Trainspotting TV Show

[10800]

At least Peter Snow didn't suddenly lapse into 'marginal constituencies' and 'swingometer' whilst gushing over the map of 66 sightings.

[JJGraphics]

Just one word: GROAN!

['CHARD]

Pleased to see Bob Gwynne name-checking the Waverley route at 48 min.

[Porcy Mane]

But in those programmes you've got wildlife and astronomy experts educating the uninformed and broadening the knowledge of those with some understanding. This did neither, probably through poor ideas on what the programme was actually meant to achieve.

 I wonder if the woldlife & astroenemy experts that did't take part in their respective "Live" programmes at the time, were as critical on their forums as the realway "experts" and television production experts are being on this one?

Maybe I shouldn't be commenting as I gave my telly device away years ago. Seems like my time was better spent doing some modelling.

 

P

[jamesg]

There's a chap on the Antiques Roadshow (who's name I can't bring to mind) with railway knowledge. He's written books on the subject and used to live in an old carriage. He would have been a knowledgeable presenter for this kind of programme, not the 'generic' fits everything people they've used.

Paul Atterbury.  He made an excellent programme for BBC Four about ocean liners and appeared on a railway magazine DVD a few years ago at the naming of a locomotive on the Pecorama railway.

[Hroth]

Trainspotting Live could be an interesting subject for a contemporary diorama - a platform end with a Dick Sawbridge type figure being interviewed with a gaggle of "spotters" whilst a class 66 shuttles light engine behind them - Noch and Preiser do suitable figures.......

[AMJ]

I personally thought it was not a good programme and decided to watch just connect instead. Don't think I'll have it on today!

['CHARD]

Class 37s at Carlisle tonight, potential for some extreme Tractor-bashers to get on live TV.  

 

Imagine if this programme had been made at places like Sheffield and Man Vic back on Summer Saturdays in 1984....  and the serious 'personalities' of the bashing era got five minutes airtime!  Peak Army anyone 

[Classsix T]

"Dare tooo in the traenspotin liyve hoose, 'an Peetah's well ticked off beein' caaled Jon..."

 

C6T.

[Bomag]

For those who mention the David Hayman program on Scapa/Jutland afterwards as a contrast to TS live please note that while being much better than others of this type it also simplified and missed out bits which in a way which people have slagged off TS live for doing (e.g. mentioneing the Queen Elizabeths but missing out the impact of the 5th BS at Jutland).

 

However, there were some gastly bits in it. I thought the guy in Scotland was going to be awful, purely based on his aprearence; however, he had a good turn of phrase and obviously knew his subject - a pitty they could not of got WCRC to use the K1 on the second train. He was a lucky sod to get a trip on Rail Mail.

 

In terms of the comments about the maths, grow up and stop referencing the presenter - its a bit of fun. As my mother commented (as a maths teacher and a spotter in the 1930's) the calculation of the ability to read numbers was pointless as it was done in Didcot and failed to take into account the GW fettish for unreadable brass number plates - with both LMS and LNER being much more readable at speed.

[Mallard60022]

Class 37s at Carlisle tonight, potential for some extreme Tractor-bashers to get on live TV.  

 

Imagine if this programme had been made at places like Sheffield and Man Vic back on Summer Saturdays in 1984....  and the serious 'personalities' of the bashing era got five minutes airtime!  Peak Army anyone 

Thank ### that can't happen a some of them were real hooligans.

[bobthesod4479]

Well that protection has now been lost.

Sorry- wrong thread.

Now, we are still bound by the Uman rights of yoooorup. God i am sounding like a trainspotter.. BUT if we dared to write to them pointing out the mountain of crap and inaccuracies, they would say that we are being anal and nerdy. Well FFS get the research done beforehand by people who know what they are talking about and dont show nasal nutters.

[JohnR]

 

What this is, is a Springwatch or Stargazing Live type of programme; but centred on railways. It seemed a bit manic, and being live there are bound to be errors in handovers and timings (try standing in front of a camera yourself and ad-libbing on railways for 3 minutes without errors, deviation, or talking nonsense - it's a very skilled art; believe me I have tried it with the weather, and I was a trained, experienced forecaster at the time).

 

 

 

Except its not  like either of those programes at all, other than being about a particular subject and being "Live". As I said earlier, those programs use presenters who ARE knowledgable, and still bring in experts. They explain things properly, and certainly dont have what came across as fake enthusiasm.

 

When I watch an epsiode of Springwatch or Stargazing Live, I come away having learnt something as well as being entertained. I didnt learn anything last night.

[Coppercap]

I personally thought it was not a good programme and decided to watch just connect instead.

Or even Only Connect on BBC2 instead...

[S&DWatty]

"Starbakegazeoffspringtalent on ice live" anyone.......

[60159]

Except its not  like either of those programes at all, other than being about a particular subject and being "Live". As I said earlier, those programs use presenters who ARE knowledgable, and still bring in experts. They explain things properly, and certainly dont have what came across as fake enthusiasm.

 

When I watch an epsiode of Springwatch or Stargazing Live, I come away having learnt something as well as being entertained. I didnt learn anything last night.

 

 

Absolutely correct except you did learn how totally awful the result can be if you really have no idea about your subject matter and how faux enthusiasm and prattling makes it worse. 

[Steamport Southport]

I think some of you have missed the point. It's not meant to be a serious documentary and you can't compare it to one either. If they wanted to make a serious documentary then they would have made one.

 

The BBC has made or commissioned dozens of documentaries about railways over the past few years. Most of which are still available on channels such as Yesterday or on the BBC website. This includes programmes on such diverse subjects as Flying Scotsman, named trains, preservation, APTs, Inter City (This Is The Age Of The Train, including Jimmy Saville footage that is probably now banned), Dr Beeching, diesel engines, model railways, etc..

 

Comparing it to a documentary about WW1 (which has been shown plenty of times previously) is like comparing Springwatch or The Really Wild Show to Life On Earth. They are totally different styles of programme aimed at different audiences.

 

If you are expecting to learn something, then I think you are looking at the wrong programme. It's not aimed at "experts" it's aimed at the public. If it gets ONE person interested in railways then it's been a success IMO.

 

 

Jason

[Revolution Ben]

 

Hello all,

 

Watched this on I-player just now. I think some of the judgements on here are a little harsh, however without question it can be improved.

 

I suspect that RM Web members are not the primary target audience for this show, and while the show is a little dumb for the "experts" reaction on Twitter and elsewhere has been generally favourable among those who don't know, for example, that she got blue GWR loco wrong. I couldn't read it on screen, and certainly wouldn't know she'd misread it.

 

I also think that people need to consider the practicalities of what the programme makers were trying to achieve, and how these impacted on the coverage.

 

Most active rail locations do not lend themselves to live outside broadcasts. So Peter Snow was stuck on a preserved platform at Didcot with zero trains visible to him. They probably would have preferred to have the "main" anchor position at Doncaster but this would have been impossible.

 

As others have mentioned, there was a paucity of picture. I am sure they would have loved to have drones feeding back images from the main lines at Didcot, or following the Black 5 loco as it approached Tim at his live position, but this would have breached CAA regulations I suspect. They did their best to get decent footage but as has been noted, the locations were not wonderful.

 

I did think that they got quite a lot right. It was exciting waiting, with Tim Dunn, for the Black Five which we all knew was just round the corner. It was great that they got the new green 66, and well done for highlighting the Colas 56 too.

 

And the poem set to the Scotsman footage at the end was fantastic.

 

Having said that, I also think the balance of the show could be tweaked.

 

* The filmed sequences were interesting and well done. There should have been more or longer recorded inserts, and fewer or shorter live links.

 

* The presenters, guests and live sequences looked a little unrehearsed. Live television, to work, usually needs lots and lots of rehearsals, trials and run-throughs. That helps establish what camera angles work, what guests work, what the tone should be. There was a lot of talking over each other, or at crossed purposes, suggesting that this part of the process was not as thorough as it might have been.

 

Nonetheless, I would view this as a good start, with potential to become more polished and better balanced. What would I do?

 

1). An autocue on location would help. Some of the presentation felt a little repetitive, and could've been tightened up with a little sub-editing. More facts, less waffle, but still engaging.

 

2). As others have said, they should do more to reflect on the success of the railways. The mention of the Borders line in Scotland was welcome, but should've had a short filmed sequence to go with it. When a freight train goes by we should be pointing out how many lorries it takes off the roads.

 

3) When they saw the 56 at Doncster I feel they should have had more information on hand to explain this history of these locos, their roles, and why they'd would excite the average enthusiast more than, say, another 66.

 

Cheers

 

Ben A.

[Mallard60022]

OK I've just watched the rest of the thing and I am going to retract some of my earlier comments. Some of you are looking at this through experienced enthusiasts' eyes and also being far too critical of an 'unusual' experiment in 'live' TV.

I actually found lots of things interesting but I must agree that certain parts of the  presentation were not very sharp.

Let's say this, some time ago I would never have imagined a TV 'series' such as this being broadcast on anything other than some obscure Freeview Channel so we should be grateful even if we do see glaring errors here and there. 

As for 'nasal nutters'. Is there any need for that sort of comment on a thread on RM Web? Maybe choose your words a little more carefully before pressing 'Post'.

Phil 

[multivac]

With the opportunity of Bob Gwynne, curator at the National Railway Museum, on live TV I hope someone asks why millions were spent on restoring "Flying Scotsman"?    Why the APT-E was left to rot outside in the yard?  Why Deltic 2 had to be put together again by a group of volunteers (excellent job)? Same again for the last LMS emu. My point is if no chimney no money.

 

Hopefully DRS will put on a mini 37 gala tonight and cheer me up!

[chrisf]

I wonder if the scattergun approach was a bit too ambitious.  Imagine: "Hey, guys, we have three hours to fill but don't dwell on anything for more than a few minutes as our target audience is composed mostly of goldfish".

 

Tim Dunn, the guy in Scotland and on MailRail, reminded me of Scott in Hollyoaks which most RMweb inmates [not me, obviously] are too intelligent to watch.

 

I'm not sure yet if the series counts as 'so bad it's funny' but I will be watching episodes 2 and 3.  Dr Hannah's take on timetables could be interesting ...

 

Chris

[Porcy Mane]

Let's say this, some time ago I would never have imagined a TV 'series' such as this being broadcast on anything other than some obscure Freeview Channel so we should be grateful even if we do see glaring errors here and there. 

I think your spot on with that comment .

That's one of the advantages of the Television Licence fee. It allows the BBC to broadcast as opposed to making narrowcast programmes that constantly need high viewing figures to satisfy advertisers and other funders.

I'm talking more generally (TV and radio) here but that's why we see the BBC able to make & commission programmes aimed specifically at highly specialist areas and minority groups.

The BBC should be applauded for doing this.

P

 

edited to add "& commission".

[coachmann]

I am sure many folk on here have come across very poorly scripted nerdy number crunching woolly hat style narration on railway videos, and these are actually aimed at the enthusiast market! Expecting television to be good is naive. It is in the entertainment business and it doesn't even have to try hard with it's discerning ~ not core audience. There is only one person that can play television at its own game and make railways look interesting, and that is Pete Waterman.

[Porcy Mane]

 There is only one person that can play television at its own game and make railways look interesting, and that is Pete Waterman.

 He should be so lucky!  (Thought I'd get in first)

 

P

[Nimbus]

I  think this program will do little to discourage the general populations view on train spotters. The faux enthusiasm from Peter Snow , that guy at Doncaster.......what a pain. And what's this mathematical equation crap ..........maybe to give an air of seriousness to the show......err I don't think so. And they say the BBC isn't dumbed down. Sorry this is it at it's most dumb! 

 

And consider that this went out at mid-evening adult viewing time. Consider also, 'Railway Roundabout' went out at tea-time for children, but was altogether more adult in approach. I doubt DVD's of the current show's content will be selling in a half-century's time!

 

The Nim.