Where next, Channel 4?

I watched the first two episodes of The Event when the new acquired series launched on Channel 4 last week - it had been heavily promoted in an intriguing way, indicating that the channel was putting its weight behind it. The audiences - 1.9 m/8% share at 9pm and 1.7 m/9% at 10pm - suggest it was pretty well received, although by last Friday episode three drew 1.5m/6% share, as some viewers have drifted away. It was followed by the Million Pound Drop Live, with 2.5 million/14% share at 10pm, which was a strong result for the channel.

What does this tell us about where Channel 4 may be heading as it waits for the arrival of Jay Hunt from the BBC? First, that there seems to be a firm grip on promotional priorities despite being in a transitional phase as far as programmes are concerned. Clearly it is a post-Big Brother channel, but it is less clear yet as to what exactly post-Big Brother programming will become fixtures.

So there's The Event, skillfully promoted, but is it a 24 or a Lost? Then there's the portfolio of presenters - Davina's time on Big Brother may have come to an end, but the Million Pound Drop benefits accordingly. The channel is currently promoting a new Kirstie Allsop series, and is running a new series of Grand Designs, with Kevin McCloud. Last Wednesday Grand Designs had 2.5 million/10% share, following a somewhat off-the-pace Chilean miners documentary which had appealed to only 1.3 million/5% share. Grand Designs was helped by the quirky but insubstantial Wonderland documentary about cat rescues on BBC2, with 2.1 million/8% share. Naturally both were eclipsed by BBC1's The Apprentice with 6 million/23% share.

Presenters of the calibre of Davina, Kevin McCloud and Kirstie Allsop are the DNA of Channel 4, the faces of the channel. That is both a strength and a weakness in the post-Big Brother era. A strength, as Million Pound Drop seems to prove, if a presenter can be carried forward into a new format. But a weakness if there is no new dimension to the existing format - Grand Designs remains a strong format, but may be over-familiar for viewers. On Thursday at 8pm River Cottage Everyday with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall had 1.7 million/7% share, beaten by a combination of Nigella and Autumnwatch on BBC2 - a format and presenter being pushed too far, as they did a make-over on sandwiches?

It is Channel 4's dilemma at the moment that it must to make the most of the hand it has been dealt, and so the branding department is working overtime. But an incoming controller is bound to assess the output, particularly the most important programme format brands, and consider how they - and the new post-Big Brother projects - fit together. What might that mean? New projects for the well-known faces of Channel 4? Or new faces for new projects? When you start to think about creative renewal, the temptation must be to start looking for new faces. But the challenge will be to renew the Channel 4 brand as well - so who are the presenters out there who might represent the future of Channel 4?