Toffa:AM

Toffa:AM is a breakfast television programme broadcast on Toffa most weekdays from 7:00 am until 9:00 am usually with a summer and Christmas break. It began on 5 January 2004 when Toffa's broadcast times on weekdays was extended from 3:00-9:00 pm to 7:00 am-12:00 am. The programme is often divided into eras due to the difference in presenters and content from time to time. The show's original main presenting duo was Nick Farley and Ellie Perkins from launch until July 2011 ahead of the summer break. The show returned in September 2011 with new presenting duo James Ross and Charlotte Marsh until the end of 2017. In January 2018, it returned once again with a new look following Toffa's rebrand with new duo Chris Joy and Louise Tiltin until the latter was sacked in June that year following sliding ratings and reports of the previous criminal offences done beforehand. Since September 2018, the show is presented by Joy and Maddie Burnley, to which the show's ratings climbed to their highest ever within a few months.

Development and pre-launch
Toffa launched on 1 September 2003 and within several weeks was one of the most popular non-terrestrial television channels of all on Sky Digital, with ratings averaging at 200,000 by November. At that point, founders and joint-chairmen Max Strapps and Eddie Lungs suggested extending the broadcast times and even a breakfast television programme that differed from the two main competitors, BBC Breakfast and GMTV. After agreeing to the new broadcast timings, the format was sorted out.

As the main broadcasting office for Toffa was in Maverick Television offices in Birmingham, it allowed a big advantage of studios already being set, so it massively saved on further costs and more importantly time. Much to Strapps and Lungs' relief, Maverick set up the studios themselves consisting of a mix of light blues with white alongside a television in between two sofas for the presenters and the guests. However, despite Maverick helping to produce the show, they were uncredited.

Nick Farley and Ellie Perkins, were chosen as presenters; both of which were inexperienced for live television. This caused some worries with Strapps and Lungs but hopes that they'll settle down after a while. Toffa created the graphics in-house while Sitting Duck were chosen to compose the theme tune. They weren't new to Toffa; after making the Fame Academy theme, they went on to do The Microsoft Sam Show's theme as well, so it was no stranger to them. It was later decided, to save money, that the programme would be pre-recorded for some time.

The Farley and Perkins Era: 2004-2011
The new broadcast timings for Toffa went to air on Monday 5 January 2004 as did the first Toffa:AM. Farley and Perkins took a short tour around the studio itself to begin as well as parts of Maverick Studios and thanked them for the help to get the programme underway. Their first guests were Toffa founders and executives, Max Strapps and Eddie Lungs as they explained the concept of creating the show. The other presenters were also gradually introduced throughout the programme depending on the content. From September 2004, the programme aired live each morning.

Format
Whilst Toffa:AM started off with respectable ratings of an average of 90,000, ratings started to fall slightly by 2006 as the show was beginning to seem rather dull. Though Strapps and Lungs were hoping for more light-heartedness, the show came across as more of a generic daytime show. However, this was with the introduction of the first proper producer which was introduced at that point, who wanted Toffa:AM to be similar to Breakfast and GMTV but different in its own right and hoped that the style wasn't overruled by them.

Initially staying a more relaxed approach, Strapps and Lungs eventually decided to give Toffa:AM a shakeup and a new producer stepped in from September 2009 to liven up the show. This was partly due to the show being at risk of going unnoticed amid the risk of Toffa extending its hours just four months after launching. At first, it resembled many daytime shows with a simple, calm feel and content consisting of interviews from some celebrity guests or other talents to help generate some more interest. By the following year, the new structure worked, and ratings started to peak at 150,000, due to ITV's new breakfast show Daybreak which divided viewers, and also taking a small quantity of BBC Breakfast viewers as well.

Departure
Having discussed their future within the show, on 17 May 2011, Farley and Perkins announced that they would leave Toffa:AM before the summer with a new era beginning that September. Some claimed that they left due to the change in tone of the show from 2009 but also with the longevity of presenting the show for seven and a half years. Their last show on Friday 22 July had average ratings of 230,000.

Format
In contrast to the previous era, this version saw the show take on a lighter tone than before, with most of the content carried over albeit with some newer features to keep the show fresh. The idea with the new era was to be more bold and outgoing with the show so that it felt more light-hearted. Although critical reception was partially mixed, the format did work for viewers, though the presenting style of Ross and Marsh needed some time to work. By early 2013, ratings started to rise to a modest 300,000.

Ten Years of Toffa:AM
In December 2013, Toffa was experimenting with plans to launch an HD channel in early 2014, thus some shows began to be made in HD in case. Toffa:AM was one, beginning from the start of 2014 and also at the same time the show celebrated its 10th anniversary. The show had already used new titles for the first time with a slightly tweaked theme to sound fresher as introduced in September 2013 to go along with Toffa's new logo. As well as that, a two-hour tribute show aired on Saturday 6 January to celebrate the show with presenters looking back at the best of the show. Despite this, Toffa HD did not launch until September that year,

Departure
On Ross and Marsh's first show back from the summer on 4 September 2017, they both revealed live on the programme that they would be leaving at the end of the year and that a new presenting duo will take over from the start of 2018. As with them, the new presenters wouldn't be revealed until their last show. Their final show was also the last from Maverick Studios which aired on 22 December alongside Ross and Marsh interviewing their predecessors Chris Joy and Louise Tiltin. The show ended, similar to the last Big Breakfast in 2002 with everyone gathering outside to bid farewell, ending with longer end credits to commemorate everyone who had worked at Maverick both in terms of crewmember or presenter with a full playout of the theme. After was a hint of the new theme along with the caption, 'Toffa:AM will return: Monday 8th January 2018"

New Toffa; New Toffa:AM
It was implied that the Joy and Tiltin Era would be contrasted to the previous two incarnations of the show, with it being broadcast from Toffa's newly-built headquarters in Burton. The colour schemes would also differ in favour of reds and peaches. The theme tune which remained mostly unchanged since 2004 would get an overhaul. A new production team was also at the helm, where it seemed to many that the new era would be a big risk and it was only a matter of time on whether it would pay off.

The biggest risk was the presenters themselves as Chris Joy was a part of Toffa since 2005, being known as Cameo Guy and appeared in a frequent amount of Toffa shows over the years. Joy himself made his Toffa debut on the show himself that year aged just 9, having been a big fan of the channel, whereas Tiltin was a relatively unknown model but willing presenter.

The new Toffa:AM went to air on Monday 8 January 2018, and was also the very first programme to be broadcast within Toffa's new headquarters in Burton. It began after the new titles with Joy and Tiltin stood outside the doors of the new studio (Studio 7) before going in and taking a tour of the new studio, similar to the first-ever programme in 2004. Much of the first week was devoted to tours around the new headquarters. The first show also introduced Kenny the Kangaroo, who would be the third and secondary presenter of the programme, which was created in a bid to appeal to younger audiences.

Format
While structured similarly to the previous two eras, the Joy and Tiltin Era of the show took on a much comedic feel and faster pace, mostly due to the two having conversations at the start of the show and time is often cut down for the rest of the content. Usually at 7:45, Kenny the Kangaroo would appear.

The sudden fall
The Joy and Tiltin Era at first received favourable reviews from viewers and critics for the first several weeks. However, things slowly started to go wrong by February when it became more noticeable that Tiltin often flirted with Joy to which he sometimes appreciated. It only got worse from then; ratings began to tumble, some form of drama was developing behind the scenes, and viewers were criticising the lack of decent content the show offered. For many, the only saving graces were the chemistry between Chris and Kenny; an occasional gag is that they would often separate themselves from Tiltin by showing up in other places at Toffa's headquarters.

Tiltin's sacking and aftermath
In an interview in March 2018, Tiltin admitted having previously done a criminal offence and discussed working on the show; praising Joy and Sidmoth Keenan's treatment for her but also criticising those behind the scenes. The following week, it was agreed that the two would have time off once again split into four weeks of different presenters (i.e. one week with Joy, then Tiltin, then neither and both at the end).

Following a big crisis within the show from falling ratings to tension behind the scenes, Riley Indigo announced on Saturday 16 June 2018 that Louise Tiltin was sacked from Toffa:AM with the show also going off the air until September at the earliest to give time for choosing the new co-presenter. Joy announced on the same day that he would remain on the show as the main co-presenter.

One final chance
On 2 July 2018, Toffa announced that Maddie Burnley, who joined the show in January 2018, would take over from Louise Tiltin as co-presenter with Chris Joy, after presenting together for a week in March whilst Tiltin took time off. In order to prevent history from repeating itself, Riley Indigo suggested that the two should have time to develop for each other in order to work well on the show, especially with the longer than usual summer break. The two weren't complete strangers as they had both previously presented the programme together twice that March and also made special guest appearances in an episode of the fourth series of This Little Kingdom that year. Elsewhere, Kenny the Kangaroo would also reappear, although rumours claimed that Sidmoth Keenan wouldn't return to the role, due to being busy filming for Fort Boyard. The claims were dismissed and he returned.

Format
In September 2018, notable changes were made when Burnley joined the show. Firstly, the presenters stood up at the front of the studio to introduce the show, and it took on a much lighter tone than ever, largely to compensate for the bland and awkward feel of the show before the break. Kenny the Kangaroo became a more recurring presenter often appearing at certain times for filler. In November 2018, the game 'Breakfast of Champions' was first played and almost every Wednesday at roughly 7:45. The game involved two contestants racing to eat breakfast-related food in the quickest time, or occasionally in an allotted time. It would often end in a food fight, and it's because of that, walls are placed up on the side of the studio.

Throughout February and until 1 March 2019, the show went on tour around the UK every day even at the weekends, still presented with Joy and Burnley which also saw a different format. On the last show beforehand, Kenny the Kangaroo was instructed by them to keep guard of the studio until they return. However, he would not appear at all during that time (despite a few passing mentions) and after Joy and Burnley announced they wouldn't return until 23 April when they finished, Kenny had not been seen at all until their return but was mentioned on the following Monday's show.

A new format took place from 9 September 2019, only the second week back after the summer following the first five shows being Japanese-based. Kenny the Kangaroo was gone and the show took on a more Toffa-based format devoted to developments to the channel. The segment, titled 'The World of Toffa' aired twice on the show, at roughly 7:10 and 8:00. It was presented by Shelly Whiting, who was only two presenters remaining after 2017 (she joined the year before). Although the new format received mixed reviews, there was positivity, mainly aimed at the banter between the three that occurs during the show and has often been compared to that of rival Good Morning Britain. In November 2019, The World of Toffa segment was moved to the very beginning of the show with Whiting introducing the show, presenting the segment and handing over to Joy and Burnley.

Re-rise
The first programme of the new era on 3 September 2018 had ratings of 230,000 which grew by well over double within a week and stayed at an average of 450,000, giving Toffa:AM its highest average ratings in over a year. In comparison, BBC Breakfast had 1.2 million, with Good Morning Britain having 800,000, meaning that the show was now third in the ratings battle. Toffa:AM's ratings peaked in February 2019 whilst the show went on tour with ratings at 620,000 largely due to the aspect of an unsuspecting person being visited by Joy and Burnley on each show on tour at 8:00am.

Toffa:AM at fifteen
On Friday 21 December 2018, the last programme of the year, Joy and Burnley announced a special live evening edition of Toffa:AM to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the programme that would take place on the day itself, 5 January 2019 at the same running times as normal, albeit in the evening (7-9pm). Joining Joy and Burley on the show was all previous main presenters apart from Louise Tiltin who were all also joined by Kenny the Kangaroo. The show consisted of the group looking back on their previous times on the show and what the future holds, as well as various highlights montages, games and quizzes. Overnight ratings for the evening edition held up to 1.3 million viewers with a 7% audience share.

On the first show of 2019, Monday 7th January, Joy and Burley presented as normal, albeit in their pyjamas from rest as well as the one-off return of the 2004 theme and graphics; modified with the current logo.

Back to the 80s for the 20s
In October 2019, Toffa revealed plans for a major overhaul with many programmes and presentation being revamped in favour of an idea on what if the 1980s continued for another decade, known as "Eighties: Advanced - 1989.1-1989.9" Toffa:AM was immediately known to be part of the refresh. However, Joy and Burnley both said that they would remain on. So far, development for a studio and graphics overhaul is done with a heavy 80s feel, though some elements such as the theme music would remain unchanged.

In November, Shelly Whiting announced that she would leave Toffa:AM before the end of the year with the 'World of Toffa' segment also being dropped, partly due to work on the Fort Boyard spin-off 'Secrets du Fort'. Furthermore, the format would mostly mimick that of TV-am from the 1980s giving the show a much more relaxed feel, closer to much of the Farley and Perkins Era. Kenny the Kangaroo was also announced to return full time having last appeared regularly in June and only twice since, both in November. Sidmoth Keenan left the role and his replacement was announced as Rob Fowler.

Toffa:AM returned with Joy and Burnley on 6 January 2020 with new titles, stripped-down content and simple graphics. Beginning like in 2004 and 2018 with a brief look around the set, welcoming new presenters who were each devoted to their own specialist subjects as well as the return of Kenny the Kangaroo who now appeared at least twice within the show, at 7:45 with Joy and Burnley and again roughly an hour later towards the end of the show on his daily adventures.

Breakfast in Lockdown
Although Toffa:AM proved to be heavily successful in the winter months of 2020, the COVID-19 outbreak affected many television programmes across the globe. On 18 March, it was announced that the programme would not take place in the studio at all, but instead all from presenters' and guests' home. This took effect from Monday 23 March and the timing proved to be perfect for Toffa as on the same evening, the UK was put into lockdown. Because of the lack of studio, the content was limited to interviews and banter while still retaining a light-hearted approach. However, due to the lockdown, Strapps and Lungs decided it was for the best that the whole 1989.1 approach was temporarily dropped until further notice with the plan to extend it to the end of 2021 depending on COVID-19, before moving on to 1989.2.

The show under the lockdown format, despite still being popular, was short-lived as just three weeks after it was introduced, the main programme would go on hiatus and would be replaced by a shorter 15-minute spin-off named 'Toffa:AM Bitesize' that aired from 10:15am; preceding Toffa Schools instead of from the usual two-hour timeslot. The decision was done as Joy and Burnley weren't too keen on presenting two-hour weekday shows from home at an early time as they also feared viewers may not be up early to watch the show.

Although viewers liked the lockdown format, some criticised the lack of Kenny the Kangaroo who had only appeared twice during the format as well as the limited content avaliable. Others felt that the show continued to be a return to form for the show. Despite this, ratings surged under the lockdown format; peaking at 800,000 viewers largely due to BBC Breakfast and GMB instead choosing to devote their shows on updates from the COVID-19 cases in a more serious manner. The last Toffa:AM for the time being aired on Friday 24 April.

Back in business
At the end of the last Toffa:AM Bitesize on Friday 17 July 2020, it was announced that Toffa:AM would return on Monday 7 September, returning to its usual times of 7-9am and in the studio. This would all come into place as planned with some notable changes. Firstly, after the show moved into the lockdown format, the studio had been dismantled, thus it was put back in, but rearranged to include social distancing to keep in line with the UK Government guidelines. Kenny the Kangaroo also returned after another hiatus but has since appeared on every programme; regardless of whoever was presenting.

Whilst the show had a slow return, ratings soon rocketed to the point where one show in October got higher average ratings than GMB by 20,000 at the 700k mark, and the competition was closer than ever. The studio was tweaked in November to be almost back to how it was pre-lockdown but with a perspex glass inbetween the presenters and in Kenny's area to the left-hand side of the studio. This remained in place until the end of the year.

For the show's first week of 2021, the show looked back at its archive with the five shows being a clip-show. These shows also marked the first time since July 2004, that Toffa:AM had been fully pre-recorded, although a live clock had been added on in the live broadcast. The premise featured Joy and Burnley returning to the production office, only to find it empty and full of paperwork which resulted in them being forced to complete it themselves as they also share fond memories of the last 17 years of the programme which then links to the mentioned event.

Lockdown again
On 3 January 2021, the evening before the week of pre-recorded shows, Toffa took the decision to not have the show return from the studio as initially planned when it returned as normal from 11 January; instead opting to go for the lockdown format should the UK enter the third one at any point. Incidentally, on the evening of the first pre-recorded show on 4 January, the UK once again entered a third lockdown, which again proved to be perfect timing for the show as the first lockdown happened to be on the first day of the lockdown format.

However, the format continued to prove successful where ratings continued to rise. The show's peak came a few months later in May 2021, where the show was averaging almost 800,000 viewers daily and was now regularly beating ITV's Good Morning Britain, following Piers Morgan's exit. In the show's last week before the summer break, all of the presenting teams from the past returned to present a programme. Joy and Burnley presented on Monday and Friday, Farley and Perkins on Tuesday, Ross and Marsh on Wednesday and Joy and Tiltin on Thursday. With the latter, Burnley appeared as a guest as Tiltin didn't do the tradition of interviewing her successor due to her sacking. Friday's show was also a first, as the programme was extended to 9:30am.

The show returned on Monday 6 September, still in the lockdown format despite a change in government rules and rumours of returning to the studio. It remained in case another lockdown would return and it being cheaper for Toffa to manage. This continued until it was finally announced on Friday 22 October that the programme would return to the studio from November and onwards "whatever the government kills us for next" as quoted by Joy. The last Toffa:AM under the lockdown format was on Friday 29 October which featured highlights during that time, as well as footage from Toffa:AM Bitesize.

In the studio again
Returning once again to the studio on Monday 1 November 2021, Toffa:AM mostly returned to the format it had used during early 2020, but retained the goofiness that helped made the show popular during the last year. Some new elements were included, such as the show occassionally ending with a performance from a guest, where Joy and Burnley would join in towards the end. Social distancing was also mostly ceased.

Toffa:AM Bitesize
Launched as a temporary replacement for the main show on Monday 27 April, Toffa:AM Bitesize only lasted approx. 15 minutes and aired later in the day. Because of the shortened runtime, most editions were just interviews which still kept a light-hearted approach that the show usually offers. Despite airing later than normal at 10:15am, or occasionally at 10am for occasional specially extended 30-minute specials, ratings went slightly down to around 550k, though this was made up for the fact that more viewers were watching the show online on the internet, as well as the ability for all editions of the show to be available on its YouTube channel, as well as the competition on the BBC and ITV plus airing at a later timeslot.

The critical reception, while still positive, were slightly critiquing the noted limited wide range of content, although the interviewing style from Joy and Burnley along with the stand-ins, as well as retaining the lighter approach, made it up for them. The show continued until Friday 17 July 2020 before the show went for its usual summer break in a 30-minute special. At the end of it, Joy and Burnley announced that Toffa:AM would return on Monday 7 September in its usual timeslot of 7-9am and in the studio, albeit slightly rebuilt to incorporate social distancing. All of this went as planned.

Awards and nominations
Toffa:AM won the first National Television Award for Breakfast TV in the 2020 ceremony, beating rivals BBC Breakfast and Good Morning Britain. In a first for the awards ceremony, no-one came to collect the award for the first time ever live, however, a production member working for the programme later came to collect it after the ceremony. The reason was that many at Toffa predicted that the NTAs would flop; not only with presenter David Walliams, but also the unlikelihood of actually winning an award.

The show was nominated in the shortlist for Daytime in the 26th National Television Awards but lost out to This Morning.