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http://www.racingpost.com/news/live.sd?event_id=6020524&category=0
Racing would surely suffer in the longer term were it to lose prime channel coverage but it seems to be careering in that direction at a gallop. The man formerly at the helm of channel 4’s coverage wasn’t pulling any punches in this RP interview.
This bit, in particular, caught the eye…
Assessing the programming as a whole, Franklin added: “I think they miss individuals – particularly John Francome, who was unquestionably the star of the show. The presenters seem to get on with each other from what I can see, but there is nothing over and above that. There’s no sense of chemistry, which there was before.
Weren’t Franklin and Francome very close anyway?
Francome refused to take any part in the new line-up once Franklin lost his job. It seems like Franklin is just looking after his friends and his own interests here.
Francome was increasingly tongue-tied and starting to mix up horse names on a race-by-race basis by the end of his time on the show. Some flair and character is certainly needed, but it’s not a long-term solution to bring back the old guard imo.
Al least bubble head Gina has found her true role with the itv style car comp lol
I thought as there hasent been any anti ch4 stories in the post for a while they might have been warned off… The problems are simple to me…just cut these endless pre race interviews and just show the horses in the paddock and going to post or are they not allowed to in a wheeze to get people to subscribe to racing uk ?
I can’t help thing that their choice on who fronts grand national day is a pivotal moment for the team.Franklin added: "I think they miss individuals – particularly John Francome, who was unquestionably the star of the show.
And they say comedy is dead.
Mike
I’ve been watching some old racing clips that espmadrid has uploaded on You Tube which include some of Derek Thompson, Jim McGrath, Francs etc and it always reminds me how much more fun the old Channel 4 Racing was whereas the current bunch are just so dull. I agree this year’s Grand National coverage will be pivotal.
Oh what a huge surprise, the Racing Post publishing at attack on Channel 4 Racing.
You’d think they were heavily reliant on advertising from RUK/ATR or something…
The idea that Francombe (long past his sell by date) was ‘the star of the show’ is risible. If anyone had that title, it was Big Mac. Nuff said.
Besides, who from the old line up would you like to see back? Cattermole? Graham? Tommy? (OK, I’ll let you have that one).
BlueSky @pghenn.bsky.social
So don't run, just like the others always do
Tanya at Cheltenham today dressed like Finella the witch from Chorlton & The Wheelies.
http://www.classickidstv.co.uk/wiki/ima … enella.jpgAndrew Franklin is a man with an axe to grind – it is no longer his show.
I think c4 racing is way better now – I would prefer someone who actually understood about bookmaking to Tanya Stevenson, but I think Nick Luck, Graham Cunningham, Mick Fitzgerald and Richard Hoiles are proper professionals, Jim McGrath knows his stuff and Simon Holt is in his prime as a commentator.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Yes Ian but plummeting viewing figures surely mean it is heading in one direction unless it makes changes and, furthermore, those changes need to be of a nature that will have mass appeal. Saturday afternoon racing viewers want entertainment to go with their knowledge.
McCririck may anathema to many, but there is no doubt, at one time at least, he enjoyed mass appeal and was, along with Dettori (pre-Balding), one of racing’s two publicly recognisable faces.
In my view Matt Chapman is the only guy currently braodcasting that has the potential to fill that void.
That is fair comment – tbh C4 Racing is now pretty much nearer to what a lot of racing fans want it to be, but they are not a big enough group to achieve target ratings.
I think the sport of racing has enjoyed a really good run on terrestrial channels but the day is approaching that, major races like The Derby and the Grand National apart, it’s future lies on the pay channels.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Have to agree with many of the comments on here. Andrew Franklin isn’t going to speak highly of C4 after he was effectively sacked by them.
As for Francome, he may have been a laugh but you knew what his post race analysis would be before the race was run ie the winning jockey gave the horse a great ride and no riders ever make any mistakes.
The only presenter I would bring back from the old guard would Alastair Dow. I think C4 realised their mistake when it was too late hence their occasional use of Alastair to voice over their legends/classic races segments. Grand National anyone?
Now I’m off home to watch the recording of today’s racing. Can’t wait to see Tanya’s Fenella outfit. Who decided that a witch on a kids programme should be Welsh?!?
If it wasn’t for the sponsorship from "Dubai" I would imagine Channel 4 would drop it as soon as they could.
I quite enjoyed Richard as the "studio anchor" today; I still cannot take to Nick Luck – a little too smooth for my likening.
I’ve never taken to Nick Luck. I find Jim McGrath less than insightful (doesn’t get value; rarely looks beyond fav or 2fav), and much as I like Fitzy, like all jockeys he’s too much of an insider.
Like Corm, I think Matt Chapman would be a breath of fresh air; Lydia would be great, and hey if we want some honest insight into UK and Irish jockeys let’s have Jacques Ricou on the team
I genuinely believe that those saying how much better the show was in the days of Thommo, Mac, Francome, Down etc are really remembering the show from 10+ years ago.
The later years of the old format were dire. McCririck was bumbling incoherently, Francome sounded bored with the whole thing and Down was unwell (and not just in the Jeffrey Barnard sense). The show had become riddled with catchphrases and cliches, a lazy pastiche of what it was. Sort of Top Gear-does-horseracing.
Thompson for me was a loss. His naff Partridge-esqe schtick remained unchanged over the years so at least he was honest to his,
ahem
, art-form. Not particularly my cup of tea, but there was a place for it.
Personally, I like the new format. It talks about, y’know, horseracing. It is more straightlaced than previously, more serious for sure. It’s clearly leaking viewers but I can’t believe this would be reversed by reintroducing the aged staff of previous incarnations. Go with Chapman and Hislop perhaps, but in the fullness of time nothing is going to keep live sport on terrestrial television anyway.
Mike
I find it a bit sad that Big Mac and Frankie are the only two names from the Racing game that are known to the general public.
They may well be the best known but I doubt either man, even in their pomp could have anchored the Channel 4 show.
Racing is a bit short on TV friendly personalities and I think Clare Balding failed to fill the void as "The Face" of TV racing, at least partly due to the irregularity of her appearances.
I believe it was a mistake to hand the job to someone only willing/able to fulfil the role as and when it suited the presenter and/or didn’t clash with other commitments. People tend to like continuity and familiarity.
I think part of the problem with Channel 4 racing is the predictability of it all. There is an obsession with discussing the winner and trotting out all the tired old plaudits about jockey, trainer, owner, when sometimes the real story of the race is a hot favourite beaten, a bad ride being given to a contender or a horse clearly not as fit as the trainer had implied before the race.
That is part of the lack of incisiveness in getting to the heart of the matter many viewers are more interested in, when no questions get asked and no jockey gets criticised. Instead a straight bat is dropped on every ball and "The winner got a lovely ride, he’s a good honest sort who always gives you his best, he’s deserved this, I’m delighted for the owners" gets trotted out ad nauseam and you would struggle to tell which race of the day they were actually talking about.
How to halt declining figures is a tricky question to address. I seriously doubt putting out the bunting and taking John Francome back on is the answer. Maybe times are just moving on and away from Horse Racing on terrestrial TV. There are plenty other options available to punters now compared to the spartan day when I started in betting shops, with just an Extel feed coming in via the Tannoy in 1989.
The way TV is these days, you feel that if you had a program on Saturday night, with cardboard horses on some mechanical track forming a game where members of the public could win a million quid jackpot based on how many mind numbingly easy questions they could answer in order to let some celebrity turn a wheel to drive their horsey along, you would have a ratings winner on your hands. As long as the program was presented by Ant and Dec of course. All you would need is a catchy title. "The Million Pound Horse Dropping"?
Matt Chapman might shake CH4 racing up for sure but I’m not convinced his style is going to fit in with the safe and inoffensive mantra that sees only praise doled out to the connections of the winner of each race and criticism a non-existent feature. You feel he might be at odds with the other presenters and their cosy PC style.
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
If it wasn’t for the sponsorship from "Dubai" I would imagine Channel 4 would drop it as soon as they could.
I quite enjoyed Richard as the "studio anchor" today; I still cannot take to Nick Luck – a little too smooth for my likening.
It was nice to see Ruchard. I wonder why they trotted him out. And a bit of a hark back to the old days with Alice Plunkett too. Bring back Alastair Down in time for Cheltenham and I’ll be happy. It’s not the same without him.
It was nice to see Ruchard. I wonder why they trotted him out. And a bit of a hark back to the old days with Alice Plunkett too. Bring back Alastair Down in time for Cheltenham and I’ll be happy. It’s not the same without him.
I agree and see that next week Alice will be fronting the show. Alastair should host their Grand National coverage but fear Matt Chapman will get the gig instead, well at least I have Racing UK in that case
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