'The real challenge for Anneka Rice was playing playing catch-up on this dated show'

They do say everyone’s a critic, but I still think that the Channel 5 schedulers were a bit harsh last Saturday night.

Unless, of course, it really was purely a fluke that the very next programme after the much-hyped return of the old TV classic Challenge Anneka had the following title: When Classic TV Goes Horribly Wrong.

I mean, this reboot was hardly the greatest TV show I’ve ever seen – but I wouldn’t go putting it in the horribly wrong category just yet, guys.

Mind you, I would not have put it in the Saturday prime-time schedule either.

It was nice to see Anneka Rice back, for sure.

But once you’d recovered from the nostalgia hit of seeing her bum disappearing into a helicopter, and the comedy joy of spotting Dave the soundman’s big bushy boom, it became apparent why this show was ditched in the first place.

It looks woefully dated and it feels a little too pedestrian for 2023.

'Challenge Anneka looked woefully dated' (Channel 5)

Of course, it’s not Anneka’s fault that programmes such as DIY SOS came along and filled the gap with a slicker and more heart-wrenching operation but, undeniably, she’s playing catch-up.

It didn’t help that her first challenge – refurbishing a dog rescue centre in Kent – didn’t appear to be that much of a challenge. The local businesses certainly didn’t seem to require too much persuasion.

It perhaps helped that being on Channel 5, rather than the BBC, meant they could all show up in their branded vans wearing their branded work gear.

I’m not suggesting the firms involved were only helping out for the telly exposure, but it’s hard not to be a little cynical in the modern age.

The problem was that the ready supply of labour and goodwill meant that there was very little jeopardy in the project – and therefore no sense of tension or excitement for the viewer.

The only time something almost went wrong was when there was a handily-timed power cut three hours before the finishing deadline.

Rumours that a sixty-something blonde lady in a brightly-coloured jumpsuit was spotted exiting the site with a fuse box under her arm remain, at this time, unconfirmed.