The Joy of Mozart BBC4

[Cockney Sparrow]

i agree Foyle's War is a lot more interesting than Tom Service on TV (in most anything). Let's not give TS the attention he obviously craves.........

I'd begun to think Michael Kitchen is a one trick pony - always very understated acting (wonderful as it is) although I haven't watched a huge amount of anything else he's done.
Then I watched one (+ part of 2nd) of the 3 episodes of the Brain Pern programme - satire on the 60-70-80 year old rock star generation, where
"– best of all – Michael Kitchen as Pern’s manager. Kitchen is an absolute revelation here; delivering endless, breathtakingly profane run-on insults to everyone in sight that miraculously manage to continue......"

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2014/dec/10/if-theres-a-funnier-show-than-brian-pern-a-life-in-rock-ill-be-staggered

Kitchen obviously has range, and seemed to be comfortable delivering barrack room expletives every other word in character to his dim client and associates.

Only able to keep an interest in about 40 minutes of it in all - Rock music scene has never been my scene, so I wasn't enjoying the satire enough.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

it is a shame about Tom Services TV presentation, because much of his writing I really enjoy.

He needs to change his initials, though......very irritating.......

[ardcarp]

But it could have been a lot worse. Instead of Tom Service it might have been Stephen Fry.

Not a lot worse. Better in fact in some ways. If we've got to have a celeb thrust at us, why not a real celeb ? Second thoughts, why not Michael Portillo? I'm sure Salzburg and Vienna have good rail connections.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Stephen Fry was rather better on Wagner than TS was on Mozart.

[visualnickmos]

Stephen Fry was rather better on Wagner than TS was on Mozart.

Yes - that was an excellent programme. There was an excellent programme last year on French tv about Richard Strauss - a very in-depth look at his life and work.

[LeMartinPecheur]

He [Tom Service] needs to change his initials, though......very irritating.......

Especially to one who is a TS Officer in a TSS (Trading Standards Service)

[Padraig]

The Mozart was a mish mash. 15 minutes & then off. Whatever happened to the BBC I once knew. Now only silly people pretending to be experts.

gamba, a man who can have a hefty swipe at programmes, personalities and Corporations in as many sentences must be feeling pretty chirpy, and I'm very glad to see it.

[gamba]

Padraig,

Perhaps not only do I remember ' Monitor , I worked for them.

Therein lies a massive difference in all respects between then & now

The memory remains & is much treasured,

I try not to be too bitter - but it happens

Anyway, thanks for your comment,

[edashtav]

The Mozart was a mish mash. 15 minutes & then off. Whatever happened to the BBC I once knew. Now only silly people pretending to be experts.

A time there was, gamba, when Dr. Service was a respected expert, particularly with respect to 20th century music. Then, he joined the BBC and turned into a "silly person". What's to blame? The Beeb's Tea Service?

[french frank]

Well, to some it was 'richly enjoyable': who is Gabriel Tate? [Note: "Gabriel Tate has written about television and the arts for Time Out for 10 years. Now freelance, he writes about the same for the Guardian, the Daily Telegraph, the Evening Standard, the Independent on Sunday, the Sun, Sight and Sound, TV & Satellite Week and MSN. ... " Writes for the, er, Guardian too? Isn't that ...

Perhaps he's the target audience? - someone with arts interests, rather than classical music? Or you lot may be wrong (I haven't watched yet!!!)

[Also, did anyone ever come across this? ]

[mercia]

very useful is kitchen foyle - oops, wrong thread

[gurnemanz]

A time there was, gamba, when Dr. Service was a respected expert, particularly with respect to 20th century music. Then, he joined the BBC and turned into a "silly person". What's to blame? The Beeb's Tea Service?

The Beeb produces plenty of less annoyingly presented, better edited, more focussed documentaries. Luckily, this one was not typical.

[aeolium]

The Beeb produces plenty of less annoyingly presented, better edited, more focussed documentaries. Luckily, this one was not typical.

Yes indeed: for instance some of the music films of John Bridcut, Tony Palmer or Christopher Nupen. And in the non-musical sphere, the recent excellent two-part series on the Incas by Dr Jago Cooper.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

very useful is kitchen foyle - oops, wrong thread

Kitty Foyle? Wasn't that Ginger Rogers?

[mercia]

Kitty Foyle? Wasn't that Ginger Rogers?

oh yes, never seen that film. I was attempting a weak unfunny Radio 3 Forum-type pun on Michael Kitchen + Christopher Foyle = kitchen foil (an aid in cookery), the ITV series Foyle's War being what this thread seems to be partly about (for some reason). Someone's going to tell me that Foyle is not pronounced foil.