Brits to be broadcast live

From BBC News Online...

The 2007 Brit awards will be broadcast live on TV for the first time in almost two decades, it has been revealed.
The ceremony was shown live until 1989, when a shambolic show hosted by Mick Fleetwood and Samantha Fox led to the decision to tape the awards in advance.

Organisers have dropped the best rock and best urban act awards for 2007. The best pop act category, which this year was won by James Blunt, has also been discontinued.

The 1989 Brit awards were the last ones to be shown live on television. Regular presenter Noel Edmonds was replaced by musicians Mick Fleetwood and Sam Fox, who constantly fluffed their lines.

Jarvis Cocker jumped on stage with Michael Jackson in 1996
Guests arrived late and a pre-recorded message from Michael Jackson was somehow dropped from the show, even though it under-ran.

Memorable moments included Fox and Fleetwood introducing the Four Tops, only for Boy George to walk out on stage. "I'm afraid I'm just the one Top," he told the crowd at the Royal Albert Hall.

Since then, the show has been taped a day in advance - allowing for mistakes and gaffes to be edited out. But this has also robbed TV audiences of the chance to see some of the Brits' more memorable moments - such as the time Jarvis Cocker jumped on stage with Michael Jackson in 1996.

The 2007 Brit awards will be held at London's Earls Court on 14 February, and will be shown on ITV.

A good decision IMO. I often find with such award ceremonies recorded the day before there's little point in watching them as you always know in advance who's won.

It'll be nice to have a bit more tension, and that slight excitement that something unplanned might happen.

I agree. I much prefer awards shows when they are broadcast live. It makes for more exciting TV. However there is always a danger the show could overrun quite a bit when its live, thats the disadvantage.

I'm sure they'll really have to tighten things up. A friend went to the Brits a couple of years ago, and said it was quite shambolic with lots of pauses.

Incidentally, does this mean the end of the 'filmic' effect for the Brits? I'd always assumed this was something added in post-production, or can it still be applied to a live broadcast?

Unfortunatly, it can still be applied live. The V Festival and T In The Park are proof of this. God knows why they do it though, it looks horrible.

Shame. Personally I think it works for some programmes like dramas and some comedies like The Office And The League Of Gentlemen, but it just looks plain wrong for award ceremonies and live music.

If the Brits are shot using HD cameras - some of these can run in "25 frame progressive" mode - which makes them look like film without any external processing.

Maybe they'll get Noel back as a presenter?

It won't be really live though will it. There will some sort of delay.

Also this year on topping of already dropping the Best Dance category - Best Rock, Best Urban and Best Pop are going to.

This year five out of the 11 awards are for "International" something - which kind defeats the point of the BRITS doesn't it?

Didn't they show the Jarvis Cocker version a year later on late night ITV?

I'm sure I taped it !

February 14th's a weeknight then - so if it's "live" it won't begin till 9pm and will be split for the news!


Any confirmation of the host - is Chris Evans doing it again?

I agree - I think this will pull in more viewers as it will be unpredictable and more of a surprise.