Read the full press release over at the official Big Brother site.

It seems like a really big moment for me. As viewers’ editor, Big Brother has been a huge part of my job – I’ve shared the highs and lows of the Big Brother audience and been alongside the producers and commissioners during each series letting them know just what the viewers are feeling about their show.

I have mixed emotions about the decision, and a lot of that is a feeling that I may be losing contact with a great bunch of people who love the show and have never been shy about telling me how they feel – whether that has been critical or complimentary.

So on that note, here’s a chance to tell me how you feel about the end of Big Brother on Channel 4. The natural end of an era? Time for something new? An opportunity for different types of programming? The floor is yours…

What was it that drove Jade to take part in Big Brother? What were the qualities that made her such a success as a reality star? Why were the media so fascinated by her? How did the tide of negative media attention turn in Jade’s favour, following her now infamous appearance on Celebrity Big Brother? We’ll be discussing some of these points and looking at how Jade’s very public battle with cervical cancer may have resulted in thousands of lives being saved.

Read Phil Edgar-Jones’ tribute to Jade Goody here.

Also on The TV Show this month, we’ll be discussing the future of daytime television. It’s no secret that money is tight for many broadcasters and programme makers, but where are the cuts likely to be made? Head of Channel 4 Julian Bellamy recently announced that commissioning cuts would be made in the post-11pm slots, and that he would focus on ‘commercially successful shows’. But with the loss of Richard & Judy and Carol Vorderman in 2008, it seems that many of the big names to go have so far been in daytime.

Last week it was reported that Countdown’s viewing figures were at an all-time low. This news came as loyal viewers of the show continue to express mixed views about the latest presenters, Jeff and Rachel. We’ll be talking to some loyal viewers to hear what they have to say about the future of Countdown, and of Channel 4’s daytime output in general.

If you’d like to contribute your thoughts on either of the topics above, please submit your comments below.

I started my discussions with the person responsible for all telephone voting, who was keen to reassure me that the voting to win in the final week had been perfectly legitimate.  After all the shenanigans with premium rate services in 2007, you can imagine it is something that all broadcasters are now very sensitive to, and she reminded me that Channel 4 has used Electoral Reform Services for a number of years now to oversee the voting process for all Big Brother votes.  A representative attends each vote night and confirms that the viewers vote as reported by Channel 4’s telephony suppliers is the result that Davina announces on air.  Interestingly, Ulrika was ahead in the voting from the moment that the vote to win opened following the final Monday eviction, and it may be that, because she was up against four men, the male vote was split giving her a comparative advantage?

On the thorny issue of the live feed, the commissioning editor confirmed that this decision was primarily a financial one although also in response to less viewers choosing to watch this.  The team needed to ensure that the live feed is fit for broadcasting (that’s what all the sound dipping is about, when housemates say things that the Broadcasting Code prevents us from broadcasting) is a large one, and running it 24 hours a day is a very costly exercise.  I asked him a question that had been raised by viewers and discussed in forums – if money is the issue, why not reinstate the live feed and drop one of the satellite shows?  This took us into some tricky (and confidential!) territory relating to the contractual position with the production company, but he did understand from that question how important the live feed is to some viewers and reassured me (or rather viewers) that no decision had yet been taken over live feed for the summer show of Big Brother, and he had got the message!

Rumours about potential housemates have been brewing in the Channel 4 forums for the last few weeks, but tonight will see Davina finally put the speculation to an end and unveil the 11 celebrities that have been brave enough to take up residency in Britain’s most famous house.

I caught up with Celebrity Big Brother’s commissioning editor David Williams after his Christmas break, and he told me he was particularly excited about this year’s series:

“It’s January. It’s cold and we’re credit crunched… what better time to lock a merry bunch of unsuspecting celebrities in a house and let Big Brother have his wicked way!

“After spending the last few months keeping the names of our celebrity housemates under lock and key, I can’t wait to see them walking into that house and into our lives for three weeks of fun and games. Bring it on!”

How do you think the celebrities will cope in their new environment? Do you think they’ll be able to survive away for the trappings of their showbiz lives? Will they be up to the challenges that Big Brother throws at them? Will the cope under the pressure of Big Brother’s watchful eye? What sort of Big Brother will we see this time?

Tell us what you think, and we’ll make sure your views get straight to the heart of the Big Brother commissioning and production team.

Paula

Having pitched up in the sunny city centre, The TV Show team asked passers by to share their views, both good and bad, on the recent Channel 4 programmes they had watched.

Take a look at the video to find out what Birmingham viewers thought of programmes including The Sex Education Show, Hollyoaks, Big Brother, The Family, Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty and more.

Do you agree with what the people of Birmingham had to say? Let us know by posting your comments below…

If you’d like to share your views with The Big 4, please keep an eye on our Take Part section to find out where it’ll be later this month.

Having found a temporary home in the city’s Buchanan Street, The TV Show team asked passers by to share their views on the recent programmes they had either loved or loathed – and they didn’t disappoint.

Take a look at the video to find out what Glasgow viewers really think of programmes including The Secret Millionaire, Hollyoaks, The Genius of Charles Darwin, Ugly Betty, 10 Years Younger, Gok’s Fashion Fix, Dispatches and, of course, Big Brother…

Do you agree with what the people of Glasgow had to say? Let us know by posting your comments below…

If you’d like to share your views with The Big 4, please keep an eye on our Take Part section to find out where it’ll be later this month.

I can’t tell you how exciting it is to get back from a short holiday and discover that The TV Show blog has finally arrived! We can now tag all our articles, link to other blogs and generally join in the online debate – it feels like a big wall has tumbled down… We’ve also taken the opportunity to redesign the site to try and make it more user-friendly, so any feedback you have would be very much welcomed.

I spent the weekend in Edinburgh with a crowd of television folk, examining our industry and sparring with each other in the nicest possible way. The keynote speech was given by Peter Fincham, currently in charge of television at ITV, and he argued passionately for a return to the basics – television that entertains, educates and informs an audience of millions. There was a whiff of realism in the air as others warned of harder times ahead – advertising revenues falling as the double whammy of an economic downturn and the growth of television viewing in non traditional ways hits the terrestrial broadcasters – BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five. I went to a fascinating talk given by an American Professor called Clay Shirky who is an expert on the social and economic effects of the internet. He suggested that television companies can learn a lot from the way that people are behaving on the internet – sharing and talking about programmes as well as watching them in more traditional ways.

Back here at Channel 4, the programmes that people have been contacting us about while I have been away include The Genius of Charles Darwin, The Perfect Vagina, Kill It, Skin It, Wear It and Make Me a Christian. As I write, we have received quite a lot of complaints about Darnell and Rex’s behaviour towards Sara in Big Brother on Tuesday, which rather oddly resulted in Sara herself being nominated by the majority of her fellow housemates for eviction last night. If you have anything to say about any of these programmes, here is the place to comment, or link to a debate or blog on any of these subjects elsewhere, and I will make sure that the programme makers and those in charge at Channel 4 get to know what you think.

Channel 4’s Viewer Enquiries team handled a total of 22,480 contacts (phone calls and emails) from viewers last month. Each query was logged and the appropriate people at Channel 4 notified. Of these contacts, 3,756 criticised the channel and its shows, while 548 complimented the programmes broadcast.

Top 10 programmes most appreciated by people who contacted Viewer Enquiries in July 2008, excluding Big Brother (quote is an example of viewer comment):

1. The Qur’an (79 contacts) “Documentaries like these show the nation that there is more to Islam than what the media portrays.”
2. Can’t Read, Can’t Write (24) “I just wanted to congratulate Channel 4 for making/commissioning and broadcasting this programme – it moved me to tears.”
3. Dispatches: It Shouldn’t Happen to a Muslim (22) “It was so refreshing to see a programme challenging the relentless rise of Islamophobia, and reflecting the real experience of British Muslims.”
4. The Great Global Warming Swindle (17) “Thank you for offering an alternative view. Such was the furore and outcry over the programme, one wonders if they “do protest too much”".
5. The Seven Wonders of the Muslim World (10) “A wonderful enlightening programme, beautifully filmed capturing stunning images of the mosques.”
6. 7/7: The Angels of Edgware Road (6) “The programmes were truly uplifting and restored my faith in the basic goodness and kindness of people in exceptional circumstances.”
7. The Sunday Night Project (5) “I think that the Friday and Sunday Night Project are the funniest programmes that has ever been on channel 4!!”
8. 10 Years Younger (5) “I like watching the programme. Not only do you transform these ladies looks, but their lives.”
9. Gok’s Fashion Fix (5) “He is absolutely fantastic and he is dead down to earth, he is a credit to the company and the programme.”
10. 7/7: The Miracle of Carriage 346 (4) “I would congratulate you on the appropriateness and quality of that programme. Very moving and thought-provoking.”

Top 10 programmes most criticised by people who contacted Viewer Enquiries in July 2008, excluding Big Brother (quote is an example of viewer comment):

1. The Qu’ran (380) “As a Shia Muslim I’m unhappy about the way our beliefs were portrayed on the Qu’ran programme”
2. The F Word (176) “Gordon’s language is bad enough without us having to watch poor animals being killed just for ratings reasons… I think it is in very poor taste.”
3. The Kevin Bishop Show (85) “I am a broad minded person, but this was simply disgusting and in very poor taste… I have never, ever been so appalled.”
4. The Charlotte Church Show (52) “Charlotte’s language was unnecessary and offensive and in no way made my viewing experience pleasurable.”
5. Dispatches: It Shouldn’t Happen to a Muslim (33) “… just a poor PR exercise for Muslims and Islam which was all form and no content.”
6. 10 Years Younger (29) “In the most recent series you have taken to revealing the end result at the beginning of the show. Why?”
7. 8 out of 10 Cats (27) “I was deeply offended by Jimmy Carr’s joke which insinuated that the Queen killed Princess Diana.”
8. Personal Services Required (26) “I took great exception to the homophobic nature of questioning on this programme last night. There can be no place on primetime TV for this type of prejudice.”
9. Gok’s Fashion Fix (26) “Why oh Why… has Gok got stick thin anorexic models on his new show. Its outrageous and he’s totally gone down in my estimation now.”
10. The Street Weapons Commission (22) “Why have Mrs Blair there, she added nothing at all. She appeared to be more of a facilitator that anything else.”
11. Can’t Read, Can’t Write (22) “This programme has done little to properly examine the issues.”

How do you feel about this month’s Rated/Slated? Do you agree with the comments you’ve read?

Having set things up in the city centre, The TV Show team encouraged shoppers with a few minutes to spare to stop by and share their thoughts with the camera – and that they did.

Watch the video to find out what Leeds viewers thought of programmes including Big Brother, 10 Years Younger, Countdown, Can’t Read, Can’t Write, Richard & Judy, Channel 4 News, the recent Islam season – and our acclaimed Channel 4 idents.

Do you agree with what the people of Leeds had to say? Let us know by posting your comments below…

If you’d like to share your views with The Big 4, please keep an eye on our Take Part section to find out where it’ll be later this month.

Channel 4’s Viewer Enquiries team handled a total of 26,778 contacts (phone calls and emails) from viewers last month. Each query was logged and the appropriate people at Channel 4 notified. Of these contacts, 6,132 criticised Channel 4 and its shows, while 385 complimented the programmes we had broadcast.

Top 10 programmes most appreciated by people who contacted Viewer Enquiries in June 2008, excluding Big Brother (quote is an example of viewer comment):

1. Inbetweeners (11 contacts) “This series made my two daughters and my wife and I roar with laughter. The funniest TV we have all enjoyed for ages.”
2. Tony Robinson’s Crime and Punishment (9) “I would like to compliment Channel 4 on an excellent, informative and well presented series of programmes.”
3. How to Look Good Naked (5) “It’s the best, me and my sister love it and it gives us an excuse to have a girly night in just to watch it!”
4. Dispatches: Warlords Next Door? (4) “Excellent journalistic work, Somali people thank the British journalists who did this investigation.”
5. In the Shadow of the Moon (4) “This was such a beautiful, moving and enjoyable documentary. A little gem! Thank you.”
6. Peep Show (4) “Comedy at its finest and most sadly realistic, well worth the wait.”
   Derren Brown: Trick or Treat (4) “I’d just like to say how much I have enjoyed this series. Thank you for a real treat!!”
7. Disarming Britain trail (3) “Without exaggeration, I can safely say it is the greatest short film (calling it a trailer does it an injustice) I have ever seen.”
8. The Shooting Party (3) “I have just watched Maddie’s Human Whisperer. WOW. It was an incredibly powerful piece of writing.”
9. Dispatches: Gordon Brown: Where Did It All Go Wrong? (3) “You all make really good docs… The one on the PM that I just finished watching was excellent.”

Top 10 programmes most criticised by people who contacted Viewer Enquiries in June 2008, excluding Big Brother (quote is an example of viewer comment):

1. Desperate Housewives (176) “Apparently the hiatus will last until autumn… I can only presume it’s sheer sadism on behalf of the controllers at Channel 4.”
2. The Devil Wears Primark (157) “I am shocked that after such extensive advertising of the documentary that it was pulled.”
3. The F Word (45) “I found the sight of GR catching and eating elvers abhorrent… Who the hell does he think he is?”
4. Location, Location, Location (41) “I was totally disgusted that Channel 4 should allow Kirsty and Phil to blame stamp duty for all the current problems in the housing market.”
5. Dispatches: The Truth About Food Prices (40) “The picture is out of sync with the sound.”
6. 10 Years Younger (37) “Do the programme makers think that after 60 we should curl up in a corner or give up? I am 60 and take an interest in how I look, don’t write us off yet.”
7. Derren Brown: Trick or Treat (34) “I love dark comedy but did not feel this was amusing or added anything to the show.”
8. The West Wing (30) “Why have you moved it to the last hour on Saturday? It’s just too late…”
9. 8 Out of 10 Cats (29) “I am seriously angered by the disgusting comments made by Jimmy Carr on 8 out of 10 cats about the people of Liverpool…”
10. The Sunday Night Project (25) “I understand that there is a warning at the beginning of the show, but the use of the ‘C’ word is taking it a bit too far.”

How do you feel about this month’s Rated/Slated? Do you agree with the comments you’ve read?