R2OK!

Nickbucks · Joined: 30 Dec 2006 Posts: 100

Yes it was the same Gary Davies from the R1 years. He sounded if he was desperately trying to supress the " Smooth suave sophisticated young free and single " tag he had from those days.

oldraver · Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Posts: 1189 Location: London

Like him or loathe him, Wrighty was good at his job. More listeners for Boom Radio!
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Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19382 Location: Cheshire

Got to agree with you there Raver. I didn't hear the announcement but heard him just after 2 in the car.

Strangely Steve Wright was one of the reasons I turned to R2 back in the very early 80s (maybe even 79!) when he came on at 2 in the afternoon on Radio 1. Having had 8 hours of sometimes difficult passengers at the airport his voice on my drive home, finishing at 2pm, was just too much! I found him the same on R2 but he must have mellowed in the intervening years!

As you say more for Boom Radio, a shame though, I wonder what Ken Bruce thinks........

H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

oldraver · Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Posts: 1189 Location: London

I heard it yesterday afternoon, H. I was shocked, at both the news and how I felt. I thought he was a cornerstone of R2 for as long as he wanted. He put the hours in as well. Countless times, I would hear a DJ on a morning show say Wrighty's in the building - no doubt working on his own show.

I think his show was a must listen to millions like us, who wanted some welcome diversion to the daily grind. Can't see Scott Mills achieving that, tbh.

I've said it before, but when the day comes that Ken Bruce isn't around, R2 will really struggle. A really lovely Tracks Of My Years this week with the even more lovely Beth Nielsen Chapman.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0018gx9
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life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans

Nickbucks · Joined: 30 Dec 2006 Posts: 100

The Head of R2 claims they are looking for something different in the afternoons then they bring on a white male, a cast off from R1 and not exactly young. There must be scores of keen young DJ's in local radio who could fill that slot. It should not be difficult- SW does the same stuff day after day- so predictable. I would have liked to see Cox moved to the afternoons and the Head of R2 grovel in an attempt to get Simon Mayo back onto Drive- the best presenter that the show has had recently. I assumed that Mills was a shoe in for Ken when he goes ( or is pensioned off like JY). Seems as if I was wrong. Be interesting to see who deputises when Ken is away in September.

unclebuck · Joined: 19 Apr 2010 Posts: 278 Location: Warwickshire

The process of hollowing-out the BBC in preparation for future 'changes' continues. Anything that is high quality, different and distinctly 'BBC' is in the cross-hairs.

Wave goodbye to BBC4, CBBC, and now the show with the highest production values on the network.
Brace yourselves for yet another show presenting an endless succession of dull messages from listeners who are 'dancing around the kitchen'.

Conspiracy theory?
Remember - nobody can be this incompetent by accident!

Ian Robinson · Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2022 1:05 am Post subject:

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19382 Location: Cheshire

All the 'Drivetime' shows seem to start at 4 these days Ian. Magic does and I used to listen to Jason Reynolds (late of this parish) on 121FM last year and he did 4-7pm.

A long article by Richard Littlejohn in today's Mail, a good read as it is like reading the R2 message boards again 15 years later! We used to say the same thing back then!!

H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

Ian Robinson · Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2022 1:32 am Post subject:

The last Steve Wright In The Afternoon today* and Steve has writen a rather lengthy goodbye:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4cF7XGySKBL4vMzZnPYtg0V/steve-wright-statement-for-bbc-radio-2-september-2022

Have to say that while I have issues with a lot of what Steve does there is genuinely nothing like it on UK radio. It really is a BIG show, packed with nothing more than a desire to entertain. Any replacement is going to be lacklustre by comparison.

*until January on Virgin Radio... Wink

oldraver · Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Posts: 1189 Location: London

I had his show on briefly, earlier in the week. He was talking to Harry Hill and I was struck by how smooth and natural it all was. Harry clearly had a lot of respect for Wrighty and vice-versa. Just like a couple of old mates having fun.

He put a lot of effort into his shows and I really don't see Scott Mills being able to delight millions as he did. But hey, it's all change at the beeb, isn't it, what with Lawro speaking out this week, being kicked out of Football Focus (he also claimed that Dan Walker was pushed as well) and Sue Barker criticising how she was asked by them to say that she had given up her Question Of Sport role, when she hadn't.

Both programmes, I suspect, are poorer for the changes, while I would think that it's odds on that on weekday afternoons R2 will be a duller place to be, after today.

But looking at the positives, Countdown's viewing figures should go up a bit.
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Lord Evan Elpuss · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 3417 Location: Cloud Cuckoo Land

Looking at the R2 scedules, it looks like someone named Borg. Sorry looks like there's no first name!. Don't think that will persuade me to tune in!
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Lord Evan Elpuss, Your ideal job is a Lumberjack.

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19382 Location: Cheshire

I don't think we will have heard the last of him on a weekday show!

H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

unclebuck · Joined: 19 Apr 2010 Posts: 278 Location: Warwickshire

I know there are mixed views, but this is a sad day for me.
This show set the bar for production values and was absolutely packed with content. Furthermore, it strictly avoided inane conversations with thoroughly boring listeners and played interesting music interspersed with some good humour.

I still believe the BBC is being systematically wrecked by incompetent, opinionated and actually quite unpleasant people....Can you believe that Sue Barker was presented with a false statement to sign, saying that she had decided to resign, and she refused to sign it!! In any normal organisation, somebody would be disciplined or possibly even sacked for this kind of behaviour..... the good old BBC just closes ranks and plods on.

I hope SW finds a slot on commercial radio, and does not afford the BBC a degree of loyalty that it so abjectly fails to deserve.

oldraver · Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Posts: 1189 Location: London

Well said Buck.

I listened to all of yesterday's show. Even Serious Jockin'! It was very sad. Radio can touch your soul more than television, I find.
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life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans

Ian Robinson · Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2022 10:49 am Post subject:

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19382 Location: Cheshire