ITV 'Tonight' Docs

[Stuart]

I've just watched a download of the 'Tonight' programme, and noticed they have a new presenter.  I was never sure about the purpose of that role, as they simply bookend reports by someone else, without actually contributing anything themselves.

The programme was about scams originating from people using social media and talking to strangers who intend to gain something.

At the end, the presenter then encourged people to "join the conversation on social media", which seemed rather counterintuitive given the whole point of the programme.

[JAS84]

You're right, they could just have the reporter introduce their own report. But the role's been that way since before Julie Etchingham replaced Trevor McDonald years ago. When Tonight started (over 20 years ago), it was an hour long and Trevor would introduce several reports from a studio, so it made sense back then. Then it changed to the current format.

[Brekkie]

There was a few years between Trevor and Julie when it had no host.

[JamesWorldNews]

Didn’t CNN’s Fiona Foster bridge the gap between Trevor and Julie?

[Jon]

Presumably it’s just another element alongside the programmes branding and name to link it all together as part of the same series, otherwise it would just be a series of unconnected documentaries. Of course when it first started there was more than a one report on the programme, so I guess that made sense to have Sir Trevor linking everything together. And in those days ‘Tonight with Trevor McDonald’ was very much the brand. Now I guess Paul is very much the Brand!

[VMPhil]

And in those days ‘Tonight with Trevor McDonald’ was very much the brand. Now I guess Paul is very much the Brand!

Everyone knows there’s only one brand and that’s Holly and Phillip.

[XIII]

I suspect ITV News wanted to keep Paul Brand sweet so offered him Tonight alongside his role as UK Editor. I've never seen the point of having the presenter stand outside for the intro and outro.

[natashajacobs]

I suspect ITV News wanted to keep Paul Brand sweet so offered him Tonight alongside his role as UK Editor. I've never seen the point of having the presenter stand outside for the intro and outro.

That’s what I took from it too

[Andrew]

When Julie left it was suggested it would now be presenter less, and indeed it was for a few weeks

But then they announced Paul Brand would now be the presenter, and it went back to having someone standing in a market bookending the report. Like the posters above it suggests to me it was a change of plan, and they reintroduce the role so they could give it to him

[natashajacobs]

When Julie left it was suggested it would now be presenter less, and indeed it was for a few weeks

But then they announced Paul Brand would now be the presenter, and it went back to having someone standing in a market bookending the report. Like the posters above it suggests to me it was a change of plan, and they reintroduce the role so they could give it to him

The period of time between one finishing and other being announced was relatively short I think, correct me if I’m wrong, so you would think they knew by that point that Paul would be starting in the same way that Sian knew Dan was joining 5 News a few weeks before it was announced

[Stuart]

Panorama is a similar 'investigative journalism' programme, but it's run for almost 69 years on the BBC.

It has had changed formats over the years: changed length, shuffled around the schedule, but survived despite being presenter-free since 2018.

I really do just prefer to hear from the reporters on the ground from the outset.