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From: mangoe@umcp-cs.UUCP (Charley Wingate)
Newsgroups: net.tv
Subject: Re: "Master Harold and the Boys"
Message-ID: <2301@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 22-Nov-85 01:04:01 EST
Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.2301
Posted: Fri Nov 22 01:04:01 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 23-Nov-85 10:56:30 EST
References: <2236@umcp-cs.UUCP> <1424@mtgzz.UUCP>
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Organization: U of Maryland, Computer Science Dept., College Park, MD
Lines: 34

In article <1424@mtgzz.UUCP> leeper@mtgzz.UUCP (m.r.leeper) writes:

[In reference to my expressed desire to see the play in person]

>I think that it was more effective as a television performance than it
>would be as a stage play (heresy, I know).  I think that you would lose
>much of the facial expression seeing it as a play.  I saw SWEENEY TODD
>twice on the stage and once on cable.  It was best on the cable for
>the same reason.

On reflection, Mark has a point.  I remember fanatically watching "Nicholas
Nickleby" on PBS.  I'm fairly certain that I could not have survived the
play in person, and I do think a lot of expression (and just being able to
see things) came through better on the tube.  Anyone think of other
examples, or have an opinion on the practice in general?

[enter flamethrower from right]

I'm rather pleased to see _American Playhouse_ and _Great Performances_
continued survival.  If there's one thing that sends me up the wall about
PBS, it's the way that so much of it is BBC re-runs-- I except _Great
Railway Journeys of the World_, but only because it's about railroading (and
did anyone notice how patronizing the show about american railroads was?).
I have no problem with such re-runs per se; it's their elevation (in the
form of the likes of _Masterpiece Theatre_) that grates on me.

Why don't we have the BBC set up a cable channel here instead?  Now THAT's
something for the Who-ies!

[Exit flamethrower through trapdoor]

Charley Wingate