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+--- Thread: Tvam- Timeslot (/showthread.php?tid=367)
Tvam- Timeslot - JK1985 - 04-06-2021
It is interesting how by November 1986, the styles of the two breakfast TV providers had reversed to what media critics and others thought it would be in the first place back in January-February 1983.
TV-am went downmarket, fluff, entertainment led, less news driven magazine style format, the opposite to what it was in Feb 1983.
BBC Breakfast Time junked their sofa based soft format, and reformatted Breakfast Time into the "Newsnight with cornflakes" programme in November 1986, with the programme changed into a hard news driven format, with Jeremy Paxman, Sally Magnusson and Kirsty Wark all joining the team, with the sofas dumped and a news desk brought in.
Tvam- Timeslot - nwtv2003 - 04-06-2021
I think at the time when the application was sent to the IBA, it’s unlikely they envisaged the BBC putting up competition at breakfast time. But low and behold they were caught off guard. It’s also worth remembering that because of the BBC launching Breakfast Time in January, the IBA allowed TV-am to bring their launch date forwards from May to February. The original reason for the May launch was to allow Central, TVS, TSW and Channel 4 to settle down first. This may have also been part of the reason why they had the 9:15am finish until May.
The documentary that was shown in 2014, The Battle for Britain’s Breakfast is really worth a watch. You could tell that Ron Neill and Frank Bough were quite proud of the original incarnation of Breakfast Time. Whereas John Stapleton pretty much admitted that the latter version was the version the BBC secretly wanted, even though it was terrible.
Tvam- Timeslot - James2001 - 04-06-2021
IndigoTucker post_id=16664 time=1622819379 user_id=1026 Wrote:Peter Jay had a yearning for a television programme with a "mission to explain" - developed with John Birt.
And he got Anna Ford throwing a glass of wine over him for his trouble.
Tvam- Timeslot - Markymark - 04-06-2021
James2001 post_id=16681 time=1622823099 user_id=956 Wrote:IndigoTucker post_id=16664 time=1622819379 user_id=1026 Wrote:Peter Jay had a yearning for a television programme with a "mission to explain" - developed with John Birt.
And he got Anna Ford throwing a glass of wine over him for his trouble.
No, she threw the wine over Jonathan Aitken, (I think Jay had already gone by then anyway ?)
Tvam- Timeslot - James2001 - 04-06-2021
So many people came and went over the first few months of TV-am, it's almost hard to keep track of even nearly 40 years later!
Tvam- Timeslot - James Martin - 04-06-2021
Jay went a day or so before the girls were sacked, which Aitken did because they spoke out against the coup which bought about his departure.
Yes, the relaunch of Breakfast Time was just bizarre. Frank Bough in a suit, behind a desk... it just didn't work.
Tvam- Timeslot - Humphrey Hacker - 04-06-2021
Neil Jones post_id=16603 time=1622798904 user_id=961 Wrote:Humphrey Hacker post_id=16598 time=1622796234 user_id=1128 Wrote:On the BBC documentary "The Battle For Britain's Breakfast" Gyles Brandreth remarked on how strange it was seeing Robert Kee who was well known then as a former Panorama presenter hosting a similarly heavy show on TV-AM
TV-AM Version 1 was ponderous and horrible against Breakfast Time. A true version of David Vs Goliath but this time David was smashed.
Ian Jones' summation in "Morning Glory" was correct in that the content was more suitable for a Newsnight style programme
Be that as it may, TV-am thought that was what Breakfast Time was going to be like, and then when Breakfast Time went in the entirely opposite direction, it stuffed them. The later incarnation was probably closer to the original Breakfast Time launch format, though of course a lot of later breakfast formats ended up copying the later TV-am format years later - even GMTV tried to paint a new picture after 1993, which failed, and they ended up copying TV-am pretty much word for word.
Robert Kee, according to a Transdiffusion comment on one of their videos was sold on one format for Daybreak (apparently something that would wipe the floor with the Today Programme on Radio 4), and got some half-baked news reading role with VT inserts instead. The rest of the output was, well it probably didn't help they were in the middle of an argument with Equity at the time regarding royalties. And of course 1984 and the Brighton bombing coverage (or the lack of it on TV-am) could easily have finished them off altogether.
TV-AM version 1 was a catastrophic failure for several reasons. Apart from the wholly unsuitable format it had the wrong presenters. All good journalists but completely unsuitable for the slot. You had Robert Kee, and Peter Jay, hard heavy journalists. You had Anna Ford and Angela Rippon, both successful newsreaders but simply couldn't hold 3 hours together. David Frost who's record speaks for itself and Michael Parkinson who to be honest would have been better off in his own chat show slot.
I'm assuming that BBC1 used ABC's Good Morning America for their template while TV-AM probably drew inspiration from NBC's Today (which is ironic because one of Breakfast Time's first guests was Barbara Walters)
In "Storm In An Eggcup" the then chairman of the IBA Lord Thomson said it was "touch and go" over whether TV-AM should keep its licence post Brighton. It may have been better if they had been closed down in 1984 and the license re-offered.
Tvam- Timeslot - James Martin - 04-06-2021
Yes, when told off by the IBA Bruce Gyngell basicallt turned round and offered to either shut it down there and then or give him until February 1986 to provide a sustainable news service, which did eventually happen. If I recall, TV-AM did deliver with the Manchester runway fire in 1985. As they were the only company on site (neither Granada nor ITN could get anywhere near) I believe it was mentioned on the blue place that TV-AM actually stayed on air past 09:25 to provide rolling news.
Of course, you could argue the bad relationships between TV-AM and the network didn't help. Border Television were able to assist ITN covering Lockerbie, yet TVS couldn't do that with TV-AM for Brighton.
Tvam- Timeslot - Markymark - 04-06-2021
I doubt TVS could have done much to help.
They only had their OB truck there with all the 'studio' size cameras rigged inside the Brighton Centre. All the crew would have been dispersed, some possibly at home in the Southampton area. By the time enough people could have been mustered, and all the red tape cut through, it would have been way past 09:25 anyway
Tvam- Timeslot - Humphrey Hacker - 04-06-2021
James Martin post_id=16745 time=1622833352 user_id=872 Wrote:Yes, when told off by the IBA Bruce Gyngell basicallt turned round and offered to either shut it down there and then or give him until February 1986 to provide a sustainable news service, which did eventually happen. If I recall, TV-AM did deliver with the Manchester runway fire in 1985. As they were the only company on site (neither Granada nor ITN could get anywhere near) I believe it was mentioned on the blue place that TV-AM actually stayed on air past 09:25 to provide rolling news.
Of course, you could argue the bad relationships between TV-AM and the network didn't help. Border Television were able to assist ITN covering Lockerbie, yet TVS couldn't do that with TV-AM for Brighton.
"Blue place"?
Tvam- Timeslot - Markymark - 04-06-2021
Humphrey Hacker post_id=16773 Wrote:"Blue place"?
TV Forum
Tvam- Timeslot - Humphrey Hacker - 05-06-2021
Markymark post_id=16777 time=1622839585 user_id=1078 Wrote:Humphrey Hacker post_id=16773 Wrote:"Blue place"?
TV Forum
Ah Right.
Tvam- Timeslot - Robertclark125 - 05-06-2021
This was broadcast at 08:05 one morning, as a message to potential advertisers. Tbh if I was an advertiser, after watching this drivel, I wouldn't spend my money on TV-am
https://youtu.be/BA0l9Mekl78
Tvam- Timeslot - Neil Jones - 05-06-2021
Amazing isn't it? An opportunity granted to them to appeal to those who will pay the bills, and what do they do? Frost tries to be funny (failing miserably) and then for no apparent reason decides to re-enact the time Parkinson was attacked by Rod Hull & Emu.
I think I've seen better and more engaging pitches on The Apprentice.
Tvam- Timeslot - Humphrey Hacker - 05-06-2021
[quote=Robertclark125 post_id=16891 time=1622907120 user_id=1163]
This was broadcast at 08:05 one morning, as a message to potential advertisers. Tbh if I was an advertiser, after watching this drivel, I wouldn't spend my money on TV-am
https://youtu.be/BA0l9Mekl78
[/quote
It was so wooden and stagey that had it been in the theatre it would have closed after day 1