The Weakest Link returns

[soupie]

Bit of a mismatch if the report is true. Romesh will make it a fun 45 mins/hour, but the casting just underlines how unoriginal commissioners now are. Romesh (who’s already due to replace James Corden on ALOTO) is a bit over-exposed like Rylan. Someone like Robert Rinder- or even Piers- would have fitted the format a lot more.

You say Romesh is over exposed and then suggest Piers?

Ultimately he does Ranganation and Misadventures for the BBC (and an upcoming spin-off) and that's about it. A couple of series a year for Sky - he's not so much over exposed, just a comedian whose career is on the up. I think he's quite a smart choice as he'll be able to do the put downs in a way which I think they'll get away with without it just appearing to be mean, which with a "presenter" rather than "comedian" wouldn't work nowadays.

Piers just does his occasional Life Stories now so no, I don’t think he’s over-exposed. TWL needs a Jeremy Clarkson on Millionaire- style refresh. Despite the put-downs and eliminations it is a proper quiz at heart with real tension. It needs someone who will at least respect that, rather than it becoming a full-on comedy panel show.

[This is UTV]

Bit of a mismatch if the report is true. Romesh will make it a fun 45 mins/hour, but the casting just underlines how unoriginal commissioners now are. Romesh (who’s already due to replace James Corden on ALOTO) is a bit over-exposed like Rylan. Someone like Robert Rinder- or even Piers- would have fitted the format a lot more.

You say Romesh is over exposed and then suggest Piers?

Ultimately he does Ranganation and Misadventures for the BBC (and an upcoming spin-off) and that's about it. A couple of series a year for Sky - he's not so much over exposed, just a comedian whose career is on the up. I think he's quite a smart choice as he'll be able to do the put downs in a way which I think they'll get away with without it just appearing to be mean, which with a "presenter" rather than "comedian" wouldn't work nowadays.

Piers just does his occasional Life Stories now so no, I don’t think he’s over-exposed. TWL needs a Jeremy Clarkson on Millionaire- style refresh. Despite the put-downs and eliminations it is a proper quiz at heart with real tension. It needs someone who will at least respect that, rather than it becoming a full-on comedy panel show.

I agree,
The comedian Romesh Ranganathan presenting a 'proper quiz show' like the Weakest Link is the equivalent of Harry Hill on the revival of Stars in their eyes....and look how that went!! From serious and decent saturday night singing show to full on mess comedy parody.

[Brekkie]

The Weakest Link has never been serious and Romesh is a very different comedian to Harry Hill.

[Andrew]

The Weakest Link to return to the BBC with Romesh Ranganathan.

Goodness me, what a terrible decision by the beeb. Sounds like The Wokiest link to me.

And how, pray tell, have you reached that conclusion?

A comedian hosting a mean and moody quiz! TWL needs a strict, patronising, type of host! Not a comedian!!!

I expect it’ll be completely different, any criticism will be light banter, and probably self deprecating rather than all coming from the host

It’ll be like the light criticism a Celeb gets when they get their specialist subject wrong on The Wheel

[XIII]

I'm annoyed that I didn't think of Romesh when a potential UK reboot was being discussed, when you see him on The Ranganation, he is not afraid of being rude to people but not in a malicious way.

I wonder if we'll see a regular version in due course?

[Hibbie12]

What about 'Anne "The Governess" Hegerty"? Will she become a presenter on this show?

[Steve Williams]

The Weakest Link has never been serious and Romesh is a very different comedian to Harry Hill.

Well, indeed, I must have been watching a different Weakest Link than some of the posters on this thread. I seem to remember a show where there were editions with puppets and drag queens as contestants, there were celebrity editions with a studio audience laughing throughout and the questions were among the very easiest on TV, and all the promotion was based around the presenters' insults rather than anything that happened in the quiz itself.

Light entertainment generally isn't "serious", the clue is in the name. I also enjoyed Harry Hill's Stars In Their Eyes because it was entertaining and made me laugh, which is what it was intended to do.

[Steve Williams]

I don't want to hammer this point home, but Anne Robinson was on Breakfast this morning talking about Countdown, and referring to The Weakest Link, said "the whole point of the programme was insulting people for 45 minutes". So that's what the people actually making the programme thought it was about.

[UTVLifer]

Official BBC confirmation and press release
https://twitter.com/bbcstudiospress/stat...38916?s=21

[Rob]

Sounds like The Wokiest link to me.

That's enough of that, thank you.

Good choice. I reckon this will do well, as long as they get some decent celebrities to play it, the last special for Children in Need was awful.

[Keith]

I don't want to hammer this point home, but Anne Robinson was on Breakfast this morning talking about Countdown, and referring to The Weakest Link, said "the whole point of the programme was insulting people for 45 minutes". So that's what the people actually making the programme thought it was about.

I'm not sure whether simply 'insulting people for 45 minutes' would be as acceptable with the public now as it was then. With a comedian the audience generally knows their moodiness and/or sarcasm is part of their act. I also think they're often better at handling people and ad-libbing/reacting to unexpected things happening. Had it been a decade ago or so ago I could have imagined Jack Dee also being considered, given his similar style/act.

[Johnr]

Clever timing of the announcement by BBC...'hey Anne is back on TV today and everyone remembers Weakest Link!!!'

Worth giving Romesh a chance though, Clarkson bought a new style to Millionaire but it has ended up working out rather well for example

[Brekkie]

I'm not sure whether simply 'insulting people for 45 minutes' would be as acceptable with the public now as it was then. With a comedian the audience generally knows their moodiness and/or sarcasm is part of their act. I also think they're often better at handling people and ad-libbing/reacting to unexpected things happening.

And as much as it frustrates me it's another show which relies on celebrity contestants I think it is fair to say it's easier to get away with insulting celebrities than unknown members of the public.

[tellyblues]

I didn't regard The Weakest Link as a "fun" quiz when it started. Perhaps the longer it went on and contestants tried to rattle Anne Robinson it descended into pantomime.

The specials were different but they would be though as they are intended to appeal to an audience who wouldn't watch a programme otherwise so there will be an emphasis on humour instead of gameplay and the tone will be different.

Stars In Their Eyes is another where once it started doing celebrity editions and tried to appeal to fans of other ITV shows, it lost its edge. The aim of the Harry Hill reboot was to poke fun at the original but even though it looked cheesy, it's easy to forget that people once took the original seriously and contestants didn't go on it for a laugh.

[Flux]

Interesting. I wonder if Anne Robinson was approached at all for this reboot? Either before or after she accepted the Countdown gig, and whether it would have made a difference either way. Part of me thinks she's probably glad to have Countdown as an opportunity to dial down the "act" and just have an easier gig to film, and wouldn't have turned it down in favour of a returning Weakest Link even if they had approached her.