Netflix show: X Factor meets the oche. It was glitz, glam and glorious

COMMENT - By Phil Lanning

The oche has gone to Hollywood.

Last night’s Beat Luke Littler extravaganza on Netflix was the perfect illustration of just how far the sport has come in a very short space of time.

It’s pointless getting into the debate over whether it was ethical to have Fallon Sherrock in a show billed as being about amateurs taking on The Nuke.

This is darts meets showbusiness, it’s all about entertainment.

Ultimately, Fallon showed that she has the world class ability to rise for the big occasion and still delivered a brilliant leg to beat Luke.

But the main point is that Netflix moved the dial dramatically for how darts can be promoted and televised. The production values were simply sensational.

The purists have taken to social media in their droves to complain about this, that and everything.

I’d have more reason than anyone to be stuffy about the new generation of darts. I’m the longest-standing national newspaper journalist who has been covering darts for over 30 years now.

I grew up during the birth of darts on TV with the likes of Eric Bristow, John Lowe, Jocky Wilson and Keith Deller.

But I absolutely love this new look.

Since the early 70s the media snobs have looked down on our sport. It was all football, cricket, rugby, golf and olympics. Well look at us now. Darts is in the big time.

Beat Luke Littler was just an incredible moment for the arrows.

It was the X Factor meets the oche. It was glitz, glam and glorious.

To have Gary Lineker presenting darts is just out of this world alongside Richard Osman, Lee Mack and Laura Turner.

The star of the show for me was also Angry Ginge. He’s obviously got a great rapport with his mate Luke, but he genuinely gets the sport and comes across brilliantly.

He’s the perfect poster boy presenter for darts. Long may that continue.

Not forgetting THE star of the show. The Nuke.

The sport was hardly in the doldrums pre-2023. We’d had the Fallon phenomenon and the perfect leg from Michael Smith.

But Luke has sent darts into orbit.

He has carried the weight of the media interest since late 2023. But boy does he carry it well.

Luke still comes across as the lad next door but with this extra aura about him now. He lights up every interview and tournament and sprinkles gold dust on the sport.

The show itself was fascinating. It genuinely was darts goes to Hollywood.

The panel of four hosts was very similar to the X Factor in the middle of the audience.

It was interesting that the PDC dancers were used for walk-ons in a very American sport cheerleader style. In essence it was a sort of return to the walk-on girls.

The stage was huge and with a fully digitalised LED background, which was also very striking.

It wasn’t all plain sailing. The camerawork at times was off. Pearse Mackle was the first player to have a dart to beat Littler, but they missed his shot at the bull while focused on Olly Murs. It also did drag on a bit when it got halfway through. But in the main, it was an excellent watch.

I think the show sorely missed Dan Dawson, Wayne Mardle and Stuart Pyke.

Rod Studd and Glen Durrant did nothing wrong, but I prefer the full team. It was also great hearing John McDonald’s booming voice as MC again.

In truth, everyone's a winner from last night.

Luke as the headline star of the show and Fallon taking home £501,000 are the biggest winners.

The PDC continues to be the drivers and the platform for the unbelievable growth of the game.

Barry and Eddie Hearn along with Matt Porter and the team they have built at Matchroom/PDC have done an incredible job over the years. Netflix will only enhance the PDC’s surge of public interest around the sport.

Maybe the other big winner will be the women’s game. It wouldn’t surprise me if this is a prelude to a PDC Women’s World Championship being announced.

It will be interesting to see if any of the effects will be adopted in future TV major events.

But this was Netflix and thrill for darts.