News At Ten returned. With no commercial break. Deliberate? Permanent? Odd feeling in what was otherwise a very familiar programme package (well, I did work on it years ago). But down to business. You want an old-fashioned critique of an old-fashioned show? Start with the Bongs (the headlines).
Edmonds after Diana felt like too much crime at the top, and going through the show you have a lot of crime in the faux part one. 1. Hasnat Khan speaks — Neil Connery VT 4. Wrap: Ipswich murder/Peter Hain/Weddell reax 5. Edmonds murder — Penny Marshall VT Still to come: Capello/Lifeboat rescue
2. Diana inquest — James Mates VT
3. Northern Rock — Tom Bradby VT + live
[Place where the break should have been…]
6. Special Assignment — Bill Neely VT + live
Promo: Neely vlog
7. Capello — Geraint Vincent VT
Recap
8. Lifeboat Rescue — Tim Rogers VT
So seven packages, two lives and a wrap — two of the packages themed, “Special Assignment” plus “And finally.”
The style was spare and unintrusive. Khan was a good get, but needed some context to shake the dust off his rather dull pronouncements. Diana going to live in Pakistan! Tell me more…
The story balance made it feel a little too crime-time for prime time. The Neely vlog promo (which looked interesting) was given a lacklustre promo. But a very simple, clean, deliverable programme.
The Lifeboat Rescue felt awkward as an “And finally.” Not exactly life-affirming — more an RTA on an international sea lane.
The only thing it lacked was a little of wit. Doubtless that will come with time. The big audience test will come on day two. For ITN’s sake, I hope it works.
There’s not much not to like here — which isn’t to damn with faint praise, but simply to point out that with news viewers the less you can do to drive them away, the more will stay. But like battery chickens, the odd surprise is good for them.
You can watch the Beeb alternative here. The set piece is John Simpson in Zimbabwe. Big old name plus big international story leading equals statement of intent, and a conservative reply to a conservative challenge.
P.S. Re-read John Hockenberry’s cry of pain — You Don’t Understand Our Audience — in case you think any of this really will shore up the crumbling edifice.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Adrian,
Let’s be honest, as ex-ITN people we both really respect David Mannion and the ITV News tradition. We both thought last night was solid but strangely dull. Again, as we both know, new shows take time to take off and gather pace. Perhaps this one was over-prepared?
As usual I have blogged about it at my place:
http://www.charliebeckett.org/?p=374
cheers
Charlie