Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Lottery show condemned

Maggie Brown
Tuesday 13 December 1994 00:02 GMT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Michael Hurll, one of television's top light-entertainment producers, has advised the BBC that the heavily criticised National Lottery programme.. needs to be completely changed as soon as possible.

Mr Hurll, who was asked by the corporation last Friday to act as a consultant on the programme, said he believed a three-minute draw would be preferable until a better show could be devised.

He is looking at a game-show format from Australia which would give all the losers a second chance to win something. extending the life of the ticket.

Under the new format, the lottery draw would come at the start of the programme, eliminating viewers' frustration. With the main draw out of the way, other prizes could be played for. This part of the programme could also involve previous lottery winnersas contestants.

"People won't switch off. It would get millions of viewers, " Mr Hurll said.

Mr Hurll, produced, for the fifth year running, last week's British Comedy Awards. He was asked by the BBC to produce and direct the first National Lottery programme just five weeks before it went on air.

He said last night that the current 15 minute programme was an impossible format: "15 minutes of neither one thing or another, too long to be a filler, too short to be a programme". A new programme should be based in a glitzy studio, rather than tour around the country, as Camelot wants.

He is even critical of the lottery machine and its spinning balls. "It looks like something from a laundromat," he said.,

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in