Is the BBC for real ?
I have read that the corporation was approached by Andrew Neil regarding a continuation of the marvellous "This Week" beyond the end of its current contract, but didn't like his suggestion that it should be broadcast at a slightly earlier time. As it is, "This Week" rarely starts before 11:30 at night and goes on until well after midnight, a bit late for a live programme.
As a consequence of the BBC's attitude, "This Week" will come to an end in a very few weeks time; the best, by a very long way, political discussion programme on television, will end. It's replacement will be a television version of a 'geeky and cheeky' podcast chaired by Laura Kuenssberg, meaning that serious political debate will be banished from the BBC in favour of it being trendy.
While Andrew Neil is a skilled, informed and brilliant political journalist, presenter and interviewer, being well supported by Michael Portillo and a range of others - Diane Abbot, Alan Johnson, Liz Kendall, Miranda Green, to name but a few - Kuenssberg is a lightweight who seems more interested in delivering monologues that end with a final 'clever' remark.
Neil is always scrupulously fair in his questioning and remarks, being equally aggressive in his interviews of all and sundry, whatever their opinions, but has, nonetheless, been 'accused' of being a Tory, something which he denies but which is the usual slur aimed at anyone who isn't an out and out leftie; by contrast, some of Kuenssberg's questioning, comments and general intonation make it very clear what she does and does not approve of.
I, for one, shall avoid the new programme which will undoubtedly be a 'dumbed down' offering, and can only hope that some other channel is encouraged to take Mr Neil and friends on board. Otherwise, "This week" will be very sadly missed.
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