Entertainment
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Entertainment |
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Our worst against the worlds best In My View, by Ian Gray MY, my how things have changed. I see that e.tv have announced with pride that their rather dreadful sitcom Madam and Eve has been accepted for the Golden Rose of Montreux, the Rose dOr, competition this year. The Golden Rose is the top international contest for TV light entertainment music and comedy. Its divided into two sections: one section is for entries from national broadcasters linked to the European Broadcasting Union which, subject to conditions, are automatically accepted, the other is for independent entries, from stations or individual producers, which are submitted, sifted and, finally, accepted for what used to be called the producers competition. There used to be gold, silver and bronze roses in each section, a City of Montreux Prize for the funniest programme in the competition, and a prize awarded by a Press Jury for the overall best programme in the national entries. Some many years ago when I was a judge on the International Press Jury at the Golden Rose on perhaps a dozen occasions over a period of 15 years there was no category exclusively for sitcoms in which e.tv says it has been accepted. In fact, there were very few sitcoms at all. Comedy entries were mainly one-off specials, made of course with Montreux in mind although no one admitted to the fact. In my last year on the jury, Rowan Atkinson scored a rare hat-trick with his Mr Bean, winning the Golden Rose, the City of Montreux Prize and the Press Jury award. Bennie Hill specials were regular entries as were Dame Edna specials. John Cleese made an entry for the Norwegians and it won. Magicians figured in several entries over the years and the Canadians could always be counted on to weigh in with an ice spectacular featuring Toller Cranstan. Certainly in that company in the 80s and 90s Madam and Eve would have earned a laugh of complete derision as even then it would have looked as dated and as corny as the US sitcoms of the 50s and 60s. In its announcement e.tv speaks of Madams unique formula. Which is? It cant be that its based on a cartoon strip: So were Dagwood and Blondie, Dennis the Menace and a host of sitcoms and other programmes, like Superman. It cant be because it is satire like the daily strip because it isnt; it cant be for its originality because it isnt and it cant be because its funny because it isnt. Perhaps there is a secret, hidden, ingredient that makes it unique. Its certainly well hidden.
OCCASIONALLY little programmes pop up seemingly from nowhere and yet are most entertaining. One such feature was Saved Lives early last Sunday morning. Its not normally a time I devote to TV but to accompany an early breakfast I tuned in in the hopes of finding a news service somewhere and instead got hooked on a programme (it was only when it ended that I picked up the title Saved Lives) featuring a sort of at home with pops eternal Peter Pan, committed Christian Sir Cliff Richard. It appears to be a montage packaged locally by veteran feature-maker F C Hamman from overseas material. It said to be continued on-screen at the end but not when, which is a pity. Cliff spoke lucidly, openly and most entertainingly about his life. With luck Ill hit upon the next part sometime.
DAME Edna made an unannounced appearance on Ally McBeal this week. I reported in this column some weeks ago it was due to happen in this season but the absence of any advance publicity proves either that no one at SABC previews programmes before they are screened, which could be dangerous or at least embarrassing, or that no one on the station knows who Dame Edna is and didnt think her appearance warranted alerting the viewers. Either way, its sloppy work.
IF any of our Cabinet Ministers were watching Jessica Pitchfords frightening and disturbing Special Assignment on Atlantis this week, theyll think three times before ordering that new 4x4, discounted or not, or planning that overseas trip business class. If they dont, they deserve to be in jail.
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