Showing posts with label Diversity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diversity. Show all posts

Saturday, 30 May 2009

TOLDJA! (SORRY, NIKKI) - DIVERSITY WINS BGT 09

May the great Nikki Finke forgive me this not so humble use of her legendary "Toldja!" but I cannot resist (1): the fantastic dance group Diversity wins Britain's Got Talent 2009. On May 26, I wrote: « Dance group Diversity has the artistic and even the sociological relevance to win the series ».

http://talent.itv.com/videos/video/item_200288.htm

Congratulations to Diversity and thank you to the wonderful Susan Boyle (http://talent.itv.com/videos/video/item_200287.htm).

Update (May 31): 19,2 million viewers peak for the final! (http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/a157652/talent-final-peaks-with-192-million.html). Highest ever peak for a reality TV programme in the UK. Simon Cowell should consider launching his own tv channel...

Please see also:

http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/05/bgt-semi-final-4.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/05/bgt-second-semi-final.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/05/bgt-first-semi-final.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/05/simons-got-disco-talent-sort-of.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/04/talent-and-diversity.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/04/talent-dignity-pride-susan-boyle-on-bgt.html

(1) Just for tonight, I swear!

Friday, 29 May 2009

BGT - SEMI-FINAL 4

Let's face it: Series three of Simon Cowell's Britain's Got Talent is more exciting and entertaining than the Hollywoodland sequel factory avatars of this spring (or even summer), than the upcoming US fall television season, than this fictional version of Animals do the funniest things that is Primeval current series (with Ben Miller as Stephen Mulhern). Or than the Doctor Who RTD/David Tennant Farewell tour.

Why? Because BGT 3 has it all: variety, music, dance, eccentricity, talent, humour, drama, action, annoying, pathetic, spectacular, suspense, etc... And of course the true stars of the talent show: the judges (Amanda Holden, Simon Cowell and Piers Morgan) and the hosts - Ant & Dec. Plus "the lady with something extra", Susan Boyle, who gave the 2009 edition a global impact which must already give headaches to the production teams of the foreign versions of the franchise.

Some can discuss ad nauseam, if they wish, of the singing merits of Ms Boyle but the fact is that her first appearance during the auditions of BGT was pure wonder and a truce in the continuing mediocrity of these recession times. And her second appearance, during the first semi-final, was enjoyable. Whatever the result of saturday may be (personally my favourite is dance group Diversity), regarding her talent and the life she had until now, she deserves to get something from her passion. The rest is the usual insignificance of la société du spectacle, and thanks to Mr Piers Morgan - a class act and a gentleman - for bringing a little balance in this craziness (1)

Honestly, the ghost of Geraldine McQueen (Peter Kay's character in Britain’s Got The Pop Factor and Possibly A New Celebrity Jesus Christ Superstar Strictly On Ice) was flying over Semi-Finals 3 and 4 but the fourth semi-final gave us really great moments. Saxophonist Julian Smith (http://talent.itv.com/videos/video/item_200263.htm) and the charming duo 2 Grand (http://talent.itv.com/videos/video/item_200264.htm, with a grandfather and his granddaughter, won their tickets to the final with brilliance. Normally your humble servant prefers when kids go to school rather than chasing celebrity dreams but I must admit Callum Francis (http://talent.itv.com/videos/video/item_200260.htm) is born for West End productions (2).

BGT is the ultimate remedy against tv boredom. And Susan Boyle is not leaving (http://talent.itv.com/news/story/item_100210.htm), but who could really believe she would anyway?

Update: Piers Morgan vs Craig Revel Horwood (http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/britainsgottalent/a157501/morgan-challenges-craig-revel-horwood.html). Morgan has my Yes.

Please see also:

http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/05/toldja-sorry-nikki-diversity-wins-bgt.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/05/bgt-second-semi-final.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/05/bgt-first-semi-final.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/05/simons-got-disco-talent-sort-of.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/04/talent-and-diversity.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/04/talent-dignity-pride-susan-boyle-on-bgt.html

(1) http://www.officialpiersmorgan.com/2009/05/28/in-defence-of-susan-boyle/ + http://www.officialpiersmorgan.com/2009/05/29/reactions-to-the-fourth-semi-final/
(2) http://talent.itv.com/videos/video/item_200141.htm

Tuesday, 26 May 2009

BGT SECOND SEMI-FINAL

Season 3 of Britain's Got Talent has set new standards for Simon Cowell's Got Talent franchise in the country where the format originated (America's Got Talent being the first to emerge for motives external to the format itself). And now the makers of the US or of the French version will be obliged to deliver as good without copycatting this season's British lineup.

This task will be particularly hard for the French edition, which changes its name from Incroyable talent (Incredible talent) to La France a un incroyable talent (France's Got [Incredible] Talent) for its fourth season. Tip to the French producers: don't try the Susan Boyle clone - after the first appearance of the wonderful Ms Boyle your humble servant immediately had in mind that one or two of the overseas edition of GT would certainly try to xerox the BGT sensation of this season.

The winners of Britain's Got Talent second semi-final are dance group Flawless (chosen by the public) and singer Shaun Smith. Piers Morgan, a wise man, raised an interesting point (1) during the jury's choice - between Smith and excellent ventriloquist Gareth Oliver: the show is a variety show and Morgan considered Oliver had a place in the final, whereas Simon Cowell, first asked by hosts Ant & Dec, voted for Shaun Smith.

If a singer, especially Smith, wins this year what will distinguish Britain's Got Talent from the other Cowell properties, such as The X Factor or American Idol? In the UK there is for the genre a before and an after Britain’s Got The Pop Factor and Possibly A New Celebrity Jesus Christ Superstar Strictly On Ice (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVKZgaDYdUg&hl=fr), comedian Peter Kay's spoof of Reality tv shows. Even Simon Cowell admitted Kay's 2008 special for Channel 4 was "clever" (2).

Dance group Diversity has the artistic and even the sociological relevance to win the series but semi-finals go on this week on ITV1 before the final on saturday. Five has shown a documentary about Simon Cowell but ITV will eventually fund a statue of the man.

Flawless: http://talent.itv.com/videos/video/item_200240.htm
Shaun Smith: http://talent.itv.com/videos/video/item_200239.htm
Gareth Oliver: http://talent.itv.com/videos/video/item_200238.htm

Update (May 27): Semi-final 3 winners... Stavros Flatley - choice of the Great British Public (http://talent.itv.com/videos/video/item_200250.htm) and Shaheen Jafargholi (http://talent.itv.com/videos/video/item_200249.htm). My favourite act of the evening: Floral Highnotes (http://talent.itv.com/videos/video/item_200253.htm).

Please see also:

http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/05/toldja-sorry-nikki-diversity-wins-bgt.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/05/bgt-semi-final-4.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/05/bgt-first-semi-final.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/05/simons-got-disco-talent-sort-of.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/04/talent-and-diversity.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/04/talent-dignity-pride-susan-boyle-on-bgt.html

(1) http://talent.itv.com/videos/video/item_200241.htm
(2) http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2008/10/25/x-factor-exclusive-simon-cowell-takes-swipe-at-peter-kay-s-spoof-single-115875-20836882/

Monday, 25 May 2009

BGT FIRST SEMI-FINAL

Sunday 24 was a big day for the competitors of the Can... Oops, sorry... for the competitors of the 2009 edition of Britain's Got Talent (http://talent.itv.com/) with the first semi-final of what is definitely the best version of the Got Talent franchise (even if America's Got Talent has The Hoff).

And the winners of the semi-final are: your humble servant's favourite, dance group Diversity, and the wonderful Susan Boyle. Whatever happens next saturday on ITV1, Diversity should become a scene phenomenon close to Blue Man Group (without the Fantomas faces) as they are so original, innovative and funny.

Diversity: http://talent.itv.com/videos/video/item_200221.htm
Susan Boyle: http://talent.itv.com/videos/video/item_200228.htm

Please see also:

http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/05/toldja-sorry-nikki-diversity-wins-bgt.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/05/bgt-semi-final-4.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/05/bgt-second-semi-final.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/05/simons-got-disco-talent-sort-of.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/04/talent-and-diversity.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/04/talent-dignity-pride-susan-boyle-on-bgt.html