[Pips2022]

This decision feels like a shame, but the quotes reported seem to imply it's about freeing up the budget to do other things... so clearly it's just about not having enough money to stretch to enough things.

Instability at This Morning did feel like the perfect opportunity for Steph's Packed Lunch to settle in but that clearly hasn't been the case - I'm not quite sure how it rates these days? I do think that is the one issue I've found with it when I've watched in the past.... it just feels like a This Morning-not done as well-type show.

TBH, This Morning is now a This Morning-not done as well-type show.

Sorry to the production team on SPL, but the show has never really worked and  was probably only recommissioned over and over to save face (and because of internal C4 politics about doing a show from Leeds).

[London Lite]

Can't say I'm surprised. It felt like it was a quick and easy way to increase output from Leeds, but there's a bigger presence with C4 News coming out of Leeds for part of the bulletin.

Hopefully the money saved will go into extra production from the North of England.

[Brekkie]

This isn't so much about where though and more about the type of production - a bit like how Doctors is a training ground for drama having a live daily production out of Leeds is doing far more for the industry in the North than another pre-recorded daytime format.

[Stooky Bill]

It's a real shame as it's developed into a great programme, the way they've built up a team of regulars (both the contributors and audience) gives it a very different feel. It feels a lot more live and fast moving than other daytime shows.

It's only the last few months it's competed with This Morning, obviously trying to take advantage of the disruption going on there.

It's also a shame to lose a live programme in the schedules, Channel 4 are giving the excuse that viewing habits have changed, but that's partly a self-fulfilling prophecy, when they just serve up repeats of Gordon Ramsay and Come Dine With Me people won't have a reason to watch linear.

She would be perfect for This Morning, paired with a suitable co-host

[gottago]

I think credit where it's due to C4 for sticking with something that will have done a lot of good in terms of expanding the talent pool in Leeds and hopefully they can take advantage of that with more commissions coming out of their Leeds HQ. But there's a limit as to how much money they can pour into a show that has constantly flatlined around 150k each day, even in the darkest of winter, and is constantly trailing behind quiz repeats on BBC2. C4 is struggling with commissioning budgets in primetime and can't commit to a passion project any more.

[Brekkie]

I agree - it's a shame but an understandable decision, however uninspiring it is. Is odd though they extended it by half an hour not that long ago - didn't quite understand the logic in that really and they must have seen some value in having an extra commercial break or two within the programme - or it was a last ditch attempt to try and make the show profitable.

Wonder if it might be worth trying to make a gameshow block of their own from 1-3pm with a show before Countdown, even if it's just reruns of Fifteen to One or something in the short term.

[tellyblues]

Hopefully the replacement isn't just repeats and it/they is/are far better than C4's primetime commissions.

[eyeTV]

Apparently it wasn't referenced on the show itself today and I don't believe Steph has said anything about the show ending.

[Stuart]

I only ever saw it during lockdown/WFH. I was rather surprised the other day to still see it on the EPG.

6 weeks isn't much notice for a programme ending and obviously my sympathies for the production team involved. However, that would be the start of the Christmas schedule so C4 probably already had fillers planned for the slot.

I'll be interested to see what they replace that large slot with in January.

[harshy]

It was a strange studio I went to Leeds Dock and went past it without realising it’s a completely unbranded building no where did it mention channel4 or stephs packed lunch came from there. and are channel 4 actually at that majestic building in Leeds?