Was just reading interviews with Peter Alliss and Jonathan Legard in the Radio Times last night both discussing the greats of sports broadcasting . . . the likes of Peter Alliss, Dan Maskell, Barry Davies etc. These giants who crafted their art on the BBC and became the doyens of sports commentary. Richie Benaud was right alongside them at the top of the leaderboard.
With so much sport on so many channels these days, that era of broadcasting giants is gone.
Although I was never a huge cricket fan, I'll always particularly remember Richie Benaud from presenting the late-night highlights programmes during Test matches. Just him and Geoff Boycott, often with darkness outside the window of the studio, just quietly (or not in Boycott's case) pondering the days events. No fancy graphics, no touchscreens, no super slo-mo. A presentation that would seem boring by today's standards, but really rather compelling.
Very sad indeed. I, too, just about remember the late-90s BBC highlights that he would front and his BBC work in that time.
However, it is his work with Channel 4 that I will always remember well. Simon Hughes discusses in his book how much he enjoyed working on a production that pushed the boundaries of portraying cricket on television and he loved the new technology, the improved camera work and, above all, the tremendous integrity that the team brought to the production.
Channel 4 cricket really did draw a huge amount of inspiration from Benaud, with the likes of Nicholas, Hughes, Atherton and Slater developing as commentators under his tutelage. Of course, Mark Nicholas transferred over to Channel 9 in the 2005 winter and took over from Benaud in the 'central commentary position'.
Here is the final lunch interval feature from Channel 4's cricket coverage, where Nicholas interviews Benaud about his early career:
A very touching tribute to a man who was a genuine legend.
Someone worthy of an RIP thread on TV Forum. A legend probably unparalled in any other sport - can't think of anyone else who would be the voice of a sport in two countries.
As a huge Cricket fan, I never met Richie and always wished I did. They say you should never meet your heroes - but in this case I doubt you would be disappointed!
I'm reminded of the story when Channel 4 won the rights off the BBC, I think it was have been the press conference, to announce the deal with the ECB when someone asked about what style of commentary they'll adopt, the answer came back "there'll be not three old farts in the commentary box, that's for sure"
When the phone call came from Channel 4 to the Benaud residence - he reminded them of that remark. But after going through Channel 4's remit of innovation to the coverage won him over - that and his regular Channel 9 tv director being put in the main seat in the OB van at one end of the ground...