Stayed up to watch it all - and most of it confused the hell out of me, despite the Eurosport commentary in English with what appeared to be a detailed script of the supplied explanations!
The beginning was just pure Lark Rise To Candleford swiftly followed, after the country yokels had cleared all their own stuff away,
by a bit of Clockwork Orange.
Don't remember precisely how it all morphed after that but think there was some concoction of 2.4 Children, My Family and West Side Story in there somewhere
while James Bond and the Queen, Beckham piloting a CGI powerboat as Bond II and Mr Bean/Johnny English just proved that Danny Boyle put it all together with tongue placed firmly in cheek.
All in all, though, it was thoroughly enjoyable and was British comedy/drama to a tee - shades of Morecambe & Wise and the Two Ronnies everywhere ....... Mark Easton's quote this morning on the BBC News page sums it up nicely:
"If our guests are left thinking GB is contemplative & daft, self-deprecating & clever, respectful & subversive; the ceremony did its job"
The never-ending parade of teams really does need to be re-thought (just too long-winded) but the arrival of Poland's and Russia's flag carriers were both worth the wait
and the building of the 'cauldron' out of hundreds of chamber pots was superb.
If I had one quibble it would be to ask was it really necessary to parade a very frail looking old man at the end who would have been better off at home wrapped up in his armchair with a cup of cocoa - and the same goes for Muhammad Ali.