Not very civilised, Will! Gompertz savages BBC colleagues for ‘rambling’ Civilisations
IT IS the much-heralded BBC series exploring the history of art that is meant to inspire a new generation of culture lovers.
But Civilisations has instead sparked a most uncivilised row, with the Corporation’s own arts editor launching an extraordinary attack yesterday.
In a brutal review on the BBC’s website, Will Gompertz says the nine-part series – presented by historians Simon Schama, Mary Beard and David Olusoga – is ‘rambling’. Awarding it a miserly two stars out of five, he blasts the programmes for being ‘more confused and confusing than a drunk driver negotiating Spaghetti Junction in the rush hour’.
He is scathing about a ‘particularly disappointing’ episode presented by Professor Beard, saying: ‘We are served a tepid dish of the blindingly obvious and the downright silly.’ Prof Beard, a celebrated classicist, hit back, icily telling The Mail on Sunday last night: ‘I don’t recognise my programme in his description.’ The series is intended as a modern take on the BBC’s hugely admired 1969 series Civilisation, presented by Lord Clark. But Gompertz says the original was far easier to follow than its successor. ‘It turns out adding that extra “s” has gone and overegged the pudding,’ he says. ‘These are patchwork programmes with rambling narratives that promise much but deliver little.’
The comments will disappoint BBC director general Lord Hall, who said he hoped Civilisations would ‘excite a new generation’.
A BBC spokesman said: ‘Individual critics are entitled to their views – whether they work for the BBC or anyone else – but the majority of reviews have been incredibly positive as have the excellent viewing figures.’