'Shut Up Kevin' Or 'Bravo Spacey'

[sp1814]

In an interview, actor and theatre director Kevin Spacey criticised the BBC for airing talent shows such as Any Dream Will Do and I'd Do Anything He said "I felt that was essentially a 13-week promotion for a musical - where's our 13-week programme?" http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/73188 12.stm Is this fair criticism, or is this just sour grapes because no publicity is given to his more 'high brow' fare at The Old Vic?

[Kromovaracun]

Kevin Spacey is a God.

I don't have an opinion on this issue, but for those who do want to debate it - I think it's very important that factor gets the careful consideration it needs.

[LeMarchand]

"Bravo, Spacey!" from me.

He's right - they are huge advertisements that are getting shown on the BBC. More to the point, as television entertainment, such shows are sorely lacking. (I'm much more likely to go to see a populist musical than something "arty, by the way.)

[spaced]

Kevin Spacey is a fine actor, and I have to agree with LeMarchand

[stokemaveric]

saturday night television used to be prime time for succesful tv shows,now we are served up cheap tv shows under the guise of 'entertainment' and with a view to phone in for your favourite act so now it costs you as well....tv is garbage now.

[jno]

I think he's right. I don't suppose the BBC has any actual commercial ties to the productions in question (and whether they're highbrow or lowbrow doesn't make any difference) but the programmes still function as ads for them. I've often wondered how producers of rival shows feel about this; now I know. Basically, this would be the same answer if it had been ITV. Why should any TV channel promote a particular show?

[China Doll]

I disagree with him entirely. How anyone can watch those shows over a 13 week period and then actually want to go and see them is beyond me. He clearly knows nothing about marketing.

[sp1814]

I personally agree with Kromovaracun on the fact that Spacey is indeed a deity living amongst us.

However, that aside, I think he has made a valid point. As a comparison, The X Factor tours always sell out in the months after the winner is chosen. I would be surprised if the same weren't true of the theatre productions these shows were based on.

[LoftyLottie]

With China on this. If I did have any inclination to go and see the musicals concerned the TV programmes would completely turn me off the idea. I am sick of this sort of programme being doled out at prime viewing time.

[andy-hughes]

The essence of KS's argument is that as a publicly funded organisation, the BBC should not be involved in effecitvely advertsing Lord Lloyd Webber's musicals, and i fail to see how any could argue with his point.

[brionon]

Er -it's his opinion. Probablly informed and,certainly,not illega. So neither.

[Whickerman]

He's right - I hadn't thought of that...

[jno]

this blog also considers the subject, and whether the BBC generally should treat theatre better; most people also seem to be in the Bravo camp, but not all


http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/theatre/2008/03/th e_bbcs_attitude_to_theatre_i.html

[tigerlily11]

I agree with him. I couldn't give monkeys whos in these things and they are getting the best publicity possible. after all they couldn't pay for publicity like this. And whats more they get paid for it because the punters are getting charged for the pleasure of phoning in a voting. They win both ways.

[Oneeyedvic]

The trouble with treating theatre in the same way, is that if they were to show it at 6pm on a Saturday evening, they would get massacred by the press for low viewing figures.

If they did it on BBC3, the press would tell us about how our money is being wasted on specialist shows that no one watches.

Damned if they do and damned if they don't.

It is interesting though that the BBC themselves broker this story - at least they are honest enough to criticise themselves.

Has no one also spotted the irony of the play that Spacey is currently in? Speed-the-plow

[buildersmate]

The very fact that this was not only considered newsworthy but has now been debated here means that old Spacey has achieved his objective - free publicity for his own venture at the Old Vic. Job done.

[andrea81]

On another note... If this is a way of promoting West End shows (albeit a bit distasteful) is it not a good thing? It IS sad that it comes to a TV show to broaden the minds of the public, but it is giving people a bit of enthusiasm in the theatre. This can only be a good thing!

I do agree though at the point made that it is advertising, which the BBC shouldn�t be doing, but this has gone on for years and we haven�t complained before i.e. an artist going on a BBC show to promote a new album etc�.

[China Doll]

I'm not sure the west end shows it's promoting are exactly the height of culture though Andrea... Perhaps if it was the opera or the ballet or something that people (myself included) find it hard to get to grips with I'd feel differently.

[sp1814]

Actually, BBC2 ran a series called 'Operatunity' which was along the same lines of The X Factor but for opera singers to appear (I think) at the ENO.

If I remember correctly a blind girl won it.

The problem with opera/classical music is that no matter what people tell you...it is elitist and difficult to get into. I've been listening to Classic FM for about five years now and I still only know about 10 classical compositions...and that's only because they've featured in adverts for the Harrods sale.