Snookering you tonight

As the UK Championship nears its conclusion, The Scrutineer gives the lowdown on the BBC's snooker team. 

Hazel Irvine
Irvine is a brilliant presenter. You can tell all of her colleagues respect her, and she portrays a genuine enthusiasm for snooker. The perfect anchor for the sedate coverage, she has an in-depth knowledge of the game, rarely makes mistakes, and is female, which makes her one of the BBC's biggest assets. She's got the job for as long as she wants it.

Rishi Persad
Still making his way in the presenter's industry, Persad is the face of the highlights and late-night shows. Straight from the mould that shapes 21st century BBC anchors, he is smooth on camera and enthuasiastic about his job. He hasn't got the level of interaction with his colleagues that Irvine has, but Persad reads and links well. The more serious part of a humourous team, and it works well.

John Parrott
A favourite with the fans, Parrott gained legendary television status through being a long-serving team captain on sports quiz show 'A Question of Sport'. Equally comfortable on the pundit's sofa as he is in the commentary box, he is an extremely likeable character and is the person the majority of the audience most relate to. He has a great sense of humour, loves to rib his colleagues and doesn't take his job too seriously. That doesn't detract from his excellent insight, however. An indispensable member of the team.

Steve Davis
Many older fans remember Davis more for his incredible achievements on the baize, but since having moved from the arena to the studio, he has gained as near as a snooker pundit can get to a 'cult status'. A dry wit paired with as astute brain, his popularity has risen dramatically over the past few years as he shed the 'dour' tag that carried over from his playing days. He has a great rapport with Parrott as well, which makes those filler moments between matches good fun.

Dennis Taylor
Taylor's gentle commentary has become synonymous with the sport. A voice and style perfect for the trade, he may not provide as much tactical analysis as some of his colleagues, but his warmth and humour make up for it. A key ingredient in the coverage's success.

John Virgo
Another hero from the behind the mic, Virgo's sayings ("Where's the cueball going??") and impersonations have made him a household name in sports commentary. He has an infectious enthusiasm for the game - you feel he would commentate forever if he had to. His stock with fans rose after his appearances alongside Jim Davidson on 'Big Break', and he remains a staple part of every tournament for the BBC.

Willie Thorne
The man with the shiniest head in the world. Thorne is very popular with viewers despite his often prickly (excuse the pun) attitude during commentary. He tends to over-analyse at times, and can go through stages of relentless criticism. If you put that aside, Thorne is a thinker and often spots things the others miss. He rubs along brilliantly with his fellow commentators, though, and would be thoroughly missed if he wasn't there.

Ken Doherty
Still making his way in the media, Doherty is an assured presence on-air whose understanding of the modern game and relationships with today's players provide a different but justifiable angle on the coverage. He seems to have settled in quickly to his role, and enjoys a joke as much as a serious debate, which is imperative for the output to work. He has earned his status as 'one of the team'.
 

Profile: Jonathan Legard

He's got the enthusiasm, but does he really have the appeal? The Scrutineer looks at BBC One's Formula One commentator, Jonathan Legard.

When Murray Walker retired after the United States Grand Prix in 2001, Formula One had lost an icon. He wasn't a driver, though. He wasn't even directly involved, really; he was just a very keen observer. Yet after commentating on the sport for over 50 years, his departure left a legacy that many of F1's so-called 'stars' could only dream of. Walker didn't just do motorsport commentary - he defined it.

How do you replace an institution like Walker? ITV tried the subtle approach. In the latter stages of Walker's career, he didn't attend every race. In his absence, his position was taken by pit-lane reporter James Allen, so when the legendary broadcaster hung up his mic, he was the natural replacement.

The problem was, despite being a competant voiceman and very knowledgeable, he was just extremely annoying. So annoying, in fact, that fans created a petition to have him removed. When the BBC regained the rights to Formula One coverage at the beginning of the 2009 season, they were granted their wish.

So Jonathan Legard was announced as the Beeb's lead commentator, with my initial response being a neutral one. I would have preferred 5live's David Croft to get promoted from radio to television, but I'd heard Legard covering football and he was good listen. Also, he had worked in F1 before, which would be key in helping him to get through those first few races. And my school of thought was that anyone was better than Allen.

Fast-forward two years, and sadly I'm not so positive. Legard hasn't developed a chemistry with co-commentator Martin Brundle in the way that viewers wished he would. I would even go as far as to say that Allen shared more in common with him. On top of that, The Welshman often finds himself behind Brundle, missing onscreen details that are so obvious to the armchair fan that it has them wincing with embarrassment.  I think I lost count of the amount of times he confused Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi in 2010. The awkward silence in the commentary box that followed these gaffes meant that Brundle had noticed as well.



It's not solely the errors, though. I just find his commentary dull. I look back to the days when I started watching Formula One, and there truly is no comparison. Walker made errors as well, but he brought the coverage into your front room with his personality. His excitable nature made the most mundane of Grands Prix still enjoyable to watch. It's a quality that Legard simply doesn't have.

I don't want to be too unkind, as it's not all negative. He does have in-depth knowledge of the sport, and his enthusiasm is plain for all to see. His colleagues have said that while they enjoy a relaxing evening during a race-weekend, Legard is back in the paddock, discussing tyre temperatures with engineers and ever-seeking to broaden his knowledge.

Raw enthusiasm can only get you so far though. Legard's a decent commentator, and I'm sure a nice guy in the bargain, but Formula One needs a change in this, the most exciting of eras. But please, let him down gently.