The Pledge (British TV programme)
| The Pledge | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Panel discussion |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom (Broadcast internationally) |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 10 |
| Production | |
| Production locations | Studio F (Sky 2), Osterley, London |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company | Sky plc |
| Original release | |
| Network | Sky News |
| Release | 21 April 2016 – March 2020 |
The Pledge is a panel discussion programme broadcast on Sky News.[1] There are currently ten panellists, five of whom appear on the show each week. They discuss a variety of topics – there is no presenter, so each panellist champions a topic which is then debated.
The programme was first announced in April 2016, and the first episode aired later that month, on 21 April 2016.[2][3] The show is known for at times being controversial, and debates often get heated.[4]
The Pledge is currently not on air having been suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[citation needed] It is currently unknown when or if the show will return.
Format
Each show comprises five panellists from various professions in the entertainment and journalism industries. Each panellist chooses a subject, then clearly states their argument before passing it to the table. The panellists are then given the chance to challenge the person if they disagree and debate it. Topics discussed cover topical issues in the news such as politics and current affairs.
Broadcasts
The Pledge is pre-recorded on a Thursday in Studio F at Sky Campus in Osterley, and then broadcast on Thursdays at 8pm on Sky News. It is also broadcast on Sundays at 8pm as well as at other times during the week to fill slots.
Current panel
List in alphabetical order.[5]
- Lord Karan Bilimoria, entrepreneur and founder of Cobra Beer
- ‘Big’ Phil Campion, former SAS trooper and author
- Michelle Dewberry, businesswoman and winner of The Apprentice
- Greg Dyke, former TV executive and FA chairman
- Nick Ferrari, radio talk show host on LBC
- Afua Hirsch, writer and journalist (former Social Affairs and Education Editor at Sky News)
- Rachel Johnson, novelist and journalist
- Carole Malone, TV presenter, broadcaster and journalist
- Maajid Nawaz, columnist, broadcaster and politician
- Femi Oluwole, political campaigner[6]
- Trevor Phillips, broadcaster and writer[7]
- June Sarpong, TV presenter and pro-EU campaigner
- Rachel Shabi, journalist[8]
Original panel
List in alphabetical order.[1]
- Emma Barnett, broadcaster and journalist
- James Caan, entrepreneur and former Dragons’ Den investor
- Michelle Dewberry
- Greg Dyke
- Nick Ferrari
- Rachel Johnson, journalist
- Graeme Le Saux, former Chelsea and England footballer
- Baroness Mone, Baroness of Mayfair and entrepreneur
- June Sarpong
Transmissions
Series
 | This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: information about series 8 and onwards of the programme, since full episodes are only available on YouTube up to the end of series 7. (November 2019) |
| Series | Start date | End date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 April 2016[9] | 4 August 2016[10] | 16 |
| 2 | 8 September 2016[11] | 15 December 2016 | 15 |
| 3 | 12 January 2017[12] | 6 April 2017[13] | 13 |
| 4 | 20 April 2017[14] | 27 July 2017[15] | 14 |
| 5 | 7 September 2017[16] | 14 December 2017[17] | 15 |
| 6 | 18 January 2018[18] | 29 March 2018[19] | 11 |
| 7 | 12 April 2018[20] | 26 July 2018[21] | 16 |
References
- ^ a b "The Pledge: Sky News' Weekly Discussion Show". Sky News. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
- ^ "Sky News to Launch New Discussion Show". Sky Media. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
- ^ "Sky News to launch Question Time rival The Pledge". The Guardian. 5 April 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
- ^ Bosotti, Aurora (22 September 2017). "'Why is he lying?' Sky News panel bursts into FULL BLOWN argument over Boris and Brexit". Express Online. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
- ^ "The Pledge - Our Story". Facebook. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
- ^ "A huge welcome to our newest panellist @Femi_Sorry on @ThePledge today at 8pm on @skynewspic.twitter.com/lDU4lmGHaF". @MaajidNawaz. Twitter. 4 July 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
- ^ "#ThePledge panellists this week ... @NickFerrariLBC, Trevor Phillips, @bigphilcampion, @afuahirsch and @junesarpong.And the topics on the show are pic.twitter.com/WZU8dU8cWw". @ThePledge. Twitter. 30 January 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
- ^ "New panellist @rachshabi will be joining us for the first time tomorrow! Rachel will be discussing 'why we need radical action against #climatechange' Tune in tomorrow at 8pm on @SkyNewspic.twitter.com/KYJ8rf8TxO". @ThePledge. Twitter. 22 May 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
- ^ "Coming Soon: The Pledge". YouTube: The Pledge. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
- ^ "The Pledge 4th August 2016". The Pledge. YouTube. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
- ^ "The Pledge 8th September 2016". The Pledge. YouTube. 8 September 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
- ^ "The Pledge 12th January 2017". The Pledge. YouTube. 12 January 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
- ^ "The Pledge 6th April 2017". The Pledge. YouTube. 6 April 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
- ^ "The Pledge General Election Special: 20th April 2017". The Pledge. YouTube. 20 April 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
- ^ "The Pledge 27th July 2017". The Pledge. YouTube. 28 July 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
- ^ The Pledge (6 September 2017). "The Pledge series five on Sky News" – via YouTube.
- ^ "The Pledge Christmas special 14th December 2017". The Pledge. YouTube. 15 December 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
- ^ "The Pledge 18th January 2018". The Pledge. YouTube. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
- ^ "The Pledge 29th March 2018". The Pledge. YouTube. 30 March 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
- ^ "The Pledge 12th April 2018". The Pledge. YouTube. 13 April 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
- ^ "The Pledge 26th July 2018". The Pledge. YouTube. 27 July 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
External links