The BIG Breakfast

[DJGM1974]

As this is my first post here on TVLF, I decided to do a continuation of the Big Breakfast thread over on TVF (before the old place closes down and become a read-only archive) so we can reminisce about the old BB and look forward to the one-off special.

Like I said in the old thread at TVF, I still hope they can use the Lock Keepers Cottages. Since this is only a one-off special and not a full-on relaunch/reboot, I doubt they would need to do much inside the house to give it a bit of a classic BB look. They wouldn't need to use the entire building, but just make a few temporary alterations to the living room and kitchen area.

Possibly more likely though they'll hire a small studio in London, and build a set based on the classic BB living room and kitchen.

[JasonB]

You beat me to it! I almost had posted a new thread but was going to wait. Is the house still for sale? They have a large family and kitchen room so the bulk of it could come from there.

It's been a bit dry on the YouTube front lately but this clip came up which suggests this is from Richard Orford's first week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd2t7CY1Zbw&t

Edit: The house is still for sale, including the private dwelling canal side:
https://www.blakestanley.co.uk/Sales/E3 ... e-road-e3/

[Brekkie]

They've knocked nearly a million off the asking price too.

Don't remember that competition at all (well, there isn't much to remember), but always thought it was rather unfair on Richard that they chucked him out of the house in favour of Keith Chegwin, though it was probably the making of him. Think he had the longest stint in the Down Your Doorstep role of almost three years. Who knows how long he'd have lasted had he remained the main host - maybe Richard and Zoe would have worked out well and they'd be a duo remembered as fondly as Chris and Gaby and Johnny and Denise.

[Flux]

As this is my first post here on TVLF, I decided to do a continuation of the Big Breakfast thread over on TVF (before the old place closes down and become a read-only archive) so we can reminisce about the old BB and look forward to the one-off special.

Like I said in the old thread at TVF, I still hope they can use the Lock Keepers Cottages. Since this is only a one-off special and not a full-on relaunch/reboot, I doubt they would need to do much inside the house to give it a bit of a classic BB look. They wouldn't need to use the entire building, but just make a few temporary alterations to the living room and kitchen area.

Possibly more likely though they'll hire a small studio in London, and build a set based on the classic BB living room and kitchen.

I agree with you about using the house, but I think it could work at a new location. But since it’s a one off, it needs to do something to justify the BB name in my opinion. Using the house would instantly help, but if they don’t then they’ll need to go harder on nostalgic nods. Bring back some fondly remembered strands like Vital Statistics and the Pun Down but with topics/stories specifically related to black people; keep elements like Family of the Week, Down your Doorstep and On the Bed interviews but featuring black contributors and talent. It needs some ties otherwise they may as well have just created a new brand for the morning show.

Of course if they were (are?) hoping this might lead to a longer term reboot, I’d want them to approach it differently as they’d need to demonstrate the potential in staging an irreverent show like that on a daily basis, and they couldn’t rely on throwbacks and nostalgia for that purpose.

[dazzlev2003]

I would love for the one off revival of The Big Breakfast to come from the Cottages for one more time but I feel this will be too expensive for a one off episode of the programme. Hopefully I will be proven wrong. I suspect it will be done from a Studio which will be replicated as the Big Breakfast house or a brand new set inspired by The Big Breakfast. I have seen via job adverts to work on the show it hints it will be done in a studio but that doesn't confirm it definitely will be. So Fingers crossed!!

[Brekkie]

I actually think it'll be easier to create a temporary BB style set in a studio than in the house now. The only way I think it could work in the house is doing it from the bandstand with the house as a backdrop, and to be honest in the JV era they used the house far less than in the Chris and Gaby era and seemed to do far more from the French Windows or the living room sofas.


Possible though they could include a live OB from the house itself as the Down your Doorstep type feature, though if they did that they might as well do the show itself from there. I think though having Mo in a studio and someone else in the house, with a couple of former presenters as guests, might work though.

[gottago]

Well the cottage is only 5 minutes from BT Studios and 10 minutes from 3 Mills Studios so not beyond the realms of possibility that they could do a mix of outside the house and inside a studio with the talent going back and forth.

[dazzlev2003]

I agree, it would be really easy to create a temporary BB style set in the studio. It reminds me of an old kids TV show from the 90s Fully Booked which created a Hotel looking set in a studio. Obviously, you could make it look much better now.

I do feel like the House will be featured in some way even if it is as an OB with some old presenters. I'm sure Denise would be up for it!

[Brekkie]

I hope they at least have one presenter as a guest, whether at the house (if they film elsewhere) or On the Bed. Denise seems the most likely, but I think Gaby would be up for it too.

Talking of Denise nice to see reports that her and Johnny have mended their relationship over the last year and hoping to do something next year to mark the shows 30th anniversary and their 25th.

[Flux]

I hope they at least have one presenter as a guest, whether at the house (if they film elsewhere) or On the Bed. Denise seems the most likely, but I think Gaby would be up for it too.

Talking of Denise nice to see reports that her and Johnny have mended their relationship over the last year and hoping to do something next year to mark the shows 30th anniversary and their 25th.

You have to remember why they’re doing this one-off though. It’s a day labelled “Black Takeover Day” and celebrating black talent. I doubt they’ll be calling up Denise Van Outen or Gabby Roslin. It would rather miss the point of the show if they did, even just as guests.

If this leads to further specials celebrating the show, then by all means that’s what they should do. But the announced special is there to serve a very specific purpose and anyone expecting otherwise is setting themselves up for a disappointment.

[Fanoftv]

Random moment of thinking out loud here, but, if this special proves successful, would it make more sense to revive it as a weekly show on a Saturday morning creating a strong line up with Sunday Brunch (arguably a modern big breakfast) at the weekend rather than risking it on weekday mornings?

[adamiow]

According to the Daily Mail, Denise has been approached about a return: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/a ... kfast.html

They are stuck between a rock and a hard place really as whilst it is for Black To Front, I am sure the bosses will want some of the old team back. Perhaps they should have done two shows - a reunion show first and then the Black To Front show?

[Brekkie]

I think they need to acknowledge the original run somehow, otherwise what's the point?

That's why I think using the house as an OB with a couple of ex hosts there would work well. Is a nod to the history but crossing just two or three times means it doesn't dominate the show. The other hour and 50 minutes can be based around new content.

[RDJ]

I didn’t know Davina was the roving reporter for BB at one time.

Ironically in this example she was on location where evictions had been happening - 3 years before she’d become sun ominous in evicting housemates in Big Brother.

[Flux]

According to the Daily Mail, Denise has been approached about a return: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/a ... kfast.html

They are stuck between a rock and a hard place really as whilst it is for Black To Front, I am sure the bosses will want some of the old team back. Perhaps they should have done two shows - a reunion show first and then the Black To Front show?

That article specifically says she’s in talks about returning for a reunion show, not the Black to Front special.

I think anyone expecting returns in the BTF special - even as guests - are setting themselves up for disappointment. You have to remember the whole point of this one off and the whole day is to celebrate black talent and by extension black people and culture. As I mentioned in a previous post, they can use formats and strands from the original show but the focus needs to be black British people - “Vital Statistics” about black people in Britain, the “Pun Down” looking at puns from black journalists/stories in the last year, “Down Your Doorstep” coming from a heavily black community. Denise Van Outen reminiscing about her time working with a majority white crew or Vanessa Feltz talking about her time interviewing Miss Piggy just doesn’t have a place in that show, and certainly not in a full day celebrating black people.

Phil Gayle on the news is the only logical presenter return they could go for without it missing the whole point of the broadcast. Anyone else will stick out like a sore thumb.

If they’re seriously considering an anniversary special next year, that’s great news and that’s the place for all the real nostalgia.