User Reviews

This was a much better talent show than Britain's Got Talent. In fact, remarkably, many of the acts who appeared on The Big Big Talent Show were resurrected as 'new' talent on BGT and the X Factor (including Steve Brooksteen, Paul Zerdin and Francine Lewis, among several others). The second series finale in 1997 attracted more than 10million viewers, putting it on a par with Cowell's show without any of the overblow hype.

I always quite enjoyed this show though I don't recall that much about it other than it was rather like Opportunity Knocks, watchable and, underrated. What I remember about the format is that performers were introduced by a family member or friend who would chat with Mr Ross before the act began, again a this was a little like the old Hughie Green show.

Anyone who saw a very young and unknown Charlotte Church, on the show to introduce her aunt's act, couldn't fail to be struck by her talent and big personality. Within a couple of minutes Jonathon Ross, to his credit, had this fearless little girl up on the table performing to the nation - and she had an amazing voice. I'm no great fan of her kind of music but you'd have to be a fool not to realise there and then that she would go far. I felt a bit sorry for her aunt.

I suppose the show didn't really move the format on very much from the shows of the 1970s like New Faces and the Charlotte Church incident hinted at what today's shows like X-Factor and American Idol are exploiting most successfully - that often what goes on around and outside of the performances are invariably more interesting than the acts themselves. But the show was too old in style to incorporate or really take advantage of such extra factors (forgive the pun). Nevertheless Saturday night TV in Britain is rarely the place for bold imaginative programming and in that context it was an enjoyable show.