Sport There’s little doubt that the Olympic opening ceremony was spectacular, as eye catching as all of director Yimou Zhang’s films with an army of performers recreating Chinese history alongside a luminous light show which is easily one of the best ever. I’m just at the beginning of the parade of athletes with the local choice of order (based on strokes and characters rather than alpha numeric) creating a sense of disorientation (Turkey? Already?). The pipe band playing Scotland the Brave is a suitably surreal addition as are what look like cow-girls ringing the stadium.
The BBC’s presentation also a welcome change with ‘Crazy’ Carrie Gracie and Huw Edwards providing a journalistic and cultural background and Hazel Irving filling in for David Coleman in the bewildered reading out of the prepared text. It wasn’t until some way in though, when Huw used the word ‘hope’ that the Doctor Who fan gene within took it’s chance for freedom and I was reminded that in the season two episode Fear Her – the one set during the London games which included the in hindsight horrific image of the Doctor lighting the Olympic flame -- Mr. Edwards provided much the same duties.
Oh how we laughed at the clear inaccuracy of Huw's commentary – from Jon on Behind The Sofa at the time: “News 24's remit is entirely different and given the charter renewal debates going on now it's clear that although the channel might cover the opening ceremony as a news event, it wouldn't include the sycophantic commentary that Huw Edwards served up.” Oh really? Having heard some of the commentary here, it just shows how accurate Matthew Graham’s script was in capturing the flavour of what’s usually said at these things.
At about minute seven …
Huw Edwards shouldn't have been there. It should have been Barry Davies.
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