Picture from Channel 4

The one-off special, never again, just one more time edition of TFI Friday was broadcast earlier this year and the success of it was inevitably going to lead to a new series. They wouldn't have spent all that money recreating the old set for one go were they? Away from the safety and conformity of The One Show Chris Evans was able to show just how live television should be done, and it is pleasing to see that he hasn't lost the ability. Put him in a room with Will McDonald and some cameras and magic happens, yet despite this I was a bit worried that the new run wouldn't live up to expectations.

Of course the stops had to be pulled out for the first episode so Evans had worked hard to start the series on a high note with musical guests U2, (who manage to be quite impressive live yet unbearable at the same time), Take That, a band who wouldn't have been TFI material back in the olden days of the series yet are impressive these days, Slaves, and best of all an unsigned act in the shape of Sound of the Siren. This is quite an important step if they carry on as television hardly caters for unsigned music, if it does at all. There isn't a great deal of outlet for it on radio nowadays and Chris Evans was once a hugely important presence on radio so hopefully he can use TFI to aid new music. 

With so much going on the interview side of things seems to have been scaled down to pretty much a hello and goodbye with a quick plug slipped in for whatever they were peddling. Vintage TFI silliness was there in the form of a slip and slide which sidekick Will McDonald entered the studio on, giving a turn to one of Take That and five year old Noah Evans asking vaguely impertinent questions but the true genius features and pushing towards controversy are lacking. I also have my doubts that the show is going out live as things seem a little too polished.

If this series does well then I do believe that they should go out gracefully and call it a day before the lights dim like they did the first time around.

The Sunday Alternative Podcast #59 is available from here

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