Is it too late to save the Late Late Show (Mod warning post #434)

Mr Pseudonym · 04-12-2013 2:11pm #1

Edit by mod:
See mod warning in post #434 before posting
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The viewships for for the three shows prior to the Toy Show were 511k, 537k, 542k.

To my mind, what's stark about these numbers is the context: consistently, 400k plus tune-in to Reeling in the Years, Room to Improve, and Winning Streak (for the week ending 24th, Novemeber, Wednesday's Fair City had 544k viewers!). That demonstrates that there is a mass of viewers who will watch anything (one imagines they are primarily middle-aged/elderly). Therefore, only about a quarter of the viewers of RTE's flagship show are unique.

Unfortunately, I can't get historical viewing figures. But these articles seem to suggest that audience numbers are greatly down on previous years: 1; 2; 3 - average of 850k in Spring '11; 650k tune-in to first show of Autumn '11; 630k watch show in Spring of '13.

Obviously, changing TV habits, etc, are likely responsible for some of the reduction. But, unquestionably, the LLS under Ryan Tubridy has become more celebrity-plugging-book dominated, with reduced current affairs debate and discussion. In changing approach in this way, LLS has become almost identical to the celebrity chat-fest traditionally aired on Saturday nights, now hosted by Brendan O'Connor. This has lead to the two shows competing for guests.

So, what should be done? In my opinion: two hours is almost certainly too long - it should be shortened; Tubridy is a poor broadcaster and fails to conduct either serious or light interviews with ease - even Miriam O'Callaghan would be better; freshen the format - more stand-up comedy slots, shorter interviews, less celebrity. In trying to attract the younger viewer, LLS is competing with Channel 4 and BBC, and should, therefore, attempt to differentiate itself.

Until the LLS drops below 400k, it won't (and shouldn't) be scrapped. My title refers to whether its identity - "the show the nation watches" - can be maintained. There's no doubt that the show is a perfect platform for certain things - the conclusion of the Ireland's Greatest competition; Eurovision entry selection; Toy Show. It's whether the week-to-week programmes can retain viewers' interest.

seamus · 04-12-2013 2:29pm

Mr Pseudonym wrote: »

To my mind, what's stark about these numbers is the context: consistently, 400k plus tune-in to Reeling in the Years, Room to Improve, and Winning Streak (for the week ending 24th, Novemeber, Wednesday's Fair City had 544k viewers!). That demonstrates that there is a mass of viewers who will watch anything

That's a pretty big jump you're making there, and fairly insulting to a lot of people. Just because these aren't programmes you may enjoy, doesn't mean they aren't popular.

Winning Streak I find to be a godawful piece of cringe TV, but some people watch it religiously. I mean, "Get the dinner made or we'll miss Winning Streak", religious. These aren't people who are watching these shows in the absence of something to do, this is a hardcore fanbase who don't miss them. The power of that fanbase can't be written off as "just some aul wans".

I do agree with the rest of your post though, that they should look at doing something with the format. It's not really the LLS's fault that it's become a platform for book-pluggers. That's the nature of the format. Back in the 70s and 80s, there were less channels, less talk shows, so the likes of Billy Connolly were more than happy to come onto a show, talk crap for an hour and have a bit of a laugh, and get some national exposure. If you were releasing a book you would go on Parkie, Gaybo, a few radio shows and you've got 99% coverage of the British Isles.

Now, however you have far more channels and talk shows, many with much bigger viewerships (think Graham Norton), such that an invite to the LLS is no longer a prestige event for a celebrity, rather another media request where they get to demand an appearance fee, or plug their latest book/film/pet project. In order to get good coverage, they have to run a talk show circuit of 30 or 40 different interviews in various regions.
The international spread of media also creates more markets to play in, further limiting time and requiring people to be picky.

Maybe the answer is to focus on current events more, bring in smaller local celebrities like Christy Moore or Glen Hansard who might not have the appeal of Colin Farrell, but will be happy to come and just have a chat and a laugh without trying to plug anything.

mike65 · 04-12-2013 2:33pm

It really should be shortened but it won't be as every ad break during the LLS is worth more than a break during whatever would take its place either before or more likely after a shorter show.

Mr Pseudonym · 04-12-2013 2:57pm

seamus wrote: »

That's a pretty big jump you're making there, and fairly insulting to a lot of people. Just because these aren't programmes you may enjoy, doesn't mean they aren't popular.

Winning Streak I find to be a godawful piece of cringe TV, but some people watch it religiously. I mean, "Get the dinner made or we'll miss Winning Streak", religious. These aren't people who are watching these shows in the absence of something to do, this is a hardcore fanbase who don't miss them. The power of that fanbase can't be written off as "just some aul wans".

I don't think it is insulting: I listen to Radio 4 religiously, regardless of what is on. I agree that I've made an assumption. But, I would be quite confident that a sizeable number of the viewers of those programmes also watch the LLS.

I'm sure the "hardcore fanbase" you mention exists, but not in the numbers that you imply. Eight o'clock on a Saturday is prime-time viewing, and is likely to attract casual viewers.

gobnaitolunacy · 04-12-2013 3:02pm

There was a time the LLS mattered and there would be discussions about it all the following week. Scandalous (by 1980's Irish standards) stuff.
Those days are well and truely gone and they aint coming back, even if we cloned Gaybo, it's just a different world now.

zoobizoo · 04-12-2013 3:28pm

They just need someone who is interesting, interested and with a sense of humour presenting the show.

Everyone has an interesting story to tell but Ryan does not seem to be able to draw it out in his guests.

RayM · 04-12-2013 5:06pm

Mr Pseudonym wrote: »

even Miriam O'Callaghan would be better;

No, she wouldn't. She genuinely wouldn't.

The Late Late Show has actually been relatively good over the last few months. And Tubridy has been doing a pretty good job. He seems a lot more relaxed. Just look through the recent LLS threads on here and you'll see a lot less criticism and a lot more praise than in previous years.

Sideshow Mark · 04-12-2013 7:39pm

Certainly should be at least 30 minutes shorter.

It also shouldn't be live, recording on a Thursday or even a Friday evening would certainly reduce the cringe factor and awkwardness that LLS with Ryan Tubridy often suffers from. Graham Norton, Jonathan Ross and Jay Leno all have better, tighter programs.

Finally, they need to become less reliant on interviewing RTE personalities about their RTE product.

Mr Pseudonym · 04-12-2013 7:44pm

RayM wrote: »

No, she wouldn't. She genuinely wouldn't.

Trust me, I am more than happy to stand corrected on that claim!

Sideshow Mark wrote: »

Finally, they need to become less reliant on interviewing RTE personalities about their RTE product.

Brendan O'Connor's guest list from a few months ago: Norah Casey, Oliver Callan, Angela Scanlon.

Two years after the death of her husband, Richard Hannaford, presenter and broadcaster Norah Casey will speak to O'Connor about her decision to take a back seat from her Harmonia publishing company to focus on her passions.

RTÉ Radio 1 Callan Kicks creator, comedian and impersonator Oliver Callan will give an alternative State of the Nation address.

Fashionista and presenter of upcoming RTÉ Two Reality Bites documentary, Oi! Ginger will talk about the show and the challenges she has encountered of 'gingerism'.

Saturday Night Show lineup for Oct 19th

In other words, all RTE contractors. I presume you'd call for less of that!

spank_inferno · 05-12-2013 3:17pm

While the elderly exist there will always be a LLS.

kneemos · 05-12-2013 6:14pm

spank_inferno wrote: »

While the elderly exist there will always be a LLS.

Doubt many under fifty watch it these days but as long as they get the ad revenue they'll see it as a successful show.

I have s theory that a lot of people watch it out of habit more than interest.

TCDStudent1 · 05-12-2013 9:20pm

It is probably not an issue right at the top of their minds. But the LLS set is absolutely terrible. Dreary and depressing. Even compared with the 1980s late late with the yellowish colour. The 80s were supposed to be more depressing than now!

PanaDrama · 05-12-2013 11:25pm

Tubridy can't do live television, end of.
It's painful watching him. Worse still he clearly doesn't even read his researchers notes properly. I.e. the show where he got the Cork footballer's names wrong.

The likes of Johnathon Ross might have zero interest in sport but at least he's professional.
Given the amount of money he's on, I think the guy's an embarassment.

delbertgrady · 06-12-2013 11:12am

The format simply doesn't work in 2013, nor has it worked for years. No other programme attempts to mix celebrity guests and hard-hitting panel discussions. The only other show I can think of that tried to balance the two was That's Life ("Hey! Look at the dog on rollerskates! Now, let's talk about the homeless..."), which the BBC put out of its misery years ago.

I don't think that the book-plugging element is a problem in itself. Anyone who goes on the Jonathan Ross or Graham Norton shows are also promoting a film or a book or a DVD, so it's just become the norm on chat shows. The difference is the calibre of guest and the fact that both Ross and Norton, whether you like either of them or not, are much more polished and at ease with genuine A-Listers. Not that the LLS gets many A-Listers. Tubridy was practically trembling a few years ago because Anna Faris (bubbly, but hardly Sandra Bullock) was on, so unusual was it to have any American personality on the show.

Tubridy's problem is that he is completely terrified of going off the pre-prepared questions. He clings onto those cards like his life depends on them. Someone could say something revelatory - like Jack Lemmon announcing he was an alcoholic on Inside the Actors' Studio - and he'd be in a blind panic. When Michelle Heaton was on talking about her traumatic surgery decisions, he just couldn't handle it, and it seemed he was more keen to cut to a commercial break for his sake than hers. I'm not disputing it was a hard subject to talk about, but he's the one paid to do just that.

The laziness and predictability of the questions is equally sloppy. Bryan Cranston was on earlier this year, and the researchers obviously had a quick look at the imdb and saw that he had been in many high-profile TV shows over the years, and decided to work a little quiz around it. Now, Cranston was excellent, but they got away with it because he entered into the spirit of proceedings. Anyone else, it would have been cringeworthy.

The main problem is the format. I'm old enough to remember the old school 1980s LLS, and at the time, the mix of celebrity guests and the inevitable heavy discussion of "issues" kind of worked, but it was a very different Ireland back then, where some people still lived in the Land of Two Channels, so exposure to such things was a selling point.

In that pre-internet, pre-satellite TV world, long before media saturation of celebrity culture, to see anyone remotely famous in the show was a big deal. There was a novelty in seeing an actor or a comedian, because to most people, they were of another time and place, and yet there they were, talking to Uncle Gay.

Tubridy got in a strop a few years ago, referring to the fact that people kept going on about Peter Ustinov on the show, but failing to grasp that the very thing that MADE Ustinov's appearances memorable was his gift as a raconteur, and - dare I say it - Gaybo being comfortable in letting the man speak. Tubs is never going to create memorable TV by hauling in whoever happens to be sitting in the RTÉ canteen.

gobnaitolunacy · 06-12-2013 11:31am

To gives Tubs his dues, he does play a blinder on the Toy Show, instead of being uncomfortable with kids (Pat) or condecending/patronising (Gaybo).

He's mediocre-to-poor the rest of the year. He should stick to (very) light entertainment or kids' shows!

Mr Pseudonym · 06-12-2013 11:49am

delbertgrady wrote: »

The format simply doesn't work in 2013, nor has it worked for years. No other programme attempts to mix celebrity guests and hard-hitting panel discussions.

I thought that, if done well, the mixture of light and serious could work. But, on consideration, I'm inclined to agree that it can't. Or, at least, can't expect to attract so sizeable an audience. I do think, though, that it's done poorly, atm. To me, it feels like a celebrity chat-show with seriousness tacked-on, rather than a mix.

There's no doubt that it takes a skilful presenter to go from celebrity chatter to discussing tragedy, as is often the case on the LLS. Problem is, Tubridy does neither well. The trend is to have a host who is entertaining in their own right. It doesn't matter if a guest is boring on Jonathan Ross, because he will bring more attention on himself.

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

To gives Tubs his dues, he does play a blinder on the Toy Show, instead of being uncomfortable with kids (Pat)...

Did you not watch it last year, then?!

jmcc · 06-12-2013 11:38pm

No. Tubridy is more suited to the kind of Saturday Night show that O'Connor is fronting. Historically how much of the Late Late audience is left from when he took over?

Regards...jmcc

Mick Murdock · 07-12-2013 12:40pm

I'm all for getting rid of Tubridy but you can't be serious about putting Miriam O'Callaghan in his place. She would be infinitely worse!! She is one of the most uninteresting people in all of television and comes across even less genuine than Pat Kenny when interviewing people.

They really need to get rid of the tales of misery and woe. It's a Friday night, it should be light entertainment only. Tubridy is probably not the man for that job.

How about getting someone from outside of RTÉ? A comedian or something..? Not that we have many funny ones, but it would be a start.

Mc Love · 08-12-2013 9:05am

Shorten the broadcast, get a new presenter that has a bit of character like Norton, Woss or even Alan Carr, attract new guests, make it a chat show and not an extension of prime time with a bit of fun thrown in.

You can see the reason for including the Late Late band as that is what I hope the producers/tubs wanted the direction of the show to take much like his own show before he started with the LLS. if they could produce the show he had before the LLS it would be more successful than the current tripe served up every week, that most of us in our thirty's/late twenties that dont go out every weekend stay in and watch the likes of Norton!

BabysCoffee · 08-12-2013 12:46pm

The misery slot has got to go. Who needs to hear sad stories of sickness, death, etc on a Friday night.

It needs to be kept upbeat to entertain the audience.

Unfortunately the presenter drains the energy and buzz from the guests. Over the years he has done this to Take That, Juliette Binoche, Mia Farrow to name a few. These are big names - they should have been memorable interviews (for good reasons, not memorable for the way the presenter handled these guests).

And need I remind you of the horrendous Rhys Ifans interview???!!

Lapin · 08-12-2013 8:10pm

Saving LLS in 6 easy steps.

Drop the weekly dose of depression, suicide and cancer.

Bring back topical debates with audience participation and bring back panels of guests.

Splash out on one international famous guest per week and shut the revolving on regular RTÉ faces plugging RTÉ programmes.

Take the show out of Dublin a couple of times a season.

Snip a half hour off the length of it.

Give it to Brendan O'Connor.

Job done.

kneemos · 08-12-2013 8:15pm

Lapin wrote: »

Saving LLS in 6 easy steps.

Drop the weekly dose of depression, suicide and cancer.

Bring back topical debates with audience participation and bring back panels of guests.

Splash out on one international famous guest per week and shut the revolving on regular RTÉ faces plugging RTÉ programmes.

Take the show out of Dublin a couple of times a season.

Snip a half hour off the length of it.

Give it to Brendan O'Connor.

U
Job done.

Fell on the last hurdle I'm afraid.

Lapin · 08-12-2013 8:16pm

spank_inferno wrote: »

While the elderly exist there will always be a LLS.

I for one seriously hope the elderly are still in existence in about 30 years time. :eek:

Nothing to do with the LLS.

Its a purely selfish perspective !

grey_so_what · 08-12-2013 8:24pm

Lapin wrote: »

I for one seriously hope the elderly are still in existence in about 30 years time. :eek:

Nothing to do with the LLS.

Its a purely selfish perspective !

+1...

:eek:

Lapin · 08-12-2013 8:24pm

kneemos wrote: »

Fell on the last hurdle I'm afraid.

True, BOC is not universally popular.

But he can engage with his guests in a more informal and relaxed manner than Tubridy (who often seems he would be lost without his cue cards and nervous if anything veers off script). BOC is a lot more comfortable when it comes to thinking on his feet.

While both have an ability to jump from light to heavy discussions with ease, I think BOC has a more natural style of interacting with his guests. Even in the most serious interviews he manages to lighten the mood with some ice breaking humour without being condescending.

I like Tubridy but he is more suited to his old Saturday night show than the LLS.

Mr Pseudonym · 08-12-2013 8:33pm

Lapin wrote: »

Saving LLS in 6 easy steps.

Drop the weekly dose of depression, suicide and cancer.

Bring back topical debates with audience participation and bring back panels of guests.

Splash out on one international famous guest per week and shut the revolving on regular RTÉ faces plugging RTÉ programmes.

Take the show out of Dublin a couple of times a season.

Snip a half hour off the length of it.

Give it to Brendan O'Connor.

Job done.

1. I hope that's not to say that there couldn't occasionally be an interview of that kind. It's just the frequency (and length!!) I object to.

2. It's certainly the part of the show I like most (last one I can remember was with Fintan O'Toole, Shane Ross, Olivia O'Leary, and Nick Webb). Problem is, there aren't enough topics! I think we'd tire of a regular discussion slot, and would bemoan the standard of guests.

3. As far as I know, RTE have a policy of not paying an appearance fee to guests who are pugging something, so that's not an option, really.

4. I agree about shaking it up. But, and I don't know the answer to this, I presume the reason the show is in a studio, and not some sort of hall, is that there are acoustic and lighting requirements.

5. Yes, yes, yes!

6. Erm. He's not as bad as people claim. But, I think we can do better!

Lapin wrote: »

True, BOC is not universally popular.

But he can engage with his guests in a more informal and relaxed manner than Tubridy (who often seems he would be lost without his cue cards and nervous if anything veers off script). BOC is a lot more comfortable when it comes to thinking on his feet.

While both have an ability to jump from light to heavy discussions with ease, I think BOC has a more natural style of interacting with his guests. Even in the most serious interviews he manages to lighten the mood with some ice breaking humour without being condescending.

I like Tubridy but he is more suited to his old Saturday night show than the LLS.

I think you've been very generous to both. I admit that O'Connor's show can be quite good, and that he is actually not bad at serious interviews, but he's still not fantastic. I think it works fine when he's the alternative, but we'd probably find much to grumble about were he the flagship presenter. I agree that Tubridy's Saturday show was actually quite enjoyable, but the way in which he presents the LLS is different from how he presented that: he seems to attempt to be more dignified and serious, and lacks the humility that he displayed on Saturdays.

Cork boy 55 · 08-12-2013 8:39pm

What about

serious stuff in the first half
Cancer of the week
Dunphy moaning
de misery
etc

Then have an intermission , De weather and headlines
costume change for tubs

second half
Light entertainment,
de music,
jokes
etc

----

Late Late Show
ACT 1
Intermission
ACT 2

PanaDrama · 09-12-2013 10:47am

Tubbers can't adlib.

He's essentially an empty suit.
He's stiff, he flaps if the conversation veers off the set questions and most importantly he's on utterly ridiculous money.

The licence payers fee would be better spent on something more worthwhile.
The Late Late is irrelevant and as has already been said is basically a trawl of the canteen to highlight whatever ****e RTE are churning out for the winter.

Mc Love · 09-12-2013 4:21pm

Cant stand BOC and he puts his foot in it a lot of the time, LLS would die if he took over!

DBIreland · 09-12-2013 5:58pm

I think someone like Sean Moncrieff could do a great job hosting a show with both light-hearted and serious topics. One of the better interviewers i've heard in the last few years. His show on Newstalk is one of the best things on radio.

BuilderPlumber · 02-01-2014 5:23pm

To be honest, I gave up watching the Tubridy Show which has become largely irrelevant and does not seem to know its audience. He will be back on our screens next week again, so here is my response to some of the issues raised here earlier.

The misery slot: I would be along the lines of seeing this type of slot less frequently but not cut out at all. Tubridy however has no talent whatsoever in dealing with these types of issues and comes across as condescending often.
Debates: I am fine with them as long as they are not about bloody Irish politics and the 'recession hypocricy' whe've been hearing about for too long without change. We already got rid of The Frontline and it is less not more of this type of stuff we need.
Presenters: I like Brendan O'Connor personally and enough to go out Friday instead of Saturday! His show is more engaging and he is better with his guests and much more interesting. It also shows he can do more in an hour and 10 minutes than Tubridy can do in over 2 hours. Sean Moncrieff is very good too and would make a good presenter. Clearly, Tubridy is wrong for the show.
The length: clearly, the show is way too long. Why does it have to be nearly 2 and a half hours? It is longer than ever these last few years. Gaybo was strictly 9.30-11.30.
Older audience: many often say it is for older audiences. But clearly the guests often have little to offer such audiences. For an audience whose musical tastes would be Jim Reeves or Frank Sinatra and not Westlife or One Direction and whose film tastes would be Westerns and not Anchorman 2, there is very little on offer here. Very little showbands or Fair City actors on too.
Younger Audience: It is perceived as uncool by younger audiences. Kids are into these boybands but are probably getting to see them elsewhere. No 15 year old is going to admit to watching Tubridy are they!!
The format: some guests on too long, some on too short. The first or second half can go on forever with a boring guest (or at least made boring by Tubridy!). More talk than song with musical guests. Stupid fillerinner games with the audience. The stupid modern pop songs played by the band when guests make their way from the back to the studio. Etc, etc.

Overall, it's a show that has lost its way and does not know its audience. It needs serious reform and clearly a new presenter.

For Reals · 03-01-2014 8:21pm

Hey, the elderly are people too!

Just because many are a captive audience who, as pointed out, will watch pretty much anything, that doesn't mean they like it. As the older generations become more DVD/Streaming savvy, we'll see this show fade unless it picks up.
With changing hosts there is always hope, but using the ever changing, never be the same again, world as a reasoning for the shows quality decline is baloney. There are still amazing interviews and documentaries happening. The Internet means we get news fast but generally sound bite driven snippets. Although this is enough for some people who skim the main points, some are interested in the story. That's, sadly, what the LLS fails to deliver. It gives no more insight then you can get from Wikipedia or any random youtube search. That's bad production and presentation, not because of the times. Its not even necessarily due to lack of Hollywood talent as guests. Even back in the days of Gay the shine wore off if there wasn't a good anecdote teased out of them. The only entertaining thing about having a Hollywood A-lister on the LLS would be waiting on Ryan's gaffe.
He plain sucks and there seems to be no talent in the production department.
"You're sick, tell us about it" "Your famous, what's that like?"
Riveting.

BuilderPlumber · 04-01-2014 8:59pm

For Reals wrote: »

Hey, the elderly are people too!
Just because many are a captive audience who, as pointed out, will watch pretty much anything, that doesn't mean they like it. As the older generations become more DVD/Streaming savvy, we'll see this show fade unless it picks up.
With changing hosts there is always hope, but using the ever changing, never be the same again, world as a reasoning for the shows quality decline is baloney. There are still amazing interviews and documentaries happening. The Internet means we get news fast but generally sound bite driven snippets. Although this is enough for some people who skim the main points, some are interested in the story. That's, sadly, what the LLS fails to deliver. It gives no more insight then you can get from Wikipedia or any random youtube search. That's bad production and presentation, not because of the times. Its not even necessarily due to lack of Hollywood talent as guests. Even back in the days of Gay the shine wore off if there wasn't a good anecdote teased out of them. The only entertaining thing about having a Hollywood A-lister on the LLS would be waiting on Ryan's gaffe.
He plain sucks and there seems to be no talent in the production department.
"You're sick, tell us about it" "Your famous, what's that like?"
Riveting.

Tubridy's show offers nothing to older or younger audiences. I am aware of people of all ages who view it as poor. Young or old alike can sit back and pop in a DVD of their favourite action film, western, TV series, comedy, concert, etc. instead or they can switch to Graham Norton, the TNG western, or even the BBC news if they prefer.

Tubridy has a lot of competition and it is far more entertaining. But Tubridy does not even seem to care: he continues on as always. He is one of the poorest chatshow around at present. It seems to have no audience in mind or either does it satisfy the 'something for everybody' philosophy'. Something for nobody would be more of a description!

CountyHurler · 05-01-2014 3:07am

While I agree whole heartedly with the multi disciplined tradesman above, I think this whole discussion is pointless. The problem with the show is hugely down to the presenter, and RTE will not fire Tubridy, it simply will not happen..

Watching his ex colleague Oliver Callan the other night, it is clear to me that Oliver Callan is the only person in Montrose who is prepared to cast a critical eye on Tubridy and his dreadful tenure of The Late Late Show. They've stood by him through his interviews with Juliette Binnoche, Ronan Keating, Cuba Gooding Junior, The Anchormen etc etc.... it's been apparent from very early on that the only thing the man is proficient in is bootlicking..

RTE can see that Graham Norton is THE most popular talk show, so why do they have the ANTI - Graham Norton, self confessed nerd Tubridy, presenting their flagship alternative.. I'm sure Tubridy is a nice guy, but my accountant is a nice guy and I wouldnt give have him presenting a TV show..

BabysCoffee · 06-01-2014 10:53am

CountyHurler wrote: »

Watching his ex colleague Oliver Callan the other night, it is clear to me that Oliver Callan is the only person in Montrose who is prepared to cast a critical eye on Tubridy and his dreadful tenure of The Late Late Show. They've stood by him through his interviews with Juliette Binnoche, Ronan Keating, Cuba Gooding Junior, The Anchormen etc etc.... it's been apparent from very early on that the only thing the man is proficient in is bootlicking..

Callan either reads the LLS thread or maybe it is apparent to all that Tubs is a bumbling presenter and can only operate (badly) off the cue cards.

Tubridy needs to be pulled from the LLS and given a quiz show where he can read questions off cards to his little hearts content.

A new presenter is needed.....urgently.

Mc Love · 06-01-2014 11:58am

If RTE coughed up our money for GN would more people watch the show?? I think personally they would but the older generation wouldnt get him but would still watch out of loyalty!

FFS they even watch Brendan O'Connor!

Skid X · 06-01-2014 2:17pm

Mc Love wrote: »

If RTE coughed up our money for GN would more people watch the show?? I think personally they would but the older generation wouldnt get him but would still watch out of loyalty!

Graham Norton is about as likely to quit the BBC for the Late Late Show, as Bryan Dobson is to leave RTE to join the Tuam Herald.

He has the best job in British TV. And the LLS has a ridiculous format which is at least 20 years out of date. No matter who was presenting it, people would be on here whinging about the host

dingy2 · 06-01-2014 2:24pm

Late Late Show is well past it's due date and should be gotten rid off

BuilderPlumber · 06-01-2014 4:10pm

BabysCoffee wrote: »

CountyHurler wrote: »

Watching his ex colleague Oliver Callan the other night, it is clear to me that Oliver Callan is the only person in Montrose who is prepared to cast a critical eye on Tubridy and his dreadful tenure of The Late Late Show. They've stood by him through his interviews with Juliette Binnoche, Ronan Keating, Cuba Gooding Junior, The Anchormen etc etc.... it's been apparent from very early on that the only thing the man is proficient in is bootlicking..

Callan either reads the LLS thread or maybe it is apparent to all that Tubs is a bumbling presenter and can only operate (badly) off the cue cards.

Tubridy needs to be pulled from the LLS and given a quiz show where he can read questions off cards to his little hearts content.

A new presenter is needed.....urgently.

Tubridy's tenure as host has indeed seen this show go downhill completely. Poor interviewing and focus on the wrong issues has made many a guest seem boring. A typical Tubridy set of questions:

So, you have some Irish blood in you?
What part of Ireland do your anscestors comes from?
Do you like being in Ireland?
What do you like best about Ireland?
How is your newborn baby?
Can you show me a photo of your new baby?

etc., etc. That is the talent of the Tubridy!

For Reals · 06-01-2014 4:43pm

There is a tradition to watching the LLS, specifically the Toy Show, not unlike very lapsed religious folk attending midnight mass.
Gaybo himself heralded Tubbs as the chosen one set to make the LLS more like the David Letterman style of entertainment talk show he had wanted it to be, which it currently fails to do miserably, (the banter with the house band, occasional wink to camera).
The Irish heritage fixation stems back to the pre-internet, early days of U2 when the chance of a famous person having any Irish connection was a national win. Of all things carried over from those days, they select and flog the deadest of horses. As with the misery corner, these were only ever aired if there was an unusual angle, as sadly we all know somebody or of somebody with an illness, why just interview somebody because they are sick?
We don't need to make comparisons to others hosts or show budgets. Gay went up against Parkinson. Norton is a babbling court Jester compared to Parkinson, just sayin'.
Tubbs is a below par presenter who was handed a plumb job by birthright. He didn't earn it through talent or fight his way into and upward in broadcasting. That's why he has no edge or bite to him. And I feel the producers, who could pull something together from all this, are either following Tubb's lead, or simply not capable.

AnonoBoy · 06-01-2014 4:51pm

Mc Love wrote: »

If RTE coughed up our money for GN would more people watch the show?? I think personally they would but the older generation wouldnt get him but would still watch out of loyalty!

Graham Norton earns 2.6m pounds a year.

RTE could never afford that nor would the public allow them to pay someone that highly.

Also even if Norton did come here he still wouldn't get the A list guests that he gets on BBC.

Mc Love · 06-01-2014 5:10pm

AnonoBoy wrote: »

Graham Norton earns 2.6m pounds a year.

RTE could never afford that nor would the public allow them to pay someone that highly.

Also even if Norton did come here he still wouldn't get the A list guests that he gets on BBC.

He still had A listers on his Channel 4 show! RTE should have approached him before that ended!

What Ireland needs on a friday night is an entertainment much like what Tubridy tonight used to be!

AnonoBoy · 06-01-2014 5:40pm

Mc Love wrote: »

He still had A listers on his Channel 4 show! RTE should have approached him before that ended!

And the common denominator of both his BBC and Channel 4 shows?

London.

We don't get the same calibre of A-listers coming through Dublin on a regular basis unfortunately.

They probably should have approached him but to be honest RTE are not renowned for their vision are they? They tend to try and force the square pegs already in Montrose into the round holes that they want to fill instead of shopping around for newer pegs with rounder edges.

BuilderPlumber · 06-01-2014 5:51pm

Mc Love wrote: »

He still had A listers on his Channel 4 show! RTE should have approached him before that ended!

What Ireland needs on a friday night is an entertainment much like what Tubridy tonight used to be!

For some strange reason, Tubridy was quite good on this show and even his first year doing the LLS. It is in the last 3 years or so he has totally lost his knack for presenting chatshows.

For Reals · 06-01-2014 6:07pm

I think he suited the light, not taken too serious, show he had prior to the LLS. He hasn't the depth or charisma to carry off any form of solid interview other than what we get off him, "Hollywood!, sure that's great for you. And you're sure you're not Irish?"

Mr Pseudonym · 06-01-2014 7:20pm

Some might enjoy the hatchet-job review of Tubridy's Christmas book, The Irish Are Coming, which appeared in the most recent issue of Phoenix magazine. I include some quotes for your delectation:

For context, the book "consists of short pen portraits of forty or so Irish personalities who 'made a significant impact on British life'".

"What becomes immediately evident is that the most important celebrity story of all is that of the author himself. Tubs chips in regularly with some well-worn words of wisdom ... This results in a lot of showbiz gossip dressed up as serious analysis.

"Ryan is desperately eager to please, of course, and can only find integrity wherever he looks. Actor Chris O'Dowd is a 'good guy with a big heart'. Jonathan Swift ("the godfather of satire") might well have been a handful, but 'inside his works is the beating heart of humanity'. Even (Michael O'Leary) has 'a big heart in there despite all the bluster'.

"Oblivious to the dangers of over-simplification, he is quite content to cram the life and career of George Bernard Shaw into a page or two.

"Tubs's heavy-handed writing is rather too partial to the cliche. Irish people emigrate 'in their droves', comedians 'strut their stuff', while rock bands 'burst on to the scene'. Fortunately, the Irish love nothing more than being out 'enjoying the craic'.

"Ryan's own vibe is slight entertainment and The Irish Are Coming manages to be entirely trite, with too many hackneyed anecdotes and giddy hyperbole. His natural comfort zone is inane gossip about Bond movies and boy bands. Like so many celeb books aimed at the Christmas market, this one gets duller and more tiresome as it goes on.

"Readers will learn nothing new from Tubs's latest exercise in self-indulgence - other than the blindingly obvious fact that a minority of Irish emigrants has found success in Britain."

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

Younger Audience: It is perceived as uncool by younger audiences. Kids are into these boybands but are probably getting to see them elsewhere. No 15 year old is going to admit to watching Tubridy are they!!

Stupid fillerinner games with the audience. The stupid modern pop songs played by the band when guests make their way from the back to the studio. Etc, etc.

I wonder what percentage of the audience, when One Direction appeared, was under 20! Maybe ~10%? The problem is that any seriousness to the show will make it uncool/uninteresting to younger viewers.

Chuckle! Those audience interactions are horrendous, aren't they?! It's cringe-inducing watching the nervous participants play a pointless game.

For Reals wrote: »

Norton is a babbling court Jester compared to Parkinson, just sayin'.

Tubbs … didn't earn it through talent or fight his way into and upward in broadcasting. That's why he has no edge or bite to him. And I feel the producers, who could pull something together from all this, are either following Tubb's lead, or simply not capable.

I disagree on the first. I think it takes a great amount of skill to interview several people at the same time, as Norton does. He conducts the show effortlessly.

Tubrudy earned it because of his performance on Saturdays. Remarkably, there have been three producers over the course of Tubridy’s tenure.

AnonoBoy wrote: »

Also even if Norton did come here he still wouldn't get the A list guests that he gets on BBC.

As I said earlier, RTE has a policy of not paying an appearance fee to guests who are plugging something. So, it must be incredibly difficult to fill a two-hour show on a weekly basis.

Mc Love wrote: »

What Ireland needs on a friday night is an entertainment much like what Tubridy tonight used to be!

I'm not sure I agree. We each have our own idea of what constitutes entertainment! The old LLS used to work because it combined a lot of those. I think Graham Norton is excellent, but I only watch it if there is a particularly appealing (to me) guest being interviewd.

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

For some strange reason, Tubridy was quite good (during) his first year doing the LLS. It is in the last 3 years or so he has totally lost his knack for presenting chatshows.

I don't agree: his debut serious interview with Cowen was a disaster.

A general point: the LLS, as it is, requires a very rare breed of presenter: one who can do serious debate, human interest interviews, and entertaining celebrity-chats. If the LLS were broken into its constituent parts, up-and-coming unknowns could be tried. For instance, Eoghan McDermott may be able to do the celeb interviewing well, but he could NEVER be considered for the LLS because of the other requirements. I agree with someone’s suggestion above that Sean Moncrief could be very good.

BuilderPlumber · 06-01-2014 9:59pm

Tubridy's book, The Irish Are Coming, is awful. I looked through it and it is Friday nights in print form basically! Louis Walsh and One Direction feature bigtime. I can't understand is obsession with these (I always assumed Tubridy was more of a Frank Sinatra man back in the Tubridy Tonight days?????).

Tubridy's debut interview with Brian Cowen was a disaster for sure (a hint of things to come). Tubridy is not good at dealing with serious issues at all for sure. His show is supposed to be entertaining but instead it is lightweight and silly overall. Typically, it followings:

Section 1: some b-celeb plugs their whatever it is they do. Tubridy talks babies and being Irish to them.
Section 2: some sports star comes on and the interview conducted the same as section 1.
Section 3: the misery slot with Tubridy coming across as condescending.
Section 4: the best guest will usually be last and Tubridy will not engage with them. Back to the babbies!

The making of a good show is the right host and good guests. With Tubridy's LLS, you often have neither. Every year, he promises he will change and 'make the show his own'. But, Tubridy will continue to be a very poor host it seems.

Prior to Tubridy, Pat Kenny hosted the show from 1999 to 2009. He was often called unfit for light entertainment by his critics but he was a way better presenter of the show than Tubridy. He had a better interviewing technique and while he had his poor shows, Kenny was never one to grovel to the likes of Louis Walsh.

Kenny succeeded Gaybo who is the show really. Gaybo was a great host and had good guests. But, Gaybo was doing the show in a different time when more came to Ireland and more were alive that were very interesting guests. The music and entertainment world back then was filled with real legends and not just plasticy boy bands and dance acts. During his tenure, Gaybo had Hollywood icons, founding fathers of rock 'n' roll, top world comedians, top soccer stars, and plenty of good debates on his show. I know Tubridy cannot compete with this but still he does not make an effort to improve.

MidlandsM · 06-01-2014 10:13pm

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

During his tenure, Gaybo had Hollywood icons, founding fathers of rock 'n' roll, top world comedians, top soccer stars.

you must have watched a different LLS under GB that I saw. It was always sh!t to me. Awful interviews and guests.

CountyHurler · 06-01-2014 10:15pm

Mr Pseudonym wrote: »

Some might enjoy the hatchet-job review of Tubridy's Christmas book,

^ I did enjoy it, thanks..

Tubridy said earlier this year that he had a two book deal. The JFK book was his own idea (surprise surprise) but that he had to basically look around for an idea for the second book. Hardly a great pretext for writing a masterpiece.. The publisher and himself basically cashed in on his celebrity.. You couldnt imagine a proper broadcaster like Pat Kenny doing something like that..

BuilderPlumber · 08-01-2014 2:28pm

MidlandsM wrote: »

you must have watched a different LLS under GB that I saw. It was always sh!t to me. Awful interviews and guests.

Yes, Gaybo had his poor shows too!! Gaybo was also to blame for originally promoting the likes of Louis Walsh, Twink and all the other 'traditions' we have seen ever since! Maureen Potter of course was all too often on as well back in those days.

But Gaybo often did have top world reknowned guests as well. And unlike Tubridy, he could interview them properly. Gaybo's show was far from perfect (I don't know if it is possible to present a show for 30 weeks of the year or so and please everyone all the time) but you could always see he was in control and tried his best. You get the feeling with Tubridy that he is just going through the motions.

MidlandsM · 08-01-2014 2:31pm

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

Yes, Gaybo had his poor shows too!! Gaybo was also to blame for originally promoting the likes of Louis Walsh, Twink and all the other 'traditions' we have seen ever since! Maureen Potter of course was all too often on as well back in those days.

But Gaybo often did have top world reknowned guests as well. And unlike Tubridy, he could interview them properly. Gaybo's show was far from perfect (I don't know if it is possible to present a show for 30 weeks of the year or so and please everyone all the time) but you could always see he was in control and tried his best. You get the feeling with Tubridy that he is just going through the motions.

yep, I do agree that Tubs looks like to be going thru' the motions...that he does'nt want to be there anymore.....that its a real chore. Maybe he wants to head to London for good?

Is it too late to save the Late Late Show (Mod warning post #434)

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