The Big Breakfast
Encyclopedia
The Big Breakfast was a British light entertainment
television show shown on Channel 4
and S4C each weekday morning from 28 September 1992 until 29 March 2002 during which period 2,482 shows were produced. The Big Breakfast was produced by Planet 24
, the production company co-owned by former Boomtown Rats
and Live Aid
organiser Bob Geldof
. It had a continuous run except for three days after the September 11, 2001 attacks when it was replaced by news bulletins.
The programme was distinctive for broadcasting live from former lockkeepers' cottages commonly referred to as "The Big Breakfast House", or more simply, "The House", located on Fish Island
, in Bow
in east London
.
The show was a mix of news, weather, interviews, audience phone-ins and general features, with a light tone which was in competition with the more serious GMTV
output and even more serious BBC
output..
, which had been Channel 4's unsuccessful first dip into the breakfast television market between 1989 and 1992. The Daily, launched at huge expense, had possessed an "analytical" style, focusing largely on current affairs, news bulletins and quiz shows; however, this format had failed to earn enough viewing figures, and consequently Channel 4 had opted to change direction and work towards a lighter style focusing mainly on entertainment and humour.
The first two presenters, Chris Evans (1992–1994) and Gaby Roslin
(1992–1996) held reign over what might be considered the 'golden era' of The Big Breakfast. Evans' zany humour and touch of arrogance was new and fresh, and Roslin a good foil for him. At its height in 1993, viewing figures reached around two million per edition, and it was the highest rated UK TV show in its timeslot. Along with Evans and Roslin, Bob Geldof
presented a short lived political interview slot. His wife Paula Yates
became notorious with her interviews in bed, and the puppet characters Zig and Zag
created morning mayhem in the bathroom with Chris, in a slot called The Crunch. The use of puppets may be considered a resurrection of the technique used by TV-am
earlier in its history with Roland Rat
.
As part of his contract with The Big Breakfast, Evans was committed to developing a new show for Channel 4. Don't Forget Your Toothbrush
began in early 1994, and Evans cut his involvement with The Big Breakfast to 3 days a week (Tuesday to Thursday). Former Neighbours
star Mark Little
permanently replaced Evans on Mondays and Fridays. When Evans left the show later that year, Little continued on Mondays and Fridays, and Paul Ross
took over the mid-week duties. Richard Orford replaced Ross around Easter 1995, but he was quickly dropped. After this the show reverted to using just one male presenter for the full week. This role alternated between Keith Chegwin
and Mark Little.
The Big Breakfast staff included many future rising stars like researcher Andrew Newman (Channel 4 commissioning editor for Arts),producer Zoe Ball (BBC presenter/ Radio 1 DJ), runner Jasmine Dotiwala (MTV NEWS presenter) and more.
in 1996. Audience figures slipped a little after Evans left, and a little more after Roslin ceased appearing. Mark Little left shortly after and was replaced by Keith Chegwin. To stop the sliding viewing figures, the show was given a relaunch, including refurbishing the house at a cost of £2million. Ball and Chegwin were replaced by Rick Adams
and Sharron Davies
. But viewing figures fell dramatically, losing its audience primarily to radio and GMTV
. Producers stopped the rot quickly, finding a winning partnership in Johnny Vaughan
(who spent 1,023.82 hours in front of the camera) and Denise van Outen
. Audience figures jumped back to their peak. Vaughan also briefly presented with Kelly Brook
(who was largely unknown at the time) in 1999; but Brook's lack of experience presenting a TV show clearly showed and audience figures dropped. As a result, Brook was sacked while on holiday (she found out about losing her job from reading a newspaper), and later said waking up at 6am every morning was taking its toll. Liza Tarbuck
then co-presented for a while but when she decided to leave after eighteen months, van Outen returned. Viewing figures rose until the pair quit together in 2001.
, Paul Tonkinson
, Amanda Byram
and Simon Feilder.
Mike McClean
and Donna Air
joined the show as it converted back to using more than one main presenter. But this format only lasted for a couple of months, and the show reverted to its original format for what would be the final months, with Bacon and Byram as the main presenters before it last aired on 29 March 2002. The last programme included a twenty minute retrospective that included contributions from Evans, Roslin, Vaughan and van Outen. Both Evans and Vaughan declared the cancelling of the show a bad idea. The show ended with a tribute from the Prince of Wales
before the last Friday song, which paid tribute to the success of the show and its ability to attract celebrities.
RI:SE
replaced The Big Breakfast as Channel 4
's morning programme following BB's axing on 29 March 2002, although there was some time between The Big Breakfast ending and RI:SE beginning. RI:SE went on to take increasingly low ratings, and despite undergoing a revamp, was shortly axed. Channel 4 has not since had a studio-based morning programme, although Dermot O'Leary
fronted the show Morning Glory
, which was given a short run in early 2006 but not continued. It has since been replaced with Freshly Squeezed
.
When the show finished, the house again became a private residence (now known as 'The Cottage') and after renovation following a fire, has also been used for a number of television shows.
, Keith Chegwin
, Paul Ross
, Richard Orford, Richard Bacon and Mike McLean were "down your doorstep" outside broadcasters, often turning up live and unannounced at an unsuspecting viewer's house, while rooms within the Lock Keeper's Cottages featured the zany aliens Zig and Zag
and video games guru Ben the Boffin.
The nature of shooting the show, with hand-held cameras moving around all of the set, let many of the crew members be seen on screen. This led to them getting nicknames, such as 'Sturdy Girl', (regularly asked to shake her head so that her hair would be hurled around whilst music played and the camera zoomed in and out). 'The Carpet Monster' was revealed in the Doctor Who
Special to have been an extra, playing a deadly clown, in the Seventh Doctor
story "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
".
The show also used gimmicks such as live weddings to attract viewers. The first one was in 1993. This featured Jamie and Mandy from Catterick
in North Yorkshire
, who also came back on the show after their honeymoon.
A board game was released and also a fruit machine featuring popular games from the show.
era. On Fridays this became the "Pun of the Week" when an award was made for the best pun from the week's newspapers.
do to improve EastEnders
?", and one viewer suggested adding Barbara Windsor
to the cast; this actually occurred shortly afterwards.
era. These would often relate to a news story, a guest or a topic they had discussed, such as Doctor Who
on their Doctor Who Special.
(then wife of Bob Geldof, whose company produced the show), and later Paul O'Grady
(as Lily Savage) and Vanessa Feltz
assumed the role of interviewer. One of the most infamous on-air moments was Paula Yates' open flirting during an interview with Michael Hutchence
as a prelude to their affair.
The lyrics to "More Tea, Vicar" were as follows:
, would join Johnny Vaughan in the shed to discuss innovative new products. Vaughan tended to make fun of Baylis for being in his late fifties/early sixties and was a traditional grey-haired man in London.
The lyrics to the chorus went as follows
'Singing, wakey, wakey, wakey rise and shine,
The big breakfast is the only way to dine,
It's your number one big breakie
So get it down your neckie,
And stick with us from seven until nine!'
.
The strand also acted as an umbrella brand
for the programming which it linked to, by use of Big Breakfast style break-bumpers and Digital On-Screen Graphics. The expanded format always featured the regular content of The Big Breakfast from 7am-9am. The first run of The Bigger Breakfast during the summer of 1997 was titled as such all the way from its 7am start, presented throughout by Richard Orford and Denise Van Outen. Future editions would see slight separations made from the 7am-9am content, by way of this portion of the show being branded and scheduled as The Big Breakfast, with all content after 9am taking on the expanded Bigger Breakfast name. After a while, a further distinction was made by using a different set of presenters from that of The Big Breakfast. Presenters of The Bigger Breakfast included Josie D'Arby
, Ben Shephard
, Melanie Sykes
and Dermot O'Leary
Programing was primarily composed of reruns of Channel 4 shows and US imports. The lineup changed frequently. The list below is of some of series featured on the Bigger Breakfast over the years:
The Bigger Breakfast was discontinued in 2000. The block of programming provided within The Bigger Breakfast was retained, with the Channel's youth strand T4 (Channel 4)
taking over the continuity role.
Presented by Denise Van Outen, the show was intentionally recognisable as being closely related to The Big Breakfast, from which it originated and continued to be part of. Snap contained a number of elements synonymous with The Big Breakfast, such as using the very same boudoir set and on-the-bed interviewing of guests. However, care was generally taken not to alienate viewers who were not so familiar with The Big Breakfast.
). The winner of the game had been told to 'stop steadying the stack' on numerous occasions, but was still allowed to play and eventually won £100,000. It was a prize game that returned to the show many times in its final two years, but never again was anyone allowed to blatantly break the rules of the game.
, in east London, the property became informally known as 'The Big Breakfast House'. Filming would frequently take place within the large grounds of the property and the closely surrounding area.
Built in 1947, the property originally comprised 3 cottages which housed the lock keeper
s, toll takers, and navigation operators of the Old Ford Lock
s in Bow. By the time of purchase by the program makers, Planet24, in 1992, the property had become Grade 2 listed and had remained unused for around 2 decades. Extensive renovation work saw the transformation of the 3 cottages into one large 3 bed roomed property, specifically fitted for use as a TV studio. The exterior character of the property was largely unchanged. During the first 4 years of the show, the given address for the house was number 2, Lock Keepers' Cottages. The '2' was later dropped.
In 1996, due to the declining popularity of The Big Breakfast, the house was transformed in an Art Deco
style makeover. The original brickwork
was virtually entirely covered over with a smooth rendered finish which, by the time the re-launched program aired, was painted crisp white. Two large balconies now adorned the front and rear. The only untouched exterior features, recognizable from the show's original styling, were the four brick chimneys and the roofing. The legality of this extensive makeover could be questioned, as it contradicts the rules imposed by its Grade 2 status. The work carried out is purported to have cost around £2million, largely funded by its sale to the show's parent company, Channel Four Television.
Structurally, the house largely remained in this style for the rest of the TV series' life. The only notable structural alterations occurred over the 2 years immediately following and included the removal of the front balcony, the partial removal of the balcony to the rear, and minor alterations to the styling of the doors and windows.
However, the character of the house was altered through several artistic makeovers to both the interior and exterior. The exterior was painted bright yellow, later a light brown similar in shade to the original brickwork, followed by a faux red brickwork effect which was painted onto the render. The latter style became the final look of the house, during the show's final 3 and a half years.
Since the fire, extensive work has taken place to restore the house and it is now used as a family home. The house was bought for little more than half the original asking price of £1 million at £550,000. The house was slashed in value due to the fire of November 2002.
The house has now been fully renovated, but some of the well-recognised aspects of the house from its use during the run of The Big Breakfast remain.
The newly renovated house features in the BBC Two
show Neneh and Andi Dish It Up, BBC Three
's Singing With the Enemy, and most recently Too Fat To Toddle on ITV1.
The cottages are located about 200 metres from the site of the main Olympic Stadium, currently under construction for the 2012 Olympic Games. In 2005, the cottages became part of the Compulsory Purchase Order
for the Games (http://www.lda.gov.uk/server/show/ConMediaFile.1223 - item 239), giving rise to speculation that the building may be demolished. However, the cottages and gardens remain unchanged.
Light entertainment
Light entertainment is a term used to describe a broad range of usually televisual performances. These include comedies, variety shows, quiz/game shows, sketch shows and people/surprise shows.-Light entertainment in Britain:...
television show shown on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
and S4C each weekday morning from 28 September 1992 until 29 March 2002 during which period 2,482 shows were produced. The Big Breakfast was produced by Planet 24
Planet 24
Planet 24 was a television production company. It produced The Big Breakfast and The Word had an animation division Impossible TV. Bob Geldof and Tony Boland founded Planet Pictures which merged with 24 Hour Productions headed by Charlie Parsons and Waheed, later Lord Alli...
, the production company co-owned by former Boomtown Rats
The Boomtown Rats
The Boomtown Rats were an Irish punk rock band that had a series of Irish and UK hits between 1977 and 1985. They were led by vocalist Bob Geldof.-Biography:All six members were originally from Dún Laoghaire, Ireland...
and Live Aid
Live Aid
Live Aid was a dual-venue concert that was held on 13 July 1985. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. Billed as the "global jukebox", the event was held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom ...
organiser Bob Geldof
Bob Geldof
Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
. It had a continuous run except for three days after the September 11, 2001 attacks when it was replaced by news bulletins.
The programme was distinctive for broadcasting live from former lockkeepers' cottages commonly referred to as "The Big Breakfast House", or more simply, "The House", located on Fish Island
Fish Island, London
Fish Island is an isolated area of land in Poplar, London, in the Tower Hamlets. Fish Island is bounded by the River Lea, the Hertford Union Canal and the East Cross Route...
, in Bow
Bow, London
Bow is an area of London, England, United Kingdom in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a built-up, mostly residential district located east of Charing Cross, and is a part of the East End.-Bridges at Bowe:...
in east London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
The show was a mix of news, weather, interviews, audience phone-ins and general features, with a light tone which was in competition with the more serious GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
output and even more serious BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
output..
History
The Big Breakfast was launched at the end of September 1992 to replace The Channel Four DailyThe Channel Four Daily
The Channel Four Daily was a breakfast television newsmagazine produced by Independent Television News, in collaboration with other production companies, for Channel 4. The programme was the first breakfast news programme for Channel 4, broadcasting between 06.00 and 09.25 each weekday morning...
, which had been Channel 4's unsuccessful first dip into the breakfast television market between 1989 and 1992. The Daily, launched at huge expense, had possessed an "analytical" style, focusing largely on current affairs, news bulletins and quiz shows; however, this format had failed to earn enough viewing figures, and consequently Channel 4 had opted to change direction and work towards a lighter style focusing mainly on entertainment and humour.
The first two presenters, Chris Evans (1992–1994) and Gaby Roslin
Gaby Roslin
Gaby Roslin is an English television presenter and actress. She rose to fame while co-presenting The Big Breakfast on Channel 4 between 1992 and 1996, and also presented the BBC's Children in Need charity appeal from 1994 to 2004....
(1992–1996) held reign over what might be considered the 'golden era' of The Big Breakfast. Evans' zany humour and touch of arrogance was new and fresh, and Roslin a good foil for him. At its height in 1993, viewing figures reached around two million per edition, and it was the highest rated UK TV show in its timeslot. Along with Evans and Roslin, Bob Geldof
Bob Geldof
Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
presented a short lived political interview slot. His wife Paula Yates
Paula Yates
Paula Elizabeth Yates was a British television presenter and writer, best known for her work on two television programmes, The Tube and The Big Breakfast.-Early life:...
became notorious with her interviews in bed, and the puppet characters Zig and Zag
Zig and Zag (puppets)
Zig and Zag are an Irish puppet duo performed by Mick O'Hara and Ciaran Morrison.The characters are a pair of furry extraterrestrial twins from the planet Zog. They made their television début on RTÉs Dempsey's Den in 1987. A year later they won a Jacob's Award for TV Personalities of the year...
created morning mayhem in the bathroom with Chris, in a slot called The Crunch. The use of puppets may be considered a resurrection of the technique used by TV-am
TV-am
TV-am was a breakfast television station that broadcast to the United Kingdom from 1 February 1983 to 31 December 1992. It made history by being the first national operator of a commercial television franchise at breakfast-time , and broadcast every day of the week for most or all of the period...
earlier in its history with Roland Rat
Roland Rat
Roland Rat is a British television puppet character. He was created, operated and voiced by David Claridge, who had previously been behind the Mooncat puppet in the Children's ITV television programme Get Up and Go! David worked for Jim Henson, then the second series of The Young Ones...
.
As part of his contract with The Big Breakfast, Evans was committed to developing a new show for Channel 4. Don't Forget Your Toothbrush
Don't Forget Your Toothbrush
Don't Forget Your Toothbrush is a Saturday night light entertainment show originally broadcast in the United Kingdom in 1994, and has also been adapted in Australia, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Norway, Sweden, the United States, the Netherlands and Portugal...
began in early 1994, and Evans cut his involvement with The Big Breakfast to 3 days a week (Tuesday to Thursday). Former Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
star Mark Little
Mark Little (Australian actor)
Mark Little , is an Australian actor, television presenter and comedian, born in Brisbane, Queensland.-Career:Little appeared in a string of Australian films and TV series during the 1980s. He also performed his own comedy/performance in Melbourne's burgeoning comedy clubs throughout the eighties...
permanently replaced Evans on Mondays and Fridays. When Evans left the show later that year, Little continued on Mondays and Fridays, and Paul Ross
Paul Ross
Paul Ross is an English television and radio presenter, journalist, and media personality. He is the son of Martha Ross and the elder brother of Jonathan Ross.-Early life:...
took over the mid-week duties. Richard Orford replaced Ross around Easter 1995, but he was quickly dropped. After this the show reverted to using just one male presenter for the full week. This role alternated between Keith Chegwin
Keith Chegwin
Keith Chegwin is an English television presenter, former child actor and singer.-Early career:Chegwin's early roles were in works of the Children's Film Foundation, appearing as Egghead Wentworth in The Troublesome Double Egghead's Robot . He also appeared as a stowaway in Doomwatch episode...
and Mark Little.
The Big Breakfast staff included many future rising stars like researcher Andrew Newman (Channel 4 commissioning editor for Arts),producer Zoe Ball (BBC presenter/ Radio 1 DJ), runner Jasmine Dotiwala (MTV NEWS presenter) and more.
Relaunch
Roslin continued full time, and made way for Zoe BallZoë Ball
Zoë Louise Ball is an English television and radio personality, most famous for becoming the first female host of the BBC Radio 1 breakfast show and for her earlier work presenting the 1990s children's show, Live & Kicking.-TV career:The daughter of the children's TV presenter Johnny Ball and his...
in 1996. Audience figures slipped a little after Evans left, and a little more after Roslin ceased appearing. Mark Little left shortly after and was replaced by Keith Chegwin. To stop the sliding viewing figures, the show was given a relaunch, including refurbishing the house at a cost of £2million. Ball and Chegwin were replaced by Rick Adams
Rick Adams (television presenter)
Rick Mark Adams is an English television presenter and online radio DJ.- Early career :...
and Sharron Davies
Sharron Davies
Sharron Elizabeth Davies MBE is a retired swimmer from the United Kingdom. She won a silver medal in the 400 metre individual medley at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, and two gold medals at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton...
. But viewing figures fell dramatically, losing its audience primarily to radio and GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
. Producers stopped the rot quickly, finding a winning partnership in Johnny Vaughan
Johnny Vaughan
Jonathan Randall Vaughan is an English broadcaster and journalist. Vaughan has become well known as a television and radio personality and has also built a reputation as a film critic. He co-presented Capital Breakfast alongside Lisa Snowdon on 95.8 Capital FM between 2004 and 2011...
(who spent 1,023.82 hours in front of the camera) and Denise van Outen
Denise van Outen
Denise van Outen is an English actress, singer and television presenter. Her most notable roles to date are as a presenter on The Big Breakfast, and as Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago on both the West End and on Broadway.- Early life :Born Denise Kathleen Outen in Basildon, Essex, she is the...
. Audience figures jumped back to their peak. Vaughan also briefly presented with Kelly Brook
Kelly Brook
Kelly Brook is an English model, actress, entrepreneur, television presenter and Playboy model.-Early life:...
(who was largely unknown at the time) in 1999; but Brook's lack of experience presenting a TV show clearly showed and audience figures dropped. As a result, Brook was sacked while on holiday (she found out about losing her job from reading a newspaper), and later said waking up at 6am every morning was taking its toll. Liza Tarbuck
Liza Tarbuck
Liza Tarbuck is an English actress and television and radio presenter, and daughter of comedian Jimmy Tarbuck.She trained at the National Youth Theatre and RADA graduating in 1986 alongside Clive Owen, Rebecca Pidgeon and Serena Harragin.-Acting:...
then co-presented for a while but when she decided to leave after eighteen months, van Outen returned. Viewing figures rose until the pair quit together in 2001.
Demise
This turned out to be the death knell for the show, as viewers did not warm to their replacements, Richard BaconRichard Bacon (television presenter)
Richard Paul Bacon is an English television and radio presenter.Bacon's first high-profile media role was as a presenter of Blue Peter, from which he was sacked in 1998 following newspaper reports of him taking cocaine...
, Paul Tonkinson
Paul Tonkinson
Paul Tonkinson is an English radio presenter and television personality. He is perhaps best known for his work presenting on The Big Breakfast and The Sunday Show and his appearances on list programmes where he comments on popular culture...
, Amanda Byram
Amanda Byram
Amanda Byram is an Irish television presenter, originally from Castleknock in Dublin, Ireland.-Early life:Formerly a model, Byram started her career on television in 1999 presenting the TV3 morning show Ireland AM with Mark Cagney, during which time she met her then boyfriend comedian Patrick...
and Simon Feilder.
Mike McClean
Mike McClean
Mike "Squeaky" McClean is a British television presenter and actor, most famous for being a roving reporter on Richard & Judy and The Big Breakfast....
and Donna Air
Donna Air
Donna Air is an English television presenter, singer and actress.-Early life:As a former student of Gosforth High School, Donna attended the Drama School at First Act in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, where she was a pupil alongside Jill Halfpenny, Ant & Dec and Dale Meeks.-Television:She became...
joined the show as it converted back to using more than one main presenter. But this format only lasted for a couple of months, and the show reverted to its original format for what would be the final months, with Bacon and Byram as the main presenters before it last aired on 29 March 2002. The last programme included a twenty minute retrospective that included contributions from Evans, Roslin, Vaughan and van Outen. Both Evans and Vaughan declared the cancelling of the show a bad idea. The show ended with a tribute from the Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
before the last Friday song, which paid tribute to the success of the show and its ability to attract celebrities.
RI:SE
RI:SE
RI:SE was a breakfast television show made by Princess Productions in collaboration with BSkyB for Channel 4 in the UK. It was scheduled to replace The Big Breakfast after declining ratings. It launched on 29 April 2002...
replaced The Big Breakfast as Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's morning programme following BB's axing on 29 March 2002, although there was some time between The Big Breakfast ending and RI:SE beginning. RI:SE went on to take increasingly low ratings, and despite undergoing a revamp, was shortly axed. Channel 4 has not since had a studio-based morning programme, although Dermot O'Leary
Dermot O'Leary
Dermot O'Leary is an English television and radio presenter. He established himself as a presenter of Big Brother's Little Brother on Channel 4 before moving on to The X Factor on ITV. O'Leary has also presented on the BBC and has his own radio show on BBC Radio 2...
fronted the show Morning Glory
Morning Glory (TV series)
Morning Glory was the fourth attempt at breakfast television live programming on Channel 4. It was presented by Dermot O'Leary every weekday morning from 8.30 - 9 am. Due to low ratings, despite having Big Brother's Little Breakfast as a lead in show, it was not renewed....
, which was given a short run in early 2006 but not continued. It has since been replaced with Freshly Squeezed
Freshly Squeezed
Freshly Squeezed is a British television programme broadcast every weekday morning around 07:00 on Channel 4.-Format:The programme takes the format of a music-based breakfast show, featuring studio performances, music videos and interviews.-Current:...
.
When the show finished, the house again became a private residence (now known as 'The Cottage') and after renovation following a fire, has also been used for a number of television shows.
Innovations
Mark LamarrMark Lamarr
Mark Lamarr is an English comedian, radio DJ and television presenter.-Early life:Lamarr was born in the Park South area of Swindon and has three elder sisters. His father is Irish...
, Keith Chegwin
Keith Chegwin
Keith Chegwin is an English television presenter, former child actor and singer.-Early career:Chegwin's early roles were in works of the Children's Film Foundation, appearing as Egghead Wentworth in The Troublesome Double Egghead's Robot . He also appeared as a stowaway in Doomwatch episode...
, Paul Ross
Paul Ross
Paul Ross is an English television and radio presenter, journalist, and media personality. He is the son of Martha Ross and the elder brother of Jonathan Ross.-Early life:...
, Richard Orford, Richard Bacon and Mike McLean were "down your doorstep" outside broadcasters, often turning up live and unannounced at an unsuspecting viewer's house, while rooms within the Lock Keeper's Cottages featured the zany aliens Zig and Zag
Zig and Zag (puppets)
Zig and Zag are an Irish puppet duo performed by Mick O'Hara and Ciaran Morrison.The characters are a pair of furry extraterrestrial twins from the planet Zog. They made their television début on RTÉs Dempsey's Den in 1987. A year later they won a Jacob's Award for TV Personalities of the year...
and video games guru Ben the Boffin.
The nature of shooting the show, with hand-held cameras moving around all of the set, let many of the crew members be seen on screen. This led to them getting nicknames, such as 'Sturdy Girl', (regularly asked to shake her head so that her hair would be hurled around whilst music played and the camera zoomed in and out). 'The Carpet Monster' was revealed in the Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
Special to have been an extra, playing a deadly clown, in the Seventh Doctor
Seventh Doctor
The Seventh Doctor is the seventh incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor Sylvester McCoy....
story "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
The Greatest Show in the Galaxy is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 14 December 1988 to 4 January 1989.-Plot:...
".
The show also used gimmicks such as live weddings to attract viewers. The first one was in 1993. This featured Jamie and Mandy from Catterick
Catterick
Catterick could be*Catterick, North Yorkshire, England, commonly known as Catterick Village**Catterick Bridge, a hamlet near Catterick Village**Catterick Garrison, a British Army garrison near Catterick Village...
in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, who also came back on the show after their honeymoon.
A board game was released and also a fruit machine featuring popular games from the show.
Main Presenters
- Chris Evans 1992-1994
- Gaby RoslinGaby RoslinGaby Roslin is an English television presenter and actress. She rose to fame while co-presenting The Big Breakfast on Channel 4 between 1992 and 1996, and also presented the BBC's Children in Need charity appeal from 1994 to 2004....
1992-1996 - Paul RossPaul RossPaul Ross is an English television and radio presenter, journalist, and media personality. He is the son of Martha Ross and the elder brother of Jonathan Ross.-Early life:...
1994-1995 - Mark LittleMark Little (Australian actor)Mark Little , is an Australian actor, television presenter and comedian, born in Brisbane, Queensland.-Career:Little appeared in a string of Australian films and TV series during the 1980s. He also performed his own comedy/performance in Melbourne's burgeoning comedy clubs throughout the eighties...
1994-1996 - Keith ChegwinKeith ChegwinKeith Chegwin is an English television presenter, former child actor and singer.-Early career:Chegwin's early roles were in works of the Children's Film Foundation, appearing as Egghead Wentworth in The Troublesome Double Egghead's Robot . He also appeared as a stowaway in Doomwatch episode...
1995-1996 - Richard Orford 1995-1997
- Zoe BallZoë BallZoë Louise Ball is an English television and radio personality, most famous for becoming the first female host of the BBC Radio 1 breakfast show and for her earlier work presenting the 1990s children's show, Live & Kicking.-TV career:The daughter of the children's TV presenter Johnny Ball and his...
1996 - Rick AdamsRick Adams (television presenter)Rick Mark Adams is an English television presenter and online radio DJ.- Early career :...
1996-1997 - Sharron DaviesSharron DaviesSharron Elizabeth Davies MBE is a retired swimmer from the United Kingdom. She won a silver medal in the 400 metre individual medley at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, and two gold medals at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton...
1996-1997 - Johnny VaughanJohnny VaughanJonathan Randall Vaughan is an English broadcaster and journalist. Vaughan has become well known as a television and radio personality and has also built a reputation as a film critic. He co-presented Capital Breakfast alongside Lisa Snowdon on 95.8 Capital FM between 2004 and 2011...
1997-2001 - Denise van OutenDenise van OutenDenise van Outen is an English actress, singer and television presenter. Her most notable roles to date are as a presenter on The Big Breakfast, and as Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago on both the West End and on Broadway.- Early life :Born Denise Kathleen Outen in Basildon, Essex, she is the...
1997-1998 / 2000-2001 - Jenny McCarthyJenny McCarthyJennifer Ann "Jenny" McCarthy is an American model, comedian, actress, author, activist, and game show host. She began her career in 1993 as a nude model for Playboy magazine and was later named their Playmate of the Year. McCarthy then parlayed her Playboy fame into a successful television and...
1998 - Kelly BrookKelly BrookKelly Brook is an English model, actress, entrepreneur, television presenter and Playboy model.-Early life:...
1999 - Liza TarbuckLiza TarbuckLiza Tarbuck is an English actress and television and radio presenter, and daughter of comedian Jimmy Tarbuck.She trained at the National Youth Theatre and RADA graduating in 1986 alongside Clive Owen, Rebecca Pidgeon and Serena Harragin.-Acting:...
1999-2000 - Paul TonkinsonPaul TonkinsonPaul Tonkinson is an English radio presenter and television personality. He is perhaps best known for his work presenting on The Big Breakfast and The Sunday Show and his appearances on list programmes where he comments on popular culture...
2001 - Donna AirDonna AirDonna Air is an English television presenter, singer and actress.-Early life:As a former student of Gosforth High School, Donna attended the Drama School at First Act in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, where she was a pupil alongside Jill Halfpenny, Ant & Dec and Dale Meeks.-Television:She became...
2001 - Richard BaconRichard Bacon (television presenter)Richard Paul Bacon is an English television and radio presenter.Bacon's first high-profile media role was as a presenter of Blue Peter, from which he was sacked in 1998 following newspaper reports of him taking cocaine...
2001-2002 - Amanda ByramAmanda ByramAmanda Byram is an Irish television presenter, originally from Castleknock in Dublin, Ireland.-Early life:Formerly a model, Byram started her career on television in 1999 presenting the TV3 morning show Ireland AM with Mark Cagney, during which time she met her then boyfriend comedian Patrick...
2001-2002 - Mike McCleanMike McCleanMike "Squeaky" McClean is a British television presenter and actor, most famous for being a roving reporter on Richard & Judy and The Big Breakfast....
2001-2002 - Lisa RogersLisa RogersLisa Rogers is a Welsh television presenter and occasional actress. She has appeared in films, television programmes, theatre and radio.-Early life:...
2001-2002
- The most regular of the stand-in presenters for Chris Evans and Gaby Roslin were Danny BakerDanny BakerDanny Baker is an English comedy writer, journalist, radio DJ and screenwriter. Since the late 1970s, he has worked for a wide range of publications and broadcasters including NME, LWT, the BBC, and Talk Radio....
(1993-4) and Dani BehrDani BehrDani Behr is an English singer, actress and television presenter.-Early life:Behr was born in Mill Hill London, of South African Jewish descent. Her father is a partner in London estate agents Behr & Butchoff...
(1994-5). Baker stood in while Evans was working on the first series of "Don't Forget Your ToothbrushDon't Forget Your ToothbrushDon't Forget Your Toothbrush is a Saturday night light entertainment show originally broadcast in the United Kingdom in 1994, and has also been adapted in Australia, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Norway, Sweden, the United States, the Netherlands and Portugal...
".
Features Presenters
- Bob GeldofBob GeldofRobert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
1992 (Interviewer) - Paula YatesPaula YatesPaula Elizabeth Yates was a British television presenter and writer, best known for her work on two television programmes, The Tube and The Big Breakfast.-Early life:...
1992-1995 (On the bed Interviewer) - Mark LamarrMark LamarrMark Lamarr is an English comedian, radio DJ and television presenter.-Early life:Lamarr was born in the Park South area of Swindon and has three elder sisters. His father is Irish...
- 1992-1996 Outside interviewer - Zig & ZagZig and Zag (puppets)Zig and Zag are an Irish puppet duo performed by Mick O'Hara and Ciaran Morrison.The characters are a pair of furry extraterrestrial twins from the planet Zog. They made their television début on RTÉs Dempsey's Den in 1987. A year later they won a Jacob's Award for TV Personalities of the year...
1992-1998 (The Crunch) / 2002 (Alien Alarm) - Ben The Boffin 1992-1994 (Master Blaster)
- Kim WildeKim WildeKim Wilde is an English pop singer, author and television presenter who burst onto the music scene in 1981 with the number 2 UK Singles Chart new wave classic "Kids in America". In 1987 she had a major hit in the United States when her version of The Supremes' classic "You Keep Me Hangin' On"...
1993/November 8–12(as co-presenter with Chris Evans) - Lily Savage 1995-1996 (On the bed Interviwer)
- Vanessa FeltzVanessa FeltzVanessa Jane Feltz is an English television personality, broadcaster and journalist. She currently presents an early morning radio show on BBC Radio 2, a mid morning phone-in show on BBC London 94.9. In 2011, she started hosting The Vanessa Show on Channel 5. The first series ended on June 24th...
1996-1998 (On the bed Interviewer) - Johnny VegasJohnny VegasJohnny Vegas is an English actor and comedian. He is known for his angry rants, portly figure, high husky voice and support of St Helens rugby league club. More recently he has moved into dramatic acting.-Early life:He was born in St Helens, Lancashire, the youngest of four children of Laurence...
2000-2001 (Morning glory) - Simon Feilder (Weather/ Co-presenter)
News
- Peter Smith 1992-1996
- Phil GaylePhil GaylePhil Gayle is a newsreader, currently working as a freelance journalist. Former credits include The Big Breakfast and the ITV News Channel....
1996-2000 - Jasmine LowsonJasmine LowsonJasmine Lowson is a British newsreader. She is also a trained actress.-Journalism career:Lowson has presented on Channel 4's The Big Breakfast, BBC's Liquid News, the ITV News Channel and is currently interviewing and occasionally presenting on ITV London's London Tonight in addition to presenting...
2000-2002
Pun Down
UK tabloid newspapers delight in punny headlines. The Pun-Down took a look at the best (or worst) puns in the headlines of that day's papers, and was especially popular in the Johnny VaughanJohnny Vaughan
Jonathan Randall Vaughan is an English broadcaster and journalist. Vaughan has become well known as a television and radio personality and has also built a reputation as a film critic. He co-presented Capital Breakfast alongside Lisa Snowdon on 95.8 Capital FM between 2004 and 2011...
era. On Fridays this became the "Pun of the Week" when an award was made for the best pun from the week's newspapers.
Question About the Clip
Before most advertisement breaks a clip from an upcoming TV show or movie would be shown, a question being asked by one of the hosts about it; the answer would be revealed after the advert break, along with details of the show or film. This feature would result in the production team chorusing "Don't phone, it's just for fun!" which was a Chris Evans creation, initially used on his radio shows before he shot to fame on The Big Breakfast.Question of the Day
A phone-in feature encouraging viewers to provide humorous answers throughout the morning to a pertinent (or occasionally inane) question. At one point it was accompanied by a fanfare, apparently played on the trumpet by "little Ted" beneath the camera (in fact a member of the team waving a toy trumpet in shot). One morning's question was "What should the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
do to improve EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
?", and one viewer suggested adding Barbara Windsor
Barbara Windsor
Barbara Ann Windsor, MBE , better known by her stage name Barbara Windsor, is an English actress. Her best known roles are in the Carry On films and as Peggy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders....
to the cast; this actually occurred shortly afterwards.
Super Hints
"Your indispensable guide to a better life!", this feature appeared during the early years of the show; in it celebrities would give various simple but useful hints for such issues as cleaning or keeping food fresh. It might be seen as a development of Top Tips from the Viz comic.Streaky Bacon
"Streaky Bacon" became a regular feature, in which Richard Bacon would get a member of the public out of their house to 'streak' along their street wearing nothing but bacon-covered underwear in order to win a large supply of bacon from their local butcher.Vital Statistics
"Vital Statistics" was another common feature, particularly in the Johnny VaughanJohnny Vaughan
Jonathan Randall Vaughan is an English broadcaster and journalist. Vaughan has become well known as a television and radio personality and has also built a reputation as a film critic. He co-presented Capital Breakfast alongside Lisa Snowdon on 95.8 Capital FM between 2004 and 2011...
era. These would often relate to a news story, a guest or a topic they had discussed, such as Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
on their Doctor Who Special.
On the Bed
A key feature for the first five years was the "On the Bed" interview. Paula YatesPaula Yates
Paula Elizabeth Yates was a British television presenter and writer, best known for her work on two television programmes, The Tube and The Big Breakfast.-Early life:...
(then wife of Bob Geldof, whose company produced the show), and later Paul O'Grady
Paul O'Grady
Paul James Michael O'Grady MBE is an English comedian, television presenter, actor, writer and radio DJ. He is best known for presenting the daytime chat television series, The Paul O'Grady Show and, more recently, Paul O'Grady Live, as well as his drag queen comedic alter ego, Lily Savage, as...
(as Lily Savage) and Vanessa Feltz
Vanessa Feltz
Vanessa Jane Feltz is an English television personality, broadcaster and journalist. She currently presents an early morning radio show on BBC Radio 2, a mid morning phone-in show on BBC London 94.9. In 2011, she started hosting The Vanessa Show on Channel 5. The first series ended on June 24th...
assumed the role of interviewer. One of the most infamous on-air moments was Paula Yates' open flirting during an interview with Michael Hutchence
Michael Hutchence
Michael Kelland John Hutchence was an Australian musician and actor. He was the founding lead singer-songwriter of rock band :INXS from 1977 to his death in 1997, a period of twenty years. Hutchence was a member of short-lived pop rock group Max Q and recorded solo material which was released...
as a prelude to their affair.
More Tea, Vicar
A repeating feature in the Johnny Vaughan, Denise van Outen era, in which an erratically filmed, fast-mo video clip of a line of tea cups is shown to a call in viewer. Vaughan, dressed as an Anglican vicar, and van Outen, dressed as a nun replete with false teeth and an inferiority complex, then explain the rules. The caller guesses the number of tea cups shown in the video lead in, with Vaughan responding "More tea, vicar" if the number is too low; "Less tea, vicar" if too high. If the contestant guesses the correct number within the time limit, a prize is forthcoming. Van Outen was particularly good in this as the ugly nun who would occasionally speak up only to be shouted down as an abomination by the goodly vicar Vaughan, complete with flashing lights and thunder effects called down from above.The lyrics to "More Tea, Vicar" were as follows:
- More tea, vicar
- More tea, vicar
- More tea, vicar
- Guess how many cups
From Me Shed, Son
The inventor of the wind-up radio, Trevor BaylisTrevor Baylis
Trevor Graham Baylis OBE is an English inventor. He is best known for inventing the wind-up radio. Rather than using batteries or external electrical source, the radio is powered by the user winding a crank for several seconds. This stores energy in a spring which then drives an electrical...
, would join Johnny Vaughan in the shed to discuss innovative new products. Vaughan tended to make fun of Baylis for being in his late fifties/early sixties and was a traditional grey-haired man in London.
Wonga
A Jenga-style game, followed by various shouting and anarchy, with fans and the Wonga Lawyer. The show famously went over 27 minutes for a game once, with the Millennium Big Breakfast actually being commissioned extra time for Wonga.Wonga money
The big breakfast used to give out wonga money to people when they won money because they didn't want to give it to them on the show. They would give the real thing to them later.The Friday Song
Each Friday the two main presenters and the whole crew would gather in the hallway for The Friday Song. The song would look back at events that happened on the show each weekThe lyrics to the chorus went as follows
'Singing, wakey, wakey, wakey rise and shine,
The big breakfast is the only way to dine,
It's your number one big breakie
So get it down your neckie,
And stick with us from seven until nine!'
Others
- Guess The Mess
- One Lump or Two?
- Sunny Side Up
- Pots Stop
- Telly Rellies
- Get Your Kit On
- Show Us Your Behind
- Court With Your Pants Down
- You Pet
- Spot the Sausage
- What's in My Pants
- What's Your Job, Bob?
- Yanks for the Memories
- Bring Home The Bacon
- Get Your Nobbly Nuts Out
- Egg On Your Face
- Young Fogey
- The Brian Moore The Merrier
- Pushy Mum
- Why
- The Vincent Price Is Right
- Housey Housey
- Wheel Of Fish
- Stop The Mop
- Chicken In A Basket
- Moving The Goalposts
- My Lenny, Um, Gnome
- Whose Washing Line Is It Anyway?
- Ice One Cyril
- License To Lurk
- Beat The Banger
- Game for a Bath
- Thatch of the Day
- Gaggin' for it
- Count-Down-Under
- Young Fogies
- Lost in Telly
The Bigger Breakfast
Between 1997 - 2000, during most nationally recognised UK school holiday periods, as well as occasional Bank Holidays, The Big Breakfast would run beyond its typical 9am finish to provide continuity into and out of unrelated shows aimed primarily towards children. This would last throughout the morning, usually until around midday. Although typically presented to the viewer as simply a programme on Channel 4, most of The Bigger Breakfast is perhaps better classified as an informal style of in-vision continuityContinuity (broadcasting)
'Continuity' or 'presentation' is a term used in broadcasting, especially in the United Kingdom , to refer to announcements, messages and graphics played by the broadcaster between specific programmes...
.
The strand also acted as an umbrella brand
Umbrella brand
An umbrella brand is an overarching brand used across multiple related products. Umbrella branding is also known as family branding. It contrasts with individual product branding, in which each product in a portfolio is given a unique brand name and identity....
for the programming which it linked to, by use of Big Breakfast style break-bumpers and Digital On-Screen Graphics. The expanded format always featured the regular content of The Big Breakfast from 7am-9am. The first run of The Bigger Breakfast during the summer of 1997 was titled as such all the way from its 7am start, presented throughout by Richard Orford and Denise Van Outen. Future editions would see slight separations made from the 7am-9am content, by way of this portion of the show being branded and scheduled as The Big Breakfast, with all content after 9am taking on the expanded Bigger Breakfast name. After a while, a further distinction was made by using a different set of presenters from that of The Big Breakfast. Presenters of The Bigger Breakfast included Josie D'Arby
Josie D'Arby
Josie d'Arby is a Welsh actress and television presenter from Newport, Wales.-Biography:d'Arby went to Lliswerry High School in her younger years then went on to attend the Anna Scher Theatre School, and later the London School of Journalism.d'Arby began a presenting career while still a student...
, Ben Shephard
Ben Shephard
Benjamin Peter "Ben" Shephard, also known as "Sheps" is an English television presenter who currently works for Sky Sports, as well as ITV.-Personal life:...
, Melanie Sykes
Melanie Sykes
Melanie Ann Sykes is an English television presenter and model.-Career:Melanie Sykes was born to an English father, and an Anglo-Indian mother. She first came to public attention as the bikini-clad girl in the Boddingtons beer advertisements with the broad "Northern" accent in the mid-1990s...
and Dermot O'Leary
Dermot O'Leary
Dermot O'Leary is an English television and radio presenter. He established himself as a presenter of Big Brother's Little Brother on Channel 4 before moving on to The X Factor on ITV. O'Leary has also presented on the BBC and has his own radio show on BBC Radio 2...
Programing was primarily composed of reruns of Channel 4 shows and US imports. The lineup changed frequently. The list below is of some of series featured on the Bigger Breakfast over the years:
- BatmanBatman (TV series)Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
- BewitchedBewitchedBewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
- Bug JuiceBug JuiceBug Juice is a Disney Channel reality series that premiered on February 28, 1998. It was named after the slang term for large quantities of super-sweet juice drinks made with artificially flavored powder such as Kool-Aid that are often served at summer camps.The series focused around 20 kids and...
- California DreamsCalifornia DreamsCalifornia Dreams is an American teen-oriented sitcom that aired from 1992 to 1996 on Saturday mornings during NBC's TNBC programming block. It was created by writers Brett Dewey and Ronald B. Solomon and executive produced by Peter Engel, all known for their work on Saved by the...
- The Crystal MazeThe Crystal MazeThe Crystal Maze was a British game show, produced by Chatsworth Television and shown on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom between 15 February 1990 and 10 August 1995. There was one series per year, with the first four series presented by Richard O'Brien and the final two by Ed Tudor-Pole, who made...
- Eerie Indiana
- Fantastic FourFantastic Four (1994 TV series)Fantastic Four is the third animated television series based on Marvel's comic book series of the same name. Airing began on September 24, 1994, until ending on February 24, 1996...
- Johnny BravoJohnny BravoJohnny Bravo is an American animated television series created by Van Partible for Cartoon Network. The series stars a muscular beefcake young man named Johnny Bravo who dons a pompadour hairstyle and an Elvis Presley-like voice and has a forward, woman-chasing personality...
- MoeshaMoeshaMoesha is an American sitcom series that aired on the UPN network from January 23, 1996 to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Mitchell, a high school student living with her family in the Leimert Park neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles.-Overview:The show...
- The MonkeesThe MonkeesThe Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
- Planet Pop
- Renford RejectsRenford RejectsRenford Rejects was a teen sitcom produced and broadcast by Nickelodeon UK between 1998 and 2001. The show briefly aired in the United States on Nick GaS....
- Saved by the BellSaved by the BellSaved by the Bell is an American television sitcom that aired between 1989 and 1993. The series is a retooled version of the 1988 series Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which was itself later folded into the history of Saved by the Bell...
- Sesame StreetSesame StreetSesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
- Sister SisterSister, Sister (TV series)Sister, Sister is an American television sitcom about identical twin girls Tia Landry and Tamera Campbell , who were separated and adopted at birth, when one day they come face-to-face after 14 years apart....
The Bigger Breakfast was discontinued in 2000. The block of programming provided within The Bigger Breakfast was retained, with the Channel's youth strand T4 (Channel 4)
T4 (Channel 4)
T4 is a scheduling slot on Channel 4 from about 09:00 until 14:00 on Saturdays and 17:00 on Sundays. It also airs on weekdays in the school holidays. The slot has a separate station identification on screen graphic from Channel 4 and E4. The logo of T4 is noticeably the top right segment of the...
taking over the continuity role.
Snap
Snap Cackle Pop, a regular and recurring feature throughout the history of The Big Breakfast, was briefly retitled as simply Snap, in 1997. As well as continuing as a short, daily entertainment news feature within The Big Breakfast, Snap also became a program in its own right. Airing once weekly at 6.00pm on Channel 4, the half hour show was a light hearted round-up of recent news stories concerning popular entertainment in the UK.Presented by Denise Van Outen, the show was intentionally recognisable as being closely related to The Big Breakfast, from which it originated and continued to be part of. Snap contained a number of elements synonymous with The Big Breakfast, such as using the very same boudoir set and on-the-bed interviewing of guests. However, care was generally taken not to alienate viewers who were not so familiar with The Big Breakfast.
The Big Breakfast End Of The Year Show 1992
3 months after first appearing, Chris Evans, Gaby Roslin and Paula Yates hosted a live edition of the show, seeing in the new year of 1993. Featuring Zsa Zsa Gabor as a special guest.The Biggest Breakfast Ever
At 12.30am on 1 January 2000 a mammoth eight-hour live broadcast took place from Lock Keepers' Cottages to herald in the new century. The Biggest Breakfast Ever was hosted by Johnny Vaughan and Liza Tarbuck and featured many classic moments and 'best of' features. Even eight hours of airtime was not enough. The show's producers got Channel 4 to extend its broadcast time by half an hour to fit in the premiere of the competition "Wonga" (a large-scale version of JengaJenga
Jenga is a game of physical and mental skill created by Leslie Scott, and currently marketed by Parker Brothers, a division of Hasbro. During the game, players take turns to remove a block from a tower and balance it on top, creating a taller and increasingly unstable structure as the game...
). The winner of the game had been told to 'stop steadying the stack' on numerous occasions, but was still allowed to play and eventually won £100,000. It was a prize game that returned to the show many times in its final two years, but never again was anyone allowed to blatantly break the rules of the game.
Lock Keepers' Cottages
Almost uniquely for a live British TV show at the time of its creation, The Big Breakfast was broadcast entirely from a real house. Located alongside the Hertford Union CanalHertford Union Canal
The Hertford Union Canal or Duckett's Canal is a short stretch of canal in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in east London. It connects the Regent's Canal to the Lee Navigation. It was opened in 1830 but quickly proved to be a commercial failure...
, in east London, the property became informally known as 'The Big Breakfast House'. Filming would frequently take place within the large grounds of the property and the closely surrounding area.
Built in 1947, the property originally comprised 3 cottages which housed the lock keeper
Lock keeper
A Lock keeper, or lock operator looks after a canal or river lock, operating it and if necessary maintaining it or organizing its maintenance. Traditionally, the lock keeper lived on-site, often in a small purpose-built cottage. The occupation is dying out...
s, toll takers, and navigation operators of the Old Ford Lock
Old Ford Lock
Old Ford Lock is a paired lock and weir on the River Lee Navigation, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, England. It is at Bow on the east side of London...
s in Bow. By the time of purchase by the program makers, Planet24, in 1992, the property had become Grade 2 listed and had remained unused for around 2 decades. Extensive renovation work saw the transformation of the 3 cottages into one large 3 bed roomed property, specifically fitted for use as a TV studio. The exterior character of the property was largely unchanged. During the first 4 years of the show, the given address for the house was number 2, Lock Keepers' Cottages. The '2' was later dropped.
In 1996, due to the declining popularity of The Big Breakfast, the house was transformed in an Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style makeover. The original brickwork
Brickwork
Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar to build up brick structures such as walls. Brickwork is also used to finish corners, door, and window openings, etc...
was virtually entirely covered over with a smooth rendered finish which, by the time the re-launched program aired, was painted crisp white. Two large balconies now adorned the front and rear. The only untouched exterior features, recognizable from the show's original styling, were the four brick chimneys and the roofing. The legality of this extensive makeover could be questioned, as it contradicts the rules imposed by its Grade 2 status. The work carried out is purported to have cost around £2million, largely funded by its sale to the show's parent company, Channel Four Television.
Structurally, the house largely remained in this style for the rest of the TV series' life. The only notable structural alterations occurred over the 2 years immediately following and included the removal of the front balcony, the partial removal of the balcony to the rear, and minor alterations to the styling of the doors and windows.
However, the character of the house was altered through several artistic makeovers to both the interior and exterior. The exterior was painted bright yellow, later a light brown similar in shade to the original brickwork, followed by a faux red brickwork effect which was painted onto the render. The latter style became the final look of the house, during the show's final 3 and a half years.
Cottages since The Big Breakfast
In November 2002, seven and a half months after The Big Breakfast was axed, a fire destroyed a significant proportion of the first floor of the cottage the show was made in. A large part of the roof was also destroyed in the blaze. The fire was suspicious as there was no gas or electrical supply to the building.Since the fire, extensive work has taken place to restore the house and it is now used as a family home. The house was bought for little more than half the original asking price of £1 million at £550,000. The house was slashed in value due to the fire of November 2002.
The house has now been fully renovated, but some of the well-recognised aspects of the house from its use during the run of The Big Breakfast remain.
The newly renovated house features in the BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
show Neneh and Andi Dish It Up, BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
's Singing With the Enemy, and most recently Too Fat To Toddle on ITV1.
The cottages are located about 200 metres from the site of the main Olympic Stadium, currently under construction for the 2012 Olympic Games. In 2005, the cottages became part of the Compulsory Purchase Order
Compulsory purchase order
A compulsory purchase order is a legal function in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland that allows certain bodies which need to obtain land or property to do so without the consent of the owner. It may be enforced if a proposed development is considered one for public betterment - for...
for the Games (http://www.lda.gov.uk/server/show/ConMediaFile.1223 - item 239), giving rise to speculation that the building may be demolished. However, the cottages and gardens remain unchanged.