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Im willing to give it time to mature, but they need to treat the viewer like they didnt just land in a betting shop. Anyone tuning in to ITV assumably always had access to C4 too? So why the emphasis on assuming the viewer doesnt know what a 9/4 shot is? Its a straight fwd switchover from 4 to 3, not a brand new sport nobody has ever seen before
I agree Paul. A much better effort – though I only watched as far as the Tolworth. On what I saw …
Juggling the presenters produced a far more interesting and assured podium team, with Mick Fitz being the key to unlocking that problem. Putting Oli Bell into Fitz’s original role didn’t seem to be at all detrimental either. And, I was relieved not to have to endure a repeat of last week’s performance from MC, though – from what I can see – it will be hard for him to avoid the types who used to mob McCririck as well. So, on the presentation front it’s going in the right direction.
The main negatives for me were the lack of engagement (still) with connections post-race (surely Alice Plunkett could be doing this?) and the jockey features, which are screened at a time when the focus should be more on the horses running in the race. I also felt the interjections in running to commentary were intrusive – possibly because the races I saw were 2m at Sandown, where the pace (and action), especially down the Railway Straight, comes thicker and faster than at Cheltenham. By contrast, interjections a plenty were needed for a white screen broadcasting mist/fog from Wincanton … [scenes more suited to BBC Four!]
Compared to last week, I felt this week had swung back far more towards a horse racing audience. There was less of an emphasis on basic explanations, less banter-filled air time, and altogether more action-focused chat, that assumed the audience knew what was being talked about (e.g. Finian’s Oscar – Supreme v Neptune?). Does that mean a differentiation of the product: ITV4 for terrestrial horse racing; ITV for a populist afternoon at the races?
What that might mean for viewing figures and the future of terrestrial horse racing is, I guess, the $64k question. ITV4 v last year’s C4 and this year’s C4 darts would be an interesting cf, now that the first week hype has died down.
….Does that mean a differentiation of the product: ITV4 for terrestrial horse racing; ITV for a populist afternoon at the races?
Let’s hope not as all the major festivals are on the main channel.
According to the ITV website there are 5 days scheduled for ITV3:
Sat 4th March
Fri 28th April
Thu 13th July
Fri 14th July
Sat 22nd July....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
Big improvement this week. The opening show was good, I still dislike the image of an old theatre and the puppet horse. If we could lose Alice, and A.P. permanently that would be a big help. I thought Matt Chapman actually must have listened and read the poor reviews he got and got down to it properly and his involvement was good. If I could say one more thing to him “Matt for goodness sake stand up straight, you have the posture of quasimodo”. Giving Mick Fitz a bit more to talk about worked, he does know what he is talking about, voice did not grate too much this week either. Unwittingly I think they are appealing more to the older viewer, the theatre image, plus the excellent addition of the horses breeding, the breeder and the owner, will appeal an older ‘purist’ rather than a young racegoer. It is an big improvement on C4, I don’t have to watch Jim Mcgrath shut his eyes when talking to camera. The parade ring looked a bit crowded, the addition of a coffee and tea table, complete with mop and bucket is not quite fitting. However, it did work, not sure what would happen if a loose horse went through the middle of them though.
Deaf Jon reckons the graphics are too small to read the horses name and jockeys, trainers etc
Charles Darwin to conquer the World
Much better this week. I suppose I am getting old and I liked the acknowledgement of the breeding and breeder, though of course these days it;s easy to check.
Matt was bearable for an older female, none betting horsey person this week.I think on today’s show and the morning magazine programme it was a huge improvement on Channel 4 coverage.
The theatre doesn’t bother me that much, someone on one of the comments boards said that people might associate the War Horse puppets with fatalities. I don’t think people are that stupid…..
I do think the ITV4 might be more low key with all the matey bells and whistles coming out for the bigger events on ITV1.
Opening Show
I thought Oli was a wee bit nervous and it showed. The big front camera on the rail or dolly or boom or whatever the hell the term is, was annoying. It was almost as though ITV were saying “We paid a lot for this kit and it’s going to work every second of the day” – off-putting. Chris Cook came over well, and Scu showed his usual relaxed confidence: already he’s much better at it than his father ever managed to be.The true gems for ITV I think are going to be these feature slots: informative, entertaining insights that can be appreciated by viewers irrespective of their experience. And I thought V Pendleton was excellent. You’d never know she wasn’t a broadcaster to trade and all she will do is improve. She could be a real star in a year or two and you have to wonder at the talent she has – fantastic achievements at the age of 36, mostly in male-dominated disciplines. I admire her greatly.
Afternoon
I found it a wee bit flatter, less fizzy than last week: might even go so far as saying dull. For all the criticism they took at Cheltenham, quite a few more cues/links were missed/messed up today.L Harvey continues to impress. I wish he’d show more personal confidence. He can seem a bit ingratiating at times with others but when he’s on camera and talking about racing, he’s very good. Fitzy continues to grow in stature and is miles ahead of AP in presentation skills and general professionalism. There were even some past ‘haters’ on twitter warming to him.
I got the impression that Ed C was trying for a bit more gravitas this afternoon whereas in his brief morning cameo he struck those nice notes that were so noticeable last week. Doubtless he’ll find a balance soon.
On the post-race shortage of interviews; you might recall the pre-launch story about banning access for the press guys to these interviews and I wonder if they’re trying to negotiate some kind of truce before they start?
All in all, promising.
Certainly a big improvement on the first programme and the omens are now looking very good.
The team looks to have taken action to iron out some of the shortcomings of the first programme from Cheltenham, notably reining in most of the excesses of Matt Chapman, who is now considerably more watchable.
Mick Fitzgerald was very competent as a pundit and it was great that Sir Anthony McCoy was missing from the line-up after his dismal performance at Cheltenham.
There’s a saying that a Scotsman with a grievance is never likely to be mistaken for a ray of sunshine and the same is true of a dour, wet and fed-up ex-champion jockey who doesn’t really want to be there.
It’s surprising how much the lack of HD on ITV4 detracts from the viewing experience but we will have to put up with that until the Cheltenham Festival.
The presence of grinning weather forecaster Lucy Verasamy is totally unnecessary and I suspect she will be quietly dropped.
Wincanton course commentator Ian Bartlett deserves special praise for the excellent way he coped with the thick fog and the way he managed to fill the gaps in impressive and sure-footed style.
The Morning Line replacement show, the Opening Show, made a very good start and was already better to watch.
Toothy presenter Oli Bell did a good job, even though he kept reminding me of a cross between Harry Enfield’s character Tim Nice But Dim and the Spitting Image puppet of Richard Branson.
Victoria Pendleton’s feature was good and boded well for future programmes.
The end of the previous team’s obsession with betting and the absence of the appalling Tanya Stevenson are welcome bonuses.
It’s all now looking very promising.
Much improved effort yesterday, though the weather probably helped (at least at Sandown!).
The pub table in the paddock worked much better, as there were actually people and horses visible around them, so you really did get the sense that they were in the thick of the action. Still think they need to come inside when it’s raining though.
They seem to have done something to the graphics, as they were much easier to read this week. Chapman appears to have listened to the criticism, as he’d calmed down a lot this week. They need to make more use of Alice – love the interviews with the stable staff, but get her in there with the winning connections. Chapman’s (I think) unplanned interview with Charlie Longsdon was great.
Thought the Opening Show was a big improvement on its Channel 4 predecessor.
The best part – not a bookie’s rep in sight!
A quick update on the market movers is all that is needed, so hopefully that will remain the case.Good mix of features and chat about the day’s racing. Tom Scu was a great guest, always engaging and well spoken.
Loved VP’s piece at Andrew Balding’s yard. This is where her enthusiasm for the sport really shines through – looking forward to the rest of the series.
Agree with most posters in that it was a much better programme yesterday. I even warmed to MC. Have to agree with Obi though. I wish he’d stand up straight but if that’s the only thing I’m faulting then I don’t mind and fair play to him. Certainly a more-controlled performance.
I don’t think there was a massive improvement week one to week two. The weather doesn’t count. Those suggesting as much are almost certainly trying to justify their overblown criticism of the first week.
The two pluses from last week were Chapman playing far more of a ‘team’ role (that had to happen) and Luke Harvey taking a big step forward. Yesterday, he went quite a way to losing the figure of fun tag. I wondered if he could do the podium on his own? Looking ahead I really think McCoy needs to step up or step out.
They need to lose the jockey profiles because they add nothing. Couldn’t really think of any other negatives.
Biggest overall plus has been losing the over-analysis of races in both shows.
What a difference a week makes I am getting to like the format and the criticism seems to have been noted and acted upon thank you Matt Chapman, we really couldn’t tolerate another McCririck.
Actually felt that I was there amongst the horses this Saturday and would possibly just like a few more updates on horses that have fallen during races. I did feel at Wincanton in the pea souper the absence of Fox Appeal at the end of the race and the fate of other horses and jockeys that fell was left too long before we thankfully heard that they had returned safely. Not an easy meeting to televise but Ian Bartlett deserves a medal for his race calling.
Have to disagree about the use of the War Horse ‘Joey’ for the links. I think he serves as a wonderful tribute to the part horses have played working alongside man throughout history.
The most recent sight of War Horses ploughing through mud sodden fields at Passchendaele which commemorates it’s 100 year anniversary this year is heart wrenching knowing the outcome.
Personally think Joey and Cecil are going to be real stars of the show.
Things turn out best for those who make the best of how things turn out...Did anybody else pick up on the comment by Ed C, when showing AP talking to connections. He said What a difference a week makes, thawed out and he almost looks happy.
Compared to last week, I felt this week had swung back far more towards a horse racing audience. There was less of an emphasis on basic explanations, less banter-filled air time, and altogether more action-focused chat, that assumed the audience knew what was being talked about (e.g. Finian’s Oscar – Supreme v Neptune?). Does that mean a differentiation of the product: ITV4 for terrestrial horse racing; ITV for a populist afternoon at the races?
Whether by accident or design a sporting broadcast on ITV4 is always likely to be rather more laidback than one on ITV1
A subliminal accident with the presenters, whilst being aware they’re on a minority channel, being unaware they’re toning it down and relaxing more than if they were broadcasting to a million smelly-socks on a ‘populist’ mainstream channel
A welcome design to differentiate between highdays and holidays banality on ITV1 and measured understated niche broadcasting on ITV4
I hadn’t seen the ‘Morning Line’ for donkey’s years so don’t know how much further it had sunk in to the incestuous cesspool since I gave up on it; but found the new ‘Opening Show’ to be a none-too-tortuous hour’s viewing. Oli Bell was a bit nervous but has a pleasant, quiet manner; as jockey guests go Scudamore will always be box-office; and although the cadaverous Loo Karvey is not the sight one would choose to have opposite you over a late breakfast, what emanated from his mouth was okay
As for the racing itself in the afternoon, one could nitpick until the horses come home, but it was surely more than adequate wasn’t it? Given nothing can be all things to all men they seemed to me to strike a good balance between ‘racing as a betting medium’ and ‘racing as a sport’. Chapman will never be remotely my type of guy but with his wings clipped as ‘roving reporter’ was tolerable enough
Fitzgerald’s guttural brogue had the handbrake and silencer fitted, Chamberlyne melded well with all, Miss Pendleton’s naiive enthusiasm ideal for the ‘horsey’ stuff such as stable visits, and Persad has finally found his calling in life as anodyne anchor for the away meeting
No ‘smile as you kill’ bookies reps and as far as I could tell whilst fast-forwarding no adverts from that other cesspool, Dubai
I wish them well
We freeviewers are a fortunate lot
Poor old Rishi, still getting brickbats. When they cut to him in the morning from the studio, I thought he was immediately different class to the likeable but nervy Oli Bell: not quite chalk and cheese, but not far from it.
Bang on cue, Rishi walked and talked without, hesitation or deviation (I’ll allow for some repetition). No “em’s” (Oli had quite a few, albeit his stint was much longer), just smooth, fluid professionalism.
I can only wholeheartedly agree with what Triptych has written. Even more so because the dreaded Chapman pointed out the fact that on course bookmakers only offer 1/5 odds, something that I have moaned about for years. I missed the morning line programme but Mike tells me it was very good. Only problem is that most of the TV’s in my house can’t get ITV4 [yes, I have a telly on in every room when the racing is on] but that’s my problem and may, at last, force me to get an engineer out. At last we seem to have programme makers that actually listen and act upon what people really want.
A quick update on the market movers is all that is needed, so hopefully that will remain the case.
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