[cable]

The difference this time around is the audience, the audience that grew up with them on SMTV is now in their 30s and older. it certainly had a good run 7 years initially from 2002-2009 and 11 years between 2013 and 2024. in that time the television landscape has transformed and compared to the chaos of the earlier series, they have become a bit too perfect, nothing is surprising anymore. They are unlikely to be attracting a younger viewership who have a deeper relationship social media even if they happen to watch with their family. Kids today would think of them as the people their parents watch.

I'm sure ITV would have loved for the show to continue but like with Harry Hill and TV Burp it probably very time consuming for them now they having kids and other business interests, a break is needed. They already rested it and brought it back with the same elements e.g. little ant and dec and undercover, I'm not sure that would work a 3rd time without it appearing repetitive. Nothing should last forever and it will be better to remember it for the good show that it was rather than to drain the life out of it to the point people get sick of it.

I would like to see it return in some form for specials in the future but not necessarily called Saturday Night Takeaway.