The South Bank Show is one of the few television shows (along with BBC Two’s The Culture Show) to look at the arts, in all their forms. One of the great things about it is that you can see the likes of Will Young, Victoria Wood and Coldplay being taken as seriously as people involved in more ‘high’ arts. It’s not something I watch religiously, but it’s good to know it’s there – only it won’t be for much longer, with Melvyn Bragg retiring next year and the show going with him.
Anyway, tonight’s episode is unashamedly populist but looks no less interesting for it, as it focuses on Disney Pixar. With new Pixar film Up released this week, and the 3D version of Toy Story also showing, it might seem like a canny time for publicity, but it’s not just an advert for their current output – there are interviews with many of the team, including boss John Lasseter, lots of detail about their production and animation processes, some stories about their history, and a look into what’s coming up from the company. Reviews suggest the coverage of new Disney hand-drawn film The Princess and the Frog is reason alone to watch this, though I’m also hoping for some news about Toy Story 3 and Cars 2.
