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Private Notes
The relaunch of The big Breakfast from September 1996. Presented by rick Adams, Sharron Davies, Denise Van Outen, Peter Smith, Vanessa Feltz and Zig & Zag. Special guest, Andie Macdowell
The 1996 Big Breakfast relaunch is now cemented in history as being an unmitigated disaster. However, I do think that people somewhat look at it from the wrong perspective. I have to hold my hand up and say that I was horrified by it when it was originally broadcast. I was most upset about the destruction of the lovely Grade II Lock Keepers Cottages (Which I was once told on a visit to the house that the work had been carried out without permission and the council were furious.). Rick was a second rate Chris Evans impersonator (Sorry Rick.), Sharron demonstrated that she could indeed go out of her depth (Sorry Sharron.) and the whole thing had been completely stripped of its punkish anarchic fun, replaced by a dull middle class lifestyle magazine.
But I think you have to look at what had brought the show to that point. Chris Evans' departure was the pivotal force behind its rapid demise. The Big Breakfast was, essentially, the Chris Evans show. And there's not a lot you can do to fill that gap. You can put any other talent you like into the role, but they'll never be that one vital thing; Chris Evans. So, it trundled on with a succession of have-a-bash-at-it substitutes, managing to just about keep it going by relying on its next biggest strength Gaby Roslin. But when Gaby left, the situation became critical. By this point it was not only lacking Chris Evans, but was being rivalled by the self same man on Radio 1. But the show was still very much styled with Chris's creations. The catchphrases, the humour, just the whole show really. And every element, the look, the content, all was looking really dated. Cue a long overdue revamp...
The house and gardens had started to look very shabby. The revamp tackled this perfectly, by introducing a new bright, clean, crisp look. The s
