Schedulers face something of a dilemma in putting together
programming ideas for millennium eve. On the one hand, the evening is
clearly rather special, requiring something momentous to mark its
passing - on the other, there is uncertainty over whether enough people
will spend the evening watching television to make a big effort
worthwhile.
In Denmark, for example, the channels have decided that, for one night
only, rather than compete, they will collaborate. The same drama,
produced by the makers of cult movie The Idiots, is being broadcast
across a number of different networks, but each will show the action
from a different character’s perspective, allowing the audience a unique
viewing experience flicking between channels.
Some of the world’s other TV companies have decided to go a step
further, and take programming from the one broadcaster that is taking
its responsibilities for the evening very seriously: the BBC.
Unperturbed by the massive threat posed to the world’s transmission
systems by the millennium bug, the BBC will be attempting the most
ambitious live broadcast ever undertaken. 2000 Today will be a live,
28-hour broadcast which will cost pounds 12 million, has taken three
years to plan, and will link 62 of the world’s broadcasters, using 78
satellite paths.
The BBC is actually running two separate broadcasts on the night. There
is a global programme put together by the corporation from co-ordinated
contributions from broadcasters the world over, and a national programme
which will both link into the global programme, and take items from it.
The UK transmission will be an event-led programme showing celebrations
from across the country.
ITV is also taking the evening seriously, with Trevor McDonald fronting
Countdown 2000, a live, all-day programme similarly bringing viewers the
’symbolic events’ from across the country and the rest of the world.
ITV, like the BBC, will broadcast from the normally uninhabited pacific
island group of Kiribati that will be the first place to see in the new
millennium.
Channels 4 and 5 appear more sceptical about viewer numbers, and have
taken a more irreverent, and less costly, approach. Both are showing
millennium party night versions of existing light entertainment shows:
So Graham Norton, a live, camp chat show, and celebrity karaoke game
show Saturday Night Fever respectively. This will be recorded ’as live’,
with participants faking millennium frenzy.
BBC
Position: head of millennium event
Programme title: 2000 Today
Slot: 9.15am on 31/12/99 to 1pm on 1/1/00
’This will be the biggest international broadcast ever attempted: 28
hours long. We want to give viewers the ultimate broadcast experience of
the millennium, playing to our strengths internationally and with the
best of BBC comedy and entertainment.
’Two entirely separate projects are feeding into each other. We have 62
international broadcasters all coming together - in effect creating a
new global channel for a day. The content is coming in from all over the
world and the BBC is putting it together for our international partners
to use. The international projects were chosen following all the
partners’ pitches to our editorial board. There is no political
propaganda and no speeches and it also had to be very visual.
’The UK programme has 250 cameras live across the country, mixed with
the best of the international broadcast and comedy and drama
specials.
Each part of the day has a theme and a mood. In Manchester a 30-foot
high millennium bug will be crawling through the street; Derry will be
special with 100 drummers walking round the city wall. It will be very
varied - not all champagne and fireworks. There will also be wonderful
reunion stories. Some places are now very organised, it is just a
question of working out scripts and camera angles; others still have
timing and transport issues to resolve.’
ITV
Position: editor
Programme title: Countdown 2000
Slot: 10am on 31/12/99 to ’small hours’ on 1/1/00
’We want a people- and pictures-based show about how people are enjoying
themselves and seeing the new year in, up and down the country. Through
the day we will be doing almost hourly bulletins from each place around
the world as the sun comes up on the new millennium - Kiribati
(uninhabited except for UK TV journalists), New Zealand, Australia,
China, Hong Kong, Moscow - but the main show starts just before
11pm.
’ITV wants to make sure people don’t miss anything, but that they can
still enjoy their favourite shows earlier in the evening, so we will not
have millennium programming all night. While the BBC is solidly
event-based for 28 hours, we think people might be a bit bored by all
this.
’One of the most spectacular things should be the fireworks and the
sheet of flame which goes down the Thames from Tower Bridge to Vauxhall
in 10.8 seconds, although this will be a nightmare to televise. The
whole thing will be a tricky feat of engineering as cameras can’t be
linked by cable as for a normal outside broadcast; we’ve had to devise a
system of microwave links. The last thing this complicated was Diana’s
funeral. It will be interesting to see how many viewers we get - new
year’s eve is not normally a big time for TV. We think it might be
different this year as people will be worried about transport and so
on.’
Channel 5
Position: producer
Programme title: Night Fever Millennium Special
Slot: 9pm on 31/12/99 to 1.05am on 1/1/00
’We will largely keep the format of the show the same as usual: a
celebrity karaoke competition, interspersed with performances by live
bands. The idea is to break the show up into four sections looking at
music from the 1950s and 1960s; the 1970s; the 1980s and 1990s, and then
the present day.
’Suggs, our host, is transported by a karaoke time machine to the
different decades to relive the golden decades of pop music with the
audience and the panel guests in appropriate fancy dress. There will be
no talking, no looking back, there will be no reflective poetry, it will
be very unpretentious, unthinking good fun - in the last hour it will be
a relentless knees-up with little talk.
Obviously, week by week, we have made a list of our favourite songs and
this is the most fun way of putting them all together. With us, people
will leave the old millennium with Night Fever, and see the new one in
with YMCA. All the audience will be drunk, and everyone will be in party
mood - it will be a very lively show.
’If you are a fan of the South Bank Show you should not be watching. It
will be vulgar and in your face - everything the BBC will not be. We
believe that is what people will want to watch if they stay in - and
they might because everything will be very expensive outside.’
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