If you werenât standing in the drizzling rain watching velvet-clad barges trundling morosely down the Thames on Sunday, you were probably watching from the comfort of your own chenille couch with the rest of us.
But according to the 2,400+ complaints filed by disgruntled TV spectators over the weekend, pouring rain and intolerable patriotism would have been preferable to the coverage offered by the Beeb.
The audience backlash against the âinaneâ? and âtediousâ? coverage continues to flow into BBC mailboxes, and has already prompted director general Mark Thompson to defend the corporation.
Critics of the two-day long coverage have even included outraged former royal correspondents for the channel. Apparently appointing Anneka Rice and Tess Daly official river pageant correspondents for the day was not such a smooth move.
Former BBC royal journo Michael Cole said: “I think it’s outrageous when you hear a person who’s been paid to be a commentator refer to Her Majesty The Queen as ‘Her Royal Highness'”.
“No preparation, no homework. There was no gravitas. I don’t remember one memorable phrase or evocative expression.”
Word on the street is that the Beeb were keen to get down with the kids this time round, attempting to make the Jubilee coverage âinformalâ? and reflective of public excitement. But it seems that the corporation may have lost their way at some pointâ¦specifically the point where Paloma Faith and Radio 1 DJ Fearne Cotton started talking about a Jubilee-themed sick bag emblazoned with an image of Liz.
Most complaints were, in fact, aimed at this bizarre quirk of coverage, but BBC director Mark Thompson has defended the stationâs output. In an emailed note to staff, he said: “Our output has been impressive not only in its scale, but in its ambition, quality and outstanding journalism.
“By capturing the spectacle of the Thames pageant and yesterday’s ceremonies alongside smaller local celebrations, we reflected reaction from up and down the country.”
A monarchâs Diamond Jubilee is no regular occurrence; the chance to see 1, 000 boats afloat on the capitalâs very own waterway should be a spectacular and memorable sight. The opportunity to watch the greatest performers of our time on stage outside Buck House should have been a breath-taking televisual event and, to be fair, over 17 million of us tuned in. But that doesn’t mean all 17 million were thrilled by what they saw.
The BBC has now agreed to review the coverage, taking all the comments made by miffed viewers into account. We only tuned in to see if Beatrice and/or Eugenie would fall into the riverâ¦*files complaint*
DID THE BBC LET DOWN REPUBLICANS WITH THEIR JUBILEE OBSESSION?
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