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First of all, the show needs to be longer, I understand that may be out of your control but at the moment it is too short and so everything seems rushed to me. Again, it also needs to be on at an earlier time, either ´óÏó´«Ã½ One does want this programme or it does not. Hiding it away at such a late time is just stupid. I know it is repeated on ´óÏó´«Ã½ News and there is the i-player but itdoesn't feel the same as when the show is originally on.

I fear the late time slot of the show is because of low audience figures (I don't actually know how well Inside SPort does with viewing figures) but I have a crazy idea that the late time slot of the show might just contribute towards less viewers.

I think using more people in the studio is better, especially since the same 3 people being used all the time had become a bit too repetitive. I do like Des, Steve and Tony though so please do keep using them as the "main" pundits.

I would also like to see more of the features where you look at unknown/unusual sports instead of just pure straight forward interviews with the big stars. I enjoy and remember Tony Livesey trying sumo wrestling more than repetitive, ordinary interviews with a football manager or something. Saying that I did enjoy the interview with Phil Brown and I wouldn't want to see the interviews scrapped.

I also want to raise another issue, I remember either yourself or someone else associated with Inside Sport saying they want to be careful and make sure it doesn't become all about football. Football is my main sport but there is enough shows on TV that focus on the sport and thats why I like the idea of Inside Sport focusing on others and promoting the minority sports. However, it seems to me that more and more of the limited time is being used up with football. That might just be my imagination but watch out as I don't think any member of the public is looking for yet another football programme.

I enjoy Inside Sport but it seems some people at the ´óÏó´«Ã½ are intent on ruining it with late time slots, short durations etc....

Agree with the above commenter that the show is too short. The time slot does not particularly bother me, but it seems it has been moved to a later slot than the last series and has also been cut down in time.

30 minutes is simply not enough just as 40 minutes were not enough in the last series. I hope this has not been done solely for the benefits of ´óÏó´«Ã½ News/World when they re-run the show because it should primarily be for ´óÏó´«Ã½ One. 30 minutes makes it more a magazine show than an analytical and thinking sports programme.

Changing the pundits is a good idea but I also like the 3 main ones of Des, Steve and Tony - so try to include them most weeks if possible.

How about some further reporting by Mihir Bose or a report on football in South America by Tim Vickery?

Why wasn't this week's episode shown in Scotland?

I'm gald you have blogged again Amanda because I have been waiting to have my say. Must say it has been excellent new series. The long interviews are the best on tv and show different sides to people I may not ordinarily be interested in. However, I must agree that 30 minutes is too short. 40 was about right but 50 would be perfect. You could then fit the 2 main stories in plus the extra bits featured on previous series. Like Tony doing Sumo as mentioned above. A 10:35 slot would be perfect (how Morgan gets ahead of inside sport lord alone knows!) but I will take 11:30 if someone reading this can give it a longer slot!

Once again I'm thoroughly enjoying the latest 'series' of Inside Sport - so well done to all those involved.

To add to the 'duration issue' - whilst the quality of the show per se hasn't been adversely affected it does feel sometimes that the in-studio discussions become rushed to accommodate the shorter length. Whilst I'd happily take 30 minutes over nothing at all when it comes to Inside Sport, as a regular viewer I'd of course prefer the 40minutes as I believe it allows for the right balance and pacing for everything you are trying to achieve.

The decision to bring in 'experts' each week has been a great one. Looking back this is probably something that has been lacking in previous series - that opinion of someone who solely focuses their work on the particular sport in question to compliment Buncy/Des/Tony's broader outlook on sports. Who else do you have lined up for the next few shows?

The Olympics-themed episode worked well as it obviously appropriate at the time and the same goes for the football episode because like it or not football is a huge sport in this country and there are always issues around that really should be covered by this type of show. Although I would say keeping a balance, like you have been so far, between mixed shows and sole-focus shows works best rather than having a sole-focus each week.

Inside Sport should be (and I hope it is) seen by the ´óÏó´«Ã½ as a key sport program because you really are offering a show that none of its competitors cover - an in-depth show that looks at a lot of sports and important issues and sport coverage on television would be lacking without Inside's presence.

Just to finish off with a few things I'd be quite interested in seeing in the future...Gabby interviewing Laura Robson (to see how she feels her start to pro tennis has kicked off, her aims, life after Wimbledon and that press attention that came with it).

Also, although we've just had our fill of Formula One this week so its one for the future/to coincide with the ´óÏó´«Ã½ taking over coverage - a look at the future of F1 - a lot of changes are still occurring and there is always some sort of unrest - I'm sure Mr Eccleston is never short of a word or perhaps Mr Brundle (who I'm hoping the ´óÏó´«Ã½ will be employing shortly!).

And to finally put an end to my ramblings, how many more shows do we have in this latest 'run' and what are the ideas being floated around for which sports/issues to be covered?

Yeah I agree with most of what has been said so far. It has so far again been an excellent series of Inside Sport.

The biggest problem is the shorter running time, can I ask why this is? I could understand if the show had been given an earlier slot then it might need to truncate to accomodate it and that could be accepted. But it is very dissapointing for the show to be truncated and still be in the late night slot.

I think 40 minutes is the perfect length - 30 minutes is just too rushed. I would love an earlier slot though, its a really good show, it deserves 10.35pm.

The decision to use some of the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s sports experts is a great one. As others have said still keep using Des/Tony/Buncey as the main men but complimenting them with others is an excellent idea.

I quite like the idea of themed shows as long as they are not too often. Perhaps it could be a theme covering a few sports rather than just one sport.

However I think a 6 Nations special the Monday before it starts as a preview would be a great idea.

The only thing that seems to be missing is the investigation type reports - the stuff James Pearce was doing.

I agree with Michael, Laura Robson would be a good idea for an interview and would be interested if you could let us know any of the plans for the rest of the current series?

I honestly didn't know that Inside Sport had started again, and it's been on for a few weeks? If you want to plug minority sports in the hope that their audience will increase, surely the best thing to do is to put Inside Sport on at a decent time when more people will be watching.

In response to the comments about football shows, the fact that so many people watch Sky Sports and Satanta because of the amount of football on them suggests that perhaps there isn't enough on the public service channels.

My only critisism of this great show is the ridiculously late time slot it has got! I start watching and always miss most of it through nodding off! The show is missing many younger viewers too (my 14 year old son for one) who is in bed by this time. I know there is i-player but there's never enough time to catch up. Come on ´óÏó´«Ã½ give the show a chance - viewing figures would grow substantially if the programme was on earlier

I was under the impression that my licence fee was paid to the British Broadcasting Corporation which although broadcasts regional programmes doesn't exclude me as a Scottish viewer a chance to view a programme like Inside Sport.
Last week it was broadcast in the small hours of Tuesday morning, this week i couldn't even see it in the schedule for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland.Is there any reason for this? If any programme needed to be moved it was one with the Self publicist egomaniac Piers Morgan and a Celebrity Big Brother contestant that, no disrespect to her, doesn't even register with most people. Thats the type of public service broadcast i could do without.

Agree with many of the above - the show does feel rushed, though this may have more to do with its designated late slot than the acutal duration of the programme.

However, I do think the focus on a particular sport has worked well and the variety of experts is also an improvement.

I too would like to see Inside Sport on earlier, I didn't know it had started again due to the late starting time, and to hear is is shorter is most disappointing.

It is good to get the "Inside" view of sports, and I don't believe it matters which sport is covered provided we are getting an alternative view and a deep discussion (which in my opinion is not possible in 30mins).

The scheduling of the programme in Scotland has been terrible this year. In Scotland we've got Sportscene showing highlights of the SPL at 10.35 which I enjoy and it would be great if Inside Sport were scheduled after this instead of piers Morgan's programme.

I've been used to viewing Inside Sport later than viewers in England but this year viewing times have varied substantially. Last week the programme was not on at all and the week before ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland decided to show a film after Piers Morgan's programme which meant inside Sport was not on till 1.20am meaning i missed it. Although scheduling is out of your hands it still needs to be addressed.

Why is there no longer a repeat on Saturday lunchtimes on ´óÏó´«Ã½ 2 like there have been in previous series of Inside Sport.

On the plus side, really enjoyed the Chris Hoy interview.

The reasons why you shouldn't have an episode of Inside Sport all about football is simple: Football Focus.


The idea of the programme is good. It can address controversial issues and other things quite well and also offer journalistic views and show lesser followed sports very well at times.


The major problem is the scheduling and length of the programme. If this continues then I can see Inside Sport ending soon for good. The times I have watched it its been good but most of the time I don't watch it because of its time slot.

You could be making the best sports programme in the world ever, but in it's current slot it's never going to matter.

At the very least the pointless filler beforehand at 10.35pm should be dropped, but an alternative would be perhaps a 7.30pm slot. It is desperate for a more prominent slot - and it's no good you just blaming it on scheduling. You need to be fighting harder to get that slot - I believe there's a whole in the schedules on Friday night through to January!


Finally - the odd special is fine, but I see no need at all for football specials, an area more than covered by Football Focus, MOTD, MOTD2 and 5 Live.

I have given up on watching Inside Sport because the scheduling is terrible, the time its on is horrible.
Theres too much talk, not much covered so its a horrible show for the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Sport department.
I think the show should move from its terrbile poistion from Monday to Fridays with Ross's programme suspended untill February.
Also more Sporting action, more look into the past, I bet the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Archives are full of past sporting action.
How about 'this moment in time' looking back at a historic sporting event a few years ago that week/month.
On Friday, you can say whats been covered on the Beeb (Preview Football, Cricket, Rugger, Motorsport, Horse Racing, Golf etc)
Also new titles and music...the current ones are horrible!

Should put it on at 7:30pm on ´óÏó´«Ã½ One

Its a shame about the timing because there are good interviews with people we don't hear from often and the pundits seem fair minded and give decent opinoins.

Trouble is I suppose if you move something liek this to a Primetime slot all those anti-sport people will come and start complaining!

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Why is the ´óÏó´«Ã½ so hostile to athletics? Looking at today's website, Paula Radcliffe is given equal prominence to a football match involving Herts. Lewis Hamilton is certainly impressive, but nothing he has achieved so far matches up to her world record, or the extraordinary nature of her recent comeback.
I imagine the ´óÏó´«Ã½ will come over all patriotic about track and field in the fortnight leading up to the 2012 Olympics. And then we'll all be wondering why other sports do better...

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Once again Inside Sport will not be shown tonight in Scotland.Disgrace.

Recently, whilst abroad, I watched ‘match of the day style’ football highlights on Eurosport, they, by leaving the elapse time displayed on the screen, added a further dynamic dimension to the match recording, particularly during the closing stages. But even the time stepping from one period to the next gave a better insight into the balance of play. Please, ´óÏó´«Ã½, try it out for a few weeks to assess its merit.

Thank you #23 for raising an issue I have raised before but never got an answer to ... although it isn't strictly on-topic for this forum.

I too think football highlights should leave the elapsed time in place, otherwise it is practically impossible to know where you are in the game unless the commentator makes reference to it.

I think it was the highlights of the recent England-Croatia qualifier on Setanta that kept the clock in place, and it made a huge difference.

I have just been onto the I-Player and last night's edition of Inside Sport is not available and I have never found an episode of it on the i-player. Why is this?

To #23 and #25 - it has been discussed before, in awful and useless depth - see here: /blogs/sporteditors/2006/12/a_live_issue.html

I don't know why some football supporters need a clock in the corner - most of the excitement comes in the fact that you don't know when a goal or other major incident will come, esp. so if you know all the results before MOTD starts as most do. A clock is completely unnecessary and a complete waste of the production team's time.

tenaciousnerdfly, I think the latest version of insidesport comes out on I-player after it has been shown on ´óÏó´«Ã½ news channel. I think this is Friday.

This does seem a little silly as it contains some commentary that becomes a little old quite quickly (such as the headlines review) and especially as it is now unavailable in Scotland.

The last version is here /iplayer/episode/b00fbzb2/Inside_Sport_31102008/ not sure why you couldnt find it, just search for inside sport and it will appear!

dcacooper, Genfly, I completly agree, I presume that in the past it was so people could complain that only a little of their team was shown (becomes even more obvious with the clock). But now each team gets the same time it seems a little outdated.

Amanda - Inside sport was not on at 23:05 last night, maybe it wasnt your fault if the time changed, but its a little annoying to sit turn on a program that hadnt started.

Is it possible to get some feedback from the England (and wales?) scheduler(s) as you did from the Scotland so that we can see the reasoning behind it not being put on straight after the news (or even repeated on the red button the next day)?

Also, with Scotland, why not just put it on another night?

I think last nights episode was excellent, but I would echo what had been said previously about it being a little short. It did feel last night that some of the conversations were stopped just as they got going.

Would be nice to get a chance to watch it.

Any chance of putting at least a repeat on Sunday AM instead of one of the cooking programmes.


Or perhaps it's to much to ask that a tad less of my licence fee be spent on pro-celeb mincing every day of the week ?

Thanks for the informative reply mike-duke, do you work for the ´óÏó´«Ã½?

I would probably actually watch Inside Sport, if I could be convinced that it shouldn't be called Inside Football...

I have looked through your line up of rugby union coverage for the autumn tests and it appears that none of the England games will be broadcast live on ´óÏó´«Ã½ television. However, all the other home nations' games (Scotland, Ireland and Wales) will be broadcast live on ´óÏó´«Ã½ TV. As an Englishman and one who enjoys watching England rugby union internationals, I feel a bit hard done by that the ´óÏó´«Ã½ cannot broadcast live, any of the English autumn internationals on TV. I realise that live coverage of the England games will be available on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Five Live, but its no substitute compared to seeing the action take place.