In this week’s print edition of The Stage (and online in our News section yesterday), Matthew Hemley reports that some professional tribute acts have hit out at BBC1’s Saturday night show, The One and Only.
Matt’s story has since been picked up by the Press Association — although notably without the comments of a professional who was broadly supportive:
Elvis impersonator Steve Preston said: “I think the principle of it is all right. I am not sure the top impersonators are there, but a primetime Saturday night show like this keeps our business in the public arena.”
As I blogged earlier this week, I was in the studio audience on Saturday’s live show, as a guest of the BBC and the show’s makers Endemol. And as I said there, the audition shows the previous week were excruciating to watch — but the performances in the live studio environment redeemed the series.
In response to my post, Derek Williams wrote:
The contenders are to be admired for their consistent improvement and their courage in performing the way they are for their chance in the spotlight on Saturday night prime time TV … The producers should also be warmly congratulated that this show has NOT resorted to the “bear bating” and “ritual humiliation” of the deluded and talentless who auditioned for, and feature within some other “reality TV show” talent contests…
… But anyone who has seen some of the real “cream of the tribute industry” will know that the UK boasts 100’s of top tributes who could more than match the contestants with their long established and highly acclaimed existing acts.
But isn’t that the case with any talent competition, whether on TV or otherwise? Long standing, seasoned professionals have no need to compete in a talent show, whatever field of work they’re involved in. If people choose not to participate, either because they are at a level where they don’t feel the need to, or because the prize on offer doesn’t appeal, I don’t feel we should let that detract from the hard work and dedication the acts that did get through to the live show are putting in.
And if the spin that the show makers put on refers to “the creme de la creme” of the UK’s tribute acts, is anybody actually convinced by that line? Surely people are used to such hyperbole in the world of entertainment television, if not entertainment full stop?
I do happen to agree with Steve Preston above. The acts on stage vary wildly in experience and ability; for me, the ones with the largest amount of performance experience already under their belts have a head start. But there are several weeks left to go — and if previous shows of this type are anything to go by, in the shows to come we’ll see more and more just how hard tribute acts work on their acts all the time. As long as the acts that stay in put in the same amount of graft and dedication that I know the best tribute acts do, then this sector of the industry can only benefit from the exposure.
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