Radio 2 drivetime - another show ruined

[Harpoon]

Thought it all felt very awkward - suspect the issue is having two "big names" presenting the show, so they are both worried about dominating (in true PH style) the airtime. At least with a team, the minor people like Bobbie & Matt would dip-out entirely, leaving Simon to do his thing.

I think part of the BBC driver was to get a female into the daytime lineup as it was Evans > Bruce > Vine > Wright > Mayo. Would have been better to get rid of Steve Wright.

Also a shame to see the 7pm shows go. I wasn't a regular listener as I'm normally home but on a longer journey that went beyond drivetime, it made a nice change to hear something different. I had a post-work 4 hour drive down to Dorset a couple of weeks ago and ended up listening to all of the 7pm blues show. Huey Morgan was presenting - minimal talk and some rather enjoyable music. Likewise if I caught a folk show with Mark Ratcliffe or county with Whispering Bob.

Edited by Harpoon on Tuesday 15th May 11:13

[Dr Doofenshmirtz]

I loved the show for the banter, the expert guest at around 5:15 and the homework. The best bits all gone.
The banter was just great before (it's just something blokes can do so well if they are proper mates) - bringing in a female co presenter has just killed it stone dead.

This whole 'you must have a woman' will ruin TV and radio.
Back to Jack FM Oxford for me.

Hey BBC - Ken Bruce does a great show...why don't you fk up that as well? You know you want to. Vanessa Feltz would be a great co host.

Edited by Dr Doofenshmirtz on Tuesday 15th May 11:28

[SpeckledJim]

Rumblestripe said:

I don't generally listen to the drivetime show as usually I'm home by the time it starts. But, I do enjoy Simon Mayo as a broadcaster and the drivetime show was good when I caught it. Jo Wiley is profoundly irritating. Assuming they decided to add a female presenter why Wiley? Does she have photographs of the DG with his knob out? I'd have gone with Lisa Tarbuck.

Agree with this. Jo Whiley is neither funny nor insightful.

It's wall-to-wall inanity, platitudes, brown-nosing and name-dropping.

Disaster.

[anonymous-user]

I feel slightly vindicated reading the comments here about JW. I hated the vinegar-faced crone when she used to be on Radio 1 with Steve Lamacq and I struggled to see her appeal; her obsequiousness and cooler-than-thou attitude was hard to listen to.

I don't get a chance to listen to the drive time show much but when I did I enjoyed it. There's no compelling reason to listen after Pop Master finishes in the morning.

Pictured for reference.

[DoctorX]

It gets worse, the guest today is Craig David......

[MXRod]

Radio 2 knows its target audience ,and PHers aren’t among them . I gave up on Radio 1 years ago and moved to 2 , then the ginger fool moved over and that was the end of breakfast , the only oasis at present in Ken Bruce ,( is he up for the push at some time ?) Vine’s voice grates on my ears .So I now need to find , music and interesting chat elsewhere , Magic is “ok “ , the chat mostly being “ This is/that was “ which is in essence all I want .
Dont laugh , looking at "The Wireless " from age UK , Presenters such as Diddy Hamilton , Graham Dene

[poing]

MXRod said:

Radio 2 knows its target audience ,and PHers aren’t among them

So who is the target audience? Given the massive age range and personality range on PH there must surely be a large chunk of us in the target audience? Not seen many people saying they like it yet, on or off PH.

[MC Bodge]

Radcliffe and Maconie on 6music 13-16:00
PM on Radio 4 17:00-18:00.

Why would you choose to listen to Radio 2??

Jo Whiley has always seemed a bit "too cool for school" and smug, even on the Evening Session in the mid 90s.

[oilbethere]

Listened to it on the train after work and sadly it hasn't improved. I'm oot.

[RicksAlfas]

It was awful. Surely this is one of their flagship shows?

If they need a female presenter, they could have one to replace Steve Wright, but preferably not Jo Whiley.

[Prawo Jazdy]

This is great. Very much looking forward to Kermode & Cotton’s Film Review Programme .

[r11co]

[redacted]

[Troubleatmill]

It really was dire.

[Nom de ploom]

i think it needs time - it wasn't broken but they have tried to refresh it.

i like the fact that it goes on for an extra hour - saves having to listen to jazz and folk at 7 when we are still having dinner.

I miss matt as well....he sort of grew on me.

people don't like change as well and that could be a factor...

[SpeckledJim]

There are 3 or 4 presenters on my local BBC radio station who are funny, provocative, intelligent and play good music. They've been there for years and years.

Yet the same handful of awful presenters float perpetually and unjustifiably around the national stations, with, IMHO, a lot less talent and and a lot more wages.

[r11co]

Nom de ploom said:

i think it needs time - it wasn't broken but they have tried to refresh it.

No they haven't. They have tried to make it fit a new politically mandated template using a committee-led process that prioritises other issues above pure entertainment value.

As I said - the BBC have the luxury of being able to afford to make mediocre to downright dire programming.

[Gary29]

Sack Steve Wright and put Sara Cox in his place (silence would be an improvement over him).

Should've left drive time as it was and kept Jo on a later slot.

[RC1807]

Jo & Simon: NO. It's dire!

Simon: YES!

Matt: NO "frankly...."

Nigel Bardon: YES!

Confessions: YES!

Homework sucks: YES!

I only found out about the changes as it was mentioned on the Confessions podcast I was listening to on th eway to work on Monday morning.

Nice one, BBC R2. Should have binned Wrighty instead!

[Gary29]

RC1807 said:

Nice one, BBC R2. Should have binned Wrighty instead!

Nope, he's still going strong as ever.

His Jeremy Vine, Alan Bennett and Donald Trump 'Impersonator' skits will run and run and run and run as someone has apparently told Steve it's funny....that's brilliant....great show Steve....hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.....etc etc

[Pieman68]

Gary29 said:

reat show Steve

No G!!