Radio 1 Breakfast with Greg James - First Thoughts

[TheSaviourisHere 2]

I was going to say the same I went to work yesterday for twelve hours listened to the first 15 minutes of the show then thought it's okay I will listen to the podcast tonight 5 minutes I want the weekly one back at this rate

[rickbutterfield 3]

4 hours ago, Aleks_ said:

Huh, Greg's podcast is now rather short, isn't it? The first Breakfast one was about 50 minutes, but the rest is just a joke, 5-11 minutes. Any ideas what's going on?

He said on the first show that it'll just be one best bit from the show, rather than one with everything in like Scott's

[Aleks_ 14]

Thanks Rick, I've missed that on Monday.

And what a rubbish idea this is. It might have worked when he did one, long weekly podcast, not so much when it's daily. I can't be bothered to download them now, to be honest. Hopefully, they'll rethink it. 

[OohErr 232]

I dunno, I quite like it. If they did a full 40+ minute podcast every day they'd pile up and I'd never listen to them, whereas this is manageable. But yeah, a weekly podcast would achieve largely the same thing. I'm really looking forward to his podcast with Chris Smith whenever that arrives.

[Aleks_ 14]

Well, you've got a point there. Still, Scott's podcasts are 30 minutes +, and I listen to them anyway. I think that 5-10 minutes format would be good to put on yt, not in a podcast form. And it would make more sense with more visual stuff - Red Arrows display or interviews. 

Oh yeah, it cannot come fast enough. I already miss the class act that is Chris Smith with the News. Although now we should probably say simply Chris Smith. 

[OohErr 232]

A feeling I've rediscovered since Greg started breakfast: the 10am sadness that the breakfast show is over and an excitement for its return the next day.

[WELOVEMOYLESPART2 40]

I feel exactly the same when I'm not working anyways Greg is doing awesome such a fresh fun show and for me I just hear his show now and that's it until Jack Saunders comes back on. Very sad still give it a few years and the schedule should be spot on. 

[Tea20 7]

Some old features are starting to return... Impossible Karaoke was on yesterday and What's My Age Again returns tomorrow with Jodie Whittaker off of Doctor Who!

[Dan18F1 26]

2 minutes ago, Tea20 said:

Some old features are starting to return... Impossible Karaoke was on yesterday and What's My Age Again returns tomorrow with Jodie Whittaker off of Doctor Who!

Yayyyy! I’ve missed that, just Rage to come back now and they’ll have them all back, I’m not expecting them all to be every week though! 

[Graeme 4]

This makes changing ‘shouldn’t be news’ to the ‘fact controller’ even more odd though!!

[anothernerd 13]

I love Greg’s new show 

He’s 100% better then Grimmy 

I think Chris on Radio X has a decent rival now Greg’s settled into his new show 

[THIS IS THE BBC 13]

Loving how the podcast seems to have grown from 8 to 20 mins to a proper highlights show, he's probably got the most features out of everyone now some of the old ones are back.

[Chris D 12]

Nice to hear some of the old classics. I'm just waiting to see if North Star Caller returns, with Chris Smi... Santa!

Also, has anyone noticed that the old ten minute takeover music keeps getting played on occasion? 

[Ant L 51]

6 minutes ago, Chris D said:

Nice to hear some of the old classics. I'm just waiting to see if North Star Caller returns, with Chris Smi... Santa!

Also, has anyone noticed that the old ten minute takeover music keeps getting played on occasion? 

When did the countdown music change? I seem to remember on the first few shows that the beeps hadn’t changed but the rest of the beds had. 

Or I’m imagining it, which is possible. 

[Chris D 12]

1 minute ago, Ant L said:

When did the countdown music change? I seem to remember on the first few shows that the beeps hadn’t changed but the rest of the beds had. 

Or I’m imagining it, which is possible. 

No, you're right! It changed a couple of shows in. To be fair, that countdown was ancient 

[Ant L 51]

5 minutes ago, Chris D said:

No, you're right! It changed a couple of shows in. To be fair, that countdown was ancient 

It was. The new version is little less “harsh” on the ears. 

[OohErr 232]

Wonder whether Greg James and Chris Smith's new podcast is still happening? Chris is back off his leave now, and we're well into October but there are no signs of anything in the pipeline.

[Graeme 4]

His twitter bio doesn’t mention r1 / newsbeat at all anymore, instead says ‘I am available to read the news on radio if required’

[OohErr 232]

That's weird - I guess he never specifically said he was becoming an editor at Newsbeat, so maybe he's freelance now? 

[Graeme 4]

Has ‘ask the nation’ ever returned since week 1?

[WELOVEMOYLESPART2 40]

Nearly 3 months on it's such a great Breakfast show. He's still sounding fresh loving his job and life as a whole which is just perfect. The features are perfect the show sounds so slick. But he has that charming yet sarcastic humour that most of us love. What's My Age Again I'm so pleased it made it back. Unpopular opinions is a polite morning Rage. LOVE this show 10/10

[OohErr 232]

Greg's birthday show today. This Festive Feeling thing - I can't make my mind up about it. It's cute, and it's not bad radio... But it's not very funny is it? It's a bit preachy for me.

[LSR1 19]

2 hours ago, OohErr said:

Greg's birthday show today. This Festive Feeling thing - I can't make my mind up about it. It's cute, and it's not bad radio... But it's not very funny is it? It's a bit preachy for me.

Definitely agree. I think that it’s a nice idea but its spread out over a large portion of the peak listening time of the show and a tediously long package of it has been repeated numerous times throughout the day on every show, which makes it seem even more preachy

[OohErr 232]

Been seeing a few quotes on Twitter today from a speech Greg gave at some European Radio Conference. To summarise, Greg really doubling down on the whole "the listeners are more interesting than me so I make it about them" thing.

Honestly, I can't say I agree. If that's the case then anyone could be doing the show - the reason Greg does it is because listeners are interested in him and his stories. He never used to do that shtick in the afternoons - it was HIS show, so I don't know where the whole modesty thing comes from. It's almost like he's embarassed to be there. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy listener's stories when they're funny and weird like on Scott's show, but not when they're the main attraction. I DO want to hear banter between presenters and stories from their own lives, that's why I listen - I've built up that relationship with the presenter over the years.

I'm really sad about how little Greg's breakfast show does for me, I'd wanted him to get the gig for years and I really wanted to like the show but whenever I listen I just get fed up with how safe it is. And I used to love his afternoon show with Chris Smith. Haven't listened for months, although with local breakfast shows on Capital ending I'm not sure where I'll end up. Danny Mylo on Pulse 1 in West Yorkshire does a good show. Maybe I'll come back to Greg at some point, but for now I've gone right off.

[Mike123 10]

8 hours ago, OohErr said:

Been seeing a few quotes on Twitter today from a speech Greg gave at some European Radio Conference. To summarise, Greg really doubling down on the whole "the listeners are more interesting than me so I make it about them" thing.

Honestly, I can't say I agree. If that's the case then anyone could be doing the show - the reason Greg does it is because listeners are interested in him and his stories. He never used to do that shtick in the afternoons - it was HIS show, so I don't know where the whole modesty thing comes from. It's almost like he's embarassed to be there. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy listener's stories when they're funny and weird like on Scott's show, but not when they're the main attraction. I DO want to hear banter between presenters and stories from their own lives, that's why I listen - I've built up that relationship with the presenter over the years.

I'm really sad about how little Greg's breakfast show does for me, I'd wanted him to get the gig for years and I really wanted to like the show but whenever I listen I just get fed up with how safe it is. And I used to love his afternoon show with Chris Smith. Haven't listened for months, although with local breakfast shows on Capital ending I'm not sure where I'll end up. Danny Mylo on Pulse 1 in West Yorkshire does a good show. Maybe I'll come back to Greg at some point, but for now I've gone right off.

From the way this is going, it feels like Greg is just a temporary host until they can find someone dynamic and different.  He’s bland on Breakfast.  I almost wish Grimmy had stayed on.