[Jon]

Just searched them out - the Family Fortunes is awful but their Deal or No Deal seems pretty decent. The choice of hosts makes all the difference.

Still unbelieveable until his recent Amazon show that Graham hadn't hosted any Irish show.

On your latter point, not really. It’s the same as Terry Wogan not hosting any Irish shows after he came to the UK. He’s basically too big a name for Irish networks to land. From what he’s said in past and more recent interviews he also kinda looks down on Irish productions.

It’s similar to how you wouldn’t expect Ant & Dec to present a show on regional TV in the North East, even if regional TV was still a thing.

I thought the Irish version of Deal was ok, I think the UK production team were directly involved, but I thought the host wasn’t very good and lacked the dynamic approach that both UK hosts have had.

---

Has Graham actually done anything for Irish TV? Presenting or acting.

I believe he basically started his TV career over here, as he’d already moved to London at that time. I think this recent interview explains more.

m.youtube.com 

[Brekkie]

Didn't Ant and/or Dec do Gimme 5, a Tyne Tees kids show which was networked?

2.4m last night for Wheel - kind of on the bubble in terms of whether it would get renewed. A couple of million behind Gladiators, Big Show and Masked Singer, but only 0.5m behind Ant and Dec's Limitless Win. I suspect like Sitting on a Fortune and Moneyball it'll get a second run then get dropped.

[Johnr]

I guess he's happy and busy enough with his UK career.

Has Graham actually done anything for Irish TV? Presenting or acting.

That would be an ecumenical matter

   

[James2001]

That would be an ecumenical matter

Father Ted of course not actually being Irish TV, being made by a British company for a British channel in a studio in central London.

[tellyblues]

Didn't Ant and/or Dec do Gimme 5, a Tyne Tees kids show which was networked?

2.4m last night for Wheel - kind of on the bubble in terms of whether it would get renewed. A couple of million behind Gladiators, Big Show and Masked Singer, but only 0.5m behind Ant and Dec's Limitless Win. I suspect like Sitting on a Fortune and Moneyball it'll get a second run then get dropped.

WoF is doing OK - certainly not in Romeo & Duet territory - but I guess what separates it from most shows is the brand and Graham himself. Would ITV give both up so easily? I think if they had done everything right from the start the show would be getting above 3 million easy, but they didn't and people are now questioning whether it's a good enough lead-in for The Masked Singer and soon to be in a few weeks, Takeaway. Maybe the celeb editions will rate well and come across better on screen in that the contestants won't be talking like they've had elocution lessons. That may save it long-term but it's a shame because of what could have been.

[James2001]

If the celebs are still going to have ridiculous puzzles to solve, then it won't be any better.

[Ash101]

Has Graham decided he wants a new kitchen or something? He’s hardly done anything new on the telly in quite a few years and then along comes WoF and that Amazon show within 2 months!

[Keith]

Has Graham decided he wants a new kitchen or something? He’s hardly done anything new on the telly in quite a few years and then along comes WoF and that Amazon show within 2 months!

I seem to recall his BBC chat show has a shorter run these days, which gives him more time. He might also be wanting to give himself a few options for whenever his chat show eventually ends, be that through his own choice or the BBC's.

[XIII]

The chatshow is only from September to February which leaves time for other projects although he still does his radio show on Virgin Radio which is twice a week rather than once a week.

[DE88]

There was a Gay Bryne hosted Millionaire, they had one of their regular football pundits do their version of The Weakest Link and of course they had single weekly National Lottery backed run of Deal or No Deal. Don’t think any of them have lasted very long.

[OFF-TOPIC]

Eamon Dunphy, for the record.

Quite true that Weakest Link Ireland didn't last very long - though curiously TG4 showed the original UK daytime version as afternoon filler for quite a long time (going through the last five series twice then the two Glasgow series for a third time, I believe).

I would have loved to have seen Robbo host an edition in which hosts of other versions from around the world were the contestants. Just how much flak would she have given Eamo (and how often would she have brought up Roy Keane), and what would she and Cornelia Frances have made of each other (Cornelia was born in Liverpool too, of course)?

[/OFF-TOPIC]