The writing quality of Little Britain nosedived when it moved to BBC1 and they could afford more prosthetics, Have I Got News For You felt edgier when it was on BBC2, and the last series of QI transferred to BBC1 and wasn't up to its usual standard. Maybe it's all about perception, though. Nothing really changes behind-the-scenes (beyond having more money to spend), so what does it matter where they air? I guess it doesn't. But at this rate BBC2 are going to have nothing original I want to watch!
Jay Hunt, BBC1 Controller, speaking at a Broadcasting Press Guild lunch:
"One of the things we have been trying to do with Graham, along with his Eurovision commentary, is to find a home for him where he can be true to entertainment. I want viewers to see him as the great entertainer he is."On his risqué humour:
"I don't think Graham has to be rude. It is not his rudeness that makes him compelling. He has a madcap humour that sits at the heart of what he does. I think he can co-exist as a family entertainer and as a late-night chat show host."Well, that's already been proven with him doing family-friendly stuff on BBC1 and more adult material on BBC2, but Norton's already diluted his act for Auntie Beeb. Remember his glory days on Channel 4 with the delightfully filthy So Graham Norton? The BBC2 show is a pale shadow of that raucous series, so surely a move to the even more mainstream BBC1 can't be good for Norton's fans.
When it returns this autumn, Norton's chatshow will likely air on Mondays (possibly Wednesdays) at the slightly later time of 10.35pm. Given the fact Jonathan Ross' chatshow has a 10.35pm slot on Fridays, will there be some clashes and squabbles for guests in the week? Is it a good idea to have two different late-night chatshows on the same channel?
"The Graham strategy is part of something I do feel strongly about. He is a unique talent. My decision to move Graham across does not effect any decisions about Jonathan going forward. Jonathan has done some fantastic interviews recently and I am proud to have him on the channel."Interestingly, there appears to be a widespread desire to give people late-night chatshows on UK television. Justin Lee Collins just finished the inaugural run of his ITV2 chatshow (which was in direct competition with Norton's BBC2 show at 10pm on Thursdays), and Alan Carr is about to debut a chatshow on Channel 4.
"I have had the conversation with Jonathan and [his agent] Addison [Cresswell] and they both want Graham on Jonathan's show to mark him coming to the channel. I have actively been trying to build [10.35pm] as a destination slot. We want to get younger viewers to BBC1."
Ultimately, it doesn't really matter where Norton plies his trade. His show will benefit from increased exposure and the budget increase will help him land bigger-name guests (not that his BBC2 show was scratching around in the dirt for celebs.) I guess I'm just disappointed that BBC2 are losing so many great shows to their elder brother, so it's in danger of just becoming a "test site". A shame, as most shows transferring to mainstream channels have their teeth removed in transit.
