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Surprised Racing for Change (part of BHA) haven’t been all over this by now wanting to change it to Wed-Sat.
While Balding has too strong a personality (maybe tries too hard), Pershad seems very weak and his voice is whiney, and that really came over today.
The programme is crying out for Thomson and Francome, people with personality who have just the right chemistry for the programme.1. Clare Balding (this name keeps cropping up). Find her too OTT for programs and tries to get her strong personality over too much. For that reason on C4 racing she doesn’t blend in to the programme like someone with the right chemistry would do. Francome was perfect.
2. R. Pershad. Not sure what it is and find him boring, presenter manufactured.
3. Fitzgerald. Do like to hear the Irish voices when the racing is coming from Leopardstown etc, but find I just home in on his tones which are too strong for the C4 programme and becomes annoying.
Recorded and tried watching the programme as a whole again, but ended up just watching the races.
It just doesn’t work with the new presenters hence figures are well down. There was a chemistry with the previous presenters.Why do they continually marry up Clare Balding, Mick Fitzgerald and Rishi Persad? This was the type of coverage on the BBC which I couldn’t stand and why I always preferred the old Channel 4. The old C4 team weren’t perfect but were so much better than what there is now.
Totally agree Phil. There was a chemistry that worked with the "old team". It can’t be replaced and the reduction in viewing numbers with the current line up is the result.
They can try to change the format all they want, but it won’t work. You need certain people back before they have been off the air too long. There are gems of people there wasted.Recorded and tried watching the whole programme but it is the BBC pair of Balding(good presenter, but wrong for this programme) and Pershad (whiny voice) along with Fitzgerald (would be okay on an Irish programme) that make it unwatchable as a whole. Actual racing coverage is good.
Whenever any programme is in its infancy we are likely to enjoy it more. Bound to get a bit stale after a while, needing someone to hit the refresh button. Remember many similar comments to this thread about the old format, BEFORE changes were made. May be I am wrong, but seems there’s a lot of looking through rose coloured specs at all our yesterdays here. As Francome would say, "tings w’betterr when I werre a laaad".
Completely disagree with this in this instance Gingertipster.
Before the presenter changes, the programme was hugely enjoyable throughout. It didn’t need to be refreshed. Sounds like a statement that Racing for Change would use, to change for changes sake and try to keep someone in a job. And we know how good they are, trying to get Students interested in racing. What a stupid idea to focus on these as anyone would know if they have been on the planet, they haven’t got any money to go.
Future racing recruitment is from the family day experience and if the kids have a good day out.Francome often used to go off on a tangent, where nothing he said had any basis in reality of what actually happened in a race, indeed imo sometimes the complete opposite of what happened. And McGrath for some reason never seemed to contradict. I often thought punters were put away by the old C4 Team.
What a load of rubbish Gingertipster. Francome is far far more interesting and a natural. I would watch far more of the programme if he was back on it. It’s too clinical now, just like the boring opening theme tune, a nothing.
Interesting article; looks like Channel 4 Racing ratings are at their highest for ten years:
No surprise as more and more of the action came over from BBC. Comparing annual figures at the moment is not comparing apples with apples.
Interesting that C4 Grand National viewers were down 2 million on the previous year on the BBC.The chemistry was just right in the past where the presenters just blended in with the action and atmosphere. There us just too much emphasis now on the presenters.
Crepello1957
Those were the days.While times have moved on, there is too much around being polished on the presenting side.
The horses and atmosphere surrounding the track should be the main attraction, not how eloquent people are.
Going back to my original post, it’s people like Francome with his knowledge and accent and Thompson with his connection with people who are the draw. The latest bunch i.e. Balding, Pershad etc seemed processed, like they have been produced from a factory.Even the opening theme tune is a nothing.
Francome had a no nonsense earthy appeal with some great stories. Thompson just nits the whole lot together. The chemistry worked then, but it feels like a factory at work now, clinical making it very boring,
Like hearing the Irish commentators when the racing is coming from say Leopardstown, but just doesn’t sound right with Fitzgerald so prevalent over here.
