Andrew Neil has said his new Sunday evening politics show will be avoiding the “sensation and shouting” of the American opinion-led format and instead focus on “intelligent discussion”.

The veteran broadcaster, 72, said the later time slot of the programme means his team will have “the waterfront to ourselves” allowing them to “throw” the news forward to the coming week.

Titled The Andrew Neil Show, it will be a 10-part series airing weekly at 6pm, which will begin on Channel 4 on May 8.

Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg will feature as its first guest with The Daily Mirror’s Pippa Crerar and The Telegraph’s Madeline Grant offering up their insight as political commentators.

Neil told the PA news agency: “In British broadcasting, six o’clock is an unusual time on a Sunday night to do a political show, but it means we have the waterfront to ourselves. There are no other competitors on at that time.

“Sunday mornings are a bit crowded and there are other points in the schedule which have lots of political programming – breakfast time as well during the week. We get this slot to ourselves.”

Describing the evening as a “pivotal time”, he added: “The news cycle that’s been created by the Sunday papers, and then by the Sunday morning talk shows, is beginning to work its way out and throw itself forward to the start of a new week on Monday morning.

“We’re in a pivotal position where we can wrap up what’s happened in the week behind us just coming to an end, and throw forward to what’s coming up with the week ahead.

“So it’s actually a very good time. I am surprised someone hasn’t thought of it before.”

The new show comes after the launch of news channels GB News and TalkTV, which both feature opinion-led current affairs programmes akin to the model popular in America.

Neil said his programme would sit “in between” straight news and comment, but added: “It won’t be American-style, that’s for sure. And it won’t be shouty.

“But I hope it will have some pace and some insight. Shouty can be quite entertaining, though it’s also a little bit exhausting after a while.

“What I discovered, I think, is that the kind of audience we’re after puts a premium on high quality discussion and analysis and not opinion.

“They like a bit of edge. They like their analysis not to be bland, but they don’t want opinion shoved down their throat all the time.

“They’re perfectly capable of making up their own opinions. And I think that is what we’ll try to do.”

Neil promised his political interviews will only be with “the big players” and not “the minister for paper clips”, confirming he has contacted Number 10 regarding an interview with the Prime Minister.