Joshua Nightshade

What the fuck!

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IsaDaft Trollop

I have to wait till 7:30 pm to see it on TV - so I'll hold my WTF for now.

Well except for one WTF, why can't we have a live broadcast in the states?.

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Robert Daguerre

What say ye?

OrinB

It was better than i was expecting.

Isablan Neva

Don't spoil it for those of us who are held hostage by NBC and their air schedule.

Still 2 hours away on my side of the world.

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OrinB

They can't put adverts in it if it's live.

Robert Daguerre

I think it was better than most expected - so many had been almost willing it to fail. I'd like to see how the media can knock this one, though I am sure they will find fault somewhere.

Joshua Nightshade

It started airing at 5 am here so I recorded it, we're just into the start of the athletes' walk right now. I haven't seen the torch lighting yet.

Robert Daguerre

What do you think so far?

Jenn Luke

I loved it. So very British and most probably very dumbfounding for people elsewhere.

I thought how would we match Chinas effort and thought it would be typically messed up british style but no, it was different to anything i had seen before.

Carthalis

Have to agree it was far better than I thought it was going to be and the lightning of the torch was stunning. A brilliant, mad, bonkers typical British drama.

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Robert Daguerre

I've been far from a naysayer; indeed I've been annoyed at how much so many have almost rejoiced and willed us to fail, but it has still totally and utterly surpassed my expectations!

I am a little concerned, though, that non-Brits might not get a lot of it since it was very British!

Robert Daguerre

I loved Beijing's Opening Ceremony, but I loved this better. There, I said it.

OrinB

I don't see why we shouldn't celebrate our distinctive history and humour, i actually feel quite proud that others will watch it and go WTF!

Joshua Nightshade

I thought it was interesting, but I really don't think it fits in as an opening ceremony for the Olympics. Some parts were just "bad acid trip" and the symbolism has been so melodramatic at points, but things like the deconstruction of the stage for the smoke stacks were really impressive. I'm also amazed with how many guide lines everywhere no one got tangled up and twisted around one another.

That said I don't know so much what it has to do with the Olympics. Good piece of theatre, but it seems a little out of place to me. Admittedly I don't watch the ceremony much (I only recorded this because I wanted to see Mary Poppinses fight Voldemort) so maybe I'm missing the point, but I don't remember the ceremony from China last time being so... surreal.

The girl playing June was gorgeous though.

Ciaran Laval

I only watched the first half hour and then I was bored, it was well produced but just not my cup of tea.

I watched the end of it when they lit the cauldron, nicely done that part.

Joshua Nightshade

I also hate "Chariots of Fire" and Rowan Atkinson, but the Mr. Bean sequence was hysterical.

Robert Daguerre

I don't think it was particularly surreal, but it was very British: it was, pretty much, a celebration of our history (particularly the industrial revolution) and, more importantly, the cultural diversity that is the UK (and London in particular) today.

Robert Daguerre

Same. Worse, though, was Sir Paul McCartney.

IT'S TIME TO RETIRE!

Ciaran Laval

That's exactly how I saw it, nice production but what the heck has this got to do with the Olympics.

I don't generally watch opening ceremonies, I can't recall China's ceremony but friends tell me it was great. I'm not knocking it, personally I'd prefer it if they just had a music concert.

OrinB

I didn't mind the acid party. Reminded me of my student days.

I am so so bored of Paul McCartney popping up like a bad penny though. As a climax, he made me go off the boil! I went outside and listened the booming noises of the fireworks and watched all the clouds light up.

Robert Daguerre

Opening ceremonies always concentrate on the history and/or culture of the host nation, though.

Joshua Nightshade

Is the point of the opening ceremony supposed to be about the hosting country's culture, etc? I'm not asking rhetorically, I rarely pay attention to the Olympics at all because it bores me to death, so maybe it would make more sense if it was supposed to be a presentation about "This is us, this is who were are."

I remember the Beijing ceremony being China-centric and parts of it certainly seemed to be giving (the US in particular) the middle finger but I didn't remember it being as focused.

ETA: Oh Robert already said yes.

Joshua Nightshade

Ahahahahah the Czech Republic came out with umbrellas and gum boots.

Max Herzog

Thought it was magnificent. I'm the last person to go waving the flag, but it made me proud of where I am from.

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