he's said to have suffered some injuries, but remains conscious. just before we go, let's turn our attention back to what is the big event in the region here today — that is the official opening ceremony of the beijing winter olympics. they are, of course, years in the making. so how does it all come together, and how will covid shape the way events are managed? ric birch has directed and produced five different olympic opening ceremonies, including beijing in 2008. i asked him how he thought this ceremony would pan out. well, you can't make any changes to the show for politics, or it would be impossible to do it. you have to think in terms of creativity and cultural icons of the society that you're working in. in the introduction, i heard about having a hand—picked audience of party