Originally Posted by Steve Williams:
“Hoorat, Russ Abbott chat, as we know the first TV star whose career I knew was going down the toilet when he was demoted to Fridays. Russ' first appearance on BBC1 was with a one-off in 1986 though, without the RT Comedy Guide on me, I think it was on the Spring Bank Holiday. That was repeated on New Year's Day 1987 and there's a video on YouTube of all the BBC1 junctions that night (which with another showing for the To Hull And Back episode on Only Fools meant a whopping two hours of repeats in primetime).
Then he did his first series in September 1986, then a series every year. Russ must be the most forgotten comedian of all time, he was named the Funniest Man Of The Eighties, was on Christmas Day on BBC1 four years running and was undoubtedly one of the Beeb's biggest names. And now everyone's forgotten that and his stuff is never ever repeated.”
“Hoorat, Russ Abbott chat, as we know the first TV star whose career I knew was going down the toilet when he was demoted to Fridays. Russ' first appearance on BBC1 was with a one-off in 1986 though, without the RT Comedy Guide on me, I think it was on the Spring Bank Holiday. That was repeated on New Year's Day 1987 and there's a video on YouTube of all the BBC1 junctions that night (which with another showing for the To Hull And Back episode on Only Fools meant a whopping two hours of repeats in primetime).
Then he did his first series in September 1986, then a series every year. Russ must be the most forgotten comedian of all time, he was named the Funniest Man Of The Eighties, was on Christmas Day on BBC1 four years running and was undoubtedly one of the Beeb's biggest names. And now everyone's forgotten that and his stuff is never ever repeated.”
Russ Abbot has been as badly treated as Mike Yarwood in terms of repeats. As you say, Russ was huge winning awards left, right and centre from the public and the industry. We were doing CU Jimmy in the playground as well as enjoying The Young Ones, Kenny Everett, Not The Nine, Three Of A Kind. It was a great time as kids where you weren't a snob and liked funny stuff no matter who did it.
ITV3 and Gold should repeat Russ Abbot's Madhouse and his BBC shows.
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“Which is demented, really, I have no idea why you have Big School and Bad Education on at the same time, I know they're different channels but they're both trailed across the BBC and they do seem virtually identical. And that new Greg Davies sitcom for C4 is also set in a school! Somehow everyone's come up with this concept at the same time.”
“Which is demented, really, I have no idea why you have Big School and Bad Education on at the same time, I know they're different channels but they're both trailed across the BBC and they do seem virtually identical. And that new Greg Davies sitcom for C4 is also set in a school! Somehow everyone's come up with this concept at the same time.”
Especially mad scheduling from the BBC. Big School, Bad Education and Waterloo Road should not be on so close to each other.
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“But it was still August! In a later post you even say Strictly is back soon and the first night of The X Factor is an obvious time when BBC1 aren't going to try that hard. LE is such a tough genre to get right and for all the Beeb knew The Puppet Game Show would have been a hit, it certainly sounded alright. It hasn't caught on for whatever reason. These things come in such peaks and troughs.”
“But it was still August! In a later post you even say Strictly is back soon and the first night of The X Factor is an obvious time when BBC1 aren't going to try that hard. LE is such a tough genre to get right and for all the Beeb knew The Puppet Game Show would have been a hit, it certainly sounded alright. It hasn't caught on for whatever reason. These things come in such peaks and troughs.”
That Puppet Game Show should have had a different name, been promoted differently and kept Danny Baker as a writer. The backstage scenes might have been sharper and had more edge to them. It does have charm but the things I mentioned should have been looked at before broadcast.
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“That's a terrible idea, the Euromillons would be ratings death. There's a reason they used to show it at half past eleven. If you were going to make Casualty a weeknight show there's no way it would stay fifty minutes, it would be extended to an hour. Not that there's a reason to move it off Saturday, they can shift it around all over the place so it's hardly a huge imposition. ITV would kill for a consistent rater like that.”
“That's a terrible idea, the Euromillons would be ratings death. There's a reason they used to show it at half past eleven. If you were going to make Casualty a weeknight show there's no way it would stay fifty minutes, it would be extended to an hour. Not that there's a reason to move it off Saturday, they can shift it around all over the place so it's hardly a huge imposition. ITV would kill for a consistent rater like that.”
Casualty used to be a big consistent rater, now it's a solid, unspectacular drama. It's not popular and only popular when competition is week. It used to be must see and now it isn't. There is a potential audience there that the BBC could try and reach but just like with Holby City and The One Show they're happy to plug away with a show getting middling ratings rather than try something for a few weeks that could get bigger ratings.
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“Don't like that comment, you can't pin all success and failure on one man who had numerous production teams working under him. He is a vastly experienced light entertainment producer with two decades or more of Saturday night shows under his belt (including Pets Win Prizes with Danny Baker, the best Saturday night show ever).”
“Don't like that comment, you can't pin all success and failure on one man who had numerous production teams working under him. He is a vastly experienced light entertainment producer with two decades or more of Saturday night shows under his belt (including Pets Win Prizes with Danny Baker, the best Saturday night show ever).”
This is a nonsense comment.
People say Bill Cotton was the BBC's greatest Head Of Light Entertainment and he had several teams under him. But we can't blame Linsey for failing to deliver because of his underlings? Nonsense.
This is Mark Linsey's job description from the BBC's very own website. And I quote....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/ins...s/linsey_mark/
Mark Linsey, Controller, Entertainment Commissioning
Mark is responsible for the commissioning of all entertainment programmes, including all comedy entertainment, on television and online. He ensures that all developing programmes appeal to the different audiences of the BBC and that they provide the licence fee payer with quality and original entertainment content.
So I blame Mark Linsey for the state of BBC's Light Entertainment because he's charge of it all! He might be a producer doesn't mean he has a clue what works as entertainment and what people want.
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“Yes, and this is why I can't join in with the hand wringing about BBC1 on Saturday. Until the last twelve months ITV's LE was in an utter state, the likes of Hgh Stakes and Born To Shine were complete rubbish. Ten years ago before Strictly BBC1 was pretty hopeless. Swings and roundabouts. One new hit show and everyone's happy again.”
“Yes, and this is why I can't join in with the hand wringing about BBC1 on Saturday. Until the last twelve months ITV's LE was in an utter state, the likes of Hgh Stakes and Born To Shine were complete rubbish. Ten years ago before Strictly BBC1 was pretty hopeless. Swings and roundabouts. One new hit show and everyone's happy again.”
BBC1 needs several hits and a couple of megahits.
Between the gap of Noel's House Party, Big Break and Jim Davidson's Generation nearing their end and before Strictly came along, ITV had found Pop Idol, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, The X Factor and I'm A Celebrity. While Strictly's been on ITV had Dancing On Ice and Britain's Got Talent. Those ITV shows might not all still be here but they were all at one time big hits getting huge double digit millions.
Since Bill Cotton left the BBC their strike rate has been pitiful and they've not come up with the BIG hits as often as ITV has. They don't know how to do light entertainment anymore.
