Launch TalkTV

[Brekkie]

When you have so many viewing options though why would you choose Piers?

[Inspector Sands]

A hard balancing act, because it took GB News time to find an audience but then they had more to play around with. TalkTV literally have the 3 hour long shows in the evening, so you cannot totally overall everything. Although, Wootton is one of the only shows in the same slot as launch (just minus 1 hour).

Yes when a new channel starts with everything new and un tried and tested it usually takes a while to get things right, you'll never get perfection first time. 

But as you say when there's only 3 hours of output and one hour of that is your big name there's not much wriggle room. They can't move their under performing 8pm presenter to mid mornings to see if he works there for example. GB News were able to, they had lots of presenters and programmes to shuffle round, and of course they did lose their star 8pm presenter

[derek500j]

As the overnight BARB figures for Piers Morgan’s show last night collapsed to just 24,000 viewers, a new all-time low for the struggling channel, word reaches Guido that the station’s bosses realise the show is just not working and that something drastic has to be done to stop Morgan droning on about woke issues night after night in an unappealing way. He needs a Susanna Reid type foil to contrast against him and to make his formulaic denunciations more interesting. He needs to spark off against someone on screen. As much as it might be humiliating for Morgan, it might save him from his own ego…

Last night was a total primetime drubbing in all slots for TalkTV by GB News, Pier was beaten in his own slot by Mark Steyn again, who had double the audience (54,000) that Piers had (24,000). Tom Newton Dunn’s show was showing a flicker of a pulse, inching up to 3,000 viewers against Farage’s just short of six figures 99,500. GB News was neck and neck with Sky News in primetime until Dan Wootton’s slot crushed Sophy Ridge’s new show (74,000 to 46,000). Daisy McAndrew on TalkTV managed a zero percentage audience share in the same slot…
https://order-order.com/2022/05/19/talkt...ched-show/

Wootton's two hour slot average is impressive against Ridge's one hour.

[London Lite]

I still can't get excited over two channels who are fighting for scraps of a niche audience.

[all new Phil]

I think that as much as people think there may be obvious reasons or easy fixes here, I’m not sure that’s the case.

I think it’s fair to say the following:

• The News Desk is a really well made show
  
• Piers Morgan turned GMB around, built their audience, and gave it a high profile
  
• Talk TV’s evening schedule looks respectable in terms of on-screen pres and has well-known names presenting or featuring
  

With these in mind, it’s difficult to pinpoint the issue. Is it that it’s on too niche a channel? To watch on Freeview you’d need to retune, which many won’t do regularly. That said, it’s had a lot of support from Murdoch’s other output. I think The News Desk would rate respectably if it was elsewhere, and you could almost imagine Piers’ show running late night on ITV. 

As much a figure of fun Piers is, he is broadly popular (despite protests to the contrary, I think more people quietly like him than loudly dislike him) and he was praised for his holding of MPs to account in the early days of Covid. 

Interesting talk about Piers getting a co-host. Would that make people tune in? I’m not sure. I suspect the interviewee the other day who called him something not very nice might have been a plant to generate some interest, and we might see a few more of those. 

I’d maybe swap Piers with The News Desk. Bit more of a free run at 7pm as you’ve really only got The One Show and ITV News as real competition and they could capitalise on that. I certainly struggle to find much to watch between 7 and 9pm these days and I think Piers might be a better lead in to TND than vice versa. They could probably make the change pretty quietly too if they wanted to avoid anything looking like a climb down.

[This is UTV]

I'm just wondering why it appears the multi millionaire Anne Robinson has a very limited wardrobe? What she's wearing tonight on Piers, she's had on loads and loads on Countdown. She had more wardrobe variety in the vast range of black outfits she had on the Weakest Link!

[Inspector Sands]

I think that as much as people think there may be obvious reasons or easy fixes here, I’m not sure that’s the case.

I think it’s fair to say the following:

• The News Desk is a really well made show
  
• Piers Morgan turned GMB around, built their audience, and gave it a high profile
  
• Talk TV’s evening schedule looks respectable in terms of on-screen pres and has well-known names presenting or featuring
  

As much a figure of fun Piers is, he is broadly popular (despite protests to the contrary, I think more people quietly like him than loudly dislike him)

But those who do like him do they really like him enough to watch him on TV? Personally I don't think he has an enthusiastic enough fanbase, his problem is that he's a figure of fun as you say, but the public are generally apathetic about him. There's no love or hate about him, it's more meh. 

He did turn around GMB, but that was because he disrupted an existing programme - we watched to see him and his co-hosts reaction. The ratings improved but the ony time it won the slot was the day he walked out - people watched to watch the car crash, they didn't watch that day for his opinions.

and he was praised for his holding of MPs to account in the early days of Covid. 

He was, but part of the problem is that he's now on a channel where that probably doesn't play well - both criticising the government and not being a covid-sceptic. The same in the US - he was praised for his anti-gun campaigning, but now is on an outlet where that opinion doesn't go down well either. 

That's always been my problem with Piers, when he puts his talents to something worthwhile he's great, but then he ruins it on stuff like Megan Markle, Vegan sausage rolls and the nonsense he's doing now

[KrazyKei]

Apologies Rob, I will stop the fantasy schedules from now on and won't do it again.

I agree that Piers needs to be partnered with a strong woman. It will more than likely be Sharon Osbourne but could you imagine Julia Hartley-Brewer partnering Piers. There would be fireworks literally.

[This is UTV]

Well judging by Anne Robinsons performance tonight, she really should get a weekly show. Absolutely fantastic to see her say whatever she wants with zero fear. Really do think this is not the last we've seen of her on Talk TV.

[all new Phil]

Apologies Rob, I will stop the fantasy schedules from now on and won't do it again.

I agree that Piers needs to be partnered with a strong woman. It will more than likely be Sharon Osbourne but could you imagine Julia Hartley-Brewer partnering Piers. There would be fireworks literally.

JHB is just a more controversial Piers. For it to work it needs to be someone who’ll roll their eyes at him (like Susanna Reid) rather than nod along enthusiastically. Someone like Charlene White would work well (not saying she personally is likely to join, she’s just an example of someone who is forthright but in the opposite direction to Piers).

---

Well judging by Anne Robinsons performance tonight, she really should get a weekly show. Absolutely fantastic to see her say whatever she wants with zero fear. Really do think this is not the last we've seen of her on Talk TV.

Thought she was a bit cringe. Ill thought-out arguments and lazy opinions. Actually, maybe you’re right, she’d fit right in…

[soupie]

The bit with Anne was the only thing I’ve seen on PMU that was comparable to his GMB stuff; it contained everything PMU has lacked so far: human interaction, a sense of humour and Britishness.

Also, sorry Piers but you urgently need a co-host.

[Juicy Joe]

How is James Whale doing from Thursday-Saturday?? He doesn't shine away from forthright views & it is a shame that his legendary show is cut in half by Piers Morgan Unwatched. Whale is far more entertaining!
That would be one of the main changes I'd make, a change that would bring more ratings for the channel.

[Omnipresent]

Andrew Neil speaks to Spectator TV (from 14 minutes in) about TalkTV, as well as GB News, the BBC and ITN.  Suggests the move for Murdoch is to poach Nigel Farage to both weaken GB News and build up a lead for Piers Morgan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzZ11ucO4v8&t=886s

[Juicy Joe]

Andrew Neil speaks to Spectator TV (from 14 minutes in) about TalkTV, as well as GB News, the BBC and ITN.  Suggests the move for Murdoch is to poach Nigel Farage to both weaken GB News and build up a lead for Piers Morgan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzZ11ucO4v8&t=886s

I doubt Pier Morgan would appreciate other shows "propping up" his own show, by more successful rival presenters.  Piers' show needs to dominate in its own right and I don't think this is the best way of doing it, but what do I know?

[Keith]

I wonder if Murdock has considered trying to buy out one of the local TV franchises such as That's TV. Then they could have an evening simulcast with Talk TV, which would allow Pier's programme to be seen on channel 8 in parts of the UK, and would hardly make the 'local' TV offerings much worse.