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Big Top is an attempt by BBC One to launch a new family sitcom starring actress Amanda Holden (one of the judges of Britain's Got Talent) as the ringmistress of a small circus.

Invited by talk show host Paul O'Grady before the premiere of the show, she anticipated that Big Top would get a harsh reaction from critics: « They'll slate it. They'll slate me. They'll say, 'Why is she a talent judge? - She's in this show and she's not talented in it'. But it's fine » (http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a189622/amanda-holden-big-top-will-get-slated.html). This wish of Ms Holden to spare so many journalists and bloggers time and efforts is very kind, but what is actually intriguing is why the BBC commissioned Big Top in the first place.

« In this current climate who wants to watch a desperate family in their living room? » said Amanda Holden, talking to Hot TV. Well, er... that's not nice for Emmerdale and its fans: a double-length episode of the ITV1 soap opera (ITV1 is the home of BGT, by the way) peaked at 8.2 million viewers vs 3.3 million viewers for the first episode of Big Top (http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2009/12/03/10110/big_top_is_a_big_flop).

Imagine what could Jon Culshaw and Debra Stephenson (The Impressions Show) could do with material like Big Top or Paradox...

See also:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a189396/holden-my-show-is-credit-crunch-comedy.html