So last night was David Lean tribute night on BBC4 – except it wasn’t really, was it?
Tribute nights have become popular currency on TV in recent years. Whether it’s a way to bulk out the schedules or a genuine homage to a feted TV show/celebrity/music act, they crop up with increasing regularity on the terrestrial channels, at least.
The David Lean night was a classic case of much puff and not enough substance. There was a very interesting documentary from Jonathan Ross is his film critic mode, followed by the classic Lean movie In Which We Serve – and that was it. That was the sum total of the David Lean night.
You’d have thought the BBC might have been able to stretch to showing two of Lean’s movies, but no. Just the one.
To make matters worse, the night was sandwiched between a repeated Mark Lawson interview with Richard Wilson. Oh, the shame!