Amanda Holden had some promising news earlier this week on the fate of the Britain’s Got Talent live shows.
She reckons they can still go ahead with a studio audience so long as people sit five seats apart.
“We could fill the other seats with cardboard cutouts,” Amanda suggested.
Funnily enough, I’m pretty sure those were Simon Cowell’s exact words back in 2007 when ITV first asked him who he’d like as his fellow judges.
Amanda’s musings once again highlighted the fact that the TV industry is facing unprecedented challenges in these days of lockdown.
In general its response has been to soldier on as best it can. Results have been mixed.
The likes of BBC Breakfast and Good Morning Britain have adapted seamlessly. In the latter’s case it could even be argued that politicians are more open to appearing on the show now they know they don’t have to actually be in the same room as Piers Morgan.
As for Joe Wicks and his PE lessons on You Tube, they have been such a phenomenon that this week terrestrial TV treated the announcement that Joe’s wife Rosie would be filling in for him as a breaking news story.
Elsewhere, programmes that rely on instant audience feedback such as Have I Got News For You? and The Mash Report are floundering to the point that they are becoming uncomfortable to watch.
It's fair to say both programmes have discovered the pain of not knowing what you’ve got till it’s gone.
Luckily a similar realisation has finally hit home at Channel 4, where the reinstatement of Richard & Judy to their rightful teatime throne is already looking like lockdown’s best decision.
We may be only two days into Keep Reading And Carry On, but it already feels like it has been on our screens for years. In a way, I guess it has.
It goes without saying that Channel 4 should already be looking at extending it by at least half an hour and also finding a way to bring back its legendary quiz show segment You Say We Pay.
The only surprise is it has taken this long for someone to work out that the way to make a daily magazine show in times of social distancing is to employ presenters who still have the luxury of choice when it comes to getting up close and personal.
In Richard & Judy’s case it also helps that they can clearly do their jobs with their eyes closed – and that they still have the necessary clout to pull in the big names.
Some of their guests so far would not have looked out of place on Graham Norton’s famous sofa. Even Graham himself Zoomed by for a chat this teatime.
Ostensibly, this bitesize show is about finding books to get you through lockdown.
There’s more to it than that though. Like every book group I have ever experienced, they get the book talk out of the way early doors so they can get on with the important stuff – what’s the gossip? Do you have any funny anecdotes? And what are you drinking?
It also offers a tantalising glimpse behind the curtains of TV’s most famous husband and wife act.
So far we’ve seen the kitchen, which appeared to house a painting of a giant boar (no, I don’t know if it was called Richard); and the living room, which was full of flowers and boasted such features as a magnifying glass, an empty wine glass and a casually-placed guitar.
Thankfully, on Monday’s show Judge Robert Rinder spotted the guitar right away – and Richard soon knew his bluff was being called.
Like a music expert challenging a young person in a Ramones t-shirt to name one of their songs, Rinder invited Dickie to play a few chords.
Luckily, for Dickie – and us – he could not oblige because the guitar was, alas, out of tune.
I’m pleased to say it was the only thing about this programme that was.
