Jeremy Paxman’s diary: Why must Songs of Praise chase advertiser-friendly viewers?

The most unfashionable show on television, Songs of Praise, has had a makeover. The BBC had apparently discovered that the average viewer of the show was in their mid-seventies. Quelle surprise: in the trade it is known as ‘The Resurrection Show’, because so many participants shuffle off their mortal coil before transmission. The new version was introduced by a bubbly presenter with hair dyed a fetching shade of cerise, slightly talking down to us. It ended with a cheery roomful of Salvationists and a brass band. I rather liked it, even if I had switched on wondering why publicly funded religious broadcasters were chasing the advertisers’ target demographic. Actually, I think it’s rather bold of the producers to tell us the average age of their viewers. The same ought to apply to all television programmes. Here’s my hunch: Match of the Day — mid-forties men. News at Ten — both sexes, but skewed male and slightly older.