Forget everything else you’ve read about the referendum. This is What we Talk about When we Talk about TV.
There are many great TV events for which we can thank Europe. From the Eurovision to the Euros, I have raised many a pint and glittered many a face in the name of a good European contest. During the early hours of the 24th of June however, the sequined frivolity of those events seemed simultaneously present and doomed. After 12 unopened messages telling me to put on the BBC immediately, the British broadcaster’s coverage of the EU referendum results blasted from my TV. What followed was an addictive and unrelenting odyssey, the likes of I have never seen before, nor, I believe, will I ever see again.
No matter one’s opinion of the result, the genius of the BBC’s coverage of the count as it unfolded was undeniable. It had everything you could want from a TV show; the gripping uncertainty of a swedish crime drama, the messy, live spectacle of the Eurovision Song Contest and the meaningless platitudes of the 2016 Euros commentary. These elements came together in an intense boxing match. In the red corner we had Leave, kitted out in scarlet with the flushed faces of Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage. In the blue corner we had a hesitantly smug David Cameron of Remain nervously wringing his hands with an invisible Jeremy Corbyn who, apparently, does exist despite his continuous absence throughout the footage.
The coverage succeeded in creating the impression that anything could happen at any moment. Comments from some of the UK’s leading figures and experts were cut short by the sudden announcement of unforeseen results that saw the rug ripped from under the audience’s feet. What was certain at 11 had faltered by 12, and if you were ever lead to believe anything, it was most definitely false. The narrative twist that came when, after a repeat reel of Farage conceding defeat, he rose from from the ashes while David Dimbleby reiterated just how wrong we all were to believe Remain would win was an utterly humorous sucker punch. By 3 a.m. all we had to hold onto was the cold and heartless face of Dimbleby; the only constant in our night. I, like countless others, was addicted. I watched like a complete and utter fanatic, awaiting my next fix of results from a constituency I wasn’t even aware existed.
The real reward of the evening’s viewing was the surreal interjections of Jeremy Vine. A radio presenter best known for his brilliantly horrendous Strictly Come Dancing performance seven months ago, Vine was the real star of the night, delivering much needed Basil Fawlty comic relief in the face of chaos. Like a choice psychic, Vine did his very best to make us excited about his predictions, waving his hands in any attempt to be taken seriously. I found solace in Vine’s existential view of the statistics and facts. As he fumbled around in front of what looked like an EDM equaliser, Jeremy Vine tried his best to question what it all means while simultaneously providing an answer.
Twitching uncontrollably after 6 cups of coffee and emotional turmoil, I can declare this the most intense ten hours of live TV I’ve watched in a long time and I loved it. This coverage succeeded in making hefty politics addictive and absolutely hilarious at times. The narrative drive of the EU referendum coverage was simple. Everyone was wrong. The only thing missing was a sassy voice-over from Graham Norton.
Note: Since this article was written, a second Brexit occurred at the Euros 2016. Television continues to document art imitating life. Everyone seems pleased.
