By Dan Wootton
PUBLISHED: 00:22 GMT, 24 May 2013 | UPDATED: 00:24 GMT, 24 May 2013
After being slated as TV’s worst-ever sitcom, I hear Ben Elton’s disastrous comedy The Wright Way is set to be quietly forgotten.
BBC1 will air the final episode of the show’s six-week run on Tuesday and I’m told executives have already decided it will be the last made.
My Beeb source reveals: ‘It’s still too early for there to be a formal announcement because there will be a new controller of BBC1 in place soon who will have the final say.
Off the mark: David Haig, centre, with The Wright Way cast, who have been slated by reviewers
'But it’s virtually impossible to bring back The Wright Way because it was so embarrassing and damaging to the reputation of BBC comedy.
‘It was like turning back the clock 30 years — and not in a good way. We’ve never had a comedy get such overwhelmingly bad reviews.
‘It didn’t even rate well — in fact, the ratings were down on the slot average.’
The BBC heralded The Wright Way as a new show ‘from one of Britain’s most renowned comedy writers’. It starred David Haig as an ‘exasperated everyman’ running a council health-and-safety department and was filmed earlier this year at the BBC’s Salford studios at Media City.
But the Mail’s TV critic Christopher Stevens led the near-universal derision of the show, lambasting its ‘lazy gender stereotypes, middle-aged self-pity and mild misogyny’.
TV industry insiders say the show has also ‘seriously damaged’ 54-year-old Elton’s reputation, despite a portfolio that includes legendary comedies The Young Ones and the Blackadder series.
‘It was a backward show that quite clearly showed he’s unable to make TV for 2013,’ said one executive.
‘He wrote the entire thing and the scripts are awful. It’s going to be very hard for him to get another comedy commissioned.’
It is not the first comedy disaster for Elton. His 2005 sitcom Blessed was also axed after its first series.
McFly drummer Harry Judd won Strictly Come Dancing in 2011
ITV is considering launching a music-themed panel show to challenge the long-running BBC2 series Never Mind The Buzzcocks.
All Star Family Fortunes host Vernon Kay is being lined up to present the series, which has already had a pilot made.
Popular McFly drummer Harry Judd (pictured), who won Strictly Come Dancing in 2011, and former Big Brother presenter Brian Dowling are being lined up to take the team captain roles.
‘It’s time for ITV to take on Buzzcocks,’ says a music industry source. ‘The idea for this show is to make it much more mainstream, with a focus on popular music, bands and singers who are in the charts today.’
The show would mark 27-year-old Harry’s emergence as a star in his own right after a decade behind the drums in boy band McFly.
‘Strictly proved he’s ready to step out on his own,’ says a show insider.
‘He’s actually very intelligent and witty, and was more than able to hold his own with Brian.’
Lord Sugar has backed Nick Hewer and football boss Karren Brady to continue as his sidekicks on The Apprentice for another year.
There was speculation one of the pair might decide to move on because of their other commitments — Brady is the vice-chairman of West Ham United while Hewer now presents quiz show Countdown on Channel 4.
But Lord Sugar is having none of it, insisting: ‘They are my eyes and ears as far as I’m concerned. They do a tremendously good job. Sometimes it’s a bit tiring.’
Hewer tells me he would like to continue, but admitted: ‘We’re busy.’
Fresh from revelations in the Mail last week that the BBC’s ?1 billion new broadcasting centre in Salford is becoming a white elephant, staff there tell me the ‘state of the art technology’ is far from what was promised.
In fact, radio staff say some of the studios are so ill equipped it is impossible to access wireless internet while on air.
One broadcaster reveals: ‘It is a crazy situation. Many of the radio studios used for live broadcasting have no wifi available to guests.
'Sometimes a show can go on for an hour and there is an obvious need to be connected to the web in order to keep up with breaking news stories or check facts. But that is impossible.’
Jack Carroll's comedy routine had a political bent
Inspirational 14-year-old comedian Jack Carroll (pictured) is one of the favourites to win Britain’s Got Talent, as the hit ITV talent show reaches its semi-final stage next Monday.
But Jack, who suffers from cerebral palsy, has been told his jokes will be screened if he gets through to the live shows.
I hear he was surprised when he was told an original gag, in which he compared show boss Simon Cowell with North Korea dictator Kim Jong-un, was one that might be rejected.
The theme was about them both being power-crazed, apparently, but it didn’t raise a laugh with certain, sensitive souls.
A show source reveals: ‘It’s not that Simon is precious, but rather the need to keep politics out of a family entertainment show. Jack was told he was more than welcome to compare Simon with the Star Wars character Darth Vadar.
‘It’s responsible practice for us to check the content of all of the acts that go through to the live shows. However, in the end it is a contestant’s prerogative what they perform on stage.’
View the original article here
This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.
PUBLISHED: 00:22 GMT, 24 May 2013 | UPDATED: 00:24 GMT, 24 May 2013
After being slated as TV’s worst-ever sitcom, I hear Ben Elton’s disastrous comedy The Wright Way is set to be quietly forgotten.
BBC1 will air the final episode of the show’s six-week run on Tuesday and I’m told executives have already decided it will be the last made.
My Beeb source reveals: ‘It’s still too early for there to be a formal announcement because there will be a new controller of BBC1 in place soon who will have the final say.
Off the mark: David Haig, centre, with The Wright Way cast, who have been slated by reviewers'But it’s virtually impossible to bring back The Wright Way because it was so embarrassing and damaging to the reputation of BBC comedy.
‘It was like turning back the clock 30 years — and not in a good way. We’ve never had a comedy get such overwhelmingly bad reviews.
‘It didn’t even rate well — in fact, the ratings were down on the slot average.’
The BBC heralded The Wright Way as a new show ‘from one of Britain’s most renowned comedy writers’. It starred David Haig as an ‘exasperated everyman’ running a council health-and-safety department and was filmed earlier this year at the BBC’s Salford studios at Media City.
But the Mail’s TV critic Christopher Stevens led the near-universal derision of the show, lambasting its ‘lazy gender stereotypes, middle-aged self-pity and mild misogyny’.
TV industry insiders say the show has also ‘seriously damaged’ 54-year-old Elton’s reputation, despite a portfolio that includes legendary comedies The Young Ones and the Blackadder series.
‘It was a backward show that quite clearly showed he’s unable to make TV for 2013,’ said one executive.
‘He wrote the entire thing and the scripts are awful. It’s going to be very hard for him to get another comedy commissioned.’
It is not the first comedy disaster for Elton. His 2005 sitcom Blessed was also axed after its first series.
McFly drummer Harry Judd won Strictly Come Dancing in 2011ITV is considering launching a music-themed panel show to challenge the long-running BBC2 series Never Mind The Buzzcocks.
All Star Family Fortunes host Vernon Kay is being lined up to present the series, which has already had a pilot made.
Popular McFly drummer Harry Judd (pictured), who won Strictly Come Dancing in 2011, and former Big Brother presenter Brian Dowling are being lined up to take the team captain roles.
‘It’s time for ITV to take on Buzzcocks,’ says a music industry source. ‘The idea for this show is to make it much more mainstream, with a focus on popular music, bands and singers who are in the charts today.’
The show would mark 27-year-old Harry’s emergence as a star in his own right after a decade behind the drums in boy band McFly.
‘Strictly proved he’s ready to step out on his own,’ says a show insider.
‘He’s actually very intelligent and witty, and was more than able to hold his own with Brian.’
Lord Sugar has backed Nick Hewer and football boss Karren Brady to continue as his sidekicks on The Apprentice for another year.
There was speculation one of the pair might decide to move on because of their other commitments — Brady is the vice-chairman of West Ham United while Hewer now presents quiz show Countdown on Channel 4.
But Lord Sugar is having none of it, insisting: ‘They are my eyes and ears as far as I’m concerned. They do a tremendously good job. Sometimes it’s a bit tiring.’
Hewer tells me he would like to continue, but admitted: ‘We’re busy.’
Fresh from revelations in the Mail last week that the BBC’s ?1 billion new broadcasting centre in Salford is becoming a white elephant, staff there tell me the ‘state of the art technology’ is far from what was promised.
In fact, radio staff say some of the studios are so ill equipped it is impossible to access wireless internet while on air.
One broadcaster reveals: ‘It is a crazy situation. Many of the radio studios used for live broadcasting have no wifi available to guests.
'Sometimes a show can go on for an hour and there is an obvious need to be connected to the web in order to keep up with breaking news stories or check facts. But that is impossible.’
Jack Carroll's comedy routine had a political bentInspirational 14-year-old comedian Jack Carroll (pictured) is one of the favourites to win Britain’s Got Talent, as the hit ITV talent show reaches its semi-final stage next Monday.
But Jack, who suffers from cerebral palsy, has been told his jokes will be screened if he gets through to the live shows.
I hear he was surprised when he was told an original gag, in which he compared show boss Simon Cowell with North Korea dictator Kim Jong-un, was one that might be rejected.
The theme was about them both being power-crazed, apparently, but it didn’t raise a laugh with certain, sensitive souls.
A show source reveals: ‘It’s not that Simon is precious, but rather the need to keep politics out of a family entertainment show. Jack was told he was more than welcome to compare Simon with the Star Wars character Darth Vadar.
‘It’s responsible practice for us to check the content of all of the acts that go through to the live shows. However, in the end it is a contestant’s prerogative what they perform on stage.’
View the original article here
This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.
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