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What happened to NBC's "Ode to Joy" montage?


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I have noticed that NBC does not use Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" anymore for their closing montage. I think they last used it either in 2004 or 2006. Why is this? Is "Ode to Joy" not significant anymore? I though it was pretty moving and fitting piece to end the Olympics coverage. ABC used it during it's coverage of both 1984 Olympics and Calgary 1988.

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NBC hasn't done the "Ode to Joy" montage since Athens. I don't know why--I always thought it was a fitting way to end the Games. Perhaps they thought it was redundant with the montage of images they show during the credits.

I'm also not sure Bob Costas was a fan of the "Ode to Joy" montage. I remember him making a snarky comment about it in Salt Lake City.

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They do still have an intro to the host before the Opening Ceremony broadcast, but it's no longer voiced by John Earl Jones. I believe the last time he was used was for Athens.

They've been great. Though they do seem to be focusing more and more on the athletes than playing up the host, with London being almost entirely about the athletes. Here is Beijing's:

Sydney through Vancouver are all on Youtube.

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JAMES Earl Jones, fellas.

They do still have an intro to the host before the Opening Ceremony broadcast, but it's no longer voiced by John Earl Jones. I believe the last time he was used was for Athens.

They've been great. Though they do seem to be focusing more and more on the athletes than playing up the host, with London being almost entirely about the athletes. Here is Beijing's:

Sydney through Vancouver are all on Youtube.

JAMES Earl Jones, for the record. But yes, 2004 was the last one he did. I think 2000 was the only other one he did for NBC.

The last opening tease he voiced I believe was 2004, and that's the best one NBC has ever aired.. "The Games Come Home." The one he did for Sydney 2000 was pretty good as well.

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JAMES Earl Jones, fellas.

JAMES Earl Jones, for the record. But yes, 2004 was the last one he did. I think 2000 was the only other one he did for NBC.

The last opening tease he voiced I believe was 2004, and that's the best one NBC has ever aired.. "The Games Come Home." The one he did for Sydney 2000 was pretty good as well.

I actually did mean to say James, I must be going crazy, I know he did sydney, which was really good, but I thought he did atlanta and before,, Thanks for the info.... Australian Broadcast intros are less...well grand but clever in their own way, kinda interesting how different countries do it, I dont really like BBC's animated ones.. But it is purely personal taste.

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We may not sound convincing NY but I honestly knew that too, i don;t know why I wrote john... I think I am writing too much in these forums and spending too much time shifting from work to forums at my desk....

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I actually did mean to say James, I must be going crazy, I know he did sydney, which was really good, but I thought he did atlanta and before,, Thanks for the info.... Australian Broadcast intros are less...well grand but clever in their own way, kinda interesting how different countries do it, I dont really like BBC's animated ones.. But it is purely personal taste.

James Earl Jones narrated only the Sydney and Athens intros. Jim McKay and Bob Costas did the 2002 intro, and Andre Braugher did the 2006, 2008, and 2010 intros. I'm not sure who narrated this year's. NBC did not do a narrated intro in 1996--they opened with a montage to Neil Diamond's "America."

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James Earl Jones narrated only the Sydney and Athens intros. Jim McKay and Bob Costas did the 2002 intro, and Andre Braugher did the 2006, 2008, and 2010 intros. I'm not sure who narrated this year's. NBC did not do a narrated intro in 1996--they opened with a montage to Neil Diamond's "America."

Yeah, like i said thought wrongly, maybe its because of the salt lake intro I got confused...

Anyway for something completely different for those who are bored and want to see some different takes on olympic coverage/montages

This was the Australian broadcast opener for athens. It is a bit weird but has decent production value... I think it was less pompy as a contrast to the last summer olympics telecast being very over the top and pompy as it was a host olympics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dHDZvF8OHc&feature=related

Compared to this emotional piece for the end of sydney's olympics:

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While NBC's coverage of the Games can drive me crazy at times, the intro and closing credits are a couple things that they actually do well on.

Andre Braugher did the 2006, 2008, and 2010 intros.

I was wondering for a while now, who did the intros of those Olympics. Never would have figured out it was Braugher, and I used to watch Homicide and Men of a Certain Age. :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

As powerful as Beethoven's piece is, I kinda wonder if it maybe NBC felt it was getting too cliche and repetitious. Ode to Joy seems to not be performed as much anymore at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. They want a more modern and contempary score.

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