BBC's Big Break revival is doomed to fail - three decisions will prove it
The once much-loved show is set to return - but is there much of a point?
There’s a reason some things don’t last forever. There’s also a reason some things should never be brought back, and three decisions surrounding the BBC’s Big Break revival prove the show is doomed to fail.
The return was met with plenty of fanfare surrounding its announcement, with Big Break having been a much-loved television programme for most of the 1990s. Contestants were partnered up with a snooker star, who would compete in challenges to win their mere mortal a cash prize.
That part isn’t going to change, and understandably so. It’s a tried and tested format for game shows, and, in fairness, is pretty timeless. The same can’t be said for sticking Paddy McGuinness in front of a microphone.
The Boltonian captured the imagination of the country when acting as Cupid in the hit show Take Me Out, but since then, it’s all been a little bit underwhelming. He’s been the BBC’s go-to guy whenever a set of legendary hosts need replacing, and perhaps has been on a hiding to nothing from the very beginning.
A Question of Sport ought to have been scrapped the moment Sue Barker decided to walk away. She was the life and soul of the show; meanwhile, trying to replicate Top Gear without Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May was just as pointless.
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It’s inevitable that the Big Break reboot suffers the same fate, given Jim Davidson and John Virgo were synonymous with the programme’s character. It might not have been as much of an issue had they targeted it towards a new audience, but rather bizarrely, the BBC have shoved it in a daytime slot, instead of primetime.
Granted, it will keep some entertained during the day, but how can they expect to make the show a success in the long-term if it’s almost exclusively targeted at an older demographic? In the press release announcing the show, co-host Stephen Hendry said he hopes the return can "inspire the next generation of snooker players to get into the sport."
How will that be possible when they’re all sat in Maths lessons? And not to mention the decision to shove it into the doldrums of BBC Two, instead of giving it a proper slot on the broadcaster’s main channel. All in all, it just screams of a poorly executed plan, and it will be difficult for the producers to wriggle their way out of this snooker.
