CHANNEL FIVE has been in the headlines quite a lot over the past few days, largely thanks to the decision of Natasha Kaplinsky to move and present Channel 5 News.
Now I presume the motivation must be money, because I can't for the life of me think of another reason why a newsreader who fronts one of the UK's most watched news programmes on the BBC (the Six O'Clock News) for 30 minutes a night would suddenly want to move to Channel 5, a channel a good chunk of the country can't receive, to present two 30-minute bulletins a night in a studio which looks like it's been designed by Easyjet's Stelios.
It was an opportunity she couldn't resist, apparently. I say good for her, and good for the 20% of the population who can receive the BBC but who can't receive Channel 5. But she'll soon realise the scope for spin-off appearances (Celebrity Come Dancing, Who Do You Think You Are? etc) is a bit more limited on Channel 5 - although I wouldn't mind her being a guest on Trisha Goddard.
If she'd moved a bit sooner, perhaps she could have presented one of the few things on Five worth watching this week - Zoo Days (Channel 5, 6.30pm).
Bascially think of Merecat Manor or Animal Park, but use a Channel 5 crew and have them head round Chester Zoo. Ok, so it's not the most original idea ever, but it's a good one all the same.
Among the highlights this week will be an appearace by Tejas the little asiatic lion who could be about to save his species. He's incredibly cute, but this programme does go a bit deeper than that into the running of the zoo.
All in all, it makes a nice diversion from the regular diet of America imports Five seems to be made up of - although that in itself isn't always a bad thing.
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