RMweb Premium QWILPEN Posted December 3, 2009 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 3, 2009 just found that a new series ( of 4 ) great railway journeys is comming soon more detail here bbc press release steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckymucklebackit Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 just found that a new series ( of 4 ) great railway journeys is comming soon more detail here bbc press release steve Monday 4 to Friday 8 January, 6.30-7.00pm BBC TWO Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium QWILPEN Posted December 10, 2009 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted December 10, 2009 Monday 4 to Friday 8 January, 6.30-7.00pm BBC TWO Jim thanks for the update. steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
invercloy Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 Just read two words that have put me off... Michael Portillo! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike at C&M Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 I will reserve judgement on the fact that it is Michael Portillo presenting, although I usually don't like politicians presenting general documentaries. However, credit where credit is due. Portillo did a previous railway journey through Spain, where several of his family had been involved in the Spanish Civil War, and I found it to be amongst the very best of the programmes done to date. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Reid Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 Just read two words that have put me off... Michael Portillo! Having had a dislike of anything Tory born even before that woman (Hammer of Scots II - the squeal) I have to say since leaving politics my opinion of anything Michael Portillo has certainly improved. He's a good presenter of factual work and certainly comes across far better once he realised that politics wasn't all it was cut out to be. Off the same block as Clarkson when it comes to presenting documentary work that wasn't the thing that brought them into the public light in the first place. Then again they could have given us Julia Bradbury Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 I totally agree with Bob about Portillo's credentials since leaving politics, whenever Ive seen him on TV he's been informative, knowledgable and an accomplished presenter. Perhaps the Tory party shafting him like they did opened his eyes a little bit - either way I look forward to it. What does put me totally off it though was the words in the pre release blurb "talks to railway expert Christian Wolmar" Ohh dear. As they say about that word's two syllables, "x" being the unknown factor, and "spurt" - a drip under pressure. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Max Stafford Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 Looking forward to episode 5, Carmyle to Gartcosh... Agreed about old Portaloo - vastly improved character since finding an honest occupation! :icon_thumbsup2: Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Reid Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 Looking forward to episode 5, Carmyle to Gartcosh... ...... That's the pilot episode............... or was that Carmylie? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrestburyJack Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 I wasn't very impressed with last night's episode...........very little about railways (although perhaps that is a reflection on railways today rather than the programme itself?) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Moxy Posted January 5, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 5, 2010 Just watched today's episode, which was based around Manchester. I found it interesting, particularly the bit about Bradshaws, however there is one thing that annoyed me - Portillo was seen (several times) to get on a 142 Pacer, then it cut to the ariel view of 'train running through the landscape,' which was always a 3 car 158! Grrr! Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Savoyard Posted January 7, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 7, 2010 Portillo was seen (several times) to get on a 142 Pacer, then it cut to the ariel view of 'train running through the landscape,' which was always a 3 car 158! Grrr! And when he was on what looks like a 158 at the beginning you get an aerial view of a 142 Pacer! He supposedly travels to Denton by train, but I am quite certain that this station is only served by one train a day in one direction only on the Stockport to Ashton service! The nearest he can get is either Guide Bridge or Hyde, but they show a shot of Denton Station as if he made a direct connection! They then show shots of Denton and he suddenly appears at Failsworth Hats in FAILSWORTH, 7 miles away, with no mention he has left Denton! He then gets a train back supposedly from Denton! Why he couldn't have got a real train to Failsworth Staion on the Oldham Loop line which was still open when they made the film this summer! When he mentions he is going to go from Denton to Bury, he gets a train back in to Manchester and then goes on a train to Castleton which is 7 miles from Bury and he goes no where near Bury! They make some stupid comment on being near the hills around Bury but the nearest town is Rochdale! He could have gone on Metrolink directly to Bury but this wouldn't have been a Great Railway journey I suppose. I enjoyed the programme, especially as it was about my local area, but I get so annoyed how television programs treat us as idiots with contrived television bending the facts to fit the program! What I don't understand is that he was seen filming in Buxton in the summer for this series but his planned journey doesn't include Buxton, perhaps when he is in Scarborough he will magically appear in Buxton as they are both Spa towns and what is a 120 mile difference when you want good television! Regards, Peter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckymucklebackit Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 This programme is a great advert for Sky+, I set the box up to record the series and watched the highlights of the first three episodes in about 20 minutes. When you do it this way you really see the amount of "padding out" there is in these programmes, each episode starts out with a summary of what you are about to watch and ends with a summary of the next episode, which when you watch the next episode is the summary of what you are about to watch, talk about repetition. So far I have not been impressed in the least, Portillo has no personality and very little empathy with the people he is interviewing. Railway content is almost just window dressing. Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve K Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 I enjoyed the programme, especially as it was about my local area, but I get so annoyed how television programs treat us as idiots with contrived television bending the facts to fit the program! Do you really think they "bend the facts" to upset you, or could it be that, if they showed every step on his journey, and explained every time they pictured a train that he wasn't on, the programme would be 2 hours longer, and no more informative? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Claude_Dreyfus Posted January 7, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 7, 2010 Do you really think they "bend the facts" to upset you, or could it be that, if they showed every step on his journey, and explained every time they pictured a train that he wasn't on, the programme would be 2 hours longer, and no more informative? In fairness, that's not unusual... I remember in the first series of Great Railway Journeys of the World, Michael Palin managed to take in the Rainhill celebrations, a railtour from Manchester to York behind Flying Scotsman, the Edinburgh festival and Highland Games all within a supposed week of travel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mike Bellamy Posted January 7, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 7, 2010 I enjoyed the programme, especially as it was about my local area, but I get so annoyed how television programs treat us as idiots with contrived television bending the facts to fit the program! What I don't understand is that he was seen filming in Buxton in the summer for this series but his planned journey doesn't include Buxton, perhaps when he is in Scarborough he will magically appear in Buxton as they are both Spa towns and what is a 120 mile difference when you want good television! Peter The programme you mention is the one I have missed (need to wind up the I-player) but as others have said this series is more about the places than the railway. The point is that he is following routes that were open in Victorian times and featured in the Bradshaws Travel Guide. It is not a programme about how the railways are today. You mention Buxton - this will be featured in a few weeks time as indicated in the press release below Dear colleagues You?????ll be interested to hear that the new BBC2 series ???Great British Railway Journeys????? ????? presented by Michael Portillo ????? will be visiting the University of Derby in Buxton in a couple of weeks. The series follows Michael Portillo who makes four long journeys across the length and breadth of Britain, following Bradshaw?????s Victorian Railway Guidebook Every week day night from Monday 4th January 2010 at 6.30pm on BBC2 Journey 1: Liverpool to Scarborough Journey 2: Preston to Kirkcaldy Journey 3: Swindon to Penzance Journey 4: Buxton to London Buxton enjoys its moment in the spotlight on Monday January 25, 2010 at 6.30pm. Michael visits the Devonshire Dome and talks to Adrian Brown, who volunteers as a Devonshire Guide for the University. Adrian explains how the roof was put on the Dome and how it?????s been used as an exercise yard for the Duke of Devonshire?????s horses, a hospital and now is one of the most stunning University campuses in the UK. If you want to catch up with the series on the iPlayer you can do so here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00psyq3/Great_British_Railway_Journeys_Manchester_to_Bury/ Annabel Harvey Press and PR Officer University of Derby My employers, the University of Derby, have renovated the old Devonshire Hospital in Buxton at a cost of ??23m - the building was originally stables for the Duke of Devonshire's visitors - some history here http://www.derby.ac.uk/files/friends_of_devonshire_leaflet.pdf Of course they will have a problem following the route from Buxton to London as the line only goes a few miles before becoming a cycleway to Rowsley where Peak Rail take over to Matlock Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Savoyard Posted January 7, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 7, 2010 Do you really think they "bend the facts" to upset you, or could it be that, if they showed every step on his journey, and explained every time they pictured a train that he wasn't on, the programme would be 2 hours longer, and no more informative? Oh yes I really believe the BBC are out to upset me! Of course I don't, but I expect the facts to be presented correctly and not manipulated. For instance why make out he was in Denton when he was in Failsworth, a few simple words saying there aren't any hat makers in Denton so they had to go to one in Failsworth would have been not too difficult, then making out he was still in Denton and had travelled there by train! I don't want endless video of train journeys as that would be mind dumbing I am more interested in the locations and their history and I expect that to be presented correctly. Peter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnDMJ Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Journalism: the art of never letting the facts get in the way of a good story! Nonetheless, a good series to date; hope the next three weeks are as interesting! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edcayton Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Well, I've enjoyed the first week's programmes. True, they are not very rail-orientated but I'd like to think that most railway enthusiasts are broad-minded enough to be interested in subjects as diverse as Eccles cakes, archaeology and ornithology! I was very interested in some of the archive shots (especially the L&Y 0-8-0's on freight) and I'm not bothered that the train he got on was the same as the one fimed from the air. The thing that impressed me most, however, was the lovely condition of the stations. I think that every one he went to was clean and tidy with flowers and information about local history. Looking forward to more Ed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted January 9, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 9, 2010 Hi folks I've enjoyed the series so far - especially the lovely aerial shots in HD! It did occur to me a few times that the train filmed from above was not the train Portillo was on, but without an unlimited budget I can see this is an inevitable compromise. I enjoyed the archive pictures, and have rather warmed to Portillo as a presenter - I like it that he is sometimes a little awkward with his interviewees (unlike the usual super-slick "warm" presenters) and his face when he was chewing on the liquorice in Pontefract was priceless! I also think that the Victorian/Bradshaw element really makes this series work - comparing the experiences of Portillo and Bradshaw 150 years apart gives each programme a sense of purpose. I would have liked there to be more on freight traffic - but that may come later. cheers Ben A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beardybloke Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 I've only seen the latest series (Liverpool - Scarborough) but I've thoroughly enjoyed it. I think that it's a given that in programmes like this there will be inconsistencies and not so much 'dumbing down' as simplification for the general viewing public - but this doesn't, for me, detract from the viewing pleasure at all. I did notice that the train shown in the aerial shots wasn't necessarily the one that Michael was on, but I don't see that as being a problem - they're simply filler shots and there for atmosphere - and we got to see some nice, and different views! (Disclaimer: I'm an absolute b*gger for pointing out inconsistencies in war films, but that doesn't stop me enjoying them ) Ben A - I agree with you on the 'awkwardness' - it somehow makes him seem more genuine than the usual saccharine sweet presenters that you get on these things - and he seems to be genuinely interested in some of the things he's asking people about (and doesn't feel the need to repeat things to over-simplify them for the viewer). Plus, he drinks bitter so he can't be all that bad Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnDMJ Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 I enjoyed the archive pictures, and have rather warmed to Portillo as a presenter - I like it that he is sometimes a little awkward with his interviewees (unlike the usual super-slick "warm" presenters) and his face when he was chewing on the liquorice in Pontefract was priceless At least he was honest enough to admit that he didn't like liquorice but gave it another go to camera. How many (ex) politicians would do that? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammer Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 I enjoyed the archive pictures, and have rather warmed to Portillo as a presenter - I like it that he is sometimes a little awkward with his interviewees (unlike the usual super-slick "warm" presenters) and his face when he was chewing on the liquorice in Pontefract was priceless! I quite liked that about the series. There were a few times when the people he was talking to quite clearly knew who he had been before his exit from the parliament and were thinking bad thoughts about the Tories. Yes, it wasn't about the trains and railways per se, but it was interesting learning how the Victorians thought of various places. I would never have had Hull down as a major tourist destination for example. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdseyecircus Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 Not impressed at all with the railway side of things. It might as well have been called 'Great car journeys'. Interms of UK related documentarys give me 'Coast' anyday. Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted January 16, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 16, 2010 Not impressed at all with the railway side of things. It might as well have been called 'Great car journeys'. Interms of UK related documentarys give me 'Coast' anyday. Paul I know what you mean.Lets hope it improves this week with Swindon to Penzance. :icon_drool: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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