I have developed a strange affliction when I type. I will CApitalise THe second letter of ANy WOrd I capitalise. This means that I am holding down the shift key for longer that I need to. NOw I have decided there can only be two possible causes. I am typing faster as a benefit of my increased output (see below) or I have a serious problem of coordination which can only mean MS, MOtor NEron or MAd COw.
I have spent most of my poor male life as a singleton and have eaten far beyond my quota of McDOnald’s, I am thinking of bringing a class action with the rest of the ISle of DOgs in the EAst of LOndon. It really came about on the completion of the drive through at the MAnchester ROad roundabout.
If anyone else can offer an explanation for this new affliction I would be most greatfull. If however, your explanation involves citing and serious medical complaint I, being male, would rather not know. I’ll wait until my finger stays idol for 3 or 4 letters and then go to the DOCTor……
I really don’t think anyone could be that interested but I’ve decided to make this site much more personal. The Next Big Thing.tv is going to be my TV blog and this is going to be my blog. I’m not sure what I’ll write as I already write about emigrating to New Zealand aged 45, with a nine month old and now she’s 3 we also have twins of nine moths and I’m 48 but feel 70! What was it again… oh yes having a young family keeps you young hummm, not over sure if that was a quote from a person with a young family or a fictitious principal from some daft US survey! Oh and I also write about being the dad of twins, don’t ask how I find time or I’ll start a blog called insomniacs anonymous! I am dyslexic yet I love writing now spell check and keyboards are my safety net but it was an expressive option denied my at school by ridicule and red pen. Perhaps that’s why I feel the need now. None of my blogs attract that much traffic. The most successful is the New Zealand Emigration story.
I’ll probably use this space to ramble on to myself and experiment with posts and their construction. But here you will get a personal view of the world as I see it. If I can find the time.
The BBC are bringing a new format to Saturday night, from you guessed it – Endemol. Its called “The One and Only”, now when I describe it you could be forgiven for thinking the title should be “Another Similar and Derivative” but that wouldn’t be Endemol’s style would it. Described as the battle of the tribute bands, I’ve seen that before (I’m sure Terry Wogan presented and it was on the Beeb) and the contestants are residential like Fame Academy, so I’ve definatly seen that before. And it’s got elements of Stars in Their Eyes, I know all about that one having directed 4 series myself.
I expect it will be a smash hit? Who knows anymore I hope it works, I hate to see anyones work not rating, we’ve all been there and none of us make non raters on purpose. Is this the next big thing, no I would say not.
I love the way the Ads on this site have displayed everything from the Chapple in Las Vegas to the Blue Sky hotel in Glasgow! You have to look at the first posts to really understand why! I’m going to put it down to my Dyslexia, I am dyslexic!
I also feel that I should point out this site is about Television, the media, format entertainment and TV production world wide. I think I need to write a few more TV words like production and producing. Perhaps mention that I didn’t go to film school or attend a media course but I have run directors training courses. I should say that I am a multi camera director and that I am a producer, executive producer and even writer.
I mention all this and the fact this site is my own personal view on this industry, the TV industry and media in general and the trade in ideas and formats, yes I mention all this in the hope that the advertisements in the site will change to something more appropriate, seems to work on the other pages.
MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski refuses to talk about Paris Hilton on the Morning Joe show.
Now what is this? an honest attempt by a true Journalist to get back to the real news or a great You Tube clip in the making promoting the show. Is it great example of the news making the news. What are the ratings for this show? Is it up for renewal? Am I being very hard on Ms Brzezinski’s integrity? I agree with the sentiment but I’m a sucker for Hello and OK magazine and I love E! News. Hey we live in a world where a Zorse makes the news with the fantastic headline Zebra Crossing.
This could be the next big thing. It is a major company, going the whole way with video on the internet. Yes I know there are lots of companies that have video content on their sites, all the major news broadcasters etc etc. But this seems like CNN is saying that video is king, the written word is secondary. I must admit that I thought e-mail, messenger, web sites and the internet had reinvigorated the written word. I remember being forced at gun point to write my Christmas thank you letters in March, probably more as a result of my dyslexia than mere sloth. Since spell check and computing you can’t tear me away from the keyboard!
Was this turnaraound shortlived? Are we all going to go back to the sad mono culture of visual communication only and its throw away non permanence? No more e-mail and messenger just web cam or video messaging? No more reading of insightful editorial that stands as testament to the unjust no just video clips we watch and wipe?
I know I’m being a dinosaur but take it from a person so long denied the outlet of written communication, this is a joy. If i were making a video blog you have to look at me and listen. Perhaps that why topless news is so popular?
Yes there he is – the New UK Culture Secretary in Gordon Brown’s cabinet. I love the thought of a secretary for culture, at my University the culture secretary was head of entertainment! I must admit it is a job I’d love but I do miss the old title “Minister for the Arts”, I guess Culture is a better title? But what “culture” is he minister of and what is the “culture” of the UK at the moment? It is actually seems like a very wide and difficult brief. Is it the job of government to preside over a countries culture? Personally I do think it is the job of government to set up the systems that monitor the various bodies that over see cultural issues, Ofcom etc. I think that clearly it is the job of government to oversee the public spend on all things cultural like the BBC, the national performing arts that are publicly funded and our great galleries and museums. It just seems that the title is like having a minister for religion which I sure any Prime Minister would run away from rather quickly. So what should we call the minister of Culture? Humm perhaps that’s it, there isn’t an alternative. Click here for the Guardian’s Biog. And here for the Face Book Entry mentioned in the Article.
I was delighted to reat this following table though
Size:
Old Cabinet 23, new Cabinet: 22
Women:
Old Cabinet 8, new Cabinet 5
Scots:
Old Cabinet 5, new Cabinet 4
Ministers over 60:
Old Cabinet 5, new Cabinet 1
Ministers under 40:
Old Cabinet 2, new Cabinet 5 Average age:
Old Cabinet 54, new Cabinet 49
Sacked, resigned or demoted: 10
The item in bold has made my day, I am still one year younger than the team running the country. I don’t mind young, fresh faced policemen but politicians, no thank you!
I’m told the BBC are developing a show around the best Elvis impersonators, been there done that. At Granada we did an Elvis special Stars in Their Eyes. It was fantastic, great fun, very camp but also holds very sad memories. Dear Lesley Crowther should have presented the show but sadly had a near fatal car crash that ended his career. I loved Lesley and worked with him often in my early career. We did The Price is Right, during an electricians dispute we had to cancel the show but the audinece were arriving. Lesley said find me a Piano, which we did he did an off the cuff 90 minute show. It was fantastic he was a true pro.
Russ Abbot actually presented the Elvis Special. I also had one of the most awkward jobs of my career, to persuade Russ to do the show whith out his syrup (wig)..he did.
It was a great show.
I would also like to sate my claim that I invented the Plural for Elvises namely the Elvi, which sounds like an alien race from star trek. Believe me in the world of Elvis impersonators a description that is not far off the mark!
Oh and I’d like to further state that the 1969 Elvis come back special is, apart from the kung fu segment, the most important LE show ever made.
For those of you are interested here is the version you may have seen on American Idol Gives Back. Its all smoke and mirrors!!
And this is one of my favorite clips from the 69 Come back.
The Sky is often blue with profanity when I hear this term. Goodness knows it is overused (it certainly was at C4 then the BBC and now probably at Celador!) and to no real constructive end. Blue Sky thinking
adjective
Definition:
1. creative or impractical: idealistic or visionary and without practical application
blue-sky research
blue-sky thinking
The term is used in TV for thinking without boundaries and used in development teams to come up with new ideas during brainstorming sessions. It is used in conjunction with the term thinking outside the box. What, can someone tell me, is either “Blue Sky” or “Out of the Box” about, The Rich List, Deal or No Deal, The Tycoon, X Factor,Britain’s Got Talent. These Fall into what we used to call the Ktell category, same crap different package!
I know I’m being harsh for cheap and not very good gag, they are all good shows, we just need to understand the difference between re-working, re-visiting and in some cases re-hashing set against true innovation. Turning “Come Dancing” into “Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing with the Stars” is a classic and great example of Value Added Thinking. Here’s this (i.e. Come Dancing) unlikely to ever see the light of day on Prime time TV how do we add to it and make a blockbusting show. I’m sure those who were in the room at the time will tell me it was the result of “Blue Sky Thinking” – not being bounded with the notion of Ball Room Dancing as old hat.
Turning Popstars in Pop Idol and then all the illegitimate children since is a great example of flogging the genre to Death, it of course shows little sign of failing at the moment. I guess because the Journey is so compelling. Just as long as I don’t have to listen to anyone telling me how innovative the format is. Simon Cowell telling the world how different X factor was to Idol was laughable and made me temporarily doubt the mans integrity, I guess he was laying the ground for a defense of plagiarism from Mr Fuller. I don’t really mind how derivative and formulaic a show is if it delivers this sort of content.
But what Shows have been truly Innovative? Looking back over the last year it would be hard to find one, wouldn’t it?
We also have to really differentiate between success and innovation. Successful shows are great and they are what this business is all about. Innovative shows are more then often not at all successful. I guess proving the point that the Human race are really reserved and in their own way risk adverse.
Millionaire reinvented the Quiz show. Was it Survivor or Castaway that started the vote off reality genre? Did The Bachelor reinvent dating shows? Has The Apprentice and Dragons Den reinvented or popularised the Business Genre? I think the Tycoon may have killed it!
But what is innovative? The dictionary definition is;
innovative |ˈinəˌvātiv| adjective (of a product, idea, etc.) featuring new methods; advanced and original : innovative designs | innovative ways to help unemployed people. • (of a person) introducing new ideas; original and creative in thinking : an innovative thinker.
Modern development seems to be really about Thinking Inside the Box looking at the great back catalog of TV shows that have died or genres that are traditionally niche and giving them the “Treatment”. There is nothing wrong with that, I wish I could come up with an idea that had all my colleagues saying “I wish I’d thought of that”. Innovation may be hard to find in TV maybe development is simply that, looking for ways of progressing the medium rather than something so new.
In the media we are all guilty of the “Emperors New Clothes Syndrome” none more so than New Media, Red Buttons, and Online innovation. Just new ways of accessing or delivering what we have been doing for years – Putting a bum on a seat to watch something and laugh, cry or say, “That’s Interesting” It is after all only TV.
