BBC Ballet on TV season - March 2014

[Fonty]

I was amazed they took the full length Sleeping Beauty down so quickly from iPlayer.  Was it just up for a week?

 

I would have thought they would leave it a little longer than that.   

[alison]

I thought a week was standard for iPlayer TV programmes? Or have things changed?

[Anna C]

6 days is standard for iplayer on Virgin - or Virgin's catchup TV. Programmes often stay on iplayer app or iplayer on the PC for at least a month.

[Fonty]

I thought a week was standard for iPlayer TV programmes? Or have things changed?

 

 

Well, the first episode of Line of Duty is still up there.  As the 6 part serial finished yesterday, it must be 6 weeks old!  And Strictly Come Dancing had episodes that were at least as old, if not older.

[Jan McNulty]

It seems to depend on whether it is a serial or a one-off (even if that is part of a series).  I've noticed a lot of serials have their episodes available until a week after the final one (but that doesn't always work!).

[capybara]

 

The BBC has announced more programmes on dance (great news) but (alas as far as I'm concerned) more 'fronting' by Darcey Bussell.

[Fonty]

Well, I shall have another go at telling them she is not the best person, but I don't suppose it will make any difference.  Why go for an articulate presenter, when you can have a pretty one? 

 

I just wish she would stop talking about herself, and showing pictures of her performances, no matter what she is talking about.   I think we all get the idea she used to dance for the Royal, she doesn't have to keep prefacing every remark with, "When I danced this role..." 

 

Gary Lineker is another example of someone who got to the top of their chosen field and consequently was deemed to be the right person to front Match of the Day.  After all these years, he is still a wooden presenter, but at least he doesn't mention the fact that he used to play Premiership football and was captain of England every time Match of the Day is on. 

[mimi66]

Wonder if Margot Fonteyn ever thought she needed to remind anyone who she was?

Edited March 26, 2014 by mimi66

[Pas de Quatre]

Sadly once Margot Fonteyn retired she was pretty well ignored by the Establishment!

[Fonty]

I am not sure, but didn't Fonteyn deliberately drop out of the limelight?

 

I know she was living on her farm in Panama after she retired. 

[GTL]

I got the impression Fonteyn devoted her life post-retirement to her paralysed Panamanian husband and that the political background of his family complicated her financial affairs.

Of the ex-RB TV presenters I've seen recently, I have to say that those who came across as intelligent dancers made the best presenters - so that's Tamara Rojo, David Bintley, Deborah Bull. Darcey Bussell is improving as a populist TV person, ideal for the likes of "Strictly Come Dancing", but BBC1 and BBC2/BBC4 should not be interchangeable and there's room on TV for them all.

[aileen]

I saw a programme about Fonteyn recently which seemed to say that she lived in very straightened circumstances after she retired to Panama. I couldn't help wondering why she and her husband didn't make their life in the UK which would have meant that he would have received free healthcare, the cost of which was a huge financial burden to her. She seems to have been a real trouper.

[Two Pigeons]

I think Tito retained delusions of grandure and he believed he was a person of importance in Panama. Also his children from his first marriage were still there.

 

From all the footage I have seen of Tito's sister and his son they would have wanted the couple in Panama so that they have could gain maximum advantage from them.

 

Poor Margot, she deserved so much better.

Edited March 26, 2014 by Two Pigeons

[chrischris]

If Bussell can get people interested in ballet, or even get programmes commissioned, then surely that's a good thing? She may not be to everyone's tastes, but the majority of the general public don't care or have a great deal of knowledge of ballet, so someone like Bussell explaining that she had once danced this role probably provides a bit of context, or conveys that she at least has experience of it.

 

I really like Bull, but find Rojo a bit pretentious to be honest. I love ballet, but from the way she talks about her job, you'd thinking she was working on an ebola vaccine or something.

Edited March 26, 2014 by chrischris

[GTL]

One of the problems ballet has in broadening its audience is overcoming the notion that it appeals mainly to little girls. Miss Bussell's youthfulness of manner and speech reinforces that image - which works fine on Saturday night BBC1 as long as she doesn't fall victim to over-exposure. I admit she's not to my taste: I have enjoyed a good few of her ROH performances in the past but in most roles where I could make a direct comparison, I thought Guillem, Rojo, Cojocaru, Nunez, Hatley, Yanowsky, Yoshida (to name a few) superior so I booked accordingly. My concern is that a potential new audience for ballet could be alienated by any dumbing-down of presentation on BBC2/4.

[Melody]

Everything's being dumbed down these days and style is valued over substance in the media just about everywhere you look. I was looking at some of the comments about the ROH Swan Lake cinecast in the USA on the Fathom Events website, and just about all the comments were variations on the theme of "where was Darcey? I didn't like it without Darcey hosting during the intervals." Yanowsky and Kish weren't mentioned once, it was just "where's Darcey?" A perfect example of where the celebrity culture's landed us. Maybe the overlords of these programmes think that a focus on intelligence and depth (especially if not coupled with youth and beauty) would be too intimidating.

Edited March 27, 2014 by Melody

[Fonty]

I was looking at some of the comments about the ROH Swan Lake cinecast in the USA on the Fathom Events website, and just about all the comments were variations on the theme of "where was Darcey? I didn't like it without Darcey hosting during the intervals." Yanowsky and Kish weren't mentioned once, it was just "where's Darcey?" A perfect example of where the celebrity culture's landed us. Maybe the overlords of these programmes think that a focus on intelligence and depth (especially if not coupled with youth and beauty) would be too intimidating.

 

I find that quite strange, I didn't realise Bussell was that well known in the US.  It could be that the people posting are quite young, and I think somebody like Bussell is very good at appealing to those little girls that she mentions so often.  I think she would be splendid presenting a programme aimed specifically at children and teenagers.

[Odyssey]

I saw a programme about Fonteyn recently which seemed to say that she lived in very straightened circumstances after she retired to Panama. I couldn't help wondering why she and her husband didn't make their life in the UK which would have meant that he would have received free healthcare, the cost of which was a huge financial burden to her. She seems to have been a real trouper.

This may have been Tony Palmer's documentary which has recently been repeated on Sky Arts. I defy anyone not to be moved by its account of Margot's life, particularly in her later years. I believe it is available on DvD and would strongly recommend it- not only for the wonderful footage, but most memorably for the range of interviews conducted with those closely connected to Margot in her later years. Brutal in its honesty about her marriage to Tito, this paints a picture of a complex woman, who allowed herself to be manipulated, yet it still manages to maintain the magic of her persona both on and off stage.

Edited March 27, 2014 by Odyssey

[Terpsichore]

...... I didn't realise Bussell was that well known in the US. .....................

 

It is not surprising that Bussell is well known in the USA for she danced with the New York City Ballet as a guest artiste and has taken part in a number of other shows that have been broadcast in North America. 

 

On your other point, Fonty, Bussell is very astute in appreciating that dancers as opposed to companies and theatres can be a brand in themselves and I have written an article on that topic elsewhere in which I have mentioned Bussell's business interests as an example.

[LinMM]

Poor Darcey!! She does come across as an "innocent" in front of the camera but she's not that bad!!! She may be on the light side but she is fun too and at least is capable of sending herself up. She probably is better for a younger audience maybe.....there's room for a variety of presenters I think!!

 

I personally like Deborah Bull presenting things as even Rojo seems to come across as over self promoting a little too much even though I did like her Good Swan Bad Swan programme.

I also liked David Bintley very much ......completely straight forward like Bull.

[Fonty]

I was going to add to my earlier post that I did not want to come across as Bussell Bashing.  I agree that for most people who know very little about ballet, she is the obvious choice.  The trouble is, for somebody like me,  who has been watching and dancing since I was a child, I would prefer someone who takes a different, less girly approach.   

 

As a matter of interest, who presents the opera performances that are broadcast?  I know nothing about opera, so do they use an ex opera singer (or indeed a current opera singer? )  Is it someone of the same status as Darcey i.e. an opera singer of world renown?  Or is it someone who has been picked for their musical knowledge and presentation skills?

 

And how would opera buffs feel if the BBC decided to broadcase a series about opera, and use Charlotte Church or Susan Boyle?  Maybe Katherine Jenkins would be the obvious choice?     

[taxi4ballet]

Having been (very briefly and unexcitingly) involved in the world of TV, I thought I'd mention that the vast majority of TV programmes and documentaries these days are made by independent production companies who pitch the idea to the TV broadcasters.

 

Perhaps that is why there are now so many celebrities 'fronting' documentaries and the like. The production companies realise that the programme will be easier to sell if there is a well-known face in front of the camera.

[Fiona]

I was going to add to my earlier post that I did not want to come across as Bussell Bashing.  I agree that for most people who know very little about ballet, she is the obvious choice.  The trouble is, for somebody like me,  who has been watching and dancing since I was a child, I would prefer someone who takes a different, less girly approach.   

 

Am I correct in thinking that approximately 80% of TV and cinema viewers know nothing about ballet?  If so, they surely do not want to be lectured on the technical and highly detailed nuances of the art form.  Darcey Bussell is charming and so at ease in front of the camera, and the best know and loved British ballerina around.

 

I agree with chrischris in finding Rojo slightly pretentious, and it was surely impolite not to introduce her partners in the Swan program, which other dancers would have done automatically?

[Jacqueline]

I was going to add to my earlier post that I did not want to come across as Bussell Bashing.  I agree that for most people who know very little about ballet, she is the obvious choice.  The trouble is, for somebody like me,  who has been watching and dancing since I was a child, I would prefer someone who takes a different, less girly approach.   

 

As a matter of interest, who presents the opera performances that are broadcast?  I know nothing about opera, so do they use an ex opera singer (or indeed a current opera singer? )  Is it someone of the same status as Darcey i.e. an opera singer of world renown?  Or is it someone who has been picked for their musical knowledge and presentation skills?

 

And how would opera buffs feel if the BBC decided to broadcase a series about opera, and use Charlotte Church or Susan Boyle?  Maybe Katherine Jenkins would be the obvious choice?   

I was wondering why Carla from Coronation Street was on the cover of the new ROH brochure with Mr Kaufmann. I don't associate her with opera. Then I realised it was Anna Netrebko. Are they twins or is it just my imagination?

As for Katherine Jenkins, she also seems to polarize opinion. Is she an opera singer, or a singer of things that include opera?

Perhaps Miss Bussell and Miss Jenkins could team up again and co - present. They were supposed to be great friends when they did Viva La Diva, despite giving the impression they had just met in the foyer. What a show that was. See Darcey sing and hear Katherine dance as I recall. 

[LinMM]

Missed that one!!

[mimi66]

LinMM, which part?

[Odyssey]

Am I correct in thinking that approximately 80% of TV and cinema viewers know nothing about ballet?  If so, they surely do not want to be lectured on the technical and highly detailed nuances of the art form.?

I don't think any of the recent programmes lectured or went into too much technical detail. They seemed to strike a good balance between substance and what you might term as popular appeal. What several posts here reflect is a desire for there to be a range of presenters - which the recent BBC programmes did provide, whereas the live cinema feeds have maintained Darcey as the presenter. Whilst she might be at ease in front of a camera, her interview skills are arguably not so accomplished.

[Shade]

Did anybody watch the repeat of Darcey Bussell's programme about tap dancing on BBC4 yesterday evening? I must have missed it first time round but it was interesting, especially the old film clips of Kelly and Astaire.

[Fonty]

Am I correct in thinking that approximately 80% of TV and cinema viewers know nothing about ballet?  If so, they surely do not want to be lectured on the technical and highly detailed nuances of the art form.  Darcey Bussell is charming and so at ease in front of the camera, and the best know and loved British ballerina around.

 

 

 

 

I wouldn't want to be lectured like that myself, either. 

 

I agree that Ms Bussell is probably the best known ballet dancer for people who know nothing about ballet; in fact she is probably the only ballet dancer they know!  However, that doesn't necessarily make her the best choice to present live performances and conduct interviews during the intervals.  Personally, I think she is much more at ease in front of the cameras when she is talking about herself.  I think she struggles when she has to question other people in real time.  It isn't that I dislike her.  It is just that I think other people have handled that situation with greater skill. 

 

And no, Shade, I didn't see the programme.  I think it has been on before?  I have managed to miss it twice now, I am sure it was interesting. 

[loveclassics]

Did anybody watch the repeat of Darcey Bussell's programme about tap dancing on BBC4 yesterday evening? I must have missed it first time round but it was interesting, especially the old film clips of Kelly and Astaire.

I saw it and yes, the old clips were interesting.  What wasn't,  was watching Bussell's attempt to emulate Astaire's extraordinary performances after a mere few weeks rehearsal.  Are we expected to applaud her 'jolly hockey sticks' attitude in gamely trying and failing?  It's painful to watch IMHO.

 

What is this compulsion by TV producers to take people who are brilliant in their own field and make them try to be equally successful doing something else? What I want to see is excellence, not well-meant but ultimately unsatisfying second-rate imitations. 

 

Astaire spent a lifetime perfecting his skills and artistry and after watching this programme all I wanted to do was dig out the box set and watch some of his films again.  Similarly, I would rather remember Bussell for her many superb ballet performances, not this embarrassing charade.

 

Linda

[mimi66]

I saw it and yes, the old clips were interesting.  What wasn't,  was watching Bussell's attempt to emulate Astaire's extraordinary performances after a mere few weeks rehearsal.  Are we expected to applaud her 'jolly hockey sticks' attitude in gamely trying and failing?  It's painful to watch IMHO.

 

What is this compulsion by TV producers to take people who are brilliant in their own field and make them try to be equally successful doing something else? What I want to see is excellence, not well-meant but ultimately unsatisfying second-rate imitations. 

 

Astaire spent a lifetime perfecting his skills and artistry and after watching this programme all I wanted to do was dig out the box set and watch some of his films again.  Similarly, I would rather remember Bussell for her many superb ballet performances, not this embarrassing charade.

 

Linda

 

I thought the same - it was very brave for Ms Bussell but I felt it was not exactly a clever move.

[Two Pigeons]

I also thought her rendition of 'cheek to cheek' merely underlined the utter magic and brilliance of the original. Star though Darcey undoubtedly is she coukd not match it in any respect.

[taxi4ballet]

Perhaps the programme was intended for (and aimed at) the general viewing public and 'Strictly' fans in particular?