ITV in the Face Episode 10: GMTV

Made in 2015 to celebrate 60 years of ITV, a look back at a time when it wasn't a single channel but a conglomerate of regional channels, all with their own idents and identity: occasionally bizarre, often charming, this is the show that looks the history of ITV in the face.
Episode ten: GMTV. Another morning in a different kitchen, starring Eamonn Holmes, Fiona Armstrong and a working fireplace.
bobthefish.org.uk

[@danmcdaid]

That Reuters animation is pure The Day Today, to the extent that I'd be willing to bet it was a direct influence

[@righteouslioncomedian1069]

And the music is very ,Brass Eye'...

[@applemask]

Sadly the dates don't align. Reuters took over the Newshour two days before the last episode of The Day Today.

[@AdamMcCarthy74]

It was done by the same people I'd imagine. Armando Ianucci hired the company that made the ITN graphics to make their intro.

[@FlyingHeadbutt100]

​@@AdamMcCarthy74Yeah, the guys who did everyone's graphics loved getting to do TDT and Brass Eye because they could go all-out without the restraints and strictures of their usual work

[@ridbensdale]

I never watched GMTV. I still miss TV-am. Their coverage of the Great Storm in 1987 was outstanding.

[@whatamalike]

Gmtv represent my school and college years. So much so that by the time I went to uni in late 2009, I no longer actively watched breakfast telly and daybreak launched shortly after and, if I recall correctly, never actually watched it. I occasionally have Good morning Britain on for 10 or 15 mins on a morning while getting ready for work but don't actively watch it. Since lockdown though (and in turn out of work) I've not had the telly on any time before lunchtime and rediscovered the art of radio 2 in the late morning!

[@andyhall109]

4 years after release, I’m now binge-watching (and enjoying) the whole series.

[@bloonface]

"Kelloggs Crack Flakes" made me laugh out loud.

[@tamhaswoods9056]

That 1993 GMTV set just makes me think of Alan Partridge punching guests (and his boss) with a turkey fist in a mock up of his living room.

[@stephenemmett9753]

That GMTV trailer to me (the late 1992 one with the animated rooster) feels a lot more like an advert campaign for Kelloggs to wake kids up before school starts in September or maybe, even yet, a promo for The Big Breakfast on Channel 4 - what with its shouty rooster and camera work zooming in and back and the "Get out of bed on the bright side" tagline.

[@johnking5174]

One side effect of the October 1994 UTV/GMTV row was that from January 1st 1995, GMTV decided to contract local news opt-outs for Northern Ireland to Reuters and not leave it in the hands of UTV. This angered UTV a lot, as it was a clear message to UTV "never do this again". It would not be until January 2013 that UTV would once again provide the local news opt-outs during the ITV breakfast programming.

[@entertaintipco]

GMTV bulletins on STV are not renewed back in 2007 few years after then known as SMG sold it's shareholders stake of GMTV.

[@markc8956]

@@entertaintipco ITV will NEVER take us over in Scotland. Won't happen.

[@Michael-v7g6f]

A surprisingly entertaining retrospective on an era of particularly unpromising television. I learnt a great deal! Thanks.

[@jamesmt142]

I have faint memories of TV-AM (and specifically Top Banana and Wacaday) but for me GMTV was what I remember from most of my formative years. I'm glad you pointed out how history kept repeating itself and each change of franchise or relaunch ended up having to revert back to what it had replaced in the first place. Good Morning Britain is the only major change of format that's really stuck - or at least it's the only successful ditching of the sofa for a desk. It's also quite obviously part of ITV aesthetically, which GMTV wasn't and I don't think even Daybreak felt like it was.

[@joannegray5138]

Lorraine Kelly - the Fred Dinenage of breakfast telly.

[@stuartkenny7430]

Only Fred Dinenage is definitely more likeable, and doesn't use a tax avoidance scheme claiming they're not employed by ITV and their whole friendly persona is an act. Kelly should have been fired for that. 😠

[@annemariestones3984]

Or William Roache of Breakfast TV if you prefer, they are both after all acting a part as Stuart points out!

[@markc8956]

@@stuartkenny7430 More anti Scottish bs. Get lost

[@metalhammer303]

She's got a better rack then Fred though tbf

[@johnking5174]

20:21 - Regional opt outs now in 2020 on Good Morning Britain is three blink and you miss them regional news, travel and weather which barely amounts to 6 minutes during the course of the 3 hour programme from 6 to 9 each morning. Now you are lucky to get your local news presenter trying to rush three news stories, travel update and a weather update into around 90 seconds.

[@peterwilliamskelhorn6675]

@johnking5174 bbc breakfast has regional opt outs as well

[@eIucidate]

At 31:14 - that Daybreak logo is basically the same as GMTV's penultimate logo! Also the music during the credits sounds like 4Schools...

[@sleepytyphlosion5660]

I have vague memories of GMTV from the late 2000s. Up to COVID however, it has been Good Morning Britain for me.

[@johnking5174]

Good Morning Britain, the current version, started in 2014.

[@sleepytyphlosion5660]

@@johnking5174 Yes, I am aware of that.

[@ecafssot]

_“GMTV: It completely fucks your mind!“_ -Eddie Hitler

[@CJODell12]

By the time GMTV first went on the air, it had five investors: * London Weekend Television - 20% * Scottish Television - 20% * Carlton Communications - 20% (Carlton bought a 20% stake in November 1991) * Guardian Media Group - 15% * The Walt Disney Company - 25%

[@alexrobinson3970]

lwt s aotn over too

[@eIucidate]

That's one hell of a line-up! Disney looks so out of place!

[@CJODell12]

@@eIucidate Disney finally sold off their 25% stake in GMTV in 2009.

[@stuartkenny7430]

@@eIucidate Before this, they co-produced Disney Club with STV, which used to go out on Sunday mornings after TV-am.

[@TheGerkuman]

I never watched it, but I always loved the theme tune. (or at least the old version)

[@markc8956]

It was the ONLY good thing about GMTV.

[@revinhatol]

7:46 GOOOOD MOOOORNING TEEVEE!!!!

[@jonnyhaw]

Weirdly, a faint shadow of the breakfast franchise's legacy continued until around 2019 with the breakfast shows still ending at the weird time of 9:25 (just in time for Crosswits!). Not sure when that finally ended, but the Sunday shows were still ending at that time until a couple of years ago.

[@johnking5174]

6th January 2020 was when the 9.25am slot finally was axed after 37 years or so.

[@97channel]

It's either a harrowing or hilarious thought, I've never decided, that between the transition from Sunrise to GMTV the company was, at one stage, actually in danger of being renamed Zzapp Yellow TV.

[@applemask]

I believe you but wish to see your working.

[@97channel]

I think it may get mentioned in the book Morning Glory, A History Of British Breakfast Television. It's been a long time since I last read it though, so I'm not 100% certain. Slightly more confident than not, that you'd find it mentioned there. I know that Lis Howell has recounted the same anecdote in several interviews down the years, of how she threatened to quit if the company adopted the name. I first read about it in a telly mag interview, some time around the launch of GMTV. And I've heard the same story recounted several more times, down the years. Very faded memories though now, as to the sources.

[@shrillbert]

Who else is seeing this as Esther McVey is now running for the Premiership in our surrealist nightmare of a reality?

[@bebbingtons1987]

Thank god she lost

[@karlt134]

Legend says that GMTV was murdered by ITV, GMG, STV, Disney and Carlton!

[@gangsnapp_yt5945]

good evening and welcome to television. -bruce

[@areasquirrel]

I'm in the camp for whom GMTV was the childhood breakfast accompaniment. The sting for the local news opt out meaning it's time to get up. Also Mr. Motivator introducing Power Rangers as just plain old Derrick.

[@pipoo1]

Gyngells argument was that the GMTV bid was unsustainable and would lead to financial ruin and he was right, within a few years GMTV was at the ITC begging for help.

[@adultmoshifan87]

In my opinion, with ITV, Channel 5 and most of our other media being corrupt, I hope a future government breaks up ITV!

[@markc8956]

He was,but tried to employ the same strategies at Tyne Tees as he had at TV-am,and ballsed up royally.`

[@count69]

Mr Motivator: "A vaguely homoerotic Mad Lizzie simulcrum"

[@johnking5174]

18:30 - Regular regional news opt-outs were originally part of the TV-AM plans, however when their finances went down the drain in Spring 1983 that idea was abandoned, and for the rest of TV-AM's decade on air, hardly no regional news was provided by them. GMTV in their proposals wanted to show ITV and ITC that they could do more, and regional news in the mornings started with GMTV, a full ten years after BBC One started it with Breakfast Time opt-outs.

[@mrcrazyjonpresents4312]

The only early TV i ever watched was Big Breakfast in the 90s

[@robertcomer2767]

It was the only one worth watching

[@MQsCues]

31:46 Bit of a wasted opportunity to analyse the real story here, that the 2014 Good Morning Britain was a departure from all the things that went before it, and yet somehow an instant success. Had ITV finally learned from all its mistakes and managed to grab the best parts of all that had gone before (plus, as you admittedly do mention, the best part of the competition's lineup) and add some originality as well, and get it right almost straight away? Given that it never did return to the sofas in the early morning segment, the answer actually seems to be yes. At least, until they hired Morgan, it was a show I could respect, one that meant all the painful bits that preceeded it over 32 years were maybe even worth it.

[@Blubatt]

This was originally released in 2015, so Matthew really couldn't predict that stuff.

[@sophie_drachen]

It isn't just me who thinks Piers Morgan is really insufferable to watch, then. I wish he would keep his mouth shut about things, I think he loves the sound of his voice too much

[@stuartkenny7430]

@@sophie_drachen When he stormed off in a hissy fit, they replaced him with plank of wood Richard Madeley, who ITV are trying to mold into another Morgan, but he's been ratings poison so far.

[@markc8956]

Initially I was peed off that the new GMB hadn't retained anyone from Daybreak (save for Lorraine of course) but then early on when Kate Garraway appeared,all was forgiven. They DID use the sofa segment but later on in the morning and now don't use it at all,really. They made a massive cock up by hiring Moron, I mean, Piers. I wanted to see him on my TV at 6am as much as I wanted to see Adrian Chiles on my TV at that time when he did Daybreak with Christine. In both cases,I wanted to vomit.

[@rtc9063]

What did they do to that gorgeous TV-am set. All the wooden bricks looking as if they’d been plastered over.

[@GeoNeilUK]

I believe it was ripped out and torched by MTV.

[@untitledjunk03]

You forgot to mention that every Fridays from 2000 and onwards had Entertainment Today, the entertainment equivalent of LK Today, and it had Ben Shepherd, Michael Wood and Jenny Falconer as the presenters from 8:35 to 9:25 onwards, in 2008, the show was ditched in favour for the Richard Arnold show, but that was also short lived, as GMTV would ditch both shows entirely.

[@brucedanton3669]

TV-am was better than GMTV really. I wonder what the ITC felt about it once they were on air though?

[@StringedGuitar17]

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD MORNIN’ TEEEEEEEEEEEEEE VEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

[@grindelston5968]

Lorraine Kelly: one day she'll be buried at 7 am I laughed

[@colinr0380]

My vote is for viking funeral. It would be only appropriate.

[@markc8956]

I didn't laugh. Disgusting and offensive

[@RaiderRich2001]

25:48 GMTV "Today" --- in case you were confused about whether or not they were just copying NBC's Today show

[@KirkNorthrop]

Still one of the best theme tunes ever made. I mean it's awful, but a great theme tune.

[@johnking5174]

GMTV and Northern Ireland's franchise UTV would have a spat in 1994, when UTV decided to opt-out of GMTV fully to cover the loyalist ceasefire on Thursday 13th October 1994. UTV were not permitted to opt-out fully from GMTV and their decision caused a huge row between the two companies with then ITC stuck in the middle. GMTV and ITC were furious with UTV breaching their franchise agreement on broadcasting hours. However both GMTV and ITC backed down when they realised the huge nature of the news story for Northern Ireland, and just gave a wrap over the knuckles to UTV.

[@alex-xz2dm]

sane with omangh stuff citv

[@goodiesguy]

1:45 I just noticed, the door/alcove bit in the TV-Am set is missing, when did they do away with that?

[@robertcomer2767]

Why destroy that great set they had. It looked like that'd just thrown a load a plaster over the old wooden bricks.

[@johnking5174]

The moment ITV breakfast programming started to lose out to the BBC was the utter stupidity of axing GMTV and producing Daybreak instead. September 2010 the moment ITV lost the ratings battle to BBC Breakfast, which has remained ever since. If they hadn't axed GMTV, I feel BBC Breakfast would have still been stuck in second place.

[@tomekorzechowski5852]

Another morning television

[@davidmatthewvinotjr8396]

IT'S DISNEY! That's right, an American company has invaded ITV.

[@1Soniccool]

Don't forget Disney owned TVS

[@richardsharpe2966]

It's hard to think Good Morning Britain name is back

[@johnking5174]

In name only - the original concept has been abandoned

[@peterwilliamskelhorn6675]

​@@johnking5174the 2014 Good Morning Britain is different to the TV-AM one.

[@DavidSmith-648]

THAT Esther McVey?

[@applemask]

Yes.

[@annemariestones3984]

Very interesting and well put together. I will whisper this but I always liked both TV am and GMTV. As a child/ teenager BBC was too boring and The Big Breakfast too out there for me. Eamonn is still insulting colleagues about their hair to this day he never learns. I quite like him though, but I liked Anthea, too...

[@briansergeant]

I just found out Sky News Sunrise is no more. 1989-2019

[@alexrobisnon6288]

good

[@johnking5174]

@@alexrobisnon6288 Not good, as they have replaced Sunrise with Kay Burley - sweet Jesus!

[@peterwilliamskelhorn6675]

​@@johnking5174i don't watch sky news in the morning but it'll always be sunrise to me

[@Blubatt]

Personally prefer Breakfast Time on BBC to the ITV Breakfast offering.

[@annemariestones3984]

The Big Breakfast on channel 4 was a success from almost the beginning. This was it's downfall though really as Chris Evans got too big for his boots and there was nothing else to build on.

[@marioavossa]

GMTV was tatty junk in comparison to The Big Breakfast. TV-AM seemed a lot better than GMTV. Dunno why. It was the same thing really. Also as soon as I hear the words "Eammon Holmes" and see him, thats my signal to either turn the TV over or throw it out of the window. He has all the charm and grace of a car crash. Why the hell he is and ever was popular is beyond me.

[@jamesdelboy]

GMTV was ok of course I had to miss it when I turned 13 due to me doing my paper round

[@lizhumphries9100]

The channel GMTV brought the Power Rangers to the. masses

[@markmcloughlin7569]

Disabled benefits slasher Esther Mcvey presenting a programe watched by people on benefits and the disabled. Horrid horrid horrid specimen of a human.

[@jamesdelboy]

GMTV2 on the other hand was better despite it didn't start until the 4th January 1999 it's programme line-up was something like this Mondays to Fridays you would have the newshour(there was no regional news) then Jamie Rickers came along with Up on the Roof the Roof then pre-school shows for the rest of the morning Saturdays you would have your 10 minute news bulletin then children's programmes for the rest of the morning Sundays the 10 minute news bulletin children's programmes then a repeat of The Sunday Programme

[@AlexSpalex1]

When I first heard of GMTV, it was through there bloopers on MOst Outragers TV Moments. Being the American car nut I am, at the time, I thought the inetails stood for General Motors Television: like it was an in company tv service, to be shown in the break rooms of assembly plants.

[@eIucidate]

Genetically Modified TV.

[@WHUFCboy3333]

Kellogg's crack flakes

[@grahamnancledra7036]

At 9 years of age did your really know what counter-intuitive actually meant?

[@applemask]

By instinct if not in so many words.

[@Truthseeker1515]

Anthea Turner laughing to Eamonn Holme's jokes is cringe-worthy.

[@reginahyde1488]

Who wrote the GMTV theme?

[@ruairi_d]

Was composed by Dave Arch. Such a class theme - especially with the saxophone, and then the 2009 theme was good.

[@sophie_drachen]

​@@ruairi_d That sounds familiar, isn't he the conductor on Strictly Come Dancing?

[@ruairi_d]

@@sophie_drachen Yep, he is indeed!

[@sophie_drachen]

​@@ruairi_d Him and David Lowe are legendary TV composers! I didn't know that Arch composed the GMTV theme tune, I should've known.

[@neilrobinson1815]

just in tine for v day or Sarah day

[@markc8956]

I was 9 when GMTV arrived on air. Never liked it - wanted TVAM back at all costs back then. Nothing now compared to having to wake up to the smarmy Piers flipping Morgan - as bad as Anthea was back in the day.

[@markc8956]

To add I ended up sodding off straight to Channel 4,then in its' early breakfast days with The Big Breakfast and once it got rough,over to BBC Breakfast.

[@jean-lucpicard5510]

Bugger me its Harty Potter 23:28

[@sporkfindus4777]

GMTV was crap! The Big Breakfast was where it was at. Yes, kids don't like change. I actually remember sitting on my parents' bed on new year's eve crying because 1993 was replacing 1992, and we'd never see the latter again

[@richardsharpe2966]

Dozie Lorraine Kelly

[@theweathercat2002]

Did Disney really need to get involved in ITV what so ever ?

[@applemask]

Eh. It was an investment. A foothold in British media. Michael Eisner was into his empire-building.

[@stuartkenny7430]

@@applemask One reason is they did Disney Club with Scottish since 1989, so they took it to GMTV as they were shareholders in the new station. It took until 2009 for Disney to sell their 25% stake in GMTV, by then they'd sold off a few other assets. I think they were getting money together to buy Lucasfilm. 😉

[@jamesdelboy]

GMTV's launch was rubbish

[@thatkaidonchannelcountryba3606]

67

[@ryan_hopkins]

WTF does Mr Motivator being black have to do with anything? .....there's only so much of this guys drivel I can listen to 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@applemask]

Well, nothing, obviously. He just always put me in mind of a buff, black Steve Wright, with the glasses and moustache and nose.

[@TrevorSports]

8:55am on Saturday and School Holidays from 1994 to 1996, GMTV peaked IMO 😊 🟢⚫️🟣🔵🟡🔴⚪️ If you know, you know 😉