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Media
Channel 4 to moves on from list-show format
By CMU Editorial | Published on Wednesday 30 March 2011
So, don’t expect any Top 100 Rebecca Black moments or Top 50 Classic Jedward quotes on Channel 4 anytime soon. New Chief Creative Office Jay Hunt has told her colleagues at C4 to get over the list show format, which she feels is getting rather tired. A source told The Guardian: “It is felt that they [list shows] are popular but we can be doing bolder and different things rather than something which is fun but which some people feel can feel a little spurious”.
Although Channel 4’s list shows were originally nearly always music based, they have become less so in recent years, with last year’s countdowns centring on the best toys, World Cup moments, stand-ups and plastic surgery shockers.
Channel 4’s previous Director Of Television, Kevin Lygo, said in 2007 that the list show format was being phased out, though, while the number of such shows per year has declined, there were still six on C4 and E4 last year.
Whether Hunt’s edict will be more resolute remains to be seen. The C4 source did include a get out clause when talking to The Guardian, saying: “The Jonathan Ross rundown of the nation’s favourite toys did well last year and if Jonathan comes up with an exceptionally brilliant idea like that we may do it. But the direction of travel is now very much not to do them any more”.
