Channel 4 to take viewers on a tour with a techno twist

With advertising revenues declining in line with the economy as a whole, it seems that TV bosses are becoming increasingly reluctant to take a punt on a new idea, preferring to stick with tried and tested formulas hosted by the usual line-up of 'celebrities'.

Fair play, then, to Channel 4, which has just announced that it is to team up with the social networking site MySpace, as well as one of the country's most hotly-tipped new stars, for a new prime town show.

To be titled 'Live and Lost', the mini series will see up-and-coming singer Frankmusik take a road trip with a difference.

After being dropped off in a field in Inverness with just £20 in his pocket, the star-to-be will be charged with making his way back down to London, playing shows and relying on fans' hospitality along the way.

Over the course of the tour, the singer's location will be tracked via GPS, with this being constantly updated on his page on the social networking site, while regular video updates of the tour will be screened on Channel 4's website.

Once he has made it safely back to the capital, the show in its entirety will hit the UK TV guides at some point in April.

While to the cynical viewer this may seem like a desperate attempt for TV bosses to tick all of the boxes of what's 'down with the kids' right now, it nevertheless enhances Channel 4's reputation as the channel most likely to take a gamble on new talent and embrace new technology.

Compare this to the BBC, which has just announced that it has commissioned two more series of the daytime cookery show 'Great British Menu', the show which sees some of the country's top chefs compete against one another to come up with the tastiest dish.

Though producers have already confirmed that the new series will "be even bigger and better than the last", with the chefs set to cook a homecoming feast for servicemen and women returning from duty in Afghanistan, for many this represents the same old re-heated fare hogging the TV guides.

What's more, it's also been confirmed that the presenter of the corporation's new Lottery show – called 'We Know Where You Live – will be Dale Winton, so at least the BBC can't be accused of trying to appear hip in the pursuit of a youthful audience.

In the new twist to the Saturday night staple, individual contestants from the same postcode will be tested on both their local and general knowledge, with big prizes up for grabs.