Off The Telly » continuity

Three’s continuity – slight return

Steve Williams — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 08:44:52 +0000

Back in January, I suggested that BBC3 had the worst continuity announcers on telly, especially the hopeless Keiron Elliott. Almost a year on, he’s still at it, and it looks like Family Guy is continuing to bring out the worst in him.

The second part of last night’s double bill was a repeat of the episode in which Peter becomes friends with James Woods. Keiron therefore decided to announce this episode by saying “Brian gets a girlfriend, but Peter’s okay because he’s got Wood!” So amusing did Keiron think this line, he used it to introduce the double bill, then again over the end credits of the first instalment, then again to introduce the specific episode. Each time with the same dreadful giggly delivery.

Now there are many things wrong here. There’s the fact that the BBC is introducing programmes with crappy juvenile double entendres of the type Finbar Saunders would consider a bit obvious. There’s the fact they can do the same joke three times in 20 minutes. But mostly there’s the fact it doesn’t even make any sense, because he’s not called James Wood, he’s called James Woods! For heaven’s sake.

Give them some credit

Chris Orton — Fri, 04 May 2007 16:44:31 +0000

A quick one: the BBC is apparently adopting a new set of rules regarding end credits on programmes. The guidelines explain everything nice and clearly for production personnel, but I have to say that as somebody who enjoys reading the credits from time to time, this idea looks as though it is just going to result in even more screen clutter. I find the “Coming Next” taglines on BBC annoying enough as it is!

Wonder how long it will take for somebody to write to Points of View over this one?

Three’s continuity

Steve Williams — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 08:25:28 +0000

BBC3 has always had an appalling press, but I’ve always been a fan of it because I think a lot of its programmes are very good (great to see Man Stroke Woman back) and it does something different to its rivals. However, one area in which it’s always been appalling is… its dreadful continuity announcers.

Every single programme on BBC3 gets off to a thoroughly miserable start thanks to this lot, each one essaying the same excruciatingly unfunny combination of hyperbole and chumminess. So EastEnders is always “Easties”, football is always “the footy” and your average link is something like, “In an hour we’ll be doing that Little Britain thang – I’m a laydee!!!! – but now it’s lovely Jack Harkness in super spooky Torchwood!” That sort of thing. They also appear to know absolutely nothing about any programme they introduce.

The reason I mention it now is because this week has seen surely the worst continuity announcement of all time. BBC3 announcer Keiron Elliott – the former Wish You Were Here …? host turned Challenge TV linkman – was required to come in over the end credits of Family Guy on Tuesday to remind viewers that another episode would follow immediately. Keiron therefore said …

“More Family Guy next, because it’s a double bill – uuuuuuuuhh!!”

So, we’ve now reached the stage where BBC announcers are doing “spaz” voices to keep us watching. Presumably these announcements will get ever more insulting, demanding we stay tuned, and we can look forward to Keiron announcing, “Now it’s the EastEnders repeat which you missed earlier, you dozy git” or “Now here’s a show by and for a bunch of wankers, Two Pints of Lager.”

But you know, if you can’t think of anything funny to say, “More Family Guy in a moment” would suffice.