[Pips2022]

The frustrating thing is the Beeb actually have a nice little set of Saturday night shows on BBC1 now after struggling for a while in the 2010s, but the scheduling of them is a nightmare. Because the Beeb can’t make their mind up where to put their light entertainment shows, Casualty always ends up suffering- I can’t think of any other show that’s been in as many timeslots.. some weeks it starts around 7, some weeks it’s nearly 10 o’clock… no wonder viewing figures have dipped- nobody knows what time the bloody thing’s on it now.


- Pointless Celebrities, Hit List, Mastermind, Bridge of Lies- these shows should be the lead in to something bigger, not the centrepiece of the schedule. I also don’t think Bridge of Lies is Saturday night material at all- it lacks the warmth banter of Pointless for example

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Strictly- this is the centre piece of the schedule, the main event- they don’t really have anything else on this scale, besides the Eurovision when that airs, but even then it’s only the final that airs on BBC1- I wonder will they put the semis on BBC1 this time with the UK hosting the event?

Big Show/Wheel- Big Show, when airing outside of Strictly season is the main event. The Wheel is better as the lead-out of the main event rather than the lead-in, as Big Show always was. It’s a shame The Wall’s gone too- I liked that one- Danny Dyer surprisingly good host.

Blankety Blank is OK- it’s just a bit… dated?

Very much agree with your assessment there.   I have wondered if moving Casualty to Fridays (and expanding to an hour) might be wise, but as badly treated as it is it is useful on a Saturday when they haven't got much else going on.    I did think it slotted in a bit better at 40 minutes though and perhaps they should have kept that reduction.

Agree Bridge of Lies is not Saturday night material and just replacing contestants with celebs doesn't make it such - needed to be made more shiny floor really.   Pointless Celebs and Mastermind are a little bit more than just celebs playing the daytime game (as are the ITV equivalents).

Big Show and The Wheel can be the main event - they can both hold their own in their own right.   I do find Michale McIntyre a bit marmite - Big Show can be very good and rates well though and I think if they could get a six part run in at the end of the year and another in the Spring (once Ant and Dec finish up), then The Wheel in between in Q1 (with possibly repeats in the summer) that is a solid schedule.    Personally I'd be putting Gladiators in Q1 too but we all know it'll end up paired up with Strictly, even though it's actually probably not a natural lead in for it - and may find itself struggling up against Rugby World Cup matches this year.


As for Bradley - if he's having a Saturday job at the BBC he is probably their best shot of making a Generation Game revival successful, and that would be far better than Blankety Blank.   That said although unremarkable and dated, it does fit in the post-Strictly slot nicely.


Overall though BBC1 on Saturdays feels so much stronger than even just this time last year.   It finally feels like light entertainment is getting the investment that drama has been getting over the last few years.    If only they could now turn their attention to comedy and find the big sitcoms for a new generation and things across the schedule will look so much healthier.

I love Bradley but I think the Gen Game is just too old-fashioned now. (Also if we want to see random people messing up tasks, The Apprentice is essentially doing what the GG did)