The One Show, the great-great-grandson-of-Nationwide attempt by BBC1 controller Peter Fincham to establish a new daily 7pm anchor for his weekday evening schedule, returned last night for an extended run - 200 editions, to be exact.
MediaGuardian.co.uk's reviewer, Chris Shaw, was pretty impressed - but then he's a sucker for a badger story. What did you think?
Here's a taste of Shaw's review:
"As the name implies it was also conceived as a signature show for BBC 1, emphasising its national and family-orientated values.
"In truth only the BBC could make a show of this scale and range, calling on the expertise of its various specialist departments such as history, natural history, entertainment and current affairs, as well all the regional BBC operations and a handful of independent production companies, like Tigress in Bristol.
"...If The One Show works, and I think it will, it will become as a big an institution as the Six O'Clock News or EastEnders - a regular weekday fixture smack in the middle of BBC1 prime time. There are a few things that need fixing fix fast.
"The studio sound was really poor, some of the sofa talk went on a bit and I think they may actually need a fifth feature to give it a little more pace and energy. That said, the show has a great presenter in Chiles and a really positive upbeat feel, which I am sure will chime with the family audience it's is aimed at. And best of all, it's got badgers."
Steve Hewlett was not nearly so positive in his review of The One Show pilot series last year.
