The return of News at Ten
Updated on 14 January 2008
For the second time since its launch in 1967, ITV is resurrecting its flagship news bulletin.
The programme, produced by ITN which also makes Channel 4 News, was axed to make room for ratings-boosting films and dramas but the decision backfired and replacement news programmes became ridiculed.
There are frankly fewer viewers to fight over but like two ageing heavyweights, the big boys, BBC and ITV, have been miked up and have lumbered out of their respective corners.
Julie Etchingham, poached from Sky news, will co-present with Trevor Macdonald, 68, who said he couldn't resist the challenge.
ITV's Michael Grade has always felt it was terrible mistake to let News at Ten go in 1999.
News at When as it became known drifted ever later into the night and the average audience shrank to two and half million and lower.
It all began in black and white with title music apparently banged out on a pub piano.
Everyone knew the newscasters back then - Alastair Burnett, Sandy Gall, Andrew Gardner and Reggie Bosanquet with his toupee and ocassionally slurred speech and of course there was Anna Ford.
Huw Edwards was an avid viewer and his heroes were Leonard Parkin and Alastair Burnett.
Of course, he now presents the BBC flagship show with an audience of up to 5 million.
For ITV the re-invention of News at Ten is about ratings. The BBC claims to be less concerned about such things.
The resurrected News at Ten is claiming to offer something old and something new.
Computer generated titles have been created based on a helicopter flight down the Thames.
There've always been stylistic differences in the way a story is told by ITV and BBC.
The BBC way tends to be more formal, script takes precedence over images. It can be a litte dry.
The ITN approach has always been populist and more picture and graphic led.
You may or may not be cheered to learn that each bulletin will be rounded off with an ' And Finally story'.
Expect something mildly heart warming or amusing but fewer animals than before.
