mrs_emma_peel

I thought Maestro was a splendidly entertaining programme – very much looking forward to this excellent new series

BBC web-site:
Eight famous amateurs, with a passion for classical music, do battle for the chance to conduct the BBC Concert Orchestra in front of a live audience of 30,000 at BBC Proms in the Park as part of the Last Night of the Proms. Actors Jane Asher and David Soul, drum and bass star Goldie, Blur bassist Alex James, broadcasters Katie Derham and Peter Snow, and comedians Sue Perkins and Bradley Walsh compete to be the Maestro.

In the first of six programmes the celebrity students go on a week-long ‘Baton Training Camp’ where they must face an orchestra for the first time. On the final day they conduct the BBC Concert Orchestra in front of a panel of expert judges before the orchestra votes one of them out - for good.
Presenter Clive Anderson takes us on a fascinating, surprising and thrilling journey into the heart of music making

Episode 1: Baton Training Camp
repeated on BBC4 10.00-11.30pm Thursday 14th August 2008
Episode 2: Music for Film and TV
BBC2 9.00-10.00pm Tuesday 19th August 2008
repeated BBC4 11.00 -12.00am Thursday 21st August 2008
Maestro’s first live studio challenge as seven famous amateurs do battle with their batons.

Mrs Emma Peel

lupinpooter

I've been looking forward to this for weeks, and I wasn't disappointed: wasn't Goldie fantastic?

mrs_emma_peel

Goldie's performance was brilliant - I also loved Jane Asher, Katie Derham and David Soul - and Peter Snow was absolutely hilarious – one of the most thoroughly enjoyable and best shows I’ve seen in ages

Mrs Emma Peel

lupinpooter

The clip I posted earlier was terrible quality - there are some decent clips up on youtube now here:

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

Dame Starry

This was 'grown-up' reality TV - and very funny. If it had come to a public vote at the end, Peter Snow would not have been voted off - purely for entertainment value!
Everybody was brilliant in it.
I do hope that, if this series is a 'hit' that the BBC don't 'do it to death' - that would be a great shame.

DS x.

pitchfork

I only chanced upon the last 30 minutes or so. Very enjoyable so will have to watch the next one.
Agree it is for grown ups and that makes a change.

lupinpooter

It's being repeated tonight on BBC4

julian_craster

Jane Asher is stunning ! (for 62....)

mrs_emma_peel

Some further info adapted from the BBC web-site on the forthcoming episodes and rules of the superb Maestro:

Show 1 (a pre-recorded documentary) saw the celebrity students’ initial training with their conductor mentors, culminating with them conducting the BBC Concert Orchestra in front of an invited audience and the panel of judges. The judges selected the two who impressed them the least, Peter Snow and Alex James, who then faced the orchestra vote. The orchestra voted to save one student, Alex James, and the losing student, the wonderful Peter Snow, was eliminated from the competition.

In Shows 2, 3 and 4 the celebrities will be conducting the BBC Concert Orchestra in front of a studio audience and the judging panel. The Maestro judges will give each competitor’s performance a score out of 10 taking into account their technical ability and interpretation of the music. The judges’ scores will be added up to give each celebrity a score out of 40.

The two celebrity students with the lowest scores will face the orchestra who will vote to save one contestant. The losing contestant will be eliminated from the series.
In the event of two students having a tied score at the bottom of the leader board then both of these students will face the orchestra vote. If there are more than two students with the same score at the bottom of the leader board, then all these students will face the orchestra vote.
If there is tie in the orchestra vote then we will ask the Leader of the Orchestra for their casting vote.

Show 5 is the series finale and will see the three remaining celebrities conduct two pieces each. They will be scored by the judges and the two students with the lowest scores will face the orchestra vote, and as a result of that vote one student will be out of the competition.
The two remaining students will then both go on to conduct the first movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. After both celebrities have performed the phone lines will open and the viewers will decide who will be the winner of Maestro. Voting information will be given during the show

Show 6 will see the Maestro winner conducting the BBC Concert Orchestra as part of one of the most famous events in the classical music calendar – The Last Night of the Proms. This programme will be broadcast live on Saturday 13th September 2008.

Each week the celebrities will tackle a piece from a different genre:
Show 2 is music from Film and TV;
Show 3 will be Choral pieces;
Show 4 is Opera
Show 5 is concerto and orchestral music.

The BBC Television Centre studio shows (2 – 5) will be broadcast on the subsequent Tuesdays. Shows 2 and 5 in the series will be broadcast live on BBC2 on Tuesdays at 9pm. Shows 3 and 4 will be pre-recorded on Monday and broadcast on the following Tuesday at 9pm. Show 6 will be broadcast live on Saturday 13th September. All pre-recorded studio shows will be recorded as live and students’ performances will not be re-taken or edited.

Mrs Emma Peel

pitchfork

Thank you .I will try to watch the repeat.
Has anyone ever bought one of Jane Asher's custom made cakes?

GRAEME

Put
The
Sticks
In
Their
EYES!!!!!!!!!!!!

All men leak.

Dame Starry

Not only stunning - but a truly lovely lady all round.

(Also - her husband, Gerald's, a bit-of-alright!)

DS x.

Dame Starry

I'm afraid that I couldn't afford one!

However, I can thoroughly recommend her latest book which highlights her wonderful sense of humour and has some delicious recipes in it: Beautiful Baking

DS x.

Freddie Freeloader

Lawdelpus.....

.....just when you thought it impossible to downgrade the most objectionable night of the year.

cally

Yes, so what??

British TV just seems to get worse all the time ... At this rate I'll be pulling the plug and no more television for me, except for playbacks on DVD.