The Book Review Show

A bit late notice, you may have already noticed this programme on BBC2 tonight (Friday 27/5) at 11pm, looks like it could be interesting.

"In the first ever Book Review Show, Kirsty Wark is joined by guests including Germaine Greer and John Mullan to discuss the state of women's literature. Topics include the shortlist for the Orange Prize, and posthumous publications from Daphne Du Maurier and Beryl Bainbridge. There is also an interview with Lionel Shriver, the adaptation of whose 'We Need To Talk About Kevin' has just premiered at Cannes, and a literary 'salon' with Fay Weldon, Kate Mosse and Ruth Rendell."

Hi Phil, Missed that programme but I'm always in bed and usually asleep by then, anyway. Your comment and other recent ones did start me thinking about reviews. As I don't read reviews in the papers I did wonder how useful they really are. I know Richard and Judy helped the sales of certain books and bookstores have their own lists of popular works but there is chat on another thread about the star system on Librarything. I have yet to give any book 5 stars as it would suggest to me that it was perfect but I am very greateful to the reviewers on LT because I trust their judgement. Isn't that really the point - reviews are subjective and often reviewers disagree about works they have read or seen.It's like the hotel reviews on line - the same place can be ideal and atrocious.
The joy when someone gives an unsolicited positive review is precious. It just doesn't happen very often.
oldstick.

Missed it, but will have to look out for it in future.

If you're in the UK, you can watch it online at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b011lhz3/The_Review_Show_27_05_2011/ - I haven't got around to watching it yet either but hopefully will sometime in the week! By the sound of things, they're going to do a Book show once a month.

#2 - yes I agree you can never be absolutely sure about a book however many reviews you read - I've quite often seen good reviews that say stuff like 'if you like (insert fave author here) then you'll like this', then I read the reviewed book and just don't enjoy it! The beauty of LT is that because there are a large number of them, you can get a pretty good idea with the average.

This 'first ever' is hardly a new show. BBC are struggling to find a ratings-viable slot for something live and arty. This originated as a multi-arts 'glossy' supplement to Friday's 'Newsnight', but even shifting it to Scotland doesn't seem to have saved it. So they've dropped exhibitions, plays and cinema to concentrate on books.

BBC2 are really struggling to maintain their fading reputation for stimulating output. No doubt we'll be insulted by 'two-channels-in-parallel' "sport" again this year.

No doubt we'll be insulted by 'two-channels-in-parallel' "sport" again this year.
And again during next year's Olympics.

BBC2 are really struggling...
I think BBC4 is the new BBC2.

I saw the programme on Friday night though it was on so late I was in danger of turning into a pumpkin.

The discussion between the four female authors was quite enjoyable, particularly when they started theorising about women being prepared to read books by male or female authors, but men sticking to male authors. I thought they were broadly right, but my husband (with his bookcase stuffed with James Patterson, Tom Clancy, Dale Brown, Stephen Coonts and anything with an aircraft on the front cover) snorted and said they were talking nonsense. Ha.

#7 > LOL: just looked at my stats, and <14% of my books are by women, and most of those are non-fiction.

>5 CliffordDorset: - it originated before then: Newsnight Review came about when the The Late Show (that was a daily arts show - seems incredible now). The book show is only a once a month variation of Newsnight Review.

>6 ed.pendragon: - BBC4 is as hit-and-miss as BBC2.

The actual show was useless, too little time spent on each item - producers believing viewers don't have the attention span for anything deep (despite the majority of viewers being book readers).

25% of my authors are female (though that would go down slightly when authors who are "not set" are taken into account), and they are a mix of fiction and non-fiction. This may not be representative.
I agree that most arts-docs (whether BBC2 or BBC4 or C4, less ITV1 now that Bragg's prog axed, and as for C5???) assume a low concentration span from their viewers. I can't speak for (or speak of) Sky Arts.

#10 - and as for C5???

I watch very little teilly these days, but over the last few years, I've stumbled on some quite decent art docs on Channel 5 and comparing it to the dross spewed by C4 I decided that their positions had reversed but that popular opinion had yet to catch up. However, what's happening lately since that pornographer took over the channel I don't know ...

#4 - By the sound of things, they're going to do a Book show once a month.

I'd be interested to know how the number of regular book readers stacks up against the number of football watchers. Could the BBC get away with one football programme a month? Then again (as I think I said in another thread recently), books are the opposition, aren't they? The last thing the telly suits want is for the viewer to switch off and grab a book.

I could probably count on the fingers of one hand the culture docs I've rated on Channel 5--it started as a cheapo wall-to-wall US film channel, climbed up a notch briefly when it was rebranded as five and now seems to ave largely settled down as an outlet for US cop shows with US films wall-to-wall at the weekend. With another digital channel dedicated to US cop shows and films. This is only an impression, you understand, but I'm happy to do a statistical analysis of their current output.

In my experience TV is poor on the printed word (it can't help but be where visuals are concerned) and so can only supplement the experience of reading by featuring talking heads, drama adaptations and biographical docs.

#12 - Well, I'd better take your word for it on 5: possibly the programmes I saw (I'm remembering a series where some chap discussed a famous painting, one per episode, and I'm sure I've seen a few reasonable ancient history documentaries there) have stuck in my mind because of my surprise at finding them there.

>12 ed.pendragon: - all I want from a books show is talking heads (not celebrities but writers, critics, academics, etc) discussing books in a serious manner. It's not difficult, in fact it's simple and cheap - one studio, a few chairs and a couple of cameras. Won't happen though for two reasons - producers think the audience is too dumb to follow a detailed debate (and they want to make something flashier to enhance their CV) and secondly, the potential audience is probably only a couple of million at best, 500k more likely, and in these days of chasing viewers that's a no go.

>11 alaudacorax: - but its not the number of book readers that is important but the number of book readers who will watch a book programme. Considering the bestseller charts I wouldn't watch a book show based around them - and I don't, The TV Book Show being the case in hand.

The irony of the situation is that TV boosts book sales dramatically so it would make sense for the publishers to join together and help fund a show - but then we would end up with a show pushing bestsellers again.

The BBC should manage to make one decent book show but there is no deserve - no-one cares about their original remit now. It is should also be pointed out that the BBC struggle to make a decent book programme on the radio. (Compare Australia's ABC's The Book Show with the BBC - this show is in a different league than anything the BBC produces).

#4 It's also available on Catch-Up until Thursday.

I enjoyed it but then I'm always pathetically grateful for any book show on TV.