[Kim Wexler’s Ponytail]

A bit over the top tonight, besides the regional news, the debate has basically dominated the schedule from 7:15pm to 10:30pm and then another half hour on Newsnight on BBC Two

Yes, you've given us a live commentary of it. You do know you don't have to watch it if you don't want to?

[Moz]

Why on Earth is this on BBC1? Surely this would usually be relegated to the News Channel or the live blog video stream - did the bosses realise the football was on the other side and couldn’t be bothered to find half an hour of filler more catered to the usual audience before the 10?

Truly, truly baffling scheduling decision.

I actually thought it was good. A chance to see what people thought and talk through what happened.

They do it for every football match, so why not for political debates?

Think Laura & Clive were good together (oh how I miss double headed presentation of news programmes) though they need to rein Laura in a bit and she needs to let Clive speak.

I do wonder how it’ll work with her and Chris Mason both being at the desk on election night. Will Clive get a word in?

[Andrew]

I actually thought it was good. A chance to see what people thought and talk through what happened.

They do it for every football match, so why not for political debates?

Think Laura & Clive were good together (oh how I miss double headed presentation of news programmes) though they need to rein Laura in a bit and she needs to let Clive speak.

I do wonder how it’ll work with her and Chris Mason both being at the desk on election night. Will Clive get a word in?

What we don’t know yet is will it literally be Clive and Laura sat next to each other behind the desk all night, on a two shot, or will they have specific roles

What will the dynamic be of the former political editor throwing to the current political editor for analysis

Will Laura be more of a presenter, or a political editor, or in her Sunday morning role

I think they are only double heading because they think neither is quite right to do it themselves. Laura is not the next Dimbleby but having done the locals can’t really drop her now whereas Clive is certainly the next Huw but hasn’t been known for political reporting up to now.

[leewilliams]

I actually thought it was good. A chance to see what people thought and talk through what happened.

But who does it serve other than political/news junkies like all of us posting here? Hearing party spokespeople repeat the same lines the audience just heard for 75 minutes belongs on a news channel, not on primetime BBC1 - it’s just beyond weird other than trying to force the Kuenssberg/Myrie partnership on the viewing public before next Thursday.

Viewing breakdown tomorrow will be interesting (guess is the football comfortably beat the debate anyway and the audience nosedived further after 2130).

[Ash101]

But who does it serve other than political/news junkies like all of us posting here? Hearing party spokespeople repeat the same lines the audience just heard for 75 minutes belongs on a news channel, not on primetime BBC1 - it’s just beyond weird other than trying to force the Kuenssberg/Myrie partnership on the viewing public before next Thursday.

Viewing breakdown tomorrow will be interesting (guess is the football comfortably beat the debate anyway and the audience nosedived further after 2130).

Yeah but then I guess that's kind of the point? There's already a limited audience watching the debate because of the football on the other side, so they might as well keep some of those into 9:30 and then into News at 10...what would a random repeat of a half hour comedy have really achieved?

[leewilliams]

Yeah but then I guess that's kind of the point? There's already a limited audience watching the debate because of the football on the other side, so they might as well keep some of those into 9:30 and then into News at 10...what would a random repeat of a half hour comedy have really achieved?

Almost certainly a higher audience.

[Ash101]

Almost certainly a higher audience.

I guess, but the BBC shouldn't always be chasing ratings - this is a pretty good bit of public broadcasting.

Newsnight was from the normal studio? I thought it was mentioned here that it'd be from Nottingham...

[Kim Wexler’s Ponytail]

But who does it serve other than political/news junkies like all of us posting here?

Why is that not enough? Who does Wimbledon coverage serve other than tennis fans? Who does Glastonbury coverage serve other than music fans?

This thing we've got going on here of people complaining there's too much of what they're watching is really weird.

[newsjunkie]

I didn't watch the programme, but I would presume that they included voices from other smaller parties there. They are required to reflect the views of the other parties in 'linked programming'. That is why ITV ran an interview programme at 10pm on the night their 'head to head' debate.

[eyeTV]

What we don’t know yet is will it literally be Clive and Laura sat next to each other behind the desk all night, on a two shot, or will they have specific roles

What will the dynamic be of the former political editor throwing to the current political editor for analysis

Will Laura be more of a presenter, or a political editor, or in her Sunday morning role

I think they are only double heading because they think neither is quite right to do it themselves. Laura is not the next Dimbleby but having done the locals can’t really drop her now whereas Clive is certainly the next Huw but hasn’t been known for political reporting up to now.

The moment of greatest significance is probably who gets to announce the Exit Poll?