Channel 4 Racing – Where Does It Go From Here?

[Tor mentor]

But the rest? Homogenous…seriously homogenous.

And some know the stables, some wine and dine (or know people that do) in high circles! The crew are an accurate representation of horse racing AS IT IS!
Young, bright people simply don’t tend to bet on the sport (not including me), and it would just be pulling the wool over people’s eyes to pretend different.

The show is dead, they know it, we know it, they don’t care so why should we.

ps, there is one bright thing, I think they call her the female. They just need to get a ‘male’ know!

I think you mean ‘now’ young fella me lad.Also,I’ve heard of ‘In high places’ or ‘Moving in the right circles’ but never people in ‘high circles’

4/10

Edit- I see you’ve edited

[stilvi]

Are they serious about cutbacks? Yesterday, we had Down, Plunkett, Graham, Francome, McGrath, Fitzgerald, McCririck and Stevenson. If I wanted to save money I would cut that team in half. There is absolutely no need for three pundits and two people busying themselves getting interviews.

[phil walker]

The cutbacks begin from January I believe Stilvi but I agree with you that number of presenters is too much.

[Anonymous]

Are they serious about cutbacks? Yesterday, we had Down, Plunkett, Graham, Francome, McGrath, Fitzgerald, McCririck and Stevenson. If I wanted to save money I would cut that team in half. There is absolutely no need for three pundits and two people busying themselves getting interviews.

I took a rare look at C4 this afternoon to test the water and felt, as you do, that there were far too many cooks falling over themselves to spoil the broth.

Once you’re used to RUK’s minimalist, focused presentation, C4’s prolixity is highly frustrating. No disrespect at all to any of the highly professional broadcasters involved. Individually any selected two or three of them might well be a match for RUK’s excellent Lydia Hislop and Steve Mellish; but with the C4 producer straining to conjure air time for the whole bunch (not least during the race commentaries, where poor Simon Holt was put thoroughly out of rhythm on at least two occasions by jockey interpolations) the total effect smacks of desperation.

There was a significant moment late in the afternoon, I felt, when Jim McGrath mentioned that a horse had been off the track with "a leg" and was instantly instructed to rephrase that in layman’s terms by the show’s producer. We know that, because for once the highly professional McGrath let the mask slip and told the audience exactly what he was hearing through his earpiece – a sure sign that his patience (like his contract??) is running out.

For C4, "less" will almost certainly mean "more", irrespective of which way the smaller cookie is crumbled. Overkill is what’s killing them.

[doublethetrouble]

i stopped watching the morning line a long time ago,and i alway’s turn the sound down until the race starts.i stick to my own judgement, and the only one i really dislike is tommo his selections are trash

[pilgarlic]

Always think the ML hits its lowest ebb when the failed trainer`s wife spouts ‘no excuse not to come racing…’
Hope that she`ll find having to pay the admission herself a faintly plausible excuse.If they do keep her on I think being based at Newmarket should mean she`s confined to the flat.

Richard Hoiles is talented and versatile enough to cover
the full on-camera part of this programme on his own.

[% MAN]

All they need to do to save money is have a single presenter. One person dong the betting – if they really have to have someone doing the betting in the first place – the ATR style sidebar is just as effective.

Finally just use the on-course commentator for commentary. Take the other week for example, it makes no sense having Richard Hoiles doing the on-course commentary at Ascot and Simon Holt doing the Channel Four commentary, standing in the next door commentary box.

If C4 are "fussy" which commentators they want to use it would not be rocket science to adjust the on-course commentary rotas to have "preferred" commentators.

[Author]

Posts