GE
When the Olympics finished, we were sad, but we had the Paralympics to look forward to. When the Paralympics finished last night, we were sad, but we had the Athletes Parade to look forward to. Now the Athletes Parade is over, that really really really is it. Its done. Finished. Gone.
So I thought it might be an idea to share our collective memories and thoughts on an amazing summer of sport from a broadcasting and presentation perspective.
I have a few personal highlights. The BBC got its Olympic coverage absolutely spot on. Really tapped into the mood of the nation. Although there was the odd gripe about slightly mundane graphics and presenters and their shifts etc, I can find little to fault. The studio set-up in the Olympic Park was amazing and gave the viewer a feeling of being right at the heart of the action. The unprecedented level of live coverage was outstanding. The 24 extra channels were a stroke of genius. And IMO, Gabby Logan's Olympics Tonight programme was simply superb.
Channel 4's coverage of the Paralympics was also superb. Its disabled talent search came up trumps, with Daraine Mulvihill and Arthur Williams proving competent, knowledgeable and entertaining. After a few doubts about how it would fare following the BBC's almost universally praised Olympics offering, Channel 4 really did pull it off. Its graphics, presentation and commentary were all superb. The Last Leg with Adam Hills was groundbreaking and entertaining. The only thing missing was a studio with a real view of the Olympic Park. The IBC set-up left the viewer feeling slightly cut off from the action.
And the Award for Outstanding Olympic Achievement and Sheer Broadcasting Brilliance goes to . . . who else . . . Ms Clare Balding, who has in my opinion established herself as the stand-out sports broadcaster of her generation. Divine, sublime, simply brilliant. She added a touch of excitement to every event she covered. National Treasure status assured.
Roll on Sochi, Glasgow, and Rio.
EDIT: for those who are interested, Eddie Butler's review of the Olympics (including the full BBC credits set to the Imagine montage) is currently on a loop on the BBC Sport Multiscreen.
So I thought it might be an idea to share our collective memories and thoughts on an amazing summer of sport from a broadcasting and presentation perspective.
I have a few personal highlights. The BBC got its Olympic coverage absolutely spot on. Really tapped into the mood of the nation. Although there was the odd gripe about slightly mundane graphics and presenters and their shifts etc, I can find little to fault. The studio set-up in the Olympic Park was amazing and gave the viewer a feeling of being right at the heart of the action. The unprecedented level of live coverage was outstanding. The 24 extra channels were a stroke of genius. And IMO, Gabby Logan's Olympics Tonight programme was simply superb.
Channel 4's coverage of the Paralympics was also superb. Its disabled talent search came up trumps, with Daraine Mulvihill and Arthur Williams proving competent, knowledgeable and entertaining. After a few doubts about how it would fare following the BBC's almost universally praised Olympics offering, Channel 4 really did pull it off. Its graphics, presentation and commentary were all superb. The Last Leg with Adam Hills was groundbreaking and entertaining. The only thing missing was a studio with a real view of the Olympic Park. The IBC set-up left the viewer feeling slightly cut off from the action.
And the Award for Outstanding Olympic Achievement and Sheer Broadcasting Brilliance goes to . . . who else . . . Ms Clare Balding, who has in my opinion established herself as the stand-out sports broadcaster of her generation. Divine, sublime, simply brilliant. She added a touch of excitement to every event she covered. National Treasure status assured.
Roll on Sochi, Glasgow, and Rio.
EDIT: for those who are interested, Eddie Butler's review of the Olympics (including the full BBC credits set to the Imagine montage) is currently on a loop on the BBC Sport Multiscreen.