14 November 2007
"I CAN REVEAL THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE I'M A CELEBRITY ... CAMP"
To the Soho Hotel in London, and ITV1's winter season launch. Taking to the mic - to no applause - Simon Shaps, now tentatively essaying a beard. He began with a few "messages" from the I'm a Celebrity ... camp, revelling in the fact this was a show that required no context-setting with the assembled. Lynne Franks had suggested we "all hold hands" apparently.
And then it was into the spiel - ITV1's had the best year-on-year in share terms since 2001 (what does that mean?); the top 225 programmes watched on commercial TV were all on ITV1; and with a 0.5% drop, "We're getting close to holding share". Nonetheless, he admitted there was "still a way to go" in turning the channel around. "An unprecedented number of new titles" in 2008 were set to do the job, though.
So, what were the headlines? Mainly that Marco Pierre White has signed a three-year contract with the channel, which will result in various programmes, but, most importantly, another run of Hell's Kitchen. "This deal with ITV will give me the opportunity to share my knowledge and to inspire people to want to cook," is the quote from the bandana-wearing chef, who was probably splodging HP sauce on something at the time.
Plus, there's Caught in a Trap a one-off which nabs 'Maria's Connie Fisher and casts her as a young woman obsessed by Elvis. The Changeling, meanwhile, features Ray Winstone in "a dark and dangerous tale of obsessive love". Aren't they all?
More obviously excitingly, Take That will usher in the New Year with Countdown to Midnight: With Take That and Guests Live at the O2.
To be fair, the teaser trailer we were shown for the season did look pretty strong, a decent mix of famous faces and high concepts, so let's see what comes of it all. It even drew a smattering of applause.
And then it was into the spiel - ITV1's had the best year-on-year in share terms since 2001 (what does that mean?); the top 225 programmes watched on commercial TV were all on ITV1; and with a 0.5% drop, "We're getting close to holding share". Nonetheless, he admitted there was "still a way to go" in turning the channel around. "An unprecedented number of new titles" in 2008 were set to do the job, though.
So, what were the headlines? Mainly that Marco Pierre White has signed a three-year contract with the channel, which will result in various programmes, but, most importantly, another run of Hell's Kitchen. "This deal with ITV will give me the opportunity to share my knowledge and to inspire people to want to cook," is the quote from the bandana-wearing chef, who was probably splodging HP sauce on something at the time.
Plus, there's Caught in a Trap a one-off which nabs 'Maria's Connie Fisher and casts her as a young woman obsessed by Elvis. The Changeling, meanwhile, features Ray Winstone in "a dark and dangerous tale of obsessive love". Aren't they all?
More obviously excitingly, Take That will usher in the New Year with Countdown to Midnight: With Take That and Guests Live at the O2.
To be fair, the teaser trailer we were shown for the season did look pretty strong, a decent mix of famous faces and high concepts, so let's see what comes of it all. It even drew a smattering of applause.
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Re: Marco Pierre White
Suddenly the world seems a better place! I say ban Rowdy Ramsay from our screens and put Marvellous Marco on instead - what he does with food is magic!
Suddenly the world seems a better place! I say ban Rowdy Ramsay from our screens and put Marvellous Marco on instead - what he does with food is magic!
# posted by 
: 4:13 PM
: 4:13 PM
Is there any indication that Echo Beach/Moving Wallpaper is going to work any better than Night And Day?
Good question. The press launch for that is 6 December, so - if I remember - I'll report back then. From the clips I've seen so far, it looks fairly funny, but my feeling is the Moving Wallpaper stuff is only going to undermine the Echo Beach soap.
We'll see ...
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We'll see ...
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