05-03-2024, 05:23 PM
25 years tonight since perhaps one of the biggest misfires for British television, as the original News at Ten finished it's run.
What followed of course was sheer desperation from ITV to fill the slot. That extra hour just seemed to be whatever they had sitting around. Films, long dramas and repeats of Tarrant on TV (that show having took Spitting Image's place of the flagship “adults only comedy show” by that point) to try and compete with They Think It's All Over which was making waves in the 10pm slot on the Beeb. Oh and that Mr & Mrs revival with Julian Clary, which died fast.
Plus it was what led to the BBC moving their news from 9pm to 10pm, and ITV losing their crown for having the most watched daily news bulletin. It was certainly a dark time for the network, especially after a good end to 1998 with WWTBAM? and the rebrand.
youtu.be
What followed of course was sheer desperation from ITV to fill the slot. That extra hour just seemed to be whatever they had sitting around. Films, long dramas and repeats of Tarrant on TV (that show having took Spitting Image's place of the flagship “adults only comedy show” by that point) to try and compete with They Think It's All Over which was making waves in the 10pm slot on the Beeb. Oh and that Mr & Mrs revival with Julian Clary, which died fast.
Plus it was what led to the BBC moving their news from 9pm to 10pm, and ITV losing their crown for having the most watched daily news bulletin. It was certainly a dark time for the network, especially after a good end to 1998 with WWTBAM? and the rebrand.
youtu.be
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