The Eternal Breakfast Debate in a New Place

[teamsaint]

So she has written a couple of novels....Who these days hasn't!

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mighty+boosh++novel

nepotism.

And good publicity photos.

[french frank]

..and what do you mean she is only an actress? It would seem that she is also a regular presenter on BBC Radio 3. Oh and she's written a couple of novels, I believe.

And a professional musician, journalist and political commentator.

[antongould]

Well, she wrote and presented an excellent documentary on Stradivarius on BBC4 about a year ago, in which she revealed not merely first-rate research and presentation skills (which would wipe the floor with Mrs Trellis) but also better skills at playing the Violin than most of her critics on this Forum (she duetted with Jennifer Pyke - and it was only by looking that the viewer could tell which was the professional solo Violinist and which the "actress").

Nor, for that matter, am I aware of the BBC ever using her as an actress (she was in a Midsomer Murder some years ago, but that's an ITV production).

It is, I fear, sadly another case (like that of Sara Mohr-Pietsche) of an intelligent and gifted young woman being told to ditsy-it-up for the sake of the low intelligence that the Beeb seems to think is typical of the Breakfast audience.

Possibly time for my occasional foray into lunacy and to scarily disagree with Lord Ferney of Spennymoor. I feel that in their presentational styles both SMP and CBH are being more or less natural and not following a dictate. Surrounded by children and work colleagues of a certain age I feel time has moved on and left us more than a little behind......I will now disappear to the fells of North Durham.
...........

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I feel that in their presentational styles both SMP and CBH are being more or less natural and not following a dictate.
...........

Presumably they both decided of their own accord that they should keep repeating their own names, request tweets, texts and emails, choose pieces from the same limited list, and talk about the music as though they selling Daz.

[antongould]

Presumably they both decided of their own accord that they should keep repeating their own names, request tweets, texts and emails, choose pieces from the same limited list, and talk about the music as though they selling Daz.

Welcome, and I also think sadly, to the two thousand and tens or wherever we are.........

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Possibly time for my occasional foray into lunacy and to scarily disagree with Lord Ferney of Spennymoor. I feel that in their presentational styles both SMP and CBH are being more or less natural and not following a dictate. Surrounded by children and work colleagues of a certain age I feel time has moved on and left us more than a little behind......I will now disappear to the fells of North Durham.
...........

Well, I based my assessment (if it is that) on SM-P's work on Hear & Now and the Discovering Music programmes she did on the Brandenburg Concerti. She just doesn't sound as breathless or anxious to please as she did on Breakfast, but genuinely engaged with the Music she discusses and the Musicians she interviews. She's also very good with audience Q&As as witnessed by her archive work at the Huddersfield Festival (some of which hasn't been broadcast AFAIK).

CB-H's Stradivarius programme was also delivered in a very different presentation style from her manner on Breakfast (no lisp, for one thing). This calmer, more considered presentation style seems to me (perhaps wishful thinking) much more "natural" to both women, as if that is the sort of thing they went into broadcasting to do. I don't know, of course - mebbe they'd rather present themselves Breakfast-style. I just hope not!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Welcome, and I also think sadly, to the two thousand and tens or wherever we are.........

Tides ebb and flow, with a bit of help.

[antongould]

To an extent do you not naturally follow the nature of the "show"?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

To an extent do you not naturally follow the nature of the "show"?

Only to the extent that I now expect to cringe and get angry every day. It is the nature of the programme that remains the problem.
And it should not be a "show" on Radio 3. It should be an opportunity.

[french frank]

To an extent do you not naturally follow the nature of the "show"?

It doesn't seem to be too outlandish an argument that if a particular programme, broadcast at the most popular time of day, is gradually changed with more and more gimmicks, specifically to be welcoming to listeners new to Radio 3, then it is more than possible that the programme will cease to be of the same interest to the existing audience.

However, since last quarter Breakfast had its lowest audience ever (based on all comparable figures) - and the average age of the R3 audience went up rather than down, perhaps someone will decide that it wasn't such a good idea i.e. it didn't work.

[HARRIET HAVARD]

It doesn't seem to be too outlandish an argument that if a particular programme, broadcast at the most popular time of day, is gradually changed with more and more gimmicks, specifically to be welcoming to listeners new to Radio 3, then it is more than possible that the programme will cease to be of the same interest to the existing audience.

However, since last quarter Breakfast had its lowest audience ever (based on all comparable figures) - and the average age of the R3 audience went up rather than down, perhaps someone will decide that it wasn't such a good idea i.e. it didn't work.

Must admit I now only drop into Breakfast to get away from the inane tripe, (and presentational style akin to Radio3) of the R4 Today programme. Like Radio3, the presenters seem now to see themselves as "celebrities", and the programme merely a vehicle for their egos. More often than not though, I by-pass R3 altogether, and just turn the radio off.

[underthecountertenor]

Georgia Mann, on this weekend, seems rather good. Presumably the same as the producer Georgia Mann-Smith?

[french frank]

Georgia Mann, on this weekend, seems rather good. Presumably the same as the producer Georgia Mann-Smith?

Seems likely.

"I produce Radio 3's drivetime programme In Tune, with daily live music, interviews and arts news. I also work on the station's Live in Concert and Late Junction strands as well as The BBC Proms, broadcast live from The Royal Albert Hall."

[Wallace]

An interesting post from Anton a couple of days ago

I feel that in their presentational styles both SMP and CBH are being more or less natural and not following a dictate. Surrounded by children and work colleagues of a certain age I feel time has moved on and left us more than a little behind........

We know that current and past morning presenters on R3 are capable of some top quality broadcasting. It’s just that it does not happen in the morning on R3. SMP’s Brandenberg work comes to mind. However almost of this good stuff is scripted. Jonathan Meades in his articulate incisive TV programme persona is working from a finely honed script. Away from the script he ums and errs and falls back on clichés to fill the gaps like the rest of us – and acknowledges that he does. So with the morning presenters who will have a few notes but no script. They have to fall back on being themselves. And they are young metropolitan people who tweet, text and twitter continually, have an inflated view of their own importance and describe the mundane by using superlatives. Yes, time has moved on and left us more than a little behind. I think my father and his father and his father’s father etc........all once felt the same. It is the role, nay duty, of the young to annoy their elders.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

It is the role, nay duty, of the young to annoy their elders.

"The young"?? CB-H is thirty-three - positively decrepit to the truly "young".