Global Beauties' Miss World Telecast Review (Part 2)
The 67th edition of Miss World concluded on November 18th at the Sanya City Arena with the crowning of Manushi Chhillar from India as the 2017 title holder. Global Beauties' Andre Sleigh was there and over the coming days he will share his experiences about what happened behind the scenes during his time at the competition. First up, though, is his review of the telecast:
SIGNS OF REJUVENATION -
YET FACING AN IDENTITY CRISIS
And then it was time for the 2 hour final show to start. It was actually only at this point that most broadcasters started picking up the show.
OPENING NUMBER
Now this is the way to start a show! Who said Miss World can't be sexy? Compared to last year's opening number, which I found quite tacky, this year's had the energy, drama and sexiness but it also looked glamorous. I loved the song, loved the choreography and I loved the fact that the girls were the main attraction. Sadly, after this the excitement pretty much stopped and the contest shifted back to more 'traditional Miss World mode'. It was a great improvement for Miss World though and if they are reading this: We want more, more, more! This is what you should be doing!
MAIN SHOW HOSTS
Megan Young: I just absolutely adore Megan. She is the quintessential Miss World and she is a great host because she is gorgeous and her personality shines through on stage. I could watch her for hours and she is beautiful person inside and out.
Angela Chow: She's back! Now I know that fans got tired of seeing Angela in the early late 2000s but I love her energy. She's always a professional and her effervescent personality just translates well. She's got per-so-na-lit-TAY!
Fernando Allende: Well, I get that they are trying to attract the Latin market too, so I get this decision. But I am not quite sure if he is still that popular? There must be some new up and coming stars that can be brought in to cater for younger, newer markets. Longevity, Miss World... longevity!!!
INTRODUCTION OF THE FAST TRACK WINNERS
Here I thought that Miss World proved that they (sometimes) listen to their fans. The VTs felt shorter and that is great, because no one wants to see endless video inserts. We want to see all the live action on stage. Once the video finished, it would have been nice to get a glimpse of the four girls on stage. They obviously worked hard for this!
HEAD TO HEAD CHALLENGES
I absolutely love the Head to Head Challenges and I strongly believe it is a great and innovative addition to the Miss World contest. Yes, they obviously ran out out of time and the final 8 episodes were jammed into the final week of the contest, but I do appreciate and understand the massive undertaking that this was. And they did it. See it as a learning curve, Miss World. Please don't get rid of it. This insert was well-produced but it went on just a bit too long.
SIDE NOTE: How fair is this voting? I am not sure if the voting system that was used worked? I think some girls had unfair advantages. Back to the drawing board in this regard, I'd say.
TOP 40 ANNOUNCEMENT
It's a real shame that the Head to Head challenge winners and the fast-track winners didn't get much exposure. I am sure that the plan in rehearsals was to announce the girls one by one, but it probably got cut due to time constraints. Idea: At the very least, "Head to Head Challenge Winner/Top 40" could have been flashed during each girl's introduction. The same goes for the other four already announced - "Talent Winner/Top 40". So only the 16 judges' choices got some exposure but even that was rushed. It was as if they were instructed to run to the front before the judges changed their minds. It was actually entertaining in a strange way.
MUSICAL ACT: ZiZi
What was the purpose of this act? The show could have done without this and the time could have been used much better. We want to see a Miss World COMPETITION! It pained me to see the beautiful stage empty at this time - I think it was "dead time". My suggestions: This act could have served as a way to introduce the 24 girls already selected at this point by allowing the 20 Head to Head Challenge winners and the four fast-track winners to walk out or stage. Alternatively, Zizi's performance could have been moved to later in the show and have the top 15 walk out in evening gowns. Then you get the music and you get the girls.
PRE-PAGEANT ACTIVITIES VIDEO
I want to take a moment to say that the pre-pageant activities shows how much money went into ensure that this was a month long festival! It is clear that the girls got a fantastic experience of a lifetime, so the New Silk Road group should be praised for this. Having it in China - well, I still think that is every director, family and fan's nightmare because everything is so disorganised.
BEAUTY WITH A PURPOSE
This segment should not go anywhere. Like they said, it is the heart and soul of the Miss World. It is everything Miss World stands for and fact is that it is what makes Miss World relevant. The world needs to know about this and the ripple effect it creates. Miss World is more than just a beauty competition.
TO BE CONTINUED...