Danny Baker and Danny Kelly reunite for BT Sport football show
Celebrated football broadcasters Baker and Kelly have agreed to reform their on-off broadcasting partnership to front a lively football show for BT Sport.
"Baker and Kelly’s Vaguely Sporting Phone-Out" is a new live interactive football show that will run on Friday evenings for 40 weeks throughout the 2013-2014 season on BT Sport. The first show will air on August 16, the day before the Barclays Premier League season kicks off.
The two Dannys have worked together on football shows for various radio stations over the past 20 years, most notably for BBC Radio 5live.
The TV series is a co-production between BT Sport and Campbell Davison Media, the company behind Danny Baker's multi award-winning BBC Radio 5live Show on Saturday mornings.
The new show is a weekly hour of original unpredictable, football-themed entertainment with audience participation on phones, texts, email and social media. It will come live from the BT Sport studios in the Queen Elizabeth Park in Stratford.
BT Sport will show 38 live and exclusive football matches from the Barclays Premier League, including 18 of the ‘top picks’ from August 2013 for three seasons. The channels will also show live FA Cup, Europa League and Scottish Premier League matches, as well as top tier live football from Germany, Italy, France, Brazil, Australia and the USA, plus action from the FA Women’s Super League.
Renowned broadcaster and writer, Danny Baker, who presented the original ‘606’ football phone-in, said: "We intend to make all other twisted opinion shows seem as dull as egg eating contests. No wait, egg eating contests are pretty cool aren't they? Like in Cool Hand Luke who, lest we forget, before he ate the eggs was just called Hand Luke.
“So just as I said, but forget the egg eating contest bit. Instead think 'all other football opinion shows" That's it. Baker & Kelly: The Best At All That Stuff. Sometimes right. Sometimes wrong. Always certain."
Journalist, TV presenter and TalkSPORT host Danny Kelly said: ““Baker! Kelly! Back! Hurrah! Thrilled! Let torches be lit in the high places of the land and bunting be flown from every spire!
“Seriously, we’re delighted to have another crack at whatever it is that we do. Only BT Sport could combine the strategic vision, creative drive and financial muscle to make this happen. It’s even possible they won’t regret it.”
Simon Green, head of BT Sport, said: “Danny Baker and Danny Kelly are two of the country’s best-known and admired football hosts. Their off the wall observations and passionate, humorous and engaging style of debate will be a huge hit with our viewers as we try to build some fantastic and fun programmes around the incredible live rights we have secured.”
Producer Clare Davison said: "Campbell Davison Media are delighted to be working with BT Sport to referee the explosive talents of Baker & Kelly on the weekend TV schedule. Unique entertainment for all football supporters, many of whom, we understand, own actual phones and will want to take part.”
Danny Baker will continue to host his Saturday morning show on BBC Radio 5live. The broadcaster recently wrote and presented two TV series for BBC Four, "Danny Baker's Great Album Showdown" and "Brushing up on....". His autobiography "Going to Sea in A Sieve" is out in paperback.
Danny Kelly fronts "Kick Off" on TalkSPORT and the sports biography chat show "My Sporting Life". He's a former editor of the New Musical Express, presented "American Football Live" on Channel 4 and co-authored the book "Classic Football Debates Settled Once and For All" with Danny Baker.
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