After last week’s news that Barry Humphries is to join the judges’ panel of I’d Do Anything, the BBC’s new Saturday evening theatre talent search, comes more information about the revamped format for the show.
As Matt reports over in our News section, Zoe Tyler is no longer involved, after two years as a vocal coach and judge on predecessor shows Hoow Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? and Any Dream Will Do.
This may please some of our Loppies, who never really forgave Zoe for describing a performance by Lee Mead of Alright Now as ‘a bit rubbish’. I may risk incurring their wrath by pointing out that she was right (it wasn’t his best week, even taking the throat problems he’d been having that week into account)…
It’s also been confirmed that Cameron Mackintosh, who will be producing Oliver! when the show has found him a new Nancy and three Olivers, won’t be taking up the producer’s chair vacated by Bill Kenwright (and David Ian before him) until the semi-final and final shows. The BBC have been at pains to stress that the decision has no relation to the BBC Trust’s ruling about Ian’s presence on the Maria? panel:
…The committee admitted it was concerned about the inclusion of Ian, the West End production’s co-producer, in the programme and said: “The committee acknowledged that he provided a wealth of experience, but felt that his experience was not unique and that, while his presence did not breach guidelines, it would have been better for the programme to have had only Andrew Lloyd Webber as a representative of the West End production”.
The committee also said it had been concerned about the “editorial justification” of various comments made throughout the series, including Ian’s statement in the second show that one of his “big concerns” was selling tickets and that he was “thinking with my wallet”.
And there’s no reason to not believe the BBC when it says the changes have not been influenced by the Trust’s comments — but the revamp will surely make it easier for the corporation to show that their publicly-funded entertainment show is working at a sufficient arm’s length from a commercial operation.
What the revamp does mean is that (head judge Andrew Lloyd Webber excepted) we will now have a performer-only judging panel, which I must admit I have reservations about. Part of the judges’ role is to guide the audience (most of whom have little to no experience of what to look for when auditioning actors for musical theatre roles) into looking a little more deeply at each performance. And for that, I would personally favour a judging panel that is more, not less, diverse in the type of knowledge they bring to bear.
Still, you know that TV Today will be there every week, just as we were with Any Dream Will Do. I do hope you’ll be joining us.
I'm sure most of the Loppies will be joining you, Scott - partly in the hope of a glimpse of Lee.
I also have reservations about three of the judges being performers. While I didn't always agree with Zoe's comments (not only re Lee), her input was valuable and provided a different perspective.
I agree that Alright Now wasn't Lee's best performance but what I particularly objected to was Zoe saying Lee was not Joseph that week. Even below par, his performance was considerably better than some of the other boys and he deserved to go through to the following week.
Being below par is a far cry from being 'a bit rubbish'!
I agree I think there should be someone on the panel who can at least give the audience some idea of what they are looking for. Also Scott dear although that wasn't his best week it will still a lot better than some of the other contestants!!!!
This is interesting Scott, however I take issue with you about Zoe Tyler's notorious "rubbish" comment which you say was right. There is no doubt that it was not Lee's best performance but one expected and hoped for constructive criticism from the judges, as you say they are there to guide the audience into looking a little more deeply at each performance.
I think Zoe let herself down badly with that comment which she subsequently apologised for.
Her preference for Keith Jack was obvious throughout most of the series until the very end when she realised she was alone in backing the wrong 'horse'.
I agree with you that a more diverse judging panel would be preferable.
Hi Scott - I guess ws should claim squatters rights here ready for a future move! lol I agree with the others - although Lee was not pitch perfect that night it was still a brilliant performance that the audience loved.
Also have to beg to differ with you Scott (mind you you expected nothing else!) Lee's performance wasn't his best, but no way should it have been described as 'a bit rubbish'.
I do agree about the choice of pannel members - more diversity is needed.
Wouldn't dream of being "wrath" with you Scott, and like others have said I agree it wasn't Lees' best vocally that week, but I thought his perfomance was still streets ahead of the others, and to have said something along those lines would have been more constructive. "A bit rubbish" is a rubbish critism!
Having got that out of the way I agree it would be better to have at least a vocal coach on the panel, but I'll be there...and here!!
Zoe was rather hard on Lee on that occasion but she made a very important contribution as a vocal coach and I am concerned that the judges will all be performers. How neutral will they be?
I would like a stage musical director and a judge who can, like Zoe, help the competitors with vocal performance. I cannot really see what Barry Humphries has to offer.
I find it hard to believe that Cameron Macintosh won't have any input until the semi-final stage. While Zoe's comments sometimes annoyed me I felt that she at least tried to be constructive in her criticism, if she is no longer to be involved then another vocal coach should be, carrie Grant maybe?
Scott dear,- I just found you today, being a bit slow as always. As for the diversity of the panel, well,- with only performers there, there is none. If it's good or bad is too early to say, but I sincerely hope the contestants will have proper coaching through the weeks of the competition.
You know we will forgive you anything, even for agreeing with Zoe, but the less said about her the better!
The Norwegian Jury will be there with it's impartional, rational and wacky comments.
I too like diversity on the panel. I have felt when watching this style of show that I would like the panel to have less to do with the performers during the week. We at home are being asked to judge on what we see on the night but the panel often refer to what they have seen during rehersals, etc.. I feel that it would be pleasant and helpful to hear what was felt by commentators who didn't have a vested interest in the competitors. In the dreaded x-factor you often see competitors being savaged by 'judges' who have a vested interest in another competitor and I don't feel one gets a true view. The B.B.C. productions so far haven't been noticably biased but personal biases are bound to creep in when you are working with people personally, however professional you are. I would like to see a clear difference between coaches and panel.
"Dancing on Ice" has a good mixed panel, with different people looking at things from different perspectives. (Though I'm glad the BBC doesn't feel obliged to have a Mr Nasty).
The odd row between judges always makes good TV.
I agree, both about the dancing on ice panel and the differing perspectives. I don't mind honest disagreements between members of the panel, we are all entitled to our opinion.
I really enjoyed that. Can't say one girl really leapt out at me, unlike last year when I'd already decided on Lee by this stage. But some of the girls were terrific. Amazing voices. I did like Nancy, Cleopatra and a couple more whose names escape me. The girl from Blackpool, Jodie(?) I thought would probably have decked Bill Sykes instead of the other way round!! Got me hooked though I'll be watching.