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Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews
Kermode and Mayo broadcasting live from Edinburgh in June 2009, with guest Bill Forsyth.
Other namesWittertainment
Running time120 minutes (since 2010)[1]
Country of origin United Kingdom
Language(s)English
Home stationBBC Radio 5 Live
Hosted bySimon Mayo
StarringMark Kermode
Produced bySimon Poole[2]
Edited byRobin Bulloch[2]
Original release2001 –
present
WebsiteOfficial BBC web page
PodcastOfficial podcast feed

Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews with Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo is a radio programme broadcast regularly on BBC Radio 5 Live every Friday afternoon between 2 pm and 4 pm. The show, 'the BBC's flagship movie podcast', features film reviews from Kermode; Mayo interviews actors and other guests, and introduces various topics and comments from listeners who contact the programmer through email, Twitter, and text messages. The programme's Twitter handle, "Wittertainment" is a nickname for the programme itself.[3][4]

The show is broadcast live on radio, accompanied by a live streaming webcam feed; each programme is available on BBC iPlayer and as a podcast. Individual reviews are available in an A to Z directory on the Five Live website, or as videos on YouTube.[5]

Broadcast history

Kermode and Mayo first presented together on Radio 1 in the 1990s,[6] The current incarnation of the programme started on Radio 5 in 2001, as a one-hour feature on the Friday episode of Mayo's weekday afternoon show.

In 2009 the show received a Sony Radio Academy Award.[7]

When Mayo left Five Live in January 2010 for BBC Radio 2, the show was kept on Five Live, and expanded to two hours to became a show in its own right from 2 pm every Friday.[1] Upon reuniting on Radio 5, their relationship continued just as it had on Radio 1, with Kermode recalling his first words may have been 'And another thing...'.[8]

In June 2011, it was announced that BBC had signed a two-year agreement for the programme to be produced by Somethin' Else Sound Directions; the company was selected following a competitive process that also included pitches from Hidden Flack,[9] the talent management and production company whose clients include Kermode and Nigel Floyd[10] The change after ten years was part of an effort by the BBC to have more of its radio shows produced from outside suppliers.[9] The change became effective 7 October 2011;[2] as of that date Simon Poole is the show’s producer, Robin Bulloch is its editor, and Rowan Woods is the guest booker. Somethin' Else announced its intention to "'build the profile of the Kermode and Mayo brand online' with more podcast downloads and a 'new digital strategy'."[9]

Features

The first hour of the show normally contains a run down of the week's top ten films, with very-short reviews from Kermode for the films he has seen; Listeners are encouraged to comment on films Kermode and Mayo have not yet seen; this often happens following periods when Mark has been on holiday. Following this the rest of the first hour features interviews with guests, often but not always live in the studio.

The second hour is devoted to full reviews of recently released films.

At the end of each show, a 'Film of the Week' is named.

Throughout each show Kermode and Mayo's engage in "on-air sparring" that has been compared to a "bickering married couple";[9] the decade-long partnership includes numerous in-jokes and ongoing arguments.[11][12][13]

Regular guests

Various actors have made multiple appearances on the show, particularly Jason Isaacs, Michael Sheen and David Morrissey, and are referred to as Friends of the Show. During each programme, a number of these friends may be greeted in a list, beginning 'And hello to...'. Jason Isaacs is always the first on the list, having been a school friend of Kermode, but other people named in the past include:[14]

Stand-in presenters

Alternate presenters take over the show while Kermode and Mayo are away. The most regular replacements for Kermode are Boyd Hilton (TV and reviews editor of Heat magazine[15] and Nigel Floyd (film critic for Time Out magazine), commonly referred to as Boyd and Floyd. Andrew Collins, film editor for the Radio Times, has occasionally also taken Kermode's place.[citation needed]Replacements for Mayo have included Colin Murray, Richard Bacon and, most regularly, Colin Paterson.[citation needed]

Special broadcasts

Alongside the regular show there have been a number of special broadcasts. These include an annual 'Review of the Year' show, prerecorded and broadcast on New Year's Eve, during which Kermode names his best and worst films of the year, a Christmas Quiz, broadcast on Christmas Eve with special guests and recorded with a live audience, and occasional outside broadcasts (for example, from the Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley,[16][17] a 2009 broadcast from the Edinburgh International Film Festival,[18] or during sporting events when Mayo's show comes from the location of the event).

As part of the 10th Anniversary celebrations, on Friday 10 June, the show was broadcast as a special edition from the new BBC MediaCityUK in Salford featuring film music played by the BBC Philharmonic.[19] As part of the performance of the score from Midnight Cowboy, Kermode played the harmonica solo with the orchestra after volunteering at the roundtable discussion, not realising the part required the chromatic harmonica rather than the diatonic harmonica, the instrument he plays.[20][21] After the broadcast on Radio 5 finished, there was more discussion and music on sister station BBC Radio 3 later that evening.[22] The music for the broadcast was chosen by guests for a special roundtable discussion, released as a bonus podcast, except for one decision (between the music for Jaws and Indiana Jones) which was opened to the public for a text vote with the winner (Indiana Jones) being announced on Friday 27 May.[23] The guests for the roundtable discussion were Andrew Collins, Paloma Faith, Richard Wigley and Robert Ziegler.

Other 10th Anniversary extras, during a month of special programming (in May and June 2011), include a 'Best of', broadcast on 29 May 2011, presented by Hugh Bonneville, an appearance on the Richard Bacon show on 31 May 2011 discussing the beginning of the partnership and four online videos:[24]

  • The A-Z of Wittertainment – Part 1
  • The A-Z of Wittertainment – Part Deux
  • The A-Z of Wittertainment – in 3D (not)
  • The A-Z of Wittertainment: – The Final Chapter (4.0)

Bickering and rants

A particular feature of the show is Kermode's tendency to begin a review calmly but to descend into a rant which can last up to 10 or 15 minutes. Commonly referred to as 'Kermodian Rants',[25] they provide a focus point for fan discussion comparing different rants and the most viewed videos on the Kermode and Mayo YouTube channel.[26]

Based on past history, films about which Kermode is expected to rant are often identified, but there are often occasions when the anticipated rant fails to happen. The most common reason for this is that rather than being offended by a film, the typical reason for a rant, Kermode's reaction is just that the film is terrible and that he wouldn't recommend it. Most recently this happened with Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, when Kermode merely expressed indifference, contrasting with his ten minute long rant about Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, during which Mayo was able to get up and walk away from the microphone, leaving Kermode to continue on his own.[27] Another expected rant which failed to materialise was for Mamma Mia!. During the review Kermode expressed his surprise that he found himself actually enjoying the film in spite of his preconceptions.[28]

Kermode and Mayo are also sometimes referred to as the 'Doctors'. Kermode has a PhD in English and so is a Doctor, while Mayo received a Doctor of Letters from Warwick University in 2005.[29][30] The difference between Kermode's academic doctorate and Mayo's honorary one is a source of bickering between the pair.

Impressions

As part of his reviews, Kermode often imitates the actors in the films having conversations, adopting voices which are meant to represent the performances heard. Some of the most well-known of these include:

Running jokes

After ten years, Kermode and Mayo have developed a number of running jokes and themes that are often referenced during the show and interviews. These include the fact that Mayo has not seen Kermode's favourite film, The Exorcist, nor has he read the whole of Kermode's book (aside from the parts which he is in).[33] Other commonly mentioned themes are Kermode's 'big, flappy hands', his dislike of the Cannes Film Festival, Werner Herzog, Kermode's dislike of 3D films, 'Unfortunate Events' (specifically coined to avoid mentioning the fate of Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince after complaints about spoilers), the death of narrative cinema and the usefulness of the BBFC detailed classifications.[34][35]

Cinema code of conduct

In 2010, Kermode and Mayo developed a Cinema Code of Conduct, which was launched as a guidance to cinemas and cinema-goers as to the best way to behave while watching a film.[36][37] During the development of the Code, listeners were invited to submit suggestions for what should be included. The launch of the code was preceded by a YouTube video with a message in Morse Code which stated: NEWS ALERT KERMODE AND MAYOS CINEMA CODE OF CONDUCT REVEALED TODAY WATCH LIVE FROM 2 pm BBC.CO.UK 5LIVE.[38]

The Cinema Code of Conduct states:

  • No Eating... ...of anything harder than a soft roll with no filling. No one wants to hear you crunch, chew or masticate in any way. Nachos cause special offence and are of the devil.
  • No Slurping... ...of drinks. You've already drunk a 5 litre flagon of pop, you really don't need the melting ice too. You are not six years old.
  • No Rustling... ...of super high density, rustle-o-matic, extra rustle bags. No foraging of any kind, if you're going to need it during the film, get it out before hand.
  • No Irresponsible Parenting Your five-year-old does not want to come to see the latest 12A certificate: you are using the cinema as a babysitter. Your child's moaning, whinging and crying is your fault and a profound annoyance to everyone else. Your interrupted sleep caused by your child's nightmares is also your fault and serves you right.
  • No Hobbies This includes knitting, drug dealing, model aeroplane assembly, fighting, having sex and updating Facebook.
  • No Talking You’re in a cinema – you have come here to watch, not to discuss. Or ‘engage’, or ‘participate’, or ‘explain’ or whatever. More importantly, no-one in the cinema has paid £8.50 to hear your director’s commentary on the movie. Just sit down and shut up.
  • No Mobile Phone Usage At all. Not even on ‘flight mode’. This isn’t an aeroplane, it’s a cinema. Even if you’re not yapping, you’re still creating light pollution. Put your thumbs away. NB: includes BlackBerries, PalmPilots, iPads – whatever.
  • No Kicking of Seats The area of floor directly in front of your seat is yours, and is there to put your legs in. The back of the seat in front of you belongs to someone else; do not touch, interfere with, or otherwise invade their space with your feet, knees, or other bodily appendages.
  • No Arriving Late Like Woody Allen in Annie Hall, you’re supposed to watch movies from the very beginning to the very end. If you turn up late, tough: go see something else – The Sorrow and the Pity, perhaps.
  • No Shoe Removal You are not in your own front room. Nor are you in Japan (unless you are, in which case, carry on). A cinema is a public space: keep your bodily odours to yourself.

Kermode and Mayo have also appeared on The Culture Show with a segment called 'The Screening Room', held in various locations, where films were discussed with an audience before clips of those films were shown.[39] Kermode also has a blog on the BBC website, called 'Kermode Uncut', where he invites discussion from viewers and often continues or begins discussions which relate back to the radio show.[40]

During his review of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, Kermode made a passing comment that it was so similar to the Harry Potter franchise it might as well be called 'Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins'.[41] Listener Jeremy Dylan then took this title and produced posters, a trailer and, eventually, an independent film based on the concept, even getting Stephen Fry to do the narration.[42] Following the basic structure of the Harry Potter books, where the main character discovers special abilities and goes to a special school, the script contains a multitude of references to Wittertainment jokes and themes.[43]

Awards

  • Gold Speech award, Sony Awards 2009[7]
  • Best Specialist Contributor, Mark Kermode, Sony Awards 2010[44]

References

  1. ^ a b "Mayo and Kermode celebrate a decade at 5 Live". Radio Times. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
  2. ^ a b c "Lights, camera etc". Somethin' Else Sound Directions. September 21st, 2011 url= http://www.somethinelse.com/2011/09/21/lights-camera-etc/. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |date= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help); Missing pipe in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ "Podcasts". thegoodreview.co.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  4. ^ "Kermode and Mayo @wittertainment". twitter. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  5. ^ "Mark Kermode's Film Reviews A-Z". BBC. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
  6. ^ "How We Met: Simon Mayo & Mark Kermode". The Independent. UK. 29 March 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  7. ^ a b "News Media Radio industry Sony Radio Academy Awards 2009: Full list of winners". The Guardian. UK. 12 May 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  8. ^ "How We Met: Simon Mayo & Mark Kermode". The Independent. UK. 29 March 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  9. ^ a b c d Plunkett, John (1 June 2011). "Radio 5 Live's Kermode and Mayo film show moves to independent producer". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  10. ^ "Hidden Flack's official website". Retrieved 23 October 2011.
  11. ^ Dee, Johnny (27 May 2011). "Toasting the odd couple of film: Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  12. ^ "Tropes associated with Mark Kermode:". tvtropes.org. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  13. ^ "Mayo and Kermode celebrate a decade at 5 Live". Radio Times. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  14. ^ "Hello to Jason Isaacs from Mark Kermode, Simon Mayo and the rest of us". http://www.hellotojasonisaacs.com/. Retrieved 3 June 2011. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  15. ^ "Boyd Hilton". Boyd Hilton, United Agents. United Agents. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
  16. ^ "Kermode, Mayo and Aaron Sorkin hit Phoenix Cinema". Ham & High. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  17. ^ "Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo at The Phoenix". phoenixcinema.co.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  18. ^ "Radio 5 Live's Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode present Wittertainment at its most Wittertaining". list.co.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
  19. ^ "BBC Philharmonic Presents... Great Film Scores LIVE with Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo for BBC R5 Live". bafta.org. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  20. ^ "BBC Philharmonic Great Film Scores". heyuguys.co.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
  21. ^ "Mark Kermode Midnight Cowboy harmonica session". underwurld-music.blogspot.com. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
  22. ^ "The BBC Philharmonic Play Music from Your Favouite Films". BBC. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  23. ^ Collins, Andrew. "Five Angry Men and One Woman". wherediditallgorightblog.wordpress.com. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  24. ^ "The A-Z of Wittertainment". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  25. ^ "Mayo and Kermode celebrate a decade at 5 Live". /www.radiotimes.com. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  26. ^ "Kermode + Mayo film reviews". YouTube. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  27. ^ "Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and the state of film criticism". denofgeek.com. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  28. ^ "Mark Kermode Reviews Mamma Mia – BBC Radio 5 live". YouTube. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  29. ^ "Film critic honoured by University of Manchester". /www.manchester.ac.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  30. ^ "Mayo to be made honorary doctor". BBC News. 11 July 2005. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  31. ^ Dee, Johnny (27 May 2011). "Toasting the odd couple of film: Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  32. ^ "UK NEWS: FILM CRITIC MARK KERMODE VERSES 'ACTOR' DANNY DYER". madnews.wordpress.com. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  33. ^ "Mayo and Kermode celebrate a decade at 5 Live". Radio Times. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  34. ^ "Glossary". markkermode.net. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  35. ^ "Mayo and Kermode celebrate a decade at 5 Live". Radio Times. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  36. ^ "Cinema Code of Conduct". BBC. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  37. ^ "Kermode and Mayo's Cinema Code of Conduct". youtube. kermodeandmayo.
  38. ^ "A message from Kermode and Mayo". YouTube.
  39. ^ "The Culture Show – new and improved?". wordmagazine.co.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  40. ^ "Kermode Uncut, Mark Kermode's Film blog". BBC. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  41. ^ "Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins". imdb.com. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  42. ^ "Jeremy Dylan interview: Benjamin Sniddlegrass And The Cauldron Of Penguins". denofgeek.com. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  43. ^ "Super Mega Special Review: Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins". i-flicks.net. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  44. ^ "The Sony Awards, Winners 2010". radioawards.org. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
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