain) and "good and windy" were his work. From what I've seen of the more recent forecasts, I don't believe he edits the scripts at all.

I wouldn't mind at all if they kept local voices on air - just not any of the lot we have today. As Colm has stated, there's been no fresh continuity talent on UTV for a very long time. And what we've been stuck with is very tired, dull and boring.

If they do stick with the UTV branding, I'll be surprised if Wales doesn't attempt to make a case for similar treatment.
ST
South Today
Col posted:
Well, if it works for Aidan Browne...


Sadly Aidan doesn't seem to do many continuity shifts these days. He seems to pick up more bulletins though especially Monday night before View from Stormont.

Sadly, the references to ITN were ditched shortly after the ITV takeover.
DE
denton
Sadly? Well... yes I suppose Aidan's scripts do make Julian's scripts sound like effort has been made.
MM
MMcG198
Sadly Aidan doesn't seem to do many continuity shifts these days. He seems to pick up more bulletins though especially Monday night before View from Stormont.


You say "Sadly", I say "Mercifully".

Robin Taylor is the one noteable exception to the long list of people who reside in the UTV Continuity Hall of Blandness & Lazy Scripting. Unfortunate that he's no longer on air.
PC
p_c_u_k
The thing is, ITV isn't going to bring anyone new in for UTV. What you've got now is as good as it's going to get. When Julian or whoever else decide to leave, when they move to the new building and when it's politically safe to do so, they'll promise the politicians they'll still get their dull faces on the token local political show no-one watches and switch everything else to ITV.
RI
Richard
Col posted:
Well, if it works for Aidan Browne...


Sadly Aidan doesn't seem to do many continuity shifts these days. He seems to pick up more bulletins though especially Monday night before View from Stormont.

Sadly, the references to ITN were ditched shortly after the ITV takeover.


It makes no sense to refer to “ITN” these days. UTV only did it so they didn’t have to refer to ITV News which was at odds with their brand. But “ITV News” is the brand now. Why give the company which makes it so much prominence? ITV only owns 40% of ITN.

It is odd, however that the only places to see the ITN logo on TV News is ch 4 and ch 5 with nothing (apart from a copyright message) on ITV itself.
ST
South Today
I enjoyed the references on UTV... ''Now on UTV we cross to ITN in London with the latest world news. It's 17 and a half minutes past 10.''
NW
nwtv2003
I enjoyed the references on UTV... ''Now on UTV we cross to ITN in London with the latest world news. It's 17 and a half minutes past 10.''


RI
Richard
I do wonder what whoever is scheduling the UTV voiceovers in Chiswick thinks of Julian’s contributions, particularly the Corrie ones.
SP
Steve in Pudsey


It makes no sense to refer to “ITN” these days. UTV only did it so they didn’t have to refer to ITV News which was at odds with their brand. But “ITV News” is the brand now. Why give the company which makes it so much prominence? ITV only owns 40% of ITN.


I think ITN is a special case, not just another indie production company. Its former (?) status as nominated news provider means that it has a heritage and reputation for quality journalism associated with the name.

Maybe when the time comes to turn NaT back to a serious news programme they'll go back to the legacy brand to give it more gravitas.
CO
Colm
Robin Taylor is the one noteable exception to the long list of people who reside in the UTV Continuity Hall of Blandness & Lazy Scripting. Unfortunate that he's no longer on air.


I'm glad I didn't have to mention my appreciation for Robin Taylor again. Oh, wait...

To be fair, Pamela Ballantine did a good job picking up CA duties again in 2009, as did Tina Campbell a few years after - as I hinted upthread, these felt more like demotions than secondments; afterthoughts after each were sidelined by the news department.
WH
Whataday Founding member


It makes no sense to refer to “ITN” these days. UTV only did it so they didn’t have to refer to ITV News which was at odds with their brand. But “ITV News” is the brand now. Why give the company which makes it so much prominence? ITV only owns 40% of ITN.


I think ITN is a special case, not just another indie production company. Its former (?) status as nominated news provider means that it has a heritage and reputation for quality journalism associated with the name.

Maybe when the time comes to turn NaT back to a serious news programme they'll go back to the legacy brand to give it more gravitas.



In the mid 00's, had Charles Allen managed to take over ITN entirely, he said he would have revived the brand on screen instead of using ITV News.

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