ITV4 TDF Commentators Have Changed!

Now we have something / quite-a-lot to discuss and celebrate.
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Spinners
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Re: ITV4 TDF Commentators Have Changed!

Post by Spinners »

Samuel D wrote:
They had a good run and did a fine job in their time.


+1 Really fond memories of Liggett & Sherwen when I first took up an interest in road cycling after being an MTB'er.
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Re: ITV4 TDF Commentators Have Changed!

Post by Shoogle »

Never watch it. No interest in sport.
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Re: ITV4 TDF Commentators Have Changed!

Post by cycloret »

As mentioned earlier and from what I read on the web, apparently Liggett and Sherwen have been employed for years by NBC, not Ch4 or ITV who just took the feed of their commentary. So the program that we've watched in the UK didn't directly employ them and this was probably the reason why we never saw them in front of the camera as far as I can remember. With hindsight I remember the hand over would include the words "..we'll pick up the commentary ...". It seems Phil avoided saying much of a hello to the UK viewers because he had been already commentating to the USA audience and him saying hello would seem strange to them.

I gather that ITV weren't happy with these arrangement but I'm not sure what precipitated the decision to ditch them. A bonus occurred today when David Brailsford was invited into the commentary box to talk with Ned, something I suspect that couldn't have happened in the past. Phil and Paul are probably not in France any more than Murray Walker was for many foreign F1 Grand Prixs.
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Re: ITV4 TDF Commentators Have Changed!

Post by rualexander »

cycloret wrote:As mentioned earlier and from what I read on the web, apparently Liggett and Sherwen have been employed for years by NBC, not Ch4 or ITV who just took the feed of their commentary. So the program that we've watched in the UK didn't directly employ them and this was probably the reason why we never saw them in front of the camera as far as I can remember. With hindsight I remember the hand over would include the words "..we'll pick up the commentary ...". It seems Phil avoided saying much of a hello to the UK viewers because he had been already commentating to the USA audience and him saying hello would seem strange to them.

I gather that ITV weren't happy with these arrangement but I'm not sure what precipitated the decision to ditch them. A bonus occurred today when David Brailsford was invited into the commentary box to talk with Ned, something I suspect that couldn't have happened in the past. Phil and Paul are probably not in France any more than Murray Walker was for many foreign F1 Grand Prixs.


Phil and Paul often appeared in front of the camera on the itv broadcasts, often answering viewers questions etc.
They also apparently did separate sections of commentary for the individual broadcasters, sometimes you would hear only one of them commentating for a while, which was when the other was off giving a different commentary for a different broadcaster.
They were normally commentating from a broadcaster's truck near the finish line somewhere.
I liked their commentaries, but also like Ned and David in this year's Tour although it doesn't feel quite the same.
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Re: ITV4 TDF Commentators Have Changed!

Post by Postboxer »

It must be difficult in terms of all the different sports to commentate on, think of the length of the broadcast and the amount of stuff happening, quite often there's not much happening for long periods. Can't think of many sports that are on for as long, maybe marathons, or golf, but with golf there's always something happening somewhere on the course.
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Re: ITV4 TDF Commentators Have Changed!

Post by TDF »

cycloret wrote:As mentioned earlier and from what I read on the web, apparently Liggett and Sherwen have been employed for years by NBC, not Ch4 or ITV who just took the feed of their commentary. So the program that we've watched in the UK didn't directly employ them and this was probably the reason why we never saw them in front of the camera as far as I can remember. With hindsight I remember the hand over would include the words "..we'll pick up the commentary ...". It seems Phil avoided saying much of a hello to the UK viewers because he had been already commentating to the USA audience and him saying hello would seem strange to them.

I gather that ITV weren't happy with these arrangement but I'm not sure what precipitated the decision to ditch them. A bonus occurred today when David Brailsford was invited into the commentary box to talk with Ned, something I suspect that couldn't have happened in the past. Phil and Paul are probably not in France any more than Murray Walker was for many foreign F1 Grand Prixs.



Yes, some posters on newspaper articles have suggested ITV4 didn't like the hassle of having to synch up the NBC-led commentary with the ITV-led advert breaks.

So, depending on who you believe, the decision to replace L&S was taken for reasons of cost, quality, personality, localisation, logistics, advert-timing, or all or none of the above...

Whatever the reason, I've tried hard to "get into" the new ITV4 live-commentary team this week, but just keep switching off. The dull, adenoidal tone and commentary are just not entertaining at all. ITV4 need a rethink.
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Re: ITV4 TDF Commentators Have Changed!

Post by cycloret »

Just my preference but whilst I'm thinking Ned Boulting and David Millar are doing a reasonable job, I did prefer the Phil and Paul combination. I did look on the first day for a free web feed of their NBC TdeF coverage but drew a blank. On the plus side David Millar's experience of riding in the race peleton is more recent than Paul Sherwin's.
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Re: ITV4 TDF Commentators Have Changed!

Post by Paulatic »

Whatever the reason, I've tried hard to "get into" the new ITV4 live-commentary team this week, but just keep switching off. The dull, adenoidal tone and commentary are just not entertaining at all. ITV4 need a rethink.

I hope they don't. So far this tour I've stuck with ITV I'm happy I don't have to listen to the drivel of L&S any more. ITV also seem to organise their adverts so they don't run just when you don't want them. Unlike Eurosport, sorry Sean .......Yes..............well.... :D
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Re: ITV4 TDF Commentators Have Changed!

Post by mjr »

Imlach explains the reasons in a post linked from http://sport-onthebox.com/2016/06/28/it ... y-pairing/
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Re: ITV4 TDF Commentators Have Changed!

Post by mark a. »

I'm watching the highlights only (and I'm a couple of days behind, too) and the Ned / Millar pairing is miles better for me. At no point has either of them said "years of age", so I'm happy.
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Re: ITV4 TDF Commentators Have Changed!

Post by TDF »

cycloret wrote:Just my preference but whilst I'm thinking Ned Boulting and David Millar are doing a reasonable job, I did prefer the Phil and Paul combination. I did look on the first day for a free web feed of their NBC TdeF coverage but drew a blank. On the plus side David Millar's experience of riding in the race peleton is more recent than Paul Sherwin's.



A quick informal scan and poll of 3 UK cycling forums is currently suggesting about 60% support for Liggett & Sherwen, and 40% for Ned and Millar.

Can't find a live NBC stream yet, but will try through a US VPN over the weekend and see what gives.
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Re: ITV4 TDF Commentators Have Changed!

Post by Flinders »

mark a. wrote:I'm watching the highlights only (and I'm a couple of days behind, too) and the Ned / Millar pairing is miles better for me. At no point has either of them said "years of age", so I'm happy.


We also watch the highlights. And I'm with you 100% about that 'years of age' thing. In this household it went (over the first tour we watched) from being first a joke, then to irritating, finally to setting my teeth on edge every single time. The next step would be a gulp of Scotch every time it was used (to dull the pain), and I don't think I could take that much alcohol.

I found Liggett and Sherwen totally hopeless. They didn't explain things I didn't know (as a a newbie to the sport) and were always getting it wrong about who was who - so much so, when they said who a challenger was we felt pretty sure that whoever it was, it wouldn't be them. Maybe the reason so many racing fans seem to like the old team is that they already know a lot about it so don't need a decent commentary or any explanations and find explanations irritating? I can't see any other reason than nostalgia for actively preferring them (for my part, I found them charmless in the extreme).

The new team are an improvement for us, though I do miss the humorous bits with Boardman and Boulting.
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Re: ITV4 TDF Commentators Have Changed!

Post by PJ520 »

I paid money to get the Tour on NBC but those Orstroylyans "adenoidal drone" gets right up my shonker. I don't think I'll renew my subscription. Sherwin's commentary about the surround countryside was a joy, a big part of my reason for watching, the bloke they have now does a crap job of reading his handouts and his attempts at enunciating French are pathetic.
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Re: ITV4 TDF Commentators Have Changed!

Post by mjr »

PJ520 wrote:I paid money to get the Tour on NBC but those Orstroylyans "adenoidal drone" gets right up my shonker. I don't think I'll renew my subscription. Sherwin's commentary about the surround countryside was a joy, a big part of my reason for watching, the bloke they have now does a crap job of reading his handouts and his attempts at enunciating French are pathetic.

NBC doesn't have P&P any more? The "adenoidal drone" and mangling of French sounds like Matt Keenan (who itv used for the Vuelta coverage for only the first year) but is there a second commentator this year... ah yes, looks like Robbie McEwen, according to http://www.news.com.au/sport/cycling/sb ... 1783953b1e - P&P are presenting but not commentating now that the stage coverage is longer.

You could subscribe to Eurosport Player but then you get Carlton Kirby (search for his name to see some real abuse!) and Sean Yates in English. I think the German commentators are alright, but it depends if you understand that.
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Re: ITV4 TDF Commentators Have Changed!

Post by Spinners »

In work I'm somehow getting reception using a Poundshop indoor aerial so I've been watching ITV4 during the past couple of afternoons and watch it repackaged in the early evening. On the weekend, I'll happily switch between Eurosport and ITV4, changing over whenever there's an ad break but it's surprising how often the advert's are in synch. Grrrrrrr!!!
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