By Tommy Pearson
According to most news reports on television and in the newspapers, the BAFTA Awards are more significant now than ever before; this year even more so since the Golden Globes were reduced to a press conference and the Oscars broadcast was in the balance (at least up to today - the WGA strike is finally over!). The number of big names that come to London for the Baftas has increased over the years, which is a good sign. And since Bafta decided to host the ceremony in a theatre, it's become the serious enterprise it should be.
So it's a mystery to me why the BBC treats the whole thing with such lazy contempt. For a start, if it really cared about the Bafta awards it would show the whole ceremony live - like the Oscars and the Golden Globes (normally). I genuinely don't understand why it doesn't. To make it much worse, not only does BBC1 show edited highlights some time later, but it builds the awards around the all-important Ten O'Clock News. So we're not even allowed to enjoy more than an hour at a time. Another way of demonstrating they care would be if the BBC found a film actor/comedian to host it, rather than making the least imaginative choice of them all, Jonathan Ross (clearly the only person they could think of once the wonderful Stephen Fry passed).
Some things have improved since last year's all-time low broadcast - a badly edited, amateurish and pathetically crass affair, complete with terrible script and a 'presenter' at the side of the stage ready to ask the award-winners 'How do you feel?' But tonight's broadcast started very badly - the sound was at first appalling, then simply absent. Cracking mics continued to badger the presenters and host throughout. There's no presenter backstage (at least not on the main broadcast - god knows what they served up on the digital channel). And Jonathan Ross has toned it all down a bit this time, mercifully.
But still we have only highlights and a totally superfluous break for news at 10 (as if we don't all have enough places to get news these days). And many of the awards are not shown. Of course, you'd expect me to complain about the lack of the Best Original Score award in the TV coverage - downgraded instead to the 'other Baftas awarded tonight...' bit jammed in before the end credits. But then BBC1's controllers have never believed the audience is interested in anything other than the popular stuff, so the composers haven't got a hope. Even the Oscars shows the music award! It's time the BBC stopped talking the talk and walked the walk with a decent, well-produced and live show that helps Bafta celebrate and award fine films and promote its excellent work. It really wouldn't be that hard. Just give it some effort and imagination.
So what about the music award then? Christopher Gunning surprised everyone, except perhaps those of us who know how many times the Bafta voters live on another planet, by winning for La Vie En Rose. Did they vote for the songs again?! Lovely little score from Gunning, no doubt, but is it really better than the work of Dario Marianelli on Atonement or even Johnny Greenwood for There Will Be Blood? I'm not so sure. I still think Dario will win the Oscar.
See all the Bafta winners HERE
According to most news reports on television and in the newspapers, the BAFTA Awards are more significant now than ever before; this year even more so since the Golden Globes were reduced to a press conference and the Oscars broadcast was in the balance (at least up to today - the WGA strike is finally over!). The number of big names that come to London for the Baftas has increased over the years, which is a good sign. And since Bafta decided to host the ceremony in a theatre, it's become the serious enterprise it should be.
So it's a mystery to me why the BBC treats the whole thing with such lazy contempt. For a start, if it really cared about the Bafta awards it would show the whole ceremony live - like the Oscars and the Golden Globes (normally). I genuinely don't understand why it doesn't. To make it much worse, not only does BBC1 show edited highlights some time later, but it builds the awards around the all-important Ten O'Clock News. So we're not even allowed to enjoy more than an hour at a time. Another way of demonstrating they care would be if the BBC found a film actor/comedian to host it, rather than making the least imaginative choice of them all, Jonathan Ross (clearly the only person they could think of once the wonderful Stephen Fry passed).
Some things have improved since last year's all-time low broadcast - a badly edited, amateurish and pathetically crass affair, complete with terrible script and a 'presenter' at the side of the stage ready to ask the award-winners 'How do you feel?' But tonight's broadcast started very badly - the sound was at first appalling, then simply absent. Cracking mics continued to badger the presenters and host throughout. There's no presenter backstage (at least not on the main broadcast - god knows what they served up on the digital channel). And Jonathan Ross has toned it all down a bit this time, mercifully.
But still we have only highlights and a totally superfluous break for news at 10 (as if we don't all have enough places to get news these days). And many of the awards are not shown. Of course, you'd expect me to complain about the lack of the Best Original Score award in the TV coverage - downgraded instead to the 'other Baftas awarded tonight...' bit jammed in before the end credits. But then BBC1's controllers have never believed the audience is interested in anything other than the popular stuff, so the composers haven't got a hope. Even the Oscars shows the music award! It's time the BBC stopped talking the talk and walked the walk with a decent, well-produced and live show that helps Bafta celebrate and award fine films and promote its excellent work. It really wouldn't be that hard. Just give it some effort and imagination.
So what about the music award then? Christopher Gunning surprised everyone, except perhaps those of us who know how many times the Bafta voters live on another planet, by winning for La Vie En Rose. Did they vote for the songs again?! Lovely little score from Gunning, no doubt, but is it really better than the work of Dario Marianelli on Atonement or even Johnny Greenwood for There Will Be Blood? I'm not so sure. I still think Dario will win the Oscar.
See all the Bafta winners HERE