1880 Brian Sewell's Grand Tour of Italy

Thanks so much for this post!
A programme a bout the Grand Tour.

Brian Sewell's Grand Tour (Documentary)
Time - 19:15 - 20:00 (45 minutes long)
When - Tuesday 15th November on five
Art critic and historian Brian Sewell explores the historical story of Italy through its art and architecture as well as experiencing the spiritual side of the country. He traces the Grand Tour (formerly undertaken by young gentleman in the 18th and 19th Century as they learnt about art and life) - starting in Turin, Italy.
(Stereo, New Series, Followed by five news update, Subtitles)

Amazing!!!

Paola

[QUOTE=latoca]....Amazing!!![/QUOTE]

Amazing indeed, if you can get Channel Five. :(
Enjoy.

Ahh thanks for the reminder, Alan!

Spotted it in the telly magazine at the weekend & was desolate last night on return from my Italian class, as I couldn't find it anymore... and thought I'd missed it! :eek:

Stephanie

I've just read a great review in this weekends Observer about Sewell and the 'Grand Tour' series.

In it, the reviewer describes Sewell's voice thus;-

. "The man begins to speak, his voice improbably delicate; he sounds like a dowager duchess carefully recalling a large turd she was once mistakenly served during tea at Claridge's."

You can read the full review, [and its worth reading], at;-

[url]http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/features/story/0,11710,1641132,00.html[/url]

[QUOTE=alan haynes]
You can read the full review, [and its worth reading], at;-

[url]http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/features/story/0,11710,1641132,00.html[/url][/QUOTE]

Thanks for the link Alan!
It is a wonderful review - and had me chuckling out loud!
Regards, Lesley

Enjoy, maybe we will be lucky enough to get this via BBC Prime in 3-5years time!

Last night's programme was so bad!

The presenter was presumptuous; he didn't have a clue of what he was talking about. People on Grand Tours would have gone and visit the roman theatre (that would have just been revealed at the time) and doors to the City (Porte Palatine), he didn't show the royal palace and he showed a "medieval" castle that was build in 1884 so was hardly there when the Grand Tour was popular. He never mentioned the Holy Shroud.

All he showed of Milan was two boys trying on gay clothes in a gay shop, his point being Italian men loves themselves so much that’s how they spend their day. Thank god he mentioned the Last supper.

Appallingly bad, this guy should be banned from TV.

P

Alan,

Thanks for the link ... it might explain to some extent the source of the contents of the programme (or rather why some places are missing, as Paola just mentioned).

I found the beginning of the prog quite funny with him being caught out on the high road with his old Merc. Having driven an old Merc estate myself on snow & ice covered mountain roads some 10/12 years ago, I was in stitches! I even wondered if he had decent winter tyres... :D

I would've liked to have seen more of the architectural & arty places in Turin. And though Milan is mostly industrial & modern, there must remain some nice parts too which I'm sure would've been visited by those illustrous young men...

Stephanie (who annoyed her other half by having to turn the volume up quite a bit to understand his mumblings... ;))

[QUOTE=Iona]Alan,

Thanks for the link ... it might explain to some extent the source of the contents of the programme (or rather why some places are missing, as Paola just mentioned).

I found the beginning of the prog quite funny with him being caught out on the high road with his old Merc. Having driven an old Merc estate myself on snow & ice covered mountain roads some 10/12 years ago, I was in stitches! I even wondered if he had decent winter tyres... :D

I would've liked to have seen more of the architectural & arty places in Turin. And though Milan is mostly industrial & modern, there must remain some nice parts too which I'm sure would've been visited by those illustrous young men...

Stephanie (who annoyed her other half by having to turn the volume up quite a bit to understand his mumblings... ;))[/QUOTE]

the pompus gitt should have been knicked for not using snowchains...
he had a choice... on his tryes or better still round his neck... :)

[QUOTE=derekL]Amazing indeed, if you can get Channel Five. :(
Enjoy.[/QUOTE]

I think I have this on the NTL extended package - also have Euronews in Italian (discovered this last week).

[QUOTE=Sano]I think I have this on the NTL extended package - also have Euronews in Italian (discovered this last week).[/QUOTE]

Can't even get NTL out here in the bog! Have to get the kids to stand on the roof and move the aerial around to get anything! Not very nice for them in the winter. :)

[QUOTE=derekL]Can't even get NTL out here in the bog! Have to get the kids to stand on the roof and move the aerial around to get anything! Not very nice for them in the winter. :)[/QUOTE]

Well, if I can get the VCR to work I will tape the programme for you.

[QUOTE=Sano]Well, if I can get the VCR to work I will tape the programme for you.[/QUOTE]

That would be much appreciated Sano. Thanks.

Derek

What was he up to this week?? Anywhere of interest?

Was stuck at my workplace as my lovely Renault key card, which starts up my car, had decided to die on me (nope, not the battery LOL) - I finally had the car towed to the nearest garage (it's still there! GRRR!) and arrived home close to 10 pm!! :mad:

Stephanie

[QUOTE=Iona]What was he up to this week?? Anywhere of interest?

Stephanie[/QUOTE]

While not daring to argue about points or sites Brian Sewell has missed I must say I have enjoyed both parts immensely. I could listen to his wonderful aristocratic tones all day. In fact, I believe he is from a very modest background. He writes a column on paintings and exhibitions most weeks in the London "Evening Standard" and they are a treasure store of wit and erudition.

This week he was to be seen in Cremona, Parma and Bologna. He was very good on food sampling products in a wonderfully old-fashioned delicatessen. He had some fun with rabbits' bottoms and how they were described, and held up for display wonderful and delicate shavings of ham. We were shown a wonderful theatre in an aristocratic house with steeply raked seats and a magnificent auditorium. I cannot remember its name or location, unfortunately.

Excellent television to my mind.

Ivan.

[QUOTE=Ivan]While not daring to argue about points or sites Brian Sewell has missed I must say I have enjoyed both parts immensely. I could listen to his wonderful aristocratic tones all day. In fact, I believe he is from a very modest background. He writes a column on paintings and exhibitions most weeks in the London "Evening Standard" and they are a treasure store of wit and erudition.

This week he was to be seen in Cremona, Parma and Bologna. He was very good on food sampling products in a wonderfully old-fashioned delicatessen. He had some fun with rabbits' bottoms and how they were described, and held up for display wonderful and delicate shavings of ham. We were shown a wonderful theatre in an aristocratic house with steeply raked seats and a magnificent auditorium. I cannot remember its name or location, unfortunately.

Excellent television to my mind.

Ivan.[/QUOTE]

Thank you, Ivan, for your extensive description. It seems that I've lost out on a good episode, especially as I would've liked to have seen Bologna.

Cheers,
Stephanie

I don't really know if anyone's interested in an update on Brian Sewell's travels. This week's episode found him in Florence, having travelled through the snowy Appenines by the road that the young milords would have taken in the eighteenth century.

He waxed lyrical about the genius of Michaelangelo, persuasively arguing that the statue of David was meant to be viewed in the round so you could walk behind it and observe it by the flares of torches. He did not like where it is situated today at the end of a long corridor-like arrangement. He was very dismissive about Vasari and spent much time and enjoyment relating the story of the last of the di Medicis. This decadent aritocrat apparently woke at noon, breakfasted on fruit brought to his bedoom by a donkey bearing panniers of peaches and figs and the like, and entertained himself in the evenings by performances of "ruspomenti" [young, naughty boys!!] around and on his bed. Sewell told us that he hated women and needless to say was the last in the line of this powerful family.

Florence looked ravishing in the wintry sunshine.

Ivan.

[QUOTE=Ivan]Florence looked ravishing in the wintry sunshine.[/QUOTE]
I love his prounouncement that the Ponte Vecchio was now [i]grubby with trinket sellers[/i]
hehehehe, he's an opinionated (ahem) [i]chap [/i] but on that front, he's not wrong!

[FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="3"]Brian Sewell is not my favourite person but my mum loves him and forces me to watch his programmes.I much prefered the Jamie Oliver progs.

I thought that Jamie Oliver made real contact with Italians even when it got a bit cringemaking.He is a bit of a clown and didn't try to dig too deeply into the history and culture of the regions he visited but I felt he really got to the heart of the Italian love affair with food ..more than anyone else I know.

Getting back to The Grand Tour I echo a previous comment about the scenes shot in a Milan clothes shop. It looked like Brian was an old perve spying on 2 good looking guys preening themselves!! Not sure if that was the producer's intention but it had us in stitches!!Not my mum though.

BECKY[/SIZE][/FONT]

[QUOTE=manopello][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="3"]....Getting back to The Grand Tour I echo a previous comment about the scenes shot in a Milan clothes shop. It looked like Brian was an old perve spying on 2 good looking guys preening themselves!! Not sure if that was the producer's intention but it had us in stitches!!Not my mum though.

BECKY[/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE]

LOL I found that too - was watching my partner's face as the camera kept following the ragazzi trying on some strange clothes! :D He just couldn't get over the fact that they spent over 5 minutes showing them with not much historical storytelling to go along...

Missed part of last Tuesday's programme but what I saw I found to be very general.

Stephanie

I keep trying to watch this programme but simply cannot bear this man at any price. He did a previous series about Spain santiago de compostella I believe. I couldn't watch that either shame on both counts as what should be informative and interesting TV is ruined and my god how his voice grates on me. I really have to leave the room. My hubby really enjoys it though!

[FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="3"]If I moved to Italy what would I not miss about Britain?

1. Brian Sewell

he must be THE stereotypical Brit..hope Giovanni never meets him!!!

Becky[/SIZE][/FONT]

Currently watching tonight's programme Siena so far and on to Rome I believe.

Does anyone know how old Brian Sewell is?
For some reason my hubby would like to know.....

Lesley

Hello Lesley,

I did not manage to watch this week's programme, was it enjoyable?

Regarding his age, all I have been able to find out is that he was born in the 1930's!! There is not much info. around about him, and I don't think there are even any biographies? I think he would make very interesting reading.

About his accent, well I myself think that it is absolutely divine, so clear and eloquent. But my hubby thinks he is a stuck-up idiot, or words to that effect!

Take care

Francesca

Ciao tutti,

did anyone manage to watch Brian Sewell last night? Apparently that was the last episode at present, but there are other episodes that are being held back for some reason:confused:

Anyway, he was making his usual comments about the various touristy sites and was trying to draw comparisons on what effect they had on the people then and now. Well when he came to talk about the Coliseum, he made very contemptuous remarks about how the people today, have they really come all this way to see tacky souvenir stalls and men dressed up to look like Romans just lounging around!! He also mentioned the Coliseum being quote "neutered and sanitised". I really had a good chuckle at that.

Whatever people may say about him, he does at least have the guts to say what he thinks, but whether people agree with him is another matter.

At the end of the programme, he managed to find someone to draw his portrait, which he said and again I quote "they make me look like a young Anthony Blunt". Not so sure about the "young" bit though!

I only hope that perhaps in the not too distant future they will show the remaining programmes, as at least then I can see and learn some more about Italian history, which I find quite fascinating.

Francesca

P.S. Just loved the series "Venice" by Francesco Da Mosta.:)