Internet Interests

**Internet Interests** was an internet-focused programme covering the latest hot topics across the internet and specific websites, which aired on Toffa from 7 May 2006 to 18 July 2009 and produced in-house. The show was presented by Jack Greene from the beginning until the end of 2007 and Patrick Herbert from the January 2008 relaunch until the cancellation in July 2009.

## Internet Interests

Last title card used from January 2008 to July 2009

### Presented by

Jack Greene (2006-2007)Patrick Herbert (2008-2009)

## Production

### Running time

30 minutes (2006-2007) (inc. adverts)60 minutes (2008-2009) (inc. adverts)

## Release

### Original release

7 May 2006 - 18 July 2009

The show was generated by controversy twice after mistakenly showing torrents in episodes in October 2007 and May 2009. The former resulted in the 2008 relaunch with all the researches for the episode fired from the end of 2007 whilst the latter resulted in the cancellation two months later.

Internet Interests was planned to have a reboot in 2020 presented by entertainer Patrick Scott but was then cancelled due to a similar show on E4 that if it was shown, it would look like the channel was ripping off that show. Furthermore, Toffa was planning the 'Eighties: Advanced' rebrand that would immediately take place then, where the internet didn't officially become a thing until 1991, making it seem redundant, although a prototype internet was later a part of the project.

## History

### Development

In early 2006, Toffa founders Max Strapps and Eddie Lungs devised an idea for some new programming to air at the weekends, specifically at daytime for the channel to generate interest. For a start, they knew that the channel had a website, as did many. From then they came up with the format of a magazine-styled show dedicated to the internet, as they were surprised to learn that in the UK, there wasn't such a programme like that. The closest was the BBC's Click, which focused on technology in general and would occasionally the internet as well. The show itself would take on a similar premise to that and build upon it.

Strapps and Lungs then gave the show the format of looking through the internet in both humorous and straightforward manners. As with the case of several shows, the title was the alliteration 'Internet Interests'. They hoped that the show would especially be different to many programmes shown on a Sunday morning; particularly with a heavy focus of politics, repeats or movies on most channels.

### 2006-2007

The first episode aired on 7 May 2006, presented by Greene in a real internet café based in Birmingham; the only place in the UK that had a collection. Greene would provide either links to different segments or (more commonly in early episodes) show off different websites and how it values on people. One notable example is when Greene mentioned that a neighbour at school didn't have a computer and wanted to know some Biology questions for homework; he then helped by typing up the question on Google and proceeded to answer them. This was often done for humour values and that was all fictional; Jack Greene himself admitted that some of the links were done up himself but wasn't credited for it. Ratings were respectable of 130,000 for the first show, which slowly grew as time went on to around 300,000 within a year.

Like most programmes, the show often took a summer break and started slightly later than planned in January 2007 when Toffa began broadcasting in widescreen (although the show was filmed in that, it was shown in 14:9 letterbox) to allow other programmes to have the time to switch to 16:9. From 2007, the show aired almost every week including the summer.

### Torrettes controversy

In an episode which aired on 7 October 2007, the programme showed and discovered the website SeedPeer, which had only been around for only a few weeks at the time of broadcast (formally known as Meganova). Unbeknown to the researchers, they incorrectly described the website as the future of showing TV and movies for free as well as the chance to download them anytime. Within two hours of the broadcast, consumer choice brand Which? pointed out that the information displayed was largely false. This soon made headlines to the point where it had later reached the news. The company also criticised its lack of research whereby it was too focused on being humorous and ordered that it should be worked on to improve. Though Toffa apologised for the misleading, it defending it's claim of being humorous by simply stating: "That's what the show is all about."

Having checked the info, the show's producer Rich Haven decided to keep the show running but end its yearly run by cutting off four last episodes (which would've aired in December) in order to resolve the crisis and plan a reboot for the show going into 2008, along with consultation and approval from Toffa bosses Max Strapps and Eddie Lungs. His first act was to fire the researchers for not fully checking that the information was accurate. A day later, presenter Jack Greene spoke to Haven as he felt it would take a toll on his career, and both agreed that he would leave the presenter role at the end of the year or it would show within his presenting for future editions for noting lack of energy and notable stress. The show's last of the year aired on 25 November, with Wacky Weekends filling the gap for the time being in December; returning to it's 3-hour running time it initially had in 2004 until the launch of the programme.

### 2008-2009

Internet Interests returned on 13 January 2008 with a brand new format. The show was now twice as long; now airing for an hour, a new look with Big Brother-esque titles and graphics focusing on a person's obsession of using the internet by spamming the keyboard and frequent emphasis on a home page of a search engine bearing the new logo complete with a newer, pacier theme tune.

Patrick Herbert was the new presenter and the show, although keeping a similar format, was more lively and humorous to the point where newer segments were added in. A notable episode featured the popular web series Weebl and Bob discovering technology for the first time and being unable to use a search engine correctly. Rich Haven remained on as consulting producer to guide new series producer Jeff Lynn for the first several shows. Haven was uncredited and finally left the show by April.

The new version of the show proved to be more successful, where by the summer it was averaging 540,000 per show and receiving praise for its humorous tone and contrasting to what other channels often put out at 10am on Sundays. Furthermore, the success of the show also allowed it to air exclusive content from the internet that would not likely appear on television. One example was the extended one-minute 118 247 Yellow Pages advert from April 2009 which was its only television appearance thanks to the programme.

### Cancellation

In a May 2009 episode, the website KickassTorrents was featured where it was also mentioned about the number of domains that it possibly had. Whilst the researchers were aware that it was a torrents site, Toffa was concerned about it featuring in the show similar to the SeedPeer incident in October 2007 and how the show often misled viewers to look at the sites. Although this didn't cause as much controversy and was used as an example to be careful of the site, Toffa gave the show one final warning. Unfortunately, after claims of viewers being affected by it, it looked into the problem where part of it was due to the domain seizures which was the main issues and it also being a small problem in the US at around the time as well.

As a result, two weeks later, Toffa made the regrettable decision to axe the show in July as they didn't want to risk it happening again. The decision came with backlash from viewers who felt that the subject matter was displayed fairly and not in a misleading way. Many of the show's production team also shared their views since they did their research and knew it was a torrent site beforehand, and felt that Toffa would strike the show if it ever showed torrent sites again.

The last two months of the show also dealt with quite a number of important events, such as the high use of sites such as Wikipedia following the death of Michael Jackson as well as looking back at the last three years of the show. The final episode went out on 18 July 2009, which spent some of its time dealing with the latest internet news and also looking back at its best moments. The show ended with Patrick Herbert and much of the production team bidding farewell, with a post-credits scene featuring original host Jack Greene and Microsoft Sam on two computer screens claiming they were disappointed about not being invited back to bid farewell.