No "Film 2010" for Mark Kermode.

[Patrick]

Mark Kermode, the broadcaster, has declared himself out of the running to take over BBC1's Film series when Jonathan Ross's contract expires this summer.

The critic and presenter had been viewed as an early candidate to land the post on the long-running review show.

But he told Radio 5 Live listeners on Thursday: "I'm not doing Film 2010. I've never been doing Film 2010.

Have to say I'm quite pleased to hear this. Mr Kermode - as knowledgeable as he may be, always comes across (to me) as someone who has 'read a lot' about films, but not actually seen all of them. For all his other faults, Jonathan Ross always shined when he was talking films, and this came out in many of his more serious interviews.

So who would make a good "Film -- " presenter d'you think?

The chap who they wheel out for some of the "100 best" or "50 best" programmes with the long hair, glasses and 'tache who looks a bit like your archetypal Rocker/Biker always comes across as very enthusiastic and anorakish about the industry, but I think he's only up on certain genres.

[tarzanontarmazepam]

Oh...it should have been Kermode. Never watched it much with JR.

Costal gets my vote. They could rename it 'Films..Quite Fwankly...'

[Deleted]

i say give it to Andrew Collins.
cheers for the vote Chris!

[everso]

How about Barry Norman? ;D

No, actually, although JR annoys me a bit, he was excellent on the film programme.

[Weyland]

Mar 29, 2010 14:25:59 GMT @tarzanontarmazepam said:

Oh...it should have been Kermode. Never watched it much with JR.

Costal gets my vote. They could rename it 'Films..Quite Fwankly...'

Spot on.

Quite Fwankly, my deaaah, I don't think we're in Sussex ENNNEMORE.

[everso]

And "Kermode" is a strange name, isn't it? Bit like "Commode" which conjures up visions of elderly people.

I came across the name once before in Cornwall. Don't know if it hails from that part of the country.

[aubrey]

Southampton, I think. And he is no relation to Frank Kermore, either.

He would have been good, though. He would have given exploitation cinema a fair showing (which is maybe why he didn't get the job). (Mind you, I think Ross liked some of that, as well.)

[Patrick]

It's bad news.....

Claudia Winkleman has been named the new presenter of the BBC's Film 2010 programme. She will replace Jonathan Ross, who presented his final show on 17 March after annoucing his departure from the corporation.

Winkleman will not be the first female presenter of the long-running show: Joan Bakewell was among a roster of hosts, including Frederic Raphael, Iain Johnstone and Barry Norman, who alternated when the programme began in November 1971. The following year, Norman took sole charge, and remained on board until 1998, when he was replaced by Ross.

Kermode suddenly seems a very good idea!

[Weyland]

Mar 29, 2010 17:32:59 GMT Patrick said:

It's bad news..... "Claudia Winkleman has been named the new presenter of the BBC's Film 2010 programme."

Bad news indeed. Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "dumbing down". Who'd've thought one could say that in the wake of Wossy?

Me? If it couldn't be the Real Expert (Kermode), or Our Very Own Expert (Costy), then I wish it could have been a mature lady with brains and other major assets. That's all I'm saying.

[riotgrrl]

They offered me the gig, but I was too busy to take it on. Sorry guys . . .

[aubrey]

It is really hard to stick up for the BBC sometimes.

So, you have a choice between someonw who has lived films for the last 30 years, watches films all day when he gets the chance, who has written about them just about all his working life, and someone who is a good presenter and seems to know no more about films than the average person.

But Kermode's been tainted by BBC2 - too highbrow; at least Claudia won't make people watching feel stupid. (I quite like her, as well.)