Yeah, my dad didn't like them - nor did he like the films that accompanied some of the music... he likes to watch what's going on in the hall - so he got me to complain to the BBC! lol
The only reason I can think why they put the programme notes on the screen was because no Interactive option was offered at the time due to all the interactive feeds being taken up by the golf?
The Proms interactive service was available in the second half on BBC2.
They weren't the sort you turn on and off, Inspector, they were stuck there across the bottom of the screen in white on purple, whether you wanted them or not.
I know a FAIR amount about classical music, and they made me feel as if I was being talked at by Anna Ford, explaining that the BBC News is from the BBC.
It REALLY WAS a very poor show. Dumbing down at its ABSOLUTE WORST.
... and I'd imagine a deaf person (a) might not watch the Proms and (b) if they did, would be able to see which instruments were being played.
The other thing that was utterly nauseating was the outdoor shots of the "celebrity" audience members. Totally against the spirit of the Proms (if such a thing still exists) as there was no mention whatever of the cheap tickets for the promenaders, who stand. Just Bill Nighy sipping mineral water and putting on his dark glasses, Ian McKellan, Lesley Garrett and other assorted luvvies looking to see who was admiring them.
Bah. Forsooth.
I agree that the big purple boxes completely ruined the filming.
Nonetheless, Janine Janson is clearly a fine musician - her performance of the Mendelssohn was very pleasing indeed.
Agreed about the purple subtitles - dumbing down at its worst.
What would be perhaps effective is a little informative introductory piece like often pops up during TOTP 2 about the piece and composer.
Beautifully shot all the same - by far the best is the jib-arm(?) shot at the very top level of the Hall, which starts off with a brightly lit column and capital framing the left, and floats out beyond it over the Hall - really magnificent!
Oh, they certainly know how to film it - I'm not disputing that. Just... why ruin it by patronising us with their (to be brutally honest, pretty shallow) knowledge of classical music?
They weren't the sort you turn on and off, Inspector, they were stuck there across the bottom of the screen in white on purple, whether you wanted them or not.
The reason it was on BBC ONE was to try and bring it to an audience which wouldn't normally watch a classical concert. I didn't see the subtitles so I can't say whether they were too obvious, but really, you don't need to be snotty about it - if it annoyed you that much you could always listen to it on Radio 3.
