ITV celebrate 30 years of breakfast shows by bringing back Roland Rat
ITV has celebrated 30 years of breakfast television on commercial television by bringing back old TV-am favourite Roland Rat.
The Rat is back at breakfast, Roland popped into Daybreak, yeeeahhhh!
February 1st marks the 30th anniversary since the first nationwide breakfast television on the ITV network. TV-am launched with the ‘famous five’; Sir David Frost, Anna Ford, Angela Rippon, Sir Michael Parkinson and Robert Kee.
The current breakfast programme, Daybreak, paid a small tribute to the anniversary by bringing back Roland Rat, who is considered by many the saviour of TV-am.
He spoke with current presenters Aled Jones and Kate Garraway which included a showing of the original breakfast show opening titles. The first TV-am consisted of Daybreak and Good Morning Britain.
Aled Jones and Lorraine Kelly host the third version of Daybreak since 2010.
TV-am was on air from 1983 until 1992. It lost its licence in the franchise round, losing to Sunrise Television, which later became GMTV.
GMTV was taken over by ITV in 2009 and a year later the show was replaced with Daybreak and a separate programme for Lorraine Kelly. Daybreak was panned by many critics and fans who called for GMTV and its presenters to be reinstated.
ITV had hired former BBC One Show hosts Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley in the hope to boost the morning ratings on ITV. Average ratings however continued to fall and the show is now beaten daily by BBC Breakfast.
Daybreak unveiled a new look in 2012, which saw Songs of Praise presenter Aled Jones join Lorriane Kelly to present the topical breakfast show. Lorraine is considered ITV Breakfast’s biggest asset, being a fixture in the mornings since TV-am, joining in 1984.
Anne Diamond and Nick Owen became the faces of Good Morning Britain (Pictured launching Central News in 1981/ATV)
One of the original presenters on TV-am, Nick Owen, has recalled the troubles in the early days of the station. Speaking to the BBC he spoke about the “atmosphere” at the station.
“This station which was losing allegedly about £500,000 a week was in absolute turmoil. There was definitely an atmosphere of almost fear that the place was going to close at any time. There were mass meetings loads of times.You never knew who was going to be sacked the next day.” – Nick Owen
Nick Owen partnered up with Anne Diamond on the sofa, and along with Roland Rat, ratings began to rise with the show going on to beat its rival BBC Breakfast Time.
Daybreak airs weekdays from 6am on ITV
Roland Rat back in his Good Morning Britain days. (TV-am)
TV-am personalities on Celebrity Family Fortunes: Nick Owen, Wincy Willis, John Stapleton, Lizzie Webb and Anne Diamond.
Mike Morris hosted his own early morning show on TV-am and later became the main anchor opposite Lorraine Kelly.
Lorraine Kelly began as TV-am’s Scotland Reporter in 1984 before progressing up to main co-host.
Eammon Holmes launched the new GMTV in 1993.
Penny Smith and John Stapleton, long staying regulars of GMTV.
Anthea Turner spent time on the GMTV sofa.
Final era, GMTV said goodbye in 2010 with farewells to Andrew Castle, Emma Crosby, Kate Garraway and Ben Shepherd.
Daybreak disaster, the Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley TV turn-off.
Yeh the Rat needs to be back more often. Yeeeeh