Later Live launched

Proving the extent of the BBC's paranoia about the fakery scandals, Jools Holland began the first edition of Later Live (BBC2) standing under the Television Centre clock as it ticked past 10pm. As further evidence, he held up the final edition of Tuesday's London Evening Standard.

The devotedly suspicious, though, will point out that the newspaper shows only that the show could have been recorded no earlier than about 6pm: the 22:00 clock could easily have been run up by props, observes Mark Lawson. And this keenness to establish the actuality of proceedings made you wonder if viewers truly care whether their music programmes are on tape or on the hoof.

There was also a strong suggestion that the line-up may have suffered from the timing. Trails had hinted strongly at the appearance of Gnarls Barkley, but they were absent on the night. One advantage of pre-recording music shows is that you can catch a band between Heathrow and the Birmingham NEC. When they have to suit your schedule, you get who can be in west London late on a Tuesday.

So, if Later Live ever becomes so successful that the identity of its first guests merits a pop trivia question, the answer will be that numbers one and two were performed by mono-monicker songstresses: Estelle and then Adele.

The justification for transmitting music as it happens is that the atmosphere becomes closer to a gig, and both the opening acts - and then James Taylor - seemed to enjoy the adrenaline. But, if the Only Ones had played as raggedly as this on tape, the producer would have gently asked if they fancied another bash.

Holland, once suspended for using the word "fuckers" live on Channel 4, is older and mellower now, and obeyed BBC guidelines. But definitive proof that this was real-time came when he sat down to interview James Taylor and discovered that one of the audience had removed the CD. It was sheepishly handed back.

As ever, Later was lively. Whether it has to be live remains moot.