I know many here aren't natural Telegraph readers but-
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I have a medical condition- I am fool intolerant. -
"Last year, I was trying to watch the BBC on Saturday night," he said. "They had Strictly Come Dancing and Bruce Forsyth. And I watched almost with tears because I remembered when I was 17, 18 I used to see Hamlet and Death Of A Salesman on a Saturday night. That educated me."
Kevin Spacey said something similar a few years back (in rather more refined language
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It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world. -
Wow! Don't miss and hit the wall, Mr. Berkoff!Originally posted by french frank View Post"Last year, I was trying to watch the BBC on Saturday night," he said. "They had Strictly Come Dancing and Bruce Forsyth. And I watched almost with tears because I remembered when I was 17, 18 I used to see Hamlet and Death Of A Salesman on a Saturday night. That educated me."
Kevin Spacey said something similar a few years back (in rather more refined language).
The comments attached are (at time of writing) 100% in agreement.
I know I've banged on about this now but MY introduction to classical music was blundering across 'Andre Previn's Music Night' as a 13 year old. (Martha Argerich playing Prokofiev's third piano concerto - what young adolescent male could resist!?)
Don't think it could happen now.Comment
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The puzzling thing is that as the BBC expands - television and radio - it finds less and less airtime for anything that can't come under the heading of 'popular culture' - meaning anything which can command a significant audience. As 'popular culture' expands and fragments, so airtime is found for it.
BBC Arts and Entertainment news doesn't seem to have picked up the story yet - so well-spotted, James!It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.Comment
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Though sometimes rather strange, for all that:Originally posted by pastoralguy View Post
Just ask yourself:
Who is controlling Hollywood, who is controlling the Media Corporations, pouring that intellectual rubbish into people's brains?
Only 6 Media Corporations control all the TV channels.
Churning out nonsense after nonsense.
It tell you who:
The Vatican and the Freemasons.
They are responsible for this.
It's part of their Illuminati "Grand Plan".
(When the article has Berkoff rallying against the BBC, do you think they really meant railing?Comment
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There is a lot of truth in the complaints, but it would still be possible to 'blunder across' good music in one of the televised Proms. It's still reassuring to see the crowds in the RAH, even for serious music. I also think there was more rubbish in the past than we remember, though there were also more high quality programmes.Originally posted by pastoralguy View PostComment
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I could do without the 'lefty luvvies' cracks, though. I don't think I'd go much on the 'righties' taking over either: education in the arts is important for everyone, not just those who can afford an expensive school.Originally posted by pastoralguy View PostIt isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.Comment
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I'm surprised that an actor would think television is a better place to see Hamlet and Death of a Salesman than the theatre
the BBC has always done 'light entertainment' (particularly at primetime Saturday evening I would have thought)
he switches on BBC1 on a Saturday evening and is surprised not to get high culture - quite honestly where has he been for the past fifty years ?Last edited by mercia; 06-08-13, 09:15.Comment
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Too true. It's a similar phenomenon to one well known about prisons. The more you build, the more people you send away. Most people think it works the other way round (ie: it's reactive) but history shows otherwise.Originally posted by french frank View PostComment
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It's not my imagination - when BBC4 started I videod some wonderful opera, concerts and plays.
Where are they now in the same quantity, or is just the 'things were better then' syndrome ?Comment
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Until last year, those Proms broadcast on BBC FOUR were repeated in the early hours of the following day. That service now appears only to apply to popular culture broadcasts, many of which were already repeats when broadcast in the evening. BBC 2 used to carry full Prom broadcasts too. Now we get a magazine programme, much of which is taken up with clips from Proms broadcast on BBC FOUR, plus some which were recorded in both sound and vision but not broadcast in full. Reith would be tanning their hides.Originally posted by salymap View PostComment
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Totally agree. And whilst he may have a few salient points, I found even the edited highlights of this rant against the world thoroughly dispiriting.Originally posted by mercia View PostComment
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When I first bought a Freeview box there was usually one proper classical concert or opera a month on BBC4. This was in addition to the Proms broadcasts.Originally posted by salymap View PostComment
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Hard to believe but Channel 4 in the Eighties (the Isaacs era) ran a whole stream of quality classical music programmes including "Sinfonietta" with Paul Crossley. I remember an illuminating performance of Pierrot Lunaire conducted by David Atherton, IIRC. If one looks at their schedules now it's enough to make one weep.Originally posted by salymap View PostComment
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