The Culture Show returns tonight on BBC2, after a month's break, and Lauren Laverne will be presenting once more. Now, don't get me wrong, I like Lauren Laverne. She's very attractive, and she has one of those charming regional accents which, these days, functions as an instant passport to a job with the BBC. However, on this particular show I reckon she is, how shall I say, 'winging it'. Now, this is actually a subtle skill: whilst 'blagging it' involves a dexterous and extemporary use of words to conceal a lack of knowledge or truthfulness, winging it often requires one to judiciously remain silent, or to encourage other people to talk, in order to conceal a lack of knowledge or preparation.Lauren is on reasonably firm ground with, say, pop music or popular cinema, but when she's chatting to the bloke with the double-barrelled name about some installation or exhibition, I don't really sense a great depth of interest. I sense that Lauren is simply passing through, en route to Saturday night TV on BBC1. Whereas Verity Sharp, I feel, is very much at her final destination.
Pretty but distinctly limited. Did you watch the programme by ...can't remember his name on early Christian art midweek, Gordon? Can't think of his name but I like what I see of him generally. Possibly one of those double-barrelled names you folk specialise in.
ReplyDeleteWell, there's Waldemar somebody-or-other, and then there's Andrew Graham-Dixon, the Culture Show blokey. Maybe it was Bill Oddie you saw.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it was William St Oddie, probably AGDixon.
ReplyDeleteNo comment.
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