There's a lot to love about the London opening ceremonies. From the acknowledgement of industrial labor to the Queen parachuting in with James Bond (what a sport!), from Kenneth Branagh performing lines from the Tempest to the terminally shy J.K. Rowling's intro (again, what a sport!), from the 100 ft. high Voldemort (awesome!) to the parachuting in Mary Poppins', from the celebration of the NHS (yes!) and children's stories to Rowan Atkinson's hilarious Chariots of Fire routine (which my kids adored) -- it was so charming.
Fascinating how amateur the performances are -- thousands of volunteer laborers in the early sequence, and those were real doctors and nurses dancing in the NHS routine. And that child singing -- what a voice! Amateur excellence, perfect for the Olympics, and an interesting counterpoint to the Chinese virtuoso brilliance in their opening ceremonies.
I will save my critique (and there is some) for a crankier moment. :-)
and just to get you even more cranky I understand that the american network coverage did not include the contemporary dance segment in tribute victims of terrorism choreographed by bangladeshi/uk choreographer Akram Khan!