More dumbing down on BBC2

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Might I suggest a new programme for BBC2? - Celebrity Brain Surgeon. Five chosen celebrities, with no previous medical training, could be given five weeks of intensive training in brain surgery. Selected luminaries from BBC management could then volunteer to be operated upon - and the public could vote for the most successful participant.

Wouldn't such a programme's success depend upon the volunteers at least having the requisite organ to be operated upon?

[Chris Newman]

QUOTE=VodkaDilc;140089]Might I suggest a new programme for BBC2? - Celebrity Brain Surgeon. Five chosen celebrities, with no previous medical training, could be given five weeks of intensive training in brain surgery. Selected luminaries from BBC management could then volunteer to be operated upon - and the public could vote for the most successful participant.[/QUOTE]

Brilliant! [

[jean]

Ann Widdecombe performimg at the ROH is a separate issue. My DVD of the Royal Opera House production of La Fille du Regiment has Dawn French as the Duchesse de Crackenthorp...

That's quite true - it is a separate issue.

When I saw that production in Vienna, the Duchesse de Crackenthorp was Montserrat Caballe, which I thought was pretty game of her - like admitting publicly that she couldn't sing any more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U41e10l3Z-g&feature=related

[Pabmusic]

Might I suggest a new programme for BBC2? - Celebrity Brain Surgeon. Five chosen celebrities, with no previous medical training, could be given five weeks of intensive training in brain surgery. Selected luminaries from BBC management could then volunteer to be operated upon - and the public could vote for the most successful participant.

Wonderful! But surely they'd need to find enough brains among BBC management to operate on in the first place - tall order! [ I've just noticed that Ferney's already said the same thing in post 16! I should have read more carefully. I'm tired.]

[Mr Pee]

Might I suggest a new programme for BBC2? - Celebrity Brain Surgeon. Five chosen celebrities, with no previous medical training, could be given five weeks of intensive training in brain surgery. Selected luminaries from BBC management could then volunteer to be operated upon - and the public could vote for the most successful participant.

It's the lack of imagination that's so depressing- this is just "Maestro" with opera. And the idea that the only way to get people to watch a programme about conducting is to wheel in a load of b-list celebs.

Pappano is such a great communicator and such an engaging presenter, it would be fascinating to watch a series of masterclasses with talented conducting students, as he takes them through the whole process of learning and then conducting an opera- and who knows, such a series might unearth a real talent.

[french frank]

The somewhat lame reason given for using (non-musical) celebrities is to demonstrate that 'classical music' is not just for knowledgeable people: it's For All. I think perhaps a programme with celebrities could pull in bigger audiences and - who knows? - that just might also have something to do with it ...

[amateur51]

By the way. AW is on my fantasy guest list for a party.

She's on mine tioo - she is to be bound to a chair with a sock in her mouth while we eat & drink and discuss religion and feminism

That's a nasty streak that I hadn't expected to reveal

[amateur51]

well you have every chance of her turning up, she is always hanging around Salisbury. (not sure why). As a matter of interest, since you brought it up, who else is on the list? and is there a decent thread in this!?

When I read that initially I thought that you were referring to The Salisbury, a much be-mirrored formerly gay pub in St Martin's Lane in central London, closer to ENO than ROH I grant you.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The somewhat lame reason given for using (non-musical) celebrities is to demonstrate that 'classical music' is not just for knowledgeable people: it's For All...

I hope they'll remember that if any of them needs a transplant.

[BBMmk2]

So does that mean then that Radio 3, is further going to dumbdown to below the abyss that it is now?

[MrGongGong]

Thank goodness for News International. At least they provide a small oasis of culture.

[Nick Armstrong]

She's on mine tioo - she is to be bound to a chair with a sock in her mouth while we eat & drink and discuss religion and feminism

That's a nasty streak that I hadn't expected to reveal

I like this new amateur!! Go ammy!!

[french frank]

Further details of the BBC Two Maestro programmes (if you can bear it).

In fact, it's not so much that I'm against this as part of the BBC's popular entertainment provision, it's that it seems to be an either/or. From the sound of it, this programme will be very expensive and one feels it's being offered as part of the cultural/classical music output. As such, it will leave one audience seething and dissatisfied, but the BBC is ticking its 'classical music for the broader audience' box.

[handsomefortune]

this chap looks like he's been ticking too many boxes too

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eduard_von_Gr%C3%BCtzner_Falstaff.jpg

is his role comparable to the part played by anne widdecombe, as the duchesse de whatsit in the opera?

[Nick Armstrong]

this chap looks like he's been ticking too many boxes too

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eduard_von_Gr%C3%BCtzner_Falstaff.jpg

is his role comparable to the part played by anne widdecombe, as the duchesse de whatsit in the opera?

Possibly not but the faces aren't a million miles apart...