our public broadcaster dumps another of our institutions

[Redrascal2]

2 hours ago, italian dave said:

Without wishing to turn this too political, the BBC has had its funding cut by a third in the past decade. It’s got no option but to dump some of its traditional output. 

Hard to have a lot of sympathy for the BBC when the likes of Lineker is paid over a million a year. 

[richwwtk]

1 hour ago, Eddie Hitler said:

 

He was excellent in Max and Paddy but I would sya that the problem with putting him onto QoS and Top Gear is that the BBC executive is misunderstanding, some would say patronising, the audience for each programme by thinking that they are watched by low brow working class people who would like to see one of their own presenting and think him ideal.

This is simialr to my memories of the absolute worst of children's TV where the execs reasoned that as kids were the audience then they would like to see a kid producing.  Usually some annoying precocious yet very amateurish twonk from the Anna Scher Stage School.  I give you: Why Don't You, Razzamatazz and (brace yourselves) Our Show.

When what we actually wanted was funny professional adult presenters like John Noakes, Johnny Ball and Brian Cant to whom youngsters could relate.

Top Gear was different as they couldn't really have kept Clarkson on but there was no sensible reason for replacing Sue Barker on QoS she was was ideal for the job.

 

For those younger souls who are fortunate enough not to have seen it, here is Our Show in all its unwatchable shambolic amateurness. 

Well done if you can make it to the minute mark without stopping it or throwing your screen / tablet / phone against the wall.

 

 

 

Never seen Max and Paddy which is why I just think he's a bit shit.

Broadly agree with the rest, apart from there was nothing wrong with Why Don't You? I quite enjoyed it when I saw it, though that would have been 40+ years ago now!

[Eddie Hitler]

2 hours ago, Redrascal2 said:

Hard to have a lot of sympathy for the BBC when the likes of Lineker is paid over a million a year. 

 

Back in the day TV had a lot of money sloshing about before the internet came along and stole much of the advertising revenue.

Channel 4, dazzled by the popularity of Countdown, kept giving its presenters rises so that they wouldn't leave as the show was its most popular output.

When they realised that the money was drying up, and that friendly Richard Whiteley had popped his clogs, questions were asked about how much Carol Vordermann was being paid for doing some mental arithmetic and putting letters into a frame.

I don't know the exact amount but she says about a 90% pay cut on her offered new contract so she left.

It's not unreasonable to suggest that Rachel Riley is on £100k which would have meant that Carol was on £1m.

Lineker's pay looks excessive now but would not have done so in 2000.

That said I find the cuts to BBC local radio have mostly ruined it and I would prefer that the money went to that rather than to one replaceable individual.

[RoystonFoote'snephew]

I used to love QoS but like many turned away after suffering a couple of shows following the departures of Sue Barker, Matt Dawson and Phil Tuffnel. Partly it was the change of format with some of my more favoured rounds lost but mainly it was the personnel. It's not that I'm adverse to change but if you are replacing the presenter or captains they must for me either have strength of personality or respect through sporting achievement. As an example I didn't warm to Bill Beaumont who had all the wit and repartee of Nigel Mansell but as a British Lion and captain of an England grand slam winning side he had my respect. Replacing Sue Barker with the (comedian?) Paddy McGuiness was a hugh mistake. McGuiness is only known through hanging onto Peter Kay's coat tails on Phoenix Nights whereas Sue Barker is a tennis grand slam winner and no small wit. Anyone who can make sportsmen fall off their chairs when remarking at the BBC SPOTY awards that (Gavin) Henson was late because he was still in church (he was dating Charlotte) gets my vote. Sam Qwek and Ugo Monye were reasonable sports stars but neither had the achievements or personalities of Dawson and Tuffnel. For what it had become the axe was inevitable. 

[exAtyeoMax]

QoS was regular viewing for me and my dad in the 80s. We’d have opposing teams. I didn’t get many answers correct but it was good fun to watch. A good simple telly format that was ruined. A real shame. 

[exAtyeoMax]

3 hours ago, Eddie Hitler said:

 

Back in the day TV had a lot of money sloshing about before the internet came along and stole much of the advertising revenue.

Channel 4, dazzled by the popularity of Countdown, kept giving its presenters rises so that they wouldn't leave as the show was its most popular output.

When they realised that the money was drying up, and that friendly Richard Whiteley had popped his clogs, questions were asked about how much Carol Vordermann was being paid for doing some mental arithmetic and putting letters into a frame.

I don't know the exact amount but she says about a 90% pay cut on her offered new contract so she left.

It's not unreasonable to suggest that Rachel Riley is on £100k which would have meant that Carol was on £1m.

Lineker's pay looks excessive now but would not have done so in 2000.

That said I find the cuts to BBC local radio have mostly ruined it and I would prefer that the money went to that rather than to one replaceable individual.

Zoe Ball gets paid about a million, WTAF 

[Bobtherobin]

It has been a massive pile of s**t for years. There is nothing worse than grown men getting over excited about a quiz question like the cat and Dawson.... well there are actually lots of things that are worse but its up there. 

[Super]

Even with the lovely Sam Quek it's so bad these days.

[MarcusX]

9 hours ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

Or it could cut some of the modern crap it outputs that no one watches? 

30 million quid spent on Survivor for example. Nice little paid holiday for the BBC workers tho paid for by the licence fee payers. 

I wonder how much of it is down to younger viewers generally not watching “live” any more.

I don’t know many people who actually watch live tv all that much, usually binge on catch up at weekends etc

[bredwood]

QoS has been crap for years but Paddy McGuinness took it to a new nadir. Thank god it's been put out of its misery.

[NickJ]

13 hours ago, spudski said:

If it's not broke...why change it?

Why change it to attract a younger audience?

Sue Barker didn't want to retire, she wanted to continue. 

Some programmes are like a pair of old slippers, they are comforting and something that feels ' traditional '. 

Lots of older people watched, both my mum and dad did, and mum didn't really like sport. 

Some programmes and presenters just go together. 

There are plenty of programmes that attract a more youthful audience...are they going to change them to get older people on board?

They've probably got it right with Strictly, as that seems to attract all ages. 

When David Attenborough passes ...nature programmes will never be the same. 

I also miss Peter Allis with the Golf. Sadly passed. 

 

John Arlott

[Lydered]

Tufnell and Dawson had been dreadful for years anyway tbh. Tufnell especially, like an over excited child who was actually more annoying than funny 

[Northern Red]

10 hours ago, Lydered said:

Tufnell and Dawson had been dreadful for years anyway tbh. Tufnell especially, like an over excited child who was actually more annoying than funny 

I always thought Dawson was worse, like every Rugger Bugger stereotype in one annoying man.

[TedsHeadIs Red]

15 hours ago, Lydered said:

Tufnell and Dawson had been dreadful for years anyway tbh. Tufnell especially, like an over excited child who was actually more annoying than funny 

‘Over excited child’ has been a feature of many of the team captains for years, making it appealing to younger viewers.
To try to make it more appealing to younger viewers, they ironically recruited two relatively more sensible captains.

Who makes these decisions?

[Bristol Rob]

Isn't one of the issues with this type of show, sports broadcasters spend so much buying the rights to exclusive content that buying clips of events around which they build the show and write the questions has become hugely expensive?

[Robbored]

Ever since Sue Barker stepped down it’s been pretty crap. 

It used be an enjoyable watch but waay past it’s sell by now and the right decision to bin it.

[Markthehorn]

14 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Ever since Sue Barker stepped down it’s been pretty crap. 

It used be an enjoyable watch but waay past it’s sell by now and the right decision to bin it.

Trouble started after getting rid of Sue Barker and co then putting an actor/comedian in charge.

Seemed to turn from a stand out sports quiz to one with gimmicks and chatting/banter.

[Red-Robbo]

I must be in a minority because I like sport but have always thought QOS is shyte. About as funny as a fire in an orphanage. 

[Eddie Hitler]

56 minutes ago, Red-Robbo said:

I must be in a minority because I like sport but have always thought QOS is shyte. About as funny as a fire in an orphanage. 

 

Sport and humour have rarely made good bedfellows.

The only genuinely funny, as opposed to humorous, mixing was Fantasy Football League IMO.

[slartibartfast]

Don't think I've watched it since the days of Cliff Morgan and Billy Beaumont !

Did used to love Quizball, though .

Edited December 18, 2023 by slartibartfast

[jj77]

It was at deaths door when they got rid of 'what happens next'

[SecretSam]

I didn't realise it was still going. It was crap when I used to watch it as a kid, the ultimate proof of which was Berhard Langer admitting he'd seen the 'mystery person' segment being filmed.

[SecretSam]

On 16/12/2023 at 10:14, luke_bristol said:

Funding radio shows that ask what the punishment for blasphemy should be instead of continuing to fund QoS is a choice well within their scope, the blame lies nowhere else.

"Funding apples when it should be funding pears! I demand absolute comparison between all BBC outputs!!!"

Radio costs buttons to put out, particularly discussions stuff.

[SecretSam]

On 16/12/2023 at 10:45, W-S-M Seagull said:

The BBC is like the NHS. Resources are poorly spent. 

Got some evidence for that? I can wait...

[TedsHeadIs Red]

Anyone remember the TV quiz Sporting Triangles?

Guess how many teams there were.

[Markthehorn]

5 hours ago, Red-Robbo said:

I must be in a minority because I like sport but have always thought QOS is shyte. About as funny as a fire in an orphanage. 

Was it meant to be funny though or just a light hearted quiz show for sports fans ?

If anything the show tried to turn into some sort of slap stick quiz with jokes and gimmicks.

[Redrascal2]

48 minutes ago, TedsHeadIs Red said:

Anyone remember the TV quiz Sporting Triangles?

Guess how many teams there were.

I remember the show where teams could chose how many questions they wanted to score a goal. Route 1 was really hard question down to route 5 I think for 5 easy ones. Teams were players from the clubs and a guest supporter usually a celebrity of some sort.Anyone remember it and what it was called.

[Lanterne Rouge]

5 hours ago, Eddie Hitler said:

 

Sport and humour have rarely made good bedfellows.

The only genuinely funny, as opposed to humorous, mixing was Fantasy Football League IMO.

it was radio I know but it worked when the two Dannys hosted 606 back in the day.

[luke_bristol]

4 hours ago, SecretSam said:

"Funding apples when it should be funding pears! I demand absolute comparison between all BBC outputs!!!"

Radio costs buttons to put out, particularly discussions stuff.

Should probably pay more than buttons then if that’s the sort of content they think is appropriate. 

You seem to be taking this quite personally.

[Denbury Red]

When Sue Barker was axed - and that's another debate there were two clear easy choices the BBC could have chosen that would have meant the show would have retained it's popularity and run in the same way:

Clare Balding or Dan Walker - both would have done an excellent job and if the BBC wanted to keep a female presenter Clare B would have been the perfect choice and I bet she would have jumped at the chance.

They seemed to want to try and mirror A League of its Own - and failed miserably.

As I have seen reported in other reports Paddy McGuiness ruined Top Gear and now Q of Sport - total disastrous appointment!