2000 Today is an internationally broadcast television special that was aired to commemorate the beginning of the Year 2000. This programme included New Year's Eve celebrations, musical performances, and other features from participating nations.
Most international broadcasts such as the Olympic Games coverage originate from a limited area for worldwide distribution. 2000 Today was rare in that its live and taped programming originated from member countries and represented all continents.
Development 2000 Today was conceived as part of the Millennium celebrations, given the numerical significance of the change from 1999 to 2000. 2000 Today was commissioned by the BBC as one of the five main millennium projects that were broadcast across TV, radio and online services throughout 1999 and 2000.
Most nations that observe the Islamic calendar were not involved in 2000 Today. However, a few predominantly Muslim nations were represented among the programme's worldwide broadcasters such as Egypt (ERTU) and Indonesia (RCTI). Africa was minimally represented in 2000 Today. The only participating nations from that continent were Egypt and South Africa. Portugal-based RTP África distributed the programme to some African nations.
Antarctica was mentioned on the programme schedule, although it was unclear if 2000 Today coverage was recorded or live.
Production The programme was produced and televised by an international consortium of 60 broadcasters, headed by the BBC in the United Kingdom and WGBH in Boston, United States. The editorial board also included representatives from ABC (Australia), CBC (Canada), CCTV (China), ETC (Egypt), RTL (Germany), SABC (South Africa), TF1 (France), TV Asahi (Japan), TV Globo (Brazil) and ABC (USA). The BBC provided the production hub for receiving and distributing the 78 international satellite feeds required for this broadcast. The idents for the programme were designed in the UK by Lambie-Nairn and the BBC for use by all the participating broadcasters taking part in the event. The linking theme throughout all the idents and promotions was a distinctively shaped stone engraved with the year 2000. The themes were: desert, fire, ice, lasers and water; plus a special BBC News ident.
Up to 5,000 staff worked on 2000 Today, 1,500 of them in BBC Television Centre in West London, where all eight television studios were used during the 28-hour broadcast. Each participant financed and produced its own contributions and shared the core costs proportionately to its size and wealth. It is estimated to have cost $6 million to produce and broadcast. At the time, technicians at Radio-Canada were on strike. Transmissions were seen as scheduled, but using only the main feed from the BBC, with a French voice-over. Also, as a consequence, 2000 footage from Canada was scarce on SRC's presentation, while footage from Quebec was not available at all worldwide (though the CBC did manage to get the only Quebec coverage on their own network—a video shot of midnight fireworks in Hull, Quebec, shot from Ottawa, Ontario).
2000 Today was nominated for "Best Visual Effects and Graphic Design" at the 2000 British Academy Television Craft Awards.
Programme timeline
2000 Today's core international broadcast was 28 hours long, following the beginning of the New Year 2000 across the world's time zones. The programme was tailored by individual broadcasters to provide local content and hosts. There was no in-vision commentary or studio used for the Estonian broadcast and was aired on TV3 without commentary between midnight and 6:00 UTC.
The broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom started on 31 December 1999 at 09:15 UTC. 2000 Today started its international feed at 09:40 UTC, with the Kiribati Line Islands celebrating the arrival of 2000 at 10:00 UTC.
The Australian celebrations are held all across the country with the most notable one being the midnight fireworks in Sydney (13:00 UTC) and is televised on ABC.
Most of Europe celebrated midnight at 23:00 UTC. Broadcasting celebrations from many countries under Central European Time posed a particularly complex broadcast challenge. 2000 Today chose to rapidly air each nation's midnight observances in succession, using tape delays in most cases. This hour of the broadcast included a blessing by Pope John Paul II from Vatican City and the pyrotechnic display of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
The celebrations in London (00:00 UTC) included the opening of the Millennium Dome and the London Eye, the chimes of Big Ben, and the fireworks display (known as the “River of Fire”). The BBC was there to cover the festivities from all across the country.
The celebrations in Ushuaia (03:00 UTC) features a tango performance by Julio Bocca and Eleonora Cassano. Argentine broadcaster Canal 13 covered the festivities from all across the country.
For the Eastern Time Zone (05:00 UTC), 2000 Today chose to air each country’s observance of the celebrations with the most notable one being the famous “Ball Drop” in Times Square, New York. American broadcaster ABC covered the festivities with Peter Jennings & Dick Clark and as the ball drops, it shows a crowd of two million spectators who are counting down to midnight.
2000 Today's international feed finished shortly after midnight celebrations were broadcast from Samoa on 1 January 2000 at 11:00 UTC. BBC One in the United Kingdom continued to broadcast with national features until 13:30. Later the same evening, it aired a two-hour highlights programme, The Best of 2000 Today.
Personalities
National hosts
Argentina (Canal 13 – El Día del Milenio) Mónica Cahen D'Anvers and César Mascetti (presenters of Telenoche) Marley Julián Weich Pancho Ibañez Luís Otero Santo Biasatti Guillermo Andino Mercedes Sosa and Alejandro Lerner Lito Vitale Coro de Buenos Aires Julio Bocca and Eleonora Cassano Australia (ABC Australia) George Negus Maxine McKew Deborah Kennedy Mike Bailey Andrea Stretton Caroline Baum John Lombard Jennifer Byrne James O'Loghlin Daniel Marsden Peter Thompson Kathy Bowlen Ken Radley Nicholas Opolski Mary-Ann Henshaw Taylor Owynns Jeremy Scrivener Shane McNamara Brazil (Rede Record) Boris Casoy Eliana José Luiz Datena Eleonora Paschoal Virgínia Nowicki Dalton Vigh Fábio Jr Raul Gil (BAND) Otaviano Costa Márcia Peltier Fernando Vannucci Susana Alves Marcos Hummel Luciano do Valle Silvia Poppovic Canada (CBC – CBC 2000 Today) (CBC) Peter Mansbridge (primary host, most hours) Laurie Brown (00:00–08:00 UTC, with Mansbridge) Alison Smith (13:00–18:00 UTC) (Radio-Canada) French voice-over Chile (TVN) Jennifer Warner Mauricio Bustamante Jorge Hevia Margot Kahl Karen Doggenweiler Felipe Camiroaga Pedro Carcuro Rafael Araneda Andrea Molina China (CCTV) Bai Yansong Shui Junyi Zhao Zhongxiang Ni Ping Zhu Jun Colombia (RCN Televisión) Claudia Gurisatti William Calderón Iñaki Berrueta Czech Republic (Czech Television)
Marek Beneš Vladimír Jiránek Karel Gott Břetislav Pojar Pavel Koutský Jiří Lábus Ota Jirák Václav Postránecký Petr Haničinec Petr Skoumal Jiřina Bohdalová Blanka Bohdanová Jiri Salamoun Karel Cernoch Martin Klásek Jan Balej Karel Fiala Zdenek Miler Alena Munkova Jiri Munk Robert Hájek Kristýna Květová Petr Narozny Josef Dvorak Jiri Barta Marek Eben Ludek Sobota Ludek Munzar Bolek Polivka Waldemar Matuska Martin Dejdar Iveta Bartosova Jiri Suchy Josef Mlady Petr Jablonsky Ilona Csakova Jan Nedved Jaroslav Uhlir Jaroslav Sveceny Hana Zagorova Petr Bobek Eva Pilarova Jitka Molavcova Ivan Mladek Josef Alois Náhlovský Jiří Korn Petr Vacek Lucie Vondráčková Boris Hybner Karel Zich Josef Laufer Lenka Plackova Petr Vitek Zdenek Smetana Emil Viklicky Jaromír Jágr Jaromír Gal Estonia (TV3) Ene Veiksaar (9:40–12:00 UTC) Lauri Hussar (9:40–12:00 UTC) Jüri Aarma (12:00–15:00 UTC) Priit Aimla (12:00–15:00 UTC) Rein Lang (15:00–18:00 UTC) Kiur Aarma (15:00–18:00 UTC) Harri Tiido (18:00–21:00 UTC) Vello Rand (18:00–21:00 UTC) Mart Luik (21:00–00:00 UTC) Märt Treier (06:00–09:00 UTC) Kätlin Kontor (06:00–09:00 UTC) Enn Eesmaa (09:00–11:00 UTC) Finland (YLE) Katariina Lillqvist France (TF1 – Le Millénium) Jean-Claude Narcy Valérie Benaïm Christophe Dechavanne Carole Rousseau Jean-Pierre Pernaut Évelyne Dhéliat Claire Chazal Patrick Poivre d'Arvor Charles Villeneuve Germany (RTL Television) Peter Kloeppel Antonia Rados Bernd Fuchs Heiner Bremer Michael Karr Birgit von Bentzel Iceland Sigrún Eldjárn Þórarin Eldjárn Þórhildur Þorleifsdóttir Ireland (RTÉ One – Millennium Eve: Celebrate 2000) Miriam O'Callaghan Mark Little Geri Maye Pat Kenny Liz Bonnin Joe Duffy Israel (Keshet 2) Miki Haimovich Ya'akov Eilon Italy (RAI – Millennium – La notte del 2000) Bruno Pizzul Monica Maggioni Carlo Conti Gigi Proietti Valeria Marini Clarissa Burt Japan (TV Asahi) Various participants South Korea (MBC) Sohn Suk-hee Shim Hye-jin Lebanon Azar Habib Mexico (Televisa) Ernesto Laguardia Mayra Saucedo Marco Antonio Regil Guilliermo Ochoa Guilliermo Ortega Lolita Ayala (Once TV) Adriana Perez Cañedo Jose Angel Dominguez Sergio Uzeta Christina Pacheco Rocío Brauer Lilia Silvia Hernandez Netherlands (NOS – Hallo 2000) Maartje van Weegen Philip Freriks Aldith Hunkar Mart Smeets Philippines (GMA Network – GMA Ayala Millennium Party) Mike Enriquez Jessica Soho Mel Tiangco Jay Sonza German Moreno Angelique Lazo Vicky Morales Paolo Bediones Karen Davila Tito Sotto Arnold Clavio Danilo "Mang Totong" Federez (puppeteer of Arn-arn) Mickey Ferriols Miriam Quiambao Ryan Agoncillo KC Montero Suzi Entrata Kara David Bernadette Sembrano Luchi Cruz-Valdes Ninna Castro Lyn Ching Margaux Salcedo Arnell Ignacio Susan Enriquez Tisha Silang Antoinette Taus Francis Magalona Dingdong Dantes Martin Andanar Butch Francisco Vic Sotto Joey de Leon Cacai Velasquez Janno Gibbs The Eraserheads Jaya Michael V. Side A Verni Varga Lolit Solis Rudy Fernandez Bobby Nalzaro Tek Ocampo Noly Calvo Jeja Rose Pornan-Simeon Orly Mercado Connie Angeles Susan Valdez Mildred Ortega Gina de Venecia Rose Clores Nonoy Zuñiga Jimmy Santos Jose Mari Chan Dolphy Poland (TVP2) Halina Filek-Marszalek Portugal (RTP2) José Rodrigues dos Santos Manuela Moura Guedes Singapore Fann Wong Tanya Chua Elsa Lin Slovakia (Jednotka) Julius Pantik Marián Slovák Marián Labuda Spain (Televisión Española) Jesús Álvarez Cervantes Alfredo Urdaci Helena Resano Ramón García Anne Igartiburu Nuria Roca Ukraine Vlad Ryashyn (Inter) Svitlana Leontyeva (Inter) Yuriy Makarov (1+1) United Kingdom (BBC One) David Dimbleby Michael Parkinson Michael Buerk Peter Sissons Peter Snow Philippa Forrester Jamie Theakston Gaby Roslin Huw Edwards Shauna Lowry Tim Vincent Siân Lloyd Noel Thompson Kate Thornton Fergal Keane Tony Robinson Jackie Bird Kirsty Wark Sian Williams John Kettley Dale Winton Steve Wilson Emma Ledden Katy Hill Alan Dedicoat United States (ABC – ABC 2000 Today) Peter Jennings Barbara Walters Diane Sawyer Charles Gibson Elizabeth Vargas Jack Ford Sam Donaldson Connie Chung Cokie Roberts Deborah Roberts Carole Simpson Morton Dean Dick Clark Frank Langella Jimmy Hart Richard Edson (PBS) Various participants (Univisión - ¡Feliz 2000!) Various participants Vietnam (VTV – Chào năm 2000) Nguyễn Thanh Lâm Thu Uyên (HTV – Thế giới chào đón năm 2000) Mạnh Linh Nguyệt Sa Lê Hưng Ngô Hồng Bửu Điền Đoan Thục
Music performers Musical artists were part of the 2000 Today broadcast, including:
Africa Jean Michel Jarre – Giza pyramid complex, Egypt Asia Maki Ohguro – Nara, Japan Hikaru Utada – Tokyo, Japan Ketsumeishi – Tokyo, Japan Seikima-II – Tokyo, Japan Regine Velasquez – Makati, Philippines Europe Europe – Stockholm, Sweden ABBA – Stockholm, Sweden