Ant & Dec

Chelon · 26-01-2014 5:05pm #1

Seeing as they've just won another award, I'm trying to get my head round their popularity.

I found them funny at times when they did the Saturday night takeaway show but as presenters on I'm a Celebrity etc. they seem to offer little beyond reading of their autocue.

Could anyone explain what they bring to these shows?

endacl · 26-01-2014 5:07pm

And while you're at it, which one is which?!?

Skid X · 26-01-2014 5:15pm

Chelon wrote: »

Seeing as they've just won another award, I'm trying to get my head round their popularity.

I found them funny at times when they did the Saturday night takeaway show but as presenters on I'm a Celebrity etc. they seem to offer little beyond reading of their autocue.

Could anyone explain what they bring to these shows?

They are the best Presenters on Television. Very few people can handle live television as well as they do. Ant and Dec have a natural, likeable chemistry which many have tried to copy, but few have come close to matching.

they seem to offer little beyond reading of their autocue.

I don't know about that, their jokes during the links are very good. Anytime you can make the crew laugh in the background, you must be doing something right.

Obviously, you are never going to appeal to everyone but they do it better than most. 13 years in a row voted 'Best Entertainment Presenter' at the National Television Awards tells its own story.

I'm a bit biased as I've been watching them since they were on Byker Grove, The Ant and Dec Show, and Ant and Dec Unzipped but I think they are terrific. Likeable, funny guys who gel very well and are technically excellent presenters.

amdublin · 26-01-2014 5:16pm

I think very likeable fellas and good at their jobs.

Chelon · 26-01-2014 5:27pm

I do get the likeable and professional qualities they have but what I don't really see is their humour as presenters. Yes they may make the odd mildly funny quip but can you imagine how much comedic mileage someone like Jonathan Ross or even Terry Wogan would manage to extract from being given their role in such a show?

I've seen them described as the new Moreambe and Wise; now that really *is* funny...

JP Liz V1 · 26-01-2014 8:21pm

amdublin wrote: »

I think very likeable fellas and good at their jobs.

I agree and they make IAC love them on it

bopper · 27-01-2014 12:31am

Personally I think they are incredibly overrated. I enjoyed them on SMTV/CDUK but not a fan of them on anything else. Their "banter" and jokes with one another makes me seriously cringe. If I want to watch something they're presenting I usually record it and watch it later so I can skip past them.

fr336 · 27-01-2014 12:44am

bopper wrote: »

Personally I think they are incredibly overrated. I enjoyed them on SMTV/CDUK but not a fan of them on anything else. Their "banter" and jokes with one another makes me seriously cringe. If I want to watch something they're presenting I usually record it and watch it later so I can skip past them.

Ironically their best hour. They were actually quite funny on that (with the scripts to back it up) and felt natural and genuine. They also didn't take themselves seriously like they do now. Saturday Night Takeaway was good for a while but not as good as their saturday morning stuff put in context. Now they are the most loved they've maybe ever been, simply because they're Ant & Dec and can do no wrong. I guess they probably are the best around, that's not saying much though :pac: They seem to have had to dumb down their act for adult TV, which I find quite funny.

Btw they created SMTV/CDUK with Conor McAnally, son of Ray brother of Aonghus.

Go Harvey Go · 27-01-2014 11:25am

Well, I like Mr McPartlin and Mr Donnelly too.

And I agree with everything that Skid says (although it must be said that the National Television Awards are an out-and-out popularity contest these days).

Another show they were perfect for was Friends Like These, which aired on Saturday evenings on BBC1 in the early 2000s:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvXbNX1QEHk

As one might gather, they left to concentrate entirely on ITV. Ian "Wright Wright" Wright replaced them, and was simply never as good.

Chelon · 27-01-2014 4:38pm

Ah well, at least I'm not alone in my bemusement at their popularity - it appears they are a bit "Marmite"...then again as said above it really depends who you're comparing them with. For them to beat Graham Norton, who is a genuinely funny and talented guy, for that presenters' award is probably more down to who is voting for this type of thing.

Nothing against them as guys at all, they're on the make and good luck to them. Wikipedia has their net worth at £62m; not sure if that's each or combined but either way I doubt if they're worried...

fr336 · 27-01-2014 4:40pm

Chelon wrote: »

Ah well, at least I'm not alone in my bemusement at their popularity - it appears they are a bit "Marmite"...then again as said above it really depends who you're comparing them with. For them to beat Graham Norton, who is a genuinely funny and talented guy, for that presenters' award is probably more down to who is voting for this type of thing.

Nothing against them as guys at all, they're on the make and good luck to them. Wikipedia has their net worth at £62m; not sure if that's each or combined but either way I doubt if they're worried...

Again not as funny as he was if you ask me :P But definitely better than the can see it coming a mile off 'humour' of A&D.

Big Bag of Chips · 27-01-2014 4:43pm

They are likeable - but everything on I'm a Celebrity is scripted for them (bar the trials). It's so very obvious that their jokes in the link bits are also autocued - and the crew laugh, because that's part of the show! Same as the spin off show - the crew always laughing very exaggeratedly.

I like them though. They are clean, harmless fun. They are both quite natural and nothing is forced (except the reading of the autocue that is!!)

fr336 · 27-01-2014 4:46pm

Big Bag of Chips wrote: »

They are likeable - but everything on I'm a Celebrity is scripted for them (bar the trials). It's so very obvious that their jokes in the link bits are also autocued - and the crew laugh, because that's part of the show! Same as the spin off show - the crew always laughing very exaggeratedly.

Surely that is a very open secret?

And to be fair, they have a lot of input into those scripts.

maximoose · 27-01-2014 4:47pm

I think they are quality presenters, their shows these days are absolute cack but I don't mind if someone sticks them on - as cheesy and scripted as it all is they still get a giggle out of me. Just very likable chaps.

Or maybe I'm just nostalgic, SM:TV live was brilliant when I was 10

Frog Song · 28-01-2014 1:53pm

maximoose wrote: »

I think they are quality presenters, their shows these days are absolute cack but I don't mind if someone sticks them on - as cheesy and scripted as it all is they still get a giggle out of me. Just very likable chaps.

Or maybe I'm just nostalgic, SM:TV live was brilliant when I was 10

Ahh remember CHUMS? Oh the nostalgia

maximoose · 28-01-2014 1:55pm

Chums, Challenge Ant, Wonky Donkey, Fart Attack. What a show

Chelon · 28-01-2014 3:54pm

Skid X wrote: »

They are the best Presenters on Television. Very few people can handle live television as well as they do.

Is I'm a Celebrity actually live? Didn't know that.

Skid X · 28-01-2014 4:12pm

Chelon wrote: »

Is I'm a Celebrity actually live? Didn't know that.

I wasn't specifically referring to ImaC ... but yes, the links and evictions are all live. They have to be, because the viewers are voting in real time to evict and/or pick someone to do a trial.

The evictions usually take place early morning Australian time (live in the UK evening).

fr336 · 28-01-2014 4:20pm

Skid X wrote: »

I wasn't specifically referring to ImaC ... but yes, the links and evictions are all live. They have to be, because the viewers are voting in real time to evict and/or pick someone to do a trial.

The evictions usually take place early morning Australian time (live in the UK evening).

One isn't :pac:

arsenal1991 · 31-01-2014 3:25am

They are both fantastic presenters.

Chelon · 31-01-2014 4:29pm

arsenal1991 wrote: »

They are both fantastic presenters.

What specifically are they good at, primarily referring to IAC?

Go Harvey Go · 27-02-2014 10:05pm

Chelon wrote: »

What specifically are they good at, primarily referring to IAC?

If arsenal1991 isn't going to provide some sort of an answer to this question, then I will...

Another thing they're pretty good at is building tension, even if they're not quite masters at it like Chris Tarrant.

They certainly built enough tension on Poker Face in 2006 and 2007:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zmnu9gct9eQ

And why not? They created this show themselves.

Chelon · 03-03-2014 5:02pm

Ok I can see they're doing their job here, in a very deadpan, autocue driven way...but on I'm a Celebrity, there is ample scope for humour, yet they rarely try anything. It's the whole "new Morecambe & Wise" tag that I don't get....

Chelon · 03-03-2014 7:42pm

Just watched them guesting on Graham Norton. They actually said very little; sat like rabbits caught in headlights for most of the show; obviously totally out of their depth sat next to Graham Norton.

The two other male guests I thought were far funnier and they were both straight actors, not comics.

Frog Song · 05-03-2014 2:09pm

Chelon wrote: »

Just watched them guesting on Graham Norton. They actually said very little; sat like rabbits caught in headlights for most of the show; obviously totally out of their depth sat next to Graham Norton.

The two other male guests I thought were far funnier and they were both straight actors, not comics.

They came across very well in my opinion. Better than Aaron Paul.

Ant & Dec

Comments