Variety shows and Britain's Got Talent

[rocketeer]

Please dont dismiss this as not relevent to the Fedora Lounge, talent shows were once part of old time TV life.
A lot of people in the outside world are knocking the show, Britains Got Talent because a dog act won the big prize, and some talented other acts(let me guess, the singers) lost out.
Until this show came out, in the UK variety shows had almost died out, to be replaced by reality shows featuring police, doctors, undertakers, loggers, truckers etc. Fine shows but really a one episode show and not a whole series.
Remember the days when we had on a Sunday evening real entertainment where things could and did often go wrong? These shows featured magic acts, dancing dogs, acrobatic children, comedians and singers with a compare who could entertain us as well.
Sure this is not the greatest show, but it does bring back elements of those good old days when entertainment was not all singing shows such as XFactor or Pop Idol. Is it such a shame the little girl singer on 'BG Talent' or the singer/guitarist didn't win? I wanted the magicians to win but they didn't get through to the final.
My favourite show from those days? Opportunity Knocks with Hughie Green putting on a fake American accent to introduce an act where a guy could smoke 100 cigarettes all at once, another who could drink beer standing on his head or a guy who could move his muscles in time to some music. But thats entertainment.

Anyone any thoughts on TVs great entertainment shows?
John

 

[Edward]

The biggest curse on British television the last time I paid much attention was less a lack of the variety show, and more an abundance of Simon Cowell.

 

[rocketeer]

The biggest curse on British television the last time I paid much attention was less a lack of the variety show, and more an abundance of Simon Cowell.

Well at least Simon does not sing:eusa_clap
But you agree there is definitely a lack of variety act entertainment on TV these days?

 

[Talbot]

I can't say I'm a fan of these shows, but I have noticed a trend from watching the adverts (when I do watch telly that is).

The shows focus (foci?) seem to have moved from humiliation of the wanna be through to a celebration of talent.

Possibly the Paul Potts/Susan Boyle effect?

It's cheap content for the network and I'll wager the judges have been told to (over) react - its good for ratings.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I can see it now: The Simon (Cowell) Channel. :doh:

 

[rocketeer]

Anyone remember 'The Good Old Days'? Where the audiance would dress in Victorian costume?
There was a waiting list of years for tickets, the the show closed so I bet some of the ticket hopefuls were well put out if they were nearly at the top of the list.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

This segment of Good Old Days from 1976 features Bernard Cribben, The King's Singers, Eartha Kitt and Edward Woodward.

[video=youtube;ZVwyUVy40GQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVwyUVy40GQ[/video]

 

[PHIL1959]

x factor Britain's got no talent-Simon cowell. and all those Andrew Lloyd Webber talent shows
makes me love listening to the wireless

 

[bunnyb.gal]

I can see it now: The Simon (Cowell) Channel. :doh:

No, that would be a GOOD thing. Quarantine him on one channel! And then quarantine all of the reality shows on another.

I find a dearth of anything in the UK that's not Strictly Throwaway Telly. I find myself watching more and more series from the 70's/80's/early 90's that I missed the first time around. There's too much shaky-cam and hand-held and technological blah-blah in a lot of the new shows, not character-driven enough. Drives me bonkers. On the upside, I've discovered some good stuff this way .

 

[Edward]

Well at least Simon does not sing:eusa_clap

If I had my way, he wouldn't open his mouth either. Certainly not to deliver those tiresome, blatantly pre-scripted put downs in which he likes to indulge himself. The worst of it is the way these shows are structured. Absolutely no-one on the X Factor goes in front of the TV judges without having first been seen by other staff. To be expected, given volumes of applicants, of course. Think about it, though: yes, that's right - all those appallingly awful people who get torn to shreds by Cowell and cohorts. Those people are put in front of those judges for the cameras because someone has seen how awful they are, and realises that humiliating them will be good television. It's as calculated as that.

But you agree there is definitely a lack of variety act entertainment on TV these days?

Yes, there certainly is: and what little there is is rendered void of interest because of this nonsense of turning it all into a phone-in, profit-driven competition. There's an unbelievable amount of superb variety and cabaret talent out there, but it mostly never gets on the box because the good acts are for the most part far too canny to set themselves up to be exploited by the Cowell machine. I see it every year when audition time comes up - they all get approached.

x factor Britain's got no talent-Simon cowell. and all those Andrew Lloyd Webber talent shows
makes me love listening to the wireless

I'm shocked Ofcom let the Lloyd Webber show go ahead. They're naught but a glorified advert for his latest show, every time round. They also do horrendous damage to the West End. Great for the kids who win it (usually themselves people with prior West End experience at understudy / chorus level - don't kid yourself they're about finding otherwise unknown talent). The saddest thing is seeing the impact on really talented kids who should be getting the big roles getting regularly passed over for someone who is often a weaker performer but who has been on a TV show which is marketable. Clearly part of them blame here must also be placed at the door of those who can't conceive of the theatre as anything other than a means to gawp at someone they saw on the telly once. ARRGGHH! Marlowe ANGRY! Marlowe SMASH!

No, that would be a GOOD thing. Quarantine him on one channel! And then quarantine all of the reality shows on another.

They should also attach an electric buzzer to him so every time he says something to make himself look big and clever, or anything smug, he gets a shock.

I find a dearth of anything in the UK that's not Strictly Throwaway Telly. I find myself watching more and more series from the 70's/80's/early 90's that I missed the first time around. There's too much shaky-cam and hand-held and technological blah-blah in a lot of the new shows, not character-driven enough. Drives me bonkers. On the upside, I've discovered some good stuff this way .

Yes, it has driven so much good content away from prime time. Reality TV is cheap and easy to make - you don't pay actors (just a couple of egos to be judges), you don't pay scriptwriters.... and you rake in a fortune from duping people into phoning in. Sad. There is also some great content being produced today, but it's usually condemned to the less-viewed channels. I don't remember the last time I watched anything on ITV1. Or ITV2, for that matter.

 

[scottyrocks]

Last night I warcehd Howard Stern's premier on America's Got Talent. I'm not a Stern fan but my wife loves him so I watched it with her.

What I enjoyed about the show was that it wasn't just singers, or wasn't just dancers. There was all kinds of stuff. The two coolest acts were the room harp (not the real name) and the glowing dinosaurs and flowers troupe. Very original stuff. The low point? The guy who poked knitting needles through his face.

Another good part was, yes, no Simon Cowell (can't stand him). I may not like Stern, but at least he's gracious in his criticism.

 

[rocketeer]

As Edward has pointed out, there are lots of good acts out there but sometimes they mess it up for themselves.
Take the Jive Aces act.
These are great guys, I know some from way back in the 1980s when we were all Rockabilly kids in the Romford area. They put on a professional show if you see them live, but for the TV they wore the same yellow costumes they always wear, and performed the same songs on both occasions? Sorry but in this case the dreaded Simon was right to say they needed to improve for their second audition and did not.
The girl with the dog choreographed three different routines. Fair enough they were roughly the same tricks but being in a different order made it look like she had taken time to impress the audience, and it worked!

Ps, that Alisha Dixon has a hell of a dirty laugh.

And BunnyB, Thank God for all those DvD tv shows in the HMV shop, My Mrs bought me Budgie, staring Adam Faith. I had not seen this since the 1970s when originally aired. Fantastic TV.
Johnny T