I have just watched a programme I taped on Sunday night shown on BBC1. It purported to be a programme about Victoria and Albert and their love for each other and the art they commisisoned, pictures, sculptures etc which they gave as presents to themselves. This is linked to a new exhibition featuring this aspect of their lives which I gather is shortly to open at the Queen's gallery - I simply must see this as I am fascinated by this couple and their marriage and history.
So, I said 'purported' to be a programme reflecting this, but instead it turned out to be all about Fiona Bruce's bum. I cannot understand why we have to have long lingering shots of
presenters EVER in any programme, it is totally unnecessary and has got worse over the last few years. (oh for the long lost days of Kenneth Clark and Civilisation). First of all we hear all about the dreadful childhood of the Queen (Kate Williams - Becoming Queen well worth reading on this aspect of her life) in Kensington palace. Apparently she was never allowed to sleep alone but had to share a room with her mother, the Duchess of Kent - cue shot of Fiona Bruce walking around the bedroom looking soulful. She was not allowed to walk downstairs without someone holding her hand - shot of Fiona Bruce walking down stairs in a ludicrously tight pair of jeans and high heels.
Then we hear all about Prince Albert's sad childhood in Rosenau so Fiona is flown out to Bavaria (we know it is Bavaria because a big caption BAVARIA is show on the bottom of the screen). Rosenau is quaint and has not changed in years, cue pic of merry Bavarians knocking back steins of beer while Fiona (still in tight jeans) sits at a table drinking a cappuccino and coming out with platitudes of astounding unoriginality (I gather the script was also written by her). Then she visits the castle where she tells us that Albert and his brother led a sad life, picture of her sitting all alone on a chair reading out excerpts from Albert's diary and then of her strolling around the gardens (in tight jeans) looking soulful.
And so it goes on and on and on and on...
We find her in Buckingham Palace (which we are informed by the caption is in LONDON) and she walks slowly across the forecourt. It is obviously summer as she is now wearing a sleeveless top and white bell bottom trousers....
Off to Scotland, and back to the jeans but thankfully, as she is walking over the Highlands, she had ditched the high heels and is wearing trainers. We are told how much Albert and Victoria loved the romanticism of Scotland so we immediately are given shots of beautiful lochs and braes with wild celtic music being played and the usual scudding speeded up clouds overhead.
This programme could have been interesting, in fact it was despite Ms Bruce's best endeavours but is it really necessary to have so many shots of the this lady, or in fact of any presenter of any such documentary? We heard her voice telling us that she was visiting workshops where restoration was taking place - all we then needed was the next shot of the workshop and the curators and workmen chatting, but no we had to have a shot of her walking up to and opening the door and walking in - in tight jeans.
One of the pictures commissioned by the couple - the artist is Winterhalter
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The whole point of this programme was to highlight how the Royal couple commissioned paintings and art to give each other and to record their home life, their children and all that they did. All done in the most astonishing detail and full of fascinating facts and artifacts. But the BBC gave up a long time ago on the intelligence of the viewer and instead of informed lectures we get the pouting Ms Bruce giving us one liners, gazing into the camera and then walking away in the distance, Ms Bruce walking into a room and looking with wonderment at the ceiling floor whatever.... Oh the Beeb make me so mad with their contempt for their viewers and their dumbing down, only in the case of this hour's viewing it was Bumming down.
Feel like writing in and complaining but no point. I have done in the past when I have felt particularly strongly about anything and all you get is a standard letter full of management and corporate speak which tries to disguise, but fails, that they are telling you to **** off...
Ms Bruce also fronts the Antique Roadshow and I gather it is coming to Colchester in September. I wonder if she will still be wearing those jeans?
I am going to bed with a cup of tea to try and recover my equilibrium.
