60 minute episodes we’re hearing, which is a lot to sit through if it’s not very good as the pilot suggests. Although we suppose if you’re going to extend a show to an hour, one with 12 people talking in it is more likely to work than most.
Tim Vine (yay!) and Joe Wilkinson are going to be regular panellists.
From the ITV Press Centre (back in April):
Bob Massie, Head of Entertainment, September Films said: “It’s so exciting to have Warwick hosting this classic game show, with a new comedy twist.”
…as opposed to the original which was really serious a bit like Mastermind.
The fact that it’s September Films making it, and they made Fool Us (in my opinion the best produced new entertainment show on ITV for about seven years), means I am fractionally more hopeful than I would otherwise be. Having said that there were a few reports from audience members on Digital Spy that were less than encouraging.
Will be interested to see how it gets on. I’m not sure Celebrity Squares is particularly fondly remembered, or even remembered at all, by the viewing public (it’s no Catchphrase or Through the Keyhole). As ever its “brand value” means the first episode will probably get a million or two more viewers than an entirely new format would get – but will it hold up?
And if ITV are insistent on wringing every ounce out of their old shows *surely* this is the perfect time to resurrect (civilian) Family Fortunes in daytime – with Les Dennis hosting. His Coronation Street début is next week, I believe.
Since I’m here have some ratings. Football and tennis on channels one through three gave Channel 4 a free run at viewers who aren’t enthused by sport.
Bargain Hunt 1.70m (29.8%)
Come Dine With Me 0.85m (7.3%)
Only Connect 0.72m (3.3%)
Draw It! 0.56m (6.6%)
Deal or No Deal 0.54m (7.7%)
Countdown 0.33m (5.3%)
Cheers Paul. I know Peter Davey (who many of us will remember as the producer of The Mole UK) who produced Fool Us for September is now commissioning for ITV, and I gather he commissioned this – whether a change of staff means a change of quality remains to be seen.
I think a problem with daytime civilian Family Fortunes is that I’m not convinced you could wring it out for an hour. All-Star FF barely manages it really.
Draw It actually building on DoND? Wow, even in the circumstances.