Today at Wimbledon
Today at Wimbledon is a BBC TV show, showing highlights and discussion from the day's play at the Wimbledon Championships.
The show lasts for 60 minutes and is broadcast on BBC Two at 8:00 pm with a next day repeat at 10:30 am (6:00 am on BBC One at the weekend).
Initially broadcast late evening on BBC1 and titled Wimbledon: Match of the Day, it moved to BBC2 in around 1990. It soon settled into a 9.30pm slot before moving again to its current 8pm slot in the late 2000s, to allow BBC2 to schedule non-sports output between 9pm and 10.30pm.
As a result, if significant matches last beyond 8pm, the programme is not shown so they may be covered live, something which attracts regular viewer complaints.
Presenter | Duration |
---|---|
Desmond Lynam | 1980’s - 1990 |
Harry Carpenter | 1991 - 1993 |
Sue Barker | 1994 - 1999 |
John Inverdale | 2000 - 2014 |
Clare Balding | 2015 - Present |
Des Lynam took over from Harry Carpenter who ironically replaced him as presenter of Today at Wimbledon. Lynam fronted Wimbledon coverage on BBC television between 1991 and 1999, after that year’s Wimbledon, he moved to ITV and was replaced from 2000 by Sue Barker who continues to front Wimbledon coverage on BBC television to his day.
The show used to be presented either from the BBC's dedicated studio in the Wimbledon media centre, or from the landscaped garden on the building's roof, adjacent to court 18.
In 2015, the programme was rebranded Wimbledon 2day (a pun on the channel's name). Clare Balding replaced John Inverdale as presenter, who commentated on major matches instead. The opening week was presented from The Gatsby Club – a temporary hospitality venue outside the grounds – with stand-up presentation, handheld cameras, various social media features and a small live audience. The changes prompted many complaints, in particular the reduction in highlights. The BBC tweaked the format in the second week, Balding hosting a more traditional show, without an audience, from the upper floor of Centre Court with views across the grounds.
For 2016, the show returned to the "Today at Wimbledon" name, and format.