Talent shows come and go, usually peaking and the drifting into slow decline. X factor is the perfect example, however BGT is still alive and well. The first episode of the new series began last night with judges Bruno Tonioli, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and of course Simon Cowell watching on as a variety of acts tried to impress them and live audience. The ultimate prize of course is a whopping £250,000 and a spot on the Royal Variety Performance later in the year.
One of the reasons why this show remains popular is that it is heart-warming and down to earth, while never descending into freakshow cruelty that other reality shows fall victim too. New variety acts are a must but it is also fun to see performers come back to the show and try and do better than in previous years.
The opening episode started spectacularly with a wide range of different acts ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous, including 2 Golden Buzzers awarded to singer Sydney Christmas and Taekwondo acrobats Ssaulabi, who now advance automatically into the live shows.
Other acts that I thought were really impressive were impressionist Mike Woodhouse and the dancing dog tribute. An awful comic wearing a fish head was unintentionally funny, but the judges and crowd were laughing with him not at him. This is the aspect of the show that helps it rise above the others as everyone, including the terrible performers are in on the joke.
Ant and Dec continue to host, bringing warmth and fun to the proceedings while never taking everything too seriously.
BGT is still the same but sometimes that is a good thing. The acts offer the variety although the show has been tweaked to adapt to the times and that is why it remains hugely entertaining and doesn’t look like slowing down anytime soon.
Watch this space for more on this audience favourite.