Storm clouds over SW19

[callmemadam]

I love Wimbledon, as I wrote last year but this year I’m fuming over the BBC’s coverage. Every evening at eight o’clock, there’s a programme called Today at Wimbledon, presented by John Inverdale. It’s there to help people who’ve been at work all day catch up on matches and hear some punditry from experts. Firstly, eight o’clock is too early for such a programme because play is still going on. Secondly, the guests are insulted. Two days ago, Tracy Austin and Boris Becker were forced to sit outside in the cold and rain. Every time they started to say anything interesting, Inverdale cut in to say they had to go to (fill in boring match involving some boring British loser). This was just rude.

Yesterday’s programme was the limit. It had hardly started when they moved live to the Sharapova match and showed it for most of the rest of the programme. Point one: I had to mute the TV because of the shrieking. Point two: *the match was being shown on the red button*, so the Beeb was in effect showing it in parallel. Meanwhile, Tracy Austin and John Lloyd were left with nothing to do. I was furious and read my book. Later I switched over for the ten o’clock news. Quite an important news day you might think, with the remarkable events is Northern Ireland. What was on? B****y football! I went to bed in quite a temper.

Comments

[ooxc.livejournal.com]

I admire your perseverance - I gave up on Wimbledon years ago - the noise, the lack of sportsmanship, the abysmal commentary -

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

A good example of the triumph of hope over experience.

[gwendraith.livejournal.com]

I feel exactly as you do about Today At Wimbledon and John Inverdale has always irritated me. As for Sharapova, I feel my blood pressure rise just thinking about her shrieking.

I'm normally quite a big fan of the BBC but they have been making some bad decisions recently with regards the Queen's Jubilee and the big sporting events.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

The Beeb should be seriously worried about how long people will put up with poor coverage before starting a licence fee strike.

[feather-ghyll.livejournal.com]

As you know, I agree that the TaW slot is ridiculous - I didn't realise they'd gone live to the Sharapova match on Wednesday, because I was watching it on the red button, but I resent having to make the choice between live tennis and a review programme. I'd like to watch both, ideally. There's always going to be tennis on at 8pm, or in the first week, certainly.

The bias towards British players is embarassing. Murray is the only one who is a title contender and those folks and the general themes of the day should be the main topic of discussion.

And last night, you could feel the undercurrent of scrambling to fit in the highlights as the roof was closing. Clips ran too short, some discussions were shut down to quickly, while others, usually the less important/pressing ones, were left to meander.

I'm a rarity, I don't mind the shrieking in tennis.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

I agree about the British players. I want to see the *best*, not the also-rans. And why do we never see doubles?
I was glad they stuck with last night's incredible match. My knitting was getting tighter and tighter!