Good Morning Britain - 2015 Refresh/Tweaks

A small thing that bugs me is when they start referring to it as a 'show' rather than a programme. I know one word is hardly indicative of a programme's content, but GMB Mk.1 and Daybreak V2 Mk.1 both started off with 'programme', which sounds more suited to a newsier breakfast programme, before switching to 'show', which sounds all fluffy and light entertainment.

I can not understand the need for that horrible desk. The old one suited the set a lot more and I can't understand why ITV bosses presume people will now think to tune into GMB rather than Breakfast just because the presenters are stood up and theres a new dreadful desk. The new wood theme certainly does not mingle with the original colours. I think ITV are just being impatient and need to realise that the only thing that will rise ratings is good content and not the trash they currently produce. Breakfast waited a good nine years before they topped the ratings and they only made small changes to the studios used. Another few years (infact after seeing how soon this has been put into place, maybe a year) and they'll be creating another format which they consider 'something different' which will slowly turn into GMTV again. They have made such a great, modern and newsy set look brown, dark and tacky. I was staggered when I saw the changes this morning and the desk looks like one of those breakfast bars they have in burger king which was most likely influenced by Good Morning America.

The Breakfast set changed massively between launch and what we have now, so it isn't correct to say only minor changes were made.

It's funny hearing people saying making a softer programme will lose them viewers. Didn't making a harder programme between Daybreak v2 and GMB also lose them viewers?

Wasn't one of the initial complaints the massive number of presenters sat at Britain's biggest desk?

What people in this thread want is out of step with what the audience want. As others have said, people here want dramatic News at Ten style music with tickers and hard news all the way through.

I expected there to be cosmetic changes to the programme this morning, but I did not expect as many subtle changes I fully agree like other's have said that these minor changes will absolutely nothing to improve viewing figures. It's the quality of content and output that's the key problem.

In terms of the changes, I do not think the new theme is that bad. However, in my opinion it is too soft in tone and lacks gravitas. It's more suited to the 8am TOTH. I would prefer they keep the original theme from 6am as it fits in the headline bed that they continue to use. As for the new desk, like Corey and other's have mentioned I am not a big fan it seems too small whereas the enlarged sofa looks disjointed with the rest of the set. ITV Breakfast always have the tendency to change the set tone to Orange for some reason

It is a real shame that ITV did not have the courage or conviction to stick it out with the original format allowing core viewers to get used to the programme. There was such great positivity back in the Spring last year promising something new and different. Executives never allowed the American inspired format to develop therefore they failed to build an audience.

I suspect research from audience focus groups and advertisers really pressurised ITV to make changes quickly. Remember, 75% of ITV Breakfast audience profile is female. In addition, the key demo Housewives with Children viewing figures is up 4% year-on-year. This is where in reality ITV Breakfast make advertising revenue and profit. Even if GMB is down 12% compared to the same period last year there is still plenty of money to be made.

Well, I completely missed this (I usually watch Sunrise if I have the TV on).

Just watched it on catch-up. Not a fan of the new music, sounds a bit too light, lighter than Daybreak or GMTV ever had. The desk and the set look fine to me, the desk specifically probably works on screen better.

The content did seem newsier, although I wonder if it's just going to be like this up until May because of the general election.

Nice to see they've changed the backdrop to a more appropriate one for the time of day, that was one of the complaints people had, although I notice it's still the same in the sofa area which looks odd.

We only need to really start worrying when plants start to appear on or behind the desk!

Rarely bother with this thread but thought this latest development was worth a comment.

The principle problem with the changes made today isn't the desk or the sofa - it's not even the GMTV-esque weight loss feature. The problem is when the tone of presentation conflicts with the seriousness of the story being discussed. For example, I'm sure it's not just the more discerning viewers that will notice an unfortunate turn of phrase or reference when they watch the news - perhaps when a reporter ad-libs a live piece to camera. And the juxtaposition of GMB's new music with more serious stories has the same effect - you shouldn't even notice the headline bed, but you do. The latter part leading into the sting is fine, but the footage of the reporter discussing the Prince Andrew story while echoes of the old Daybreak theme are played on a child's toy keyboard in the background is an instant turn-off.

Pretty much agree with the concensus here and also think it's a shame it's become the Susanna and Ben show. Fine if you like them but if you're not their biggest fans at least as part of a team of 4 it didn't feel as if they'd overly dominate the show.


I think research is what's killing the show - they're far too worried about opinion so rather than letting the show be what the show wants to be they're constantly tweaking it in response to the opinions from their latest research, opinions probably coming from people the show was designed to shift focus from anyway. As with Daybreak they think they want to reach this younger more up-market audience, but then absolutely panic when they realise that in doing so they might lose a few GMTV veterans along the way.


Pretty much agree - that new desk is ugly, the music is too GMTV and most of the cosmetic changes aren't going to make the blindest bit of difference.

The backdrop is an improvement, as is the darker wood in the sofa area. But not fussed about the rest.

The opener was the best thing about GMB before, but it has been properly GMTV'ified. And the last 3 notes in the new arrangement are just wrong.

Oh my God, I missed GMB this morning but had I actually seen it I think I would have spat out my cornflakes.

What have ITV breakfast done? No seriously, what provoked them to do this?

I've been reading the comments and I can only mirror other people's views. The theme is just weak, it has no authority and confidence in starting the morning like the old did. The voiceover, did that woman stumble into a room and decide to mess with us all?

As for the desk, I like the idea of having the logo on it - this could have been done with the old one - but it's as if they have opted for the exact opposite of the old one, tiny. It takes up about a cm of space and is effectively pushing the presenters into the wall in its new overly dramatic position.

I just can't get my head around this decision. If only we could swear on this site because all in all you may as well have Susanna skipping around the set (she'll have the space now the desk takes up none) telling you the headlines with the new bed softly chanting in the background.

We made criticisms of GMB V1 but this is just horrific. Everything they had for this show, the research, the different presentation. Gone. They've completely taken away what made this ITV breakfast the best one. I just can't comprehend this.

I'm so disappointed because I have a real fondness for this show but they've destroyed all that was gone by welcoming you with fluff (before the headlines).

To be honest, if they wanted a lighter feel why not dedicate the 8 - 8:30 section to this idea, they could use this lighter theme - maintaining the old for the 6/7 - and even run it from the sofa.

What have you done GMB?

EDIT: After watching the new titles repeatedly in an attempt to like it, all I can describe the new theme as (apart from a GMB/gmtv mash up) is someone is holding their hands over the speaker whilst jingling bells as the old theme tries to break through effortlessly.

Not a fan on the new theme and I can also hear daybreak in the background of it.

Just in case anyone wanted the new theme tune, I quickly mixed to together some videos online.

And thanks to owain.98 and ronaldy21 for uploading the videos (all three of which are on this forum pages 4 and upwards)

http://youtu.be/eUSxuX5uNTE

(Sorry I don't know how to insert a youtube video yet)

The fact they've invested in a new desk suggests that they're not moving away from that set up for a little while yet. Given they now only seat 3 people around it (and have done for weeks now), a smaller desk makes sense. Aesthetically, it's not the same as the old one, but I can't see anything wrong with it, and it clearly takes influence from the Good Morning America desk.

http://galloproductions.com/assets/images/Projects/Andrea%20Bocelli/IMG_2922.JPG

The music - ok, not as authoritative as the old one, but much better suited to morning TV. The signature is still there, but the way they have changed that bit is the weakest bit of the new music. Perhaps they should have kept the old fanfare with the new bed?

The female VO - I get why they've done it. Their biggest audience is obviously female, so somebody in their infinite wisdom has decided that a female VO is more appropriate. I think keeping the male one would have been better as the woman seems to struggle over the music - perhaps a volume mixing issue?

The content seems stronger from the half hour or so I saw today. Still news driven, with the right amount of fluffy stuff for that time of day.

I expect we'll see more tweaks over the next few weeks and months, but nothing on the scale of a full relaunch - I don't think that they can justify the expense of doing it for a fourth time.