Like Pooh’s friend Rabbit, I have many friends and relations, amongst them Sir Peter Bazalgette who steps down as boss of the Arts Council next year, but will not disappear into his Notting Hill burrow. He will hop into the shoes of his Cambridge friend, Archie Norman, as Chairman of ITV in May. Peter is frequently mocked for his cultural contribution to the UK – he gave us a TV show called Big Brother. He also advises us on the best brand to buy of a wide range of comestibles in his FT Weekend Magazine column.
Sir Peter said: “ITV has gone through a remarkable resurgence during Archie’s chairmanship and there is still so much more that we can achieve”.
Well, that’s a hostage to fortune. Most people, that means me, would think that, with a bit of luck, they could steer ITV through choppy waters without anything awful surfacing. You know, the weather man in the 1980s probably let his hand slip from his isobars to somewhere wholly inappropriate and heaven knows what was going on in children’s TV.
Peter, imperturbably, assumes that no skeletons will come crashing out of ITV cupboards. The BBC has taken a beating recently and I’d not be surprised if it’s ITV’s turn next. However, I don’t have a dog in this fight as I don’t even own a TV but I do hope he keeps showing repeats of Minder on ITV catch-up.
May I digress? A friend who goes to high-end dinners and sits beside public figures assures me that ITV’s Coronation Street is a great leveller. He is a devotee and finds kindred spirits in high places. Funny that a snob like me hasn’t started watching… just in case.
I strongly suspect that your friend is right!