[bilky asko]

As for Graham Norton Big Red Chair segment ... seriously, who names their child after one of most evil terrorist organisations of recent years?!?

I know they say that ignorance is bliss, but sometimes it pays not to be so ignorant...

[Milkshake]

Out of all the presenters on offer only Mel Giedroyc has been good. Maybe they should sack the rest and get a proper replacement for Terry wogan.

[Gary Baldy]

Out of all the presenters on offer only Mel Giedroyc has been good. Maybe they should sack the rest and get a proper replacement for Terry wogan.

It all just feels extremely flat and lifeless these days- feels more like the presenter see it as “just another job” rather than the major event TV it once was.

Comic Relief has gone the same way.

[Milkshake]

The Grand total for tonight is: £33,513,325 so slight down on last year but you have to wonder if they would top that if they carried on to midnight?

[Stooky Bill]

As for Graham Norton Big Red Chair segment ... seriously, who names their child after one of most evil terrorist organisations of recent years?!?

I suspect it's just quite unfortunate, it only started being used for a terrorist organisation in about 2014, and even then is called ISIL too. So if she's 8 or 9 it might have been just beofr or during their peak time in the news. Actually you don't hear much about them any more and they ve change their name a few times so she'll probably be ok

Problem is it is a very common name for things as well as being a girls name. There's the river Isis, which gives it's name to the Boat Race team for example. 

Mind you there's Eta James, Ira Gershwin and Hama is a fairly popular name in some parts of the world

[JMT1985]

Does anyone have clips of the old Children in Need song "If You Want To Help"

There used to be one when David Essex sang it, and another from I think 1989 and 1996

I can't find any other ones, just the 1996 version here

www.youtube.com 

[Stooky Bill]

The Grand total for tonight is: £33,513,325  so slight down on last year but you have to wonder if they would top that if they carried on to midnight?

Probably not, the bulk of the money raised isn't done on the night and after 10:30 there's even fewer people than 7-10pm.

Its a different dynamic to the past. When CiN was conceived it was pre-text message, pre-internet, pre-debit card. The aim of the programme was to get people to phone in and  pledge money. Now a simple short form text number can be put on screen over lots of things for weeks beforehand. There's no need fora marathon broadcast

[bilky asko]

Am I alone in thinking that it wasn't all that bad? Alex Scott seemed to be a bit too quiet for most of the evening, but most of the evening was enjoyable and it didn't outstay its welcome.

[Brekkie]

Does anyone have clips of the old Children in Need song "If You Want To Help"

There used to be one when David Essex sang it, and another from I think 1989 and 1996

I can't find any other ones, just the 1996 version here

www.youtube.com 

That's was such a great set.   Shows don't get sets now - they just get screens.

The choir was always somewhat brilliant but somewhat kind of terrible too - that's why it worked.   I think the telethons have lost their willingness to risk bits of it being terrible - it's always far more entertaining to be terrible live rather than pre-recorded or heavily scripted.   I get why it might be easier to pre-record the choir bit nowadays, but I think now more than ever a telethon can stand out as being a night of live TV when there is so little live entertainment TV nowadays.

I still think it's criminal they don't go past 10pm - even if not with a live studio show they could do something after the news, even if it's just a couple of short studio updates (with no audience) before and after a "special" episode of Graham Norton to take it through to midnight.   That would cost the BBC virtually nothing but could raise a couple of million more.

[AndyB2008]

Out of all the presenters on offer only Mel Giedroyc has been good. Maybe they should sack the rest and get a proper replacement for Terry wogan.

Mel from one of the skits was dressed up in 80's garb for a spoof news broadcast with Jason Manford prior to the regional handover, a irony considering what was scheduled on BBC2 against Children In Need tonight (and which is likely to be beaten by Children in Need).