As any regular reader will know, I am not the World's greatest sports fan. In fact I am no type of sports fan at all.
However, I just had to watch the much-vaunted opening ceremony for the 2012 Olympic Games, just out of curiosity - and we were utterly stunned!
It had everything - a history lesson for stupid people (Britain's progress from rural greenness to the Industrial Revolution and Empire), James Bond and the Queen jumping out of a helicopter, Usain Bolt, Dame Evelyn Glennie, British pop music through the decades, smoke and explosions, Mary Poppins, flags, Sir Simon Rattle, Mr Bean, 5000 performers and dancers, flying bicycles, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, visual effects created from digital lights behind every member of the 60,000 audience, David Beckham driving a speedboat, (a very frail) Muhammed Ali, Glastonbury Tor, horses, Mike Oldfield, massive fireworks, Tom Daley, and the most amazing Olympic flame cauldron I have ever seen...
In all, it was an incredible experience.
Once again, I felt truly proud to be British!
If you can, you really must watch it. You will be impressed. Here are the video highlights on the BBC (not embeddable, and probably not available outside the UK unfortunately)
JUST IN! - The "Children's Nightmares" segment (Voldemort vs Mary Poppins!):
And here, with original music by Underworld, is the Isle of Wonder opening countdown video:
The opening ceremony BBC article
It was amazing - I'm so pleased that Danny Boyle and everyone involved did us proud - it included all the unique bits that make Britain Great - no other country would have a joyful dance celebrating their healthcare system.
ReplyDeleteThe James Bond Her Majesty clip was great too - just a shame that Liz old so bored once she'd taken her seat, she was picking at her hands when Team GB came out - far better if her parachute had landed in the Limehouse canal.
I think it was wise to focus on our best export since 1948, British Music and I loved the Olympic rings being forged.
The total highlight for me was the lighting of the cauldron and the way the individual kettles came to create the whole cauldron - totally brilliant.
I think the evening should've finished with the lighting of the cauldron and the fireworks … if Macca had to be included he should have been earlier in the proceedings.
Still have George Michael, Adele & The Spice Girls for the closing ceremony.
The whole shebang was utterly spectacular (although I must admit Her Maj did herself no favours by just looking like a mad, bored old lady throughout). Sir Danny Boyle? (surely?)... Jx
DeletePS Although the focus was indeed on British music, I don't think I was the only one to think "Oh god, is that what it has come to?" when crap like Dizzee Rascal and Arctic Monkeys came on... Jx
DeleteFor some reason I cant find the footage anywhere! Seems like it was truly amazing, judging by the pictures!
ReplyDeleteAdele and Spice Girls for the closing? Oh dear, I was hoping for something exciting (although Pet Shop Boys will be there, which makes it all so much better!)
It does appear that the Beeb has this whole thing securely behind bars and firewalls - I had to change the blog as even the Guardian's footage was not embeddable - roll on the DVD release I say! Such a magnificent spectacle! Jx
DeleteI'll look out for the DVD!
ReplyDeleteDizzee Rascal? Seriously? And BTW, Pet Shop Boys played a three song set today - I wonder if that means they will not be at the closing ceremony?
Indeed, Mr Rascal appears to be considered by Danny Boyle as being representative of British "yoof". How sad.
DeleteSo far, I have heard that The Who, Take That, Queen, One Direction, Spice Girls, Jessie J (yawn), Ed Sheeran (double yawn), Oasis (minus Noel), Annie Lennox, Darcey Bussell, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Madness, Ray Davies, The Clash, Manic Street Preachers, Russell Brand, the Pet Shop Boys, Kaiser Chiefs, Emeli Sandé, Julian Lloyd Webber, French and Saunders, Eric Idle, George Michael, Elbow (who?), Tinie Tempah (yuk), Taio Cruz (double yuk) and Fatboy Slim are all supposed to be appearing at the official closing ceremony. In addition, Blur will headline another concert in Hyde Park with The Specials and New Order. As always, however, much of this is rumour and conjecture, so there is likely to be room for loads more British artists to appear... Jx
Thanks so much for posting the clip and got to see it before it was taken down. The BBC says it's not viewable in my territory. Whatever that means. I missed the beginning on US TV but what I did see was so painful to watch because the commercials were coming fast and furious. The commentators were whining about how fast everything was moving but really it was because the commercial breaks were every couple of minutes. Cheers to you!
ReplyDeleteOne of the joys of living in the UK is the fact that we have the dear old Beeb, with no commercials! The drawback to that for non-Brits, of course, is that you have to buy their DVDs in order to get the same experience... Jx
DeletePS I will keep amending the blog if and when I find more clips...
Stop Press: I have found another new clip, which hopefully might play worldwide - watch this space in case I find more... Jx
ReplyDeleteSpectacular, Spectacular
ReplyDeleteNo words in the vernacular
Can't describe this great event
You'll be dumb with wonderment
Returns are fixed at ten percent
You must agree, that's excellent
Indeed... Jx
DeleteI loved the opening...watched it all! I have always watched at least the opening and closing ceremonies from a kid...this one was the best I have ever seen, my fave was Bond and the Queen...Record breaking ratings over here...well done LONDON! xoxoMM
ReplyDeleteHow did you cope with the commercials and the fact it wasn't live? (Not to mention the offensive editing-out of the memorial to the people killed in the Tube bombings?) NBC is getting major flak for this, apparently. Jx
DeleteThe dancing nurses remind me of Doctor Who for some reason - one of the few British Icons missing from the Opening Ceremony.
ReplyDeleteWith a history and culture as rich as ours it would have been very dificult to cover everything - but apparently British comedy and arts such as ballet are in the closing one, so you never know what may pop up! It might be worth it just to hear the French translators struggle with such concepts as Stigorax, the Gods of Ragnarock, Kazran Zardick or the Sontorans... Jx
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