By Andy Simon @AndySimon55

As most of us are now aware, for reasons unknown, ITV's flagship tea-time quiz show, The Chase", has taken a well earned break.

Nothing wrong with that! Everyone deserves a break.

However I do think some among the viewing public react a bit too much to this temporary recess. For example; Twitter was awash with various negative comments and responses soon after the news was announced.

It's like Tescos when they announce they won't be opening Easter Sunday.

Scandalous, outrageous, I'm going to write to my MP etc. But like an old sage once said, "Nothing lasts forever."

And I suppose with that in mind, it's reasonable to assume that one day, even highly successful quiz shows like The Chase will one day, come to an end. So I suppose these short recesses would be a good opportunity to try out something new?

After all; ITV has been having a spree of new shows lately. Just look at The Nightly Show and Big Heads.

Yeah ok; enough said.

But here's my point. As viewers, we need to give the channels we watch a chance to do better than before, to improve even more upon that which they have already (allegedly) improved upon?

In short; we gotta let em try out new things!
So say hello to Babushka folks!

ITV's new and I hasten to add "Temporary" teatime quiz show launched on Monday afternoon at 5pm. Basically Babushka sees contestants trying to win as much cash as possible by answering a series of true or false questions.

When answered correctly; the contestants will then be allowed to open up a Babushka doll which may or may not contain some money. The aim is to find the money and keep a tight hold of it.

There are10 of these dolls, standing in a row.

Two of them have nothing inside them, two of them have £500, two have £1000, two have £2000, one has £5000 and one has a whopping £10,000 And all you have to do is pick a doll, answer a question correctly, open the selected doll, and find the money!

The gameplay is simple however the show itself was hard to watch, primarily due to contestants Debbie and Martin who quite frankly, got on my nerves. Where did they find those two?

I'm all for enthusiasm on gameshows but put it this way, I wouldn't want to be stuck in a lift with them. By the end of the second commercial break, I found my attention span diminishing rapidly, and found myself turning down the brightness enough, so all I could see was Rylan's teeth, moving about on my TV screen.

Boredom can make you do the strangest things.

As for Rylan? Well; he apparently was "Forced" to quit Twitter due to all the backlash he got when it was announced Babushka was replacing The Chase for the next six weeks.

I even put out a Twitter poll to see if anyone thought he should return? 52% said Yes and 48% said No. TV Critic Kevin O'Sullivan showed his famed directness by posting, "Who gives a rat's backside whether he's on Twitter or not?"

Daily Mirror TV Critic Ian Hyland was equally direct when he posted, "Judging by the #babushka tweets Rylan might want to go and find a giant Russian doll to hide in for a week or two."

Another Twitter user posted, "#babushka on ITV is the stupidest thing ever do they know that babushka means grandmother, not Russian doll? matryoshka = Russian doll"

I have to admit; I have nothing against Rylan but clearly to me at least, he hasn't got what it takes to be a gameshow host. And again; no disrespect to Rylan, I don't think there will be many people out there shouting out "I'm all yours Babushka!"

So for the next six weeks, it looks like we have a new quiz show not many will be particularly interested in; myself included.

I wonder what the viewing figures were? No matter.

What time is Pointless on?

Thanks for reading.

###