With Sir Trevor McDonald fronting a returning News at Ten, there’s talk that he may not present the second series of News Knight.

I know what you’re thinking. Second series of News Knight?

That show was almost entirely based on the premise that they got a Sir (Knight, geddit??) to awkwardly read from auto-cue things that he was unlikely to say off-the-cuff - “fat white bastard” being the most famous example. So, they need a beknighted guy who has time on his hands and isn’t known for his sense of humour or his ability to present in a non-wooden manner.

My money’s on Sir Menzies Campbell.

Question Time Extra is a wasted opportunity to transfer Radio 4’s Any Answers? to TV, and a waste of resources. I fundamentally don’t understand why a spin-off show claiming to allow viewers to air their views spends most of the time talking to another two politicians, even if one of them is the lovely Sarah Teather. Or why e-mails are printed out for a man with a laptop. Why are viewers’ questions being answered by people who weren’t on the main show? Why can Radio 4 manage a phone-in show but BBC News 24 has to have someone read their questions out? Why does it clash with the excellent This Week?

I believe this show needs work if it is to have the success of Any Answers? I would not be surprised if there are more complaints about the show than contributions.

Previously posted on my LiveJournal

BBC1 Controller Peter Fincham must go, or at least be prevented from speaking to journalists.

It is one thing to show two scenes in the wrong order. It is entirely another to actually say “Annie Leibovitz gets it slightly wrong and the Queen walks out in a huff” to a room full of journos.

But for me, his biggest crime was his “announcement” that Friar Tuck should be in Series 2 of Robin Hood and that Matt Lucas should play the part. Don’t worry - this isn’t happening.

A report in the Sun (which was picked up by Digital Spy) quoted Peter saying this week “I have no idea what happened — I thought it would be fun to have Friar Tuck. I think we need an inquiry. They have slightly left me high and dry - I announced it and it’s not happening. I suppose it just shows you the limits to my powers as BBC1 boss.”

On first read, I assumed that this was tongue-in-cheek. It is possible to read it in a self-deprecating sarcastic tone. But having seen him on TV, he looks the type to have said that and meant it. Read that quote back in the voice of Bertie Wooster. Then dial down the likeability. That’s Peter Fincham. He quite possibly genuinely wants an inquiry into why he can’t unilaterally force Poochie onto a show’s creative team.

The only way he could redeem himself now would be for him to not cock up the Neighbours replacement. I do hope he (and whoever fills the Daytime vacancy) does use River City in the reshuffle, even if it does need subtitles at times.

Thankfully, Matt Lucas is in any event too busy making Little America etc to play Tuck. A sketch show star famous for playing a catchphrase-spouting chav? As a regular character in a Saturday family adventure-drama series? That would be a *terrible* idea.