The news today is three-fold: Jiang's funeral, Shenzhou astronauts return and usual Russian bombing footage in Ukraine.
-Hu Jintao makes a low key appearance to pay respects to his predecessor Jiang Zemin.
Hu stands between Xi Jinping and Li Zhanshu, bringing to mind the seating chart on the dais of the 20th party congress from which Hu was ejected.
Everyone's following a script here, so it's hard to say what's really happening, but it's news enough just to see Hu in attendance.
Hu Jintao pauses to show respect as he passes the open-coffin of Jiang Zemin
Outside, Hu walks astride Xi, with Jiang's wife, Wang Yeping, in the wheelchair on the other side.
Hu Jintao offers his hand to Jiang's wife and chats for a moment before being nudged on.
When he first greets the wheelchair-bound Wang Yeping, he presses his hands together in a show of respect.
The hand of his "minder" can be seen urging him on.
Hu exchanges words with members of the Jiang family
CCTV FOLLIES 12.06 Great Hall Memorial
-Xi dominates dull proceedings with half-hour rote speech read in slow motion.
-Delegates can be seen looking at watches
-Russia shooting rockets at Ukraine
-Ukraine strikes Russian airfield
-Volcanoes around the world
The Shenzhou 14 crew flies back to Beijing after a successful mission but needs ground assist to get out of plane since they've been in zero-gravity for half a year.
China's space program is on a roll. A new crew, ferried to the Tiangong space station by the Shenzhou 15 capsule atop a Long March rocket, is now in space.
CCTV FOLLIES 12.04 Xi: Constitution is me
-Jiang accolades keep coming in:
-All ethnic groups in Tibet loved Jiang
-Jiang was a precursor to Xi Jinping (Hu, not so much)
-Constitution is the authority and will of the Party
-Russian rockets flare
-Pasta pricey in Italy
Tibet party branch secretary on the passing of Comrade Jiang Zemin...
"We are deeply saddened because we really have deep memories of him."
"Jiang exerted great effort to build a new, modern socialist Tibet"
"We must turn our grief into power to unite and struggle"
(last line sounds like a Xi soundbite)
CCTV FOLLIES 12.03 Gold and silver in the hills...
News mostly fresh out of the can, but some of the images are pretty.
-Nation mourns, Foreigners send condolences
-China is beautiful. It's an environmental wonderland
-Russia pipeline penetrates Yangtze
-Russia makes war
Chinese remember Jiang at home...
Foreign leaders phone it in.
(foreigners not invited to funeral ceremonies)
The authoritative flagship news program devotes the middle section entirely to pretty pictures.
Airing canned news gives a break to tired staffers overworked from covering, and covering up, the news of recent days.
Gloomy mourning rites for Jiang Zemin (10 minutes)
-Things brighten up at a CCP museum exhibit personally inspired by Xi Jinping
(It's like the Wizard of Oz going from B&W to color.)
-Russian update on Ukraine
-US stealing oil
The camera starts with Xi and his wife and then turns its hierarchy-sensitive gaze to the rest of the masked politburo. What? Xi wearing a mask? Outside in the fresh air?
Symbolism.
He's at one with the mourning elite today.
The Nightly News recounts the drama of Jiang Zemin's body being flown into Beijing.
"Jiang was a great Marxist...an outstanding leader of our great cause...an incalculable loss"
"In accordance with China's practice, foreign governments, political parties and friendly personages will not be invited."
Xi Jinping (top of the list, large print) heads the honorary funeral committee. This section includes hundreds of names and goes on for a mind-numbing five minutes.
Fun fact: Hu Jintao ranks 36th in the titular hierarchy.
Sometimes CCTV wows its viewers with spectacular images.