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Monday, March 27, 2006

Switching sides

CHATTY! The New Paul O'Grady Show, Channel 4, 5.00pm

Daytime is the new primetime - apparently. It's on the cover of this week's Radio Times, so there's got to be some degree of truth to it. Anyway, this is the result of one of the more interesting things to happen on daytime TV in a while - and it all happened offscreen. As we understand it, Channel 4 are pretty much cleaning up with the triumvirate of Countdown, Deal Or No Deal and Richard and Judy. ITV1 was managing to hold its own, however, with The Paul O'Grady Show when it was on. The trouble was that Paul O'Grady felt undervalued by ITV and this left the door open for Channel 4 to come in with an enticing new offer, and so he switched sides. Now, with Rich 'n' Jude taking a bit of a break, Channel 4 still has a highly bankable chat show format to run in its place, and one that it enticed away from a rival to boot. Okay, it's hardly James Joyce's Ulysses, but we found it noteworthy all the same.

Anyway, we're not expecting a whole lot to change about the format. It will still be Paul O'Grady chatting to guests with his trademark barbed wit that means you know you're not going to get the kind of gentle, hugs-and-puppies treatment you might expect from Fern Britton. Given that the race is on to find new chatshow formats that work (the jury's still out on Davina, we imagine), this one stands out because it all seems so lifelike and natural - not to mention the kind of dinner party that you'd quite like to be a guest at, as long as you didn't have to answer any of the host's awkward questions.

Oh, and the best bit? ITV1 are running repeats of their version of this show in direct competition. Oh, it is ON.

By Steve :: Post link :: ::
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According to Marxist theory, cultural forms such as opera, classical music and the literary works of Shakespeare all fall under the heading of high culture. Low culture refers to a wide variety of cultural themes that are characterised by their consumption by the masses. We might not be Marxists, but we do know we loved Footballers Wives. If you do too, you'll know what this is all about.

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Drop everything! It's a soap wedding! :: The moment we've all been waiting for... :: Corporate takeover :: A sporting chance :: Today's selection box :: Today's Most Important Announcement :: Dream interview :: Black widow :: The only good kind of clipshow :: It's got Wood ::

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