Claudia Winkleman's Friday night chat show on BBC One has ended its first series without the critical acclaim that has accompanied her previous television ventures. Despite reasonable ratings, the programme has struggled to escape comparisons with The Graham Norton Show, the long-standing champion of the genre.
The debut episode on 13 March attracted 1.5 million viewers, slightly more than the last episode of Norton's 33rd series, with an additional 700,000 watching on catch-up. However, the show's guest list has been dominated by theatre and stand-up comedians rather than Hollywood A-listers, partly because the series aired during Norton's break when the film industry's red carpet season was over.
Winkleman's main innovation has been audience participation, including ambushing a man who talks to birds on social media and featuring identical twin opera singers. Yet the shadow of Norton loomed large, with one guest even mentioning a possible visit to Norton's show during an on-air conversation.
The show's production by Norton's So Television further emphasised the comparison. While Winkleman has visibly relaxed into the format, critics suggest her natural modesty may not suit the chat show sofa, and the format itself is in decline. The series will be followed by a compilation episode, but doubts remain about its long-term future beyond a potential second series.
