The New Statesman's behind the scenes glance at what is happening in the arts world
After the controversial decision to abolish the current-affairs award, another row is brewing, about the film Baftas. In the past, decisions about prizes such as Best Director were the preserve of the organisation's 6,000-strong membership. But the Bafta academy has now set up cabals of specialists to nominate preferred choices and put asterisks on voting forms - in effect pushing members to follow the "expert" view. As one Bafta-ite says: "Bafta's democracy is changing, with some votes becoming more equal than others."
Roger Michell's latest film - Venus, about two luvvies (Peter O'Toole and Leslie Phillips, pictured below) and one's desire for a young beauty - has some great in-gags, such as when the pair discuss a production of Hamlet where Ophelia wore a kilt. "Bloody Peter Hall," snorts Phillips.
I hear that BBC4 is planning a biopic of the great British music-hall comedian Max Miller - with Michael Barrymore the name in the frame to come back from disgrace and play the master of the double entendre, who died in 1963.
Not enjoying Celebrity Big Brother? It could have been so different. Names the makers wanted but failed to get include Robert Kilroy-Silk, Su Pollard . . . and O J Simpson.
Has playing a Labour MP in BBC2's brilliant drama Party Animals (advised by this mag's very own John Kampfner and Martin Bright) inspired Raquel Cassidy? The actress tells me she's taking a break to travel to India and put her degree in anthropology to good use with some "development work".
Rumour has it that Victor Lewis-Smith has a video of himself imitating Stephen Hawking and conning the late Diana, Princess of Wales into an interview. Channel 4 is apparently consid ering broadcasting it.
bendowell@ btinternet.com
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