The Alan Titchmarsh Show
Encyclopedia
The Alan Titchmarsh Show is a British daytime TV chat show broadcast between 3 and 4pm weekdays on the ITV Network.
in 2007. It focused on the theme of "The Best of British" focusing on food, entertainment and celebrities in a mid-afternoon slot. The focus of the show later shifted towards gossip, entertainment and a light-hearted discussion of sex tips. The latter was toned down after viewer complaints and a shift to a late afternoon 5pm slot in 2010. The show usually opens with a review of gossip and current affairs stories of the day with regular guests including Gloria Hunniford
, Carole Malone
, Penny Smith
, Nick Ferrari
, Janet Street Porter, Jane McDonald
and Emma Forbes offering their opinions. The programme resumes the studio debate format at half-past the hour with a "heated" discussion on the main "hot topic" of the day. The programme also includes regular cookery slots with Ainsley Harriot and Rosemary Shrager
with Titchmarsh adopting a comical, "hands-on" role as a hopeless cookery assistant. In Shrager's cookery demonstrations, the pair often alternate between bickering and flirting with visual "humour" and numerous double entendre
s from the host. A wine-tasting panel often features along with items on flower-arranging, pets and gardening, the latter involving Titchmarsh answering viewer's horticultural questions assisted by studio guests. The show usually concludes with Titchmarsh interviewing a major celebrity or public figure and also contains regular musical items with live studio performances. The show is coloured with Titchmarsh's dry. slightly camp style and Yorkshire wit and it is often peppered with risque puns of a mildly sexual nature.
In March 2011, the show returned to its traditional daytime TV mid-afternoon slot for its eighth series between 3 to 4pm after a spell in the "primetime" 5pm slot for a 10 week run. The programme celebrated its 400th edition on Wednesday 9 March 2011. The show returned to ITV1 daytime on 5 September 2011 with a return to its original opening 'starry' titles and theme music.
The show is produced at The London Studios
by Spun Gold TV. It is aired Monday to Friday with some editions broadcast live and other editions pre-recorded. Previous series were broadcast from BBC Television Centre
.
have sparked a large number of viewer complaints. In 2010, Ofcom
, the media regulator, released figures revealing that Titchmarsh's ITV show has the fifth highest number of complaints of any programme for that year.
to sing alongside Jonathan Ansell
in the A Night At The Opera tour. From the thousands of hopefuls who applied 8 ladies were selected to sing in front of a judging panel of David Grant
, Ruthie Henshall
and Jonathan Shalit. The 4 successful ladies Rosie Bell, Rosie Havel, Olivia Safe and Esther Dee faced a public vote on 15 September 2008 and Olivia Safe and Rosie Bell won through. They both sang with Jonathan Ansell Libiamo ne' lieti calici
, the most famous duet from Verdi's La Traviata
on 29 September 2008 and Olivia Safe won the public vote to appear in the tour of A Night At the Opera during October and November 2008.
The Michael Ball Show
From 16 August to 24 September 2010, the actor Michael Ball
presented his own chat show also produced by Spun Gold TV which followed a very similar format to The Alan Titchmarsh Show during the latter's summer break. It ran for 30 editions over 6 weeks and was aired 3 to 4pm and recorded at BBC TV Centre.
ITV regions, decided not to broadcast series 3 - Series 7. STV wished to broadcast their afternoon chat show The Hour instead at 5pm. STV also believe the show did not rate well and thus has an opt-out, but it become clear the series was partly axed to a dispute with ITV
. In 2011 the dispute was sorted and STV began broadcasting the eighth series in March 2011, the same as the other ITV regions. During the period viewers had to use other means to watch the series including ITV Player
or watch the show on ITV1
's London feed, on Sky Digital
or Virgin Media
.
Format
The programme made its debut on ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
in 2007. It focused on the theme of "The Best of British" focusing on food, entertainment and celebrities in a mid-afternoon slot. The focus of the show later shifted towards gossip, entertainment and a light-hearted discussion of sex tips. The latter was toned down after viewer complaints and a shift to a late afternoon 5pm slot in 2010. The show usually opens with a review of gossip and current affairs stories of the day with regular guests including Gloria Hunniford
Gloria Hunniford
Gloria Hunniford is a Northern Irish TV and radio presenter, and formerly a singer.-Biography:...
, Carole Malone
Carole Malone
Carole Anne Malone is a right-wing English journalist, commentator on Current affairs and occasional broadcaster.-Early life:...
, Penny Smith
Penny Smith
Penelope Jane Smith is an English television presenter and newsreader. She has worked on the breakfast TV show GMTV, for Sky News and for Classic FM.-Early life:...
, Nick Ferrari
Nick Ferrari
Nick Ferrari is a radio presenter who currently hosts the weekday breakfast show from 0700-1000 UTC on the London-based talk and phone-in radio station LBC 97.3. He also has a regular column in the Sunday Express and is a regular guest on The Alan Titchmarsh Show on ITV1...
, Janet Street Porter, Jane McDonald
Jane McDonald
Jane McDonald is a British singer, actress and media personality and broadcaster, who first became famous following her appearance on the BBC docusoap The Cruise...
and Emma Forbes offering their opinions. The programme resumes the studio debate format at half-past the hour with a "heated" discussion on the main "hot topic" of the day. The programme also includes regular cookery slots with Ainsley Harriot and Rosemary Shrager
Rosemary Shrager
Rosemary Shrager is an English chef, best known for being a haute cuisine teacher on the reality television programme Ladette to Lady, and as a judge on Soapstar Superchef....
with Titchmarsh adopting a comical, "hands-on" role as a hopeless cookery assistant. In Shrager's cookery demonstrations, the pair often alternate between bickering and flirting with visual "humour" and numerous double entendre
Double entendre
A double entendre or adianoeta is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so: often risqué or ironic....
s from the host. A wine-tasting panel often features along with items on flower-arranging, pets and gardening, the latter involving Titchmarsh answering viewer's horticultural questions assisted by studio guests. The show usually concludes with Titchmarsh interviewing a major celebrity or public figure and also contains regular musical items with live studio performances. The show is coloured with Titchmarsh's dry. slightly camp style and Yorkshire wit and it is often peppered with risque puns of a mildly sexual nature.
In March 2011, the show returned to its traditional daytime TV mid-afternoon slot for its eighth series between 3 to 4pm after a spell in the "primetime" 5pm slot for a 10 week run. The programme celebrated its 400th edition on Wednesday 9 March 2011. The show returned to ITV1 daytime on 5 September 2011 with a return to its original opening 'starry' titles and theme music.
The show is produced at The London Studios
The London Studios
The London Studios is a television studio complex which is owned by London Weekend Television and has been home to the London Weekend ITV provider since 1972...
by Spun Gold TV. It is aired Monday to Friday with some editions broadcast live and other editions pre-recorded. Previous series were broadcast from BBC Television Centre
BBC Television Centre
BBC Television Centre at White City in West London is the headquarters of BBC Television. Officially opened on 29 June 1960, it remains one of the largest to this day; having featured over the years as backdrop to many BBC programmes, it is one of the most readily recognisable such facilities...
.
Controversies
The programme's discussion of "adult" themes, including a former regular item on sex toys presented by Julie PeasgoodJulie Peasgood
Julie May Peasgood is an English actress, television presenter, author and voice over artist known for her distinctive voice. She attended Grimsby's Wintringham School as a student. She is best known for her role as Fran Pearson in the television soap Brookside...
have sparked a large number of viewer complaints. In 2010, Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
, the media regulator, released figures revealing that Titchmarsh's ITV show has the fifth highest number of complaints of any programme for that year.
Singing contest
The show returned for a third series on Monday 1 September 2008. It featured the start of a competition to find a sopranoSoprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
to sing alongside Jonathan Ansell
Jonathan Ansell
Jonathan Mark Ansell is an English singer, formerly the high tenor of the vocal group G4.Jonathan Ansell was born in Bognor Regis in 1982, where both his parents were primary school teachers. Influenced by his mother’s tapes of Pavarotti and the Three Tenors, Jonathan joined the West Sussex Boys'...
in the A Night At The Opera tour. From the thousands of hopefuls who applied 8 ladies were selected to sing in front of a judging panel of David Grant
David Grant
David Grant CBE, FREng, FIET is the Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff University in Wales. Since his appointment in 2001, Dr Grant has overseen the merger between Cardiff University and the University of Wales College of Medicine, which was completed in 2004, and the awarding of University Status to...
, Ruthie Henshall
Ruthie Henshall
Valentine Ruth Henshall , better known as Ruthie Henshall, is an English singer, dancer, and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Henshall attended the Laine Theatre Arts school in Epsom, Surrey before making her first professional appearance on stage in 1986...
and Jonathan Shalit. The 4 successful ladies Rosie Bell, Rosie Havel, Olivia Safe and Esther Dee faced a public vote on 15 September 2008 and Olivia Safe and Rosie Bell won through. They both sang with Jonathan Ansell Libiamo ne' lieti calici
Libiamo ne' lieti calici
Libiamo ne'lieti calici is the most famous duet from Verdi's La traviata, one of the most well known fragments of opera around the world, and an obligatory performance for any great tenor. The song is categorised as a Brindisi, which encourages alcoholic drinking...
, the most famous duet from Verdi's La Traviata
La traviata
La traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La dame aux Camélias , a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The title La traviata means literally The Fallen Woman, or perhaps more figuratively, The Woman...
on 29 September 2008 and Olivia Safe won the public vote to appear in the tour of A Night At the Opera during October and November 2008.
The Michael Ball ShowThe Michael Ball ShowThe Michael Ball Show was a British topical entertainment show broadcast on ITV and ITV1 HD/STV HD in 2010. It featured entertainment, discussion and showbiz glamour with the occasional musical performance from Michael himself, often on the Friday edition of the show...
From 16 August to 24 September 2010, the actor Michael BallMichael Ball
Michael Ball may refer to:* Michael Ball , English singer and actor* Michael Ball , American football player* Michael Ball , English football player...
presented his own chat show also produced by Spun Gold TV which followed a very similar format to The Alan Titchmarsh Show during the latter's summer break. It ran for 30 editions over 6 weeks and was aired 3 to 4pm and recorded at BBC TV Centre.
STV
STV serving central and northern ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
ITV regions, decided not to broadcast series 3 - Series 7. STV wished to broadcast their afternoon chat show The Hour instead at 5pm. STV also believe the show did not rate well and thus has an opt-out, but it become clear the series was partly axed to a dispute with ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
. In 2011 the dispute was sorted and STV began broadcasting the eighth series in March 2011, the same as the other ITV regions. During the period viewers had to use other means to watch the series including ITV Player
ITV Player
ITV Player is an online video on demand service accessible though the main ITV website. The service offers a variety of programmes from homegrown programming to imports across ITV1, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and CITV. Some sports programming is available to watch again via the service, the 2010 FIFA World...
or watch the show on ITV1
ITV London
ITV London is the on-air brand name used by ITV Broadcasting Limited for the two Channel 3 broadcast franchises, Carlton Television and London Weekend Television in the London ITV region.-History:...
's London feed, on Sky Digital
Sky Digital (UK & Ireland)
Sky is the brand name for British Sky Broadcasting's digital satellite television and radio service, transmitted from SES Astra satellites located at 28.2° east and Eutelsat's Eurobird 1 satellite at 28.5°E. The service was originally launched as Sky Digital, distinguishing it from the original...
or Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
.
Series guide
| Series | Episodes | Premiere | End |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40 | 3 September 2007 | 26 October 2007 |
| Christmas | 5 | 17 December 2007 | 21 December 2007 |
| 2 | 50 | 14 January 2008 | 21 March 2008 |
| 3 | 50 | 1 September 2008 | 7 November 2008 |
| Christmas Special | 1 | Sunday, 21 December 2008 | |
| 4 | 64 | 12 January 2009 | 9 April 2009 |
| 5 | 60 | 28 September 2009 | 18 December 2009 |
| 6 | 61 | 11 January 2010 | 5 April 2010 |
| 7 | 60 | 27 September 2010 | 17 December 2010 |
| 8 | 49 | 7 March 2011 | 13 May 2011 |
| 9 | 50 | 5 September 2011 | 11 November 2011 |