Britains Got Talent - any thoughts!

I mention elsewhere that "dogs behaving very badly" is one of my favourite programmes, and my daughter trained her dog with treats and key words.

She reduced the treats so that they were intermittent, so that her dog would then do as she was told without the expectation.

DrWatson, re circuses, I think you meant BlueBelle on 03/06/24. I don’t recollect mentioning them at all.

For BlueBelle -- If YOU considered my note "rude", well, that's due to your ingrained and frankly uneducated views re dogs. Masses of dog owners on here haven't exactly rushed to applaud you, apart from MissAdventure, who mentions that the dogs were "clearly jumping for food".

Perhaps SHE should watch some of the 'Dogs Behaving Very Badly' shows, (extremely entertaining, but really because of the owners!) -- on there the training frequently involves a 'clicker' and 'treats', perfectly standard procedure, and not remotely cruel. Training for the owners involves showing them up on TV, but they have put themselves forward, and they are getting their Warhol 15 mins of fame, possibly a fee too?

Back to Mollygo, so desperate for a response of any sort that "circuses" are mentioned (no actual factual argument re dogs then?). I haven't seen a circus since I was maybe 7 or 8, but you CAN still find them, which again shows that you're out of touch. The difference would be that (I gather) the acts are now all about people, not animals. And the original point was re DOGS, so far as I know only the tiniest subset of folk here keep lions, tigers and elephants as pets? (though any readers in USA may well know someone who does?!).

What else? Oh yes, that "last point, says it all really". Having seen your original comment, and reply, I wouldn't be confident what you'd gather from anything, but the cat owning brigade on here would realise that it was a small attempted satire. Perhaps you've never heard of the joke about "like trying to herd cats" -- usually in reference to difficult people? SO -- to fully explain it for you -- anyone who CAN show a trained pet cat would surely deserve to win that show. However, as Luckygirl13 says, there are already a number of stars wanting star treatment, Cowell, Holden, whoever the other 2 judges are these days, and Ant & Dec, so any cat on the show would be disgusted to find so much competition for the best chair, food & drink on demand, etc?!

I think the whole show was very entertaining.

Obviously, we all have our favourites, but the winner would not have been mine.

Loads of other acts were more deserving I thought.

There is nothing wrong with attracting a variety of people onto TV, but to bring someone in who does not really fit the brief simply because of their minority characteristic is not really acceptable.

Luckygirl3
I agree about the box ticking, in almost all genres of TV, from programs to adverts. You can imagine the tick lists the programme makers are faced with, possibly with % next to it -age, sex, race, creed, disability, relevance to current affairs. I stopped watching soaps because of that.

I watched a couple of episodes of this for the first time recently - basically because someone I knew was performing.

I can honestly say that it is the crassest programme I have ever seen. Screaming baying crowds drowning out the performers; judges with no knowledge of musical skill spouting utter nonsense - it was grim.

And so much of it is a fix. The person I know has won a major TV competition before and works semi-professionally in their art form. They were approached by the programme, and said all this to them but the programme makers were very keen they should take part. Personally I think they wanted to tick a “disabled participant” box. The pressures of the format pushed them into an inappropriate choice of content that dumbed down their true skills and it was painful to watch, knowing their true excellence. Not only that, behind the scenes the performers are kept waiting for hours on end and not offered anything to eat/drink during that time. It is a bear pit, not containing unknowns off the street (which would be an opportunity for them), but contrived and staged.

I am thankful I need never watch it again!

I didn't enjoy the dogs either.
Its clear they were jumping up and down for food.

I know thats a viable way to train them, but I found it uncomfortable to watch.

Thanks for your kind words DrWatson … very nicely put
I expect you are sad that we no longer have circuses too
By all means disagree with me but maybe try to be a little less rude next time
As for your last sentence, that says it all really !!

BGT - thoughts? Well, the easiest is that most of it is missable tripe. As Mollygo says, if you record it, you can whizz through the nonsense, judges doing a party piece, Any & Dec warbling, ads, etc, just see what you want.

For BlueBelle, the comment about "exploited dogs, cruel" is the most utter claptrap. The dogs that are suitable for training absolutely LOVE doing that stuff, they have a great time, and like some people, enjoy showing off. Check out the dog agility or ball game sections at Cruft's, when those taking part would happily do it all day long, they'd run the legs off their humans given a chance! [BUT -- I'd say that if an act had a trained cat . . . .that should definitely win!]

Can’t watch it as aside from the back stories, the shouting and screaming before, during and after acts really irritates me.
I saw a clip on Facebook of the winner and thought she was a screamer too.

Mojack26

Never watch it, never have. These type shows have now run their course, I think.

Not sure how Never watch it, never have explains how you know this type of show has run its course.
It’s as valid as me saying the same thing about Coronation Street which I’ve never watched since I left home.

Never watch it, never have. These type shows have now run their course, I think.

I love these kind of shows. Variety.

I liked them, too.

Oh Dianechillbilly read some replies that’s been said by a number of other people on this thread
It’s held in Britain anyone can take part as in ‘Americas got talent’ ‘Australia's got talent’ etc etc, we can go there if we want to, to showcase our talents

And I don’t think it’s had its day with most people writing on this thread and I believe the watching figures are still good. So just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean it’s had its day for others I throughly enjoyed all the global talent (Especially those good looking Australian guys who juggled while undressing very tasteful 🤭)

Oh Bruno.
That's him.

I don't know his name, BlueBelle
The hand waver, anyway.

Why is it Britain's got talent when they come from all over the world to compete? Hence the reason we don't bother with it anymore. It's had it's day!

MissA not sure what year you’re watching but Louis hasn’t been in it for donkeys ages
Amanda’s dresses are awful and totally inappropriate I don’t much like Cowell but the other two are fine Bruno s over the top but I think he’s a kindly man and Alesha seems to have some common sense
I thought Sydney Christmas was a great singer but shouldn’t have won I thought there were better acts
I don’t care where they come from its held in the UK and that’s what it means as far as I m concerned many countries have their own ‘xxx got talent’ and they are all open to anyone from other countries you don’t need to be born or living in that country to take part

Lovetopaint037

I thought the acts were really good. Wasn’t surprised when the winner was announced but couldn’t believe the runner up! So many other excellent and amazing acts. My dh always maintains the whole thing is rigged. Amanda’s dress was as entertaining as some of the acts. Any one else watching?

Your husband may have a point! I have heard that the hopefuls have to go through some preliminary auditions before getting anywhere near the ‘real’ judges.
Ben Elton’s book, Chart Throb, tells of them being separated into ‘ clingers, mingers, or blingers’, and I suspect it’s very near the truth.

Talent seems to have little to do with it these days.
Just an excuse for Amanda to wear ridiculous clothes, and Louis to stand up and wave his arms about a lot.

Apparently both the singer who won and the opera singer have already performed on stage. Think that undermines the contest as always believed it was to showcase undiscovered talent.

Yes, the judges seem to have lost their minds.
Falling around with laughter at non funny comedy...

Disappointed as I wanted the amazing opera singer to win, such a wonderful talent. Yes, global talent is more appropriate. The winner had a good voice but for me as boring as the dog lady. Predictable as the judges irritatingly over the top comments.