birdseyecircus Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Heads up for this one starts Tues 15th Jan on BBC 2 http://www.radiotimes.com/episode/tn4jk/locomotion-dan-snows-history-of-railways--series-1---episode-1 Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Davis Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Why did it have to be him? !!! Anyway I thought he wasn't calling himself an historian anymore Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Anyway I thought he wasn't calling himself an historian anymore... His name - with the suffix (which he's still using - or at least, he was on the Roman thing he did before Christmas) is certainly a good way to make professional historians grind their teeth. For the most part his stuff is like watching an enthusiastic semi-prepared undergrad presenting in a seminar: at work I get paid for that. Still, it saves me the trouble of watching it. I will admit that he's rather more telegenic than I! Adam Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Davis Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 I am really torn about watching it - I tried to watch the programme about the lost empire of Rome, and failed, I made through about an hour's worth then swmbo had had enough of me shouting at the TV. On the one hand, it's about railways, so I want to watch it, on the other hand it probably doesn't contain anything I haven't seen or heard before and it has Dan Snow in it. So I shall probably tape it (hard drive it? Digitise it?) and see what the comments on here say. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Got an email at work today promoting this. Guess I will wait and catch it on iplayler if reviews are good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Davis Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Got an email at work today promoting this. Guess I will wait and catch it on iplayler if reviews are good. Right then - someone needs to volunteer to watch it on behalf of everyone and if they haven't gouged out their own eyes they can post a review for us. bagsy it isn't me!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Might be okay, at least its not Dan Cruickshank who I find completely irritating in the way he speaks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSB Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Actually, I've quite enjoyed watching his programmes in the past despite the fact that most BBC documentaries in recent years have been dumbed down to appeal to teenagers with a ten second attention span. I find science programmes are usually the worst with producers and cameramen apparently fresh out of art school and more interested in silly camera shots than the actual subject matter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trains&armour Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Might be okay, at least its not Dan Cruickshank who I find completely irritating in the way he speaks. Hear Hear! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 There is another 6 part rail related series due on BBC soon in a prime viewing slot that goes behind the scenes at NR and a couple of TOCs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Davis Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Any idea of what it is called and when it will be on? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruffalo Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Any idea of what it is called and when it will be on?Hopefully it will be named along the catchy lines of "This isn't a pseudo-history program hosted by NoSnowHere about UK railways today". That may not have a ring to it but would appeal to posters on this thread! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Davis Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Hopefully it will be named along the catchy lines of "This isn't a pseudo-history program hosted by NoSnowHere about UK railways today". That may not have a ring to it but would appeal to posters on this thread! especially this one Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinkyme Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 From the Bournemouth Echo newspaper today's edition, some filming was done on the Swanage railway last July. "The first episode of Locomotion - dan Snow's history of railways airs on BBC2 at 9:00pm on January 15. The next two episode's are scheduled for 9:00pm on January 22 and 29" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 He's no Fred Dibnah Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
westerner Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Watched it. He appears to be concentrating on the social history side at the moment----------I Think!!!????? No mention of Trevethick, No mention of the Rainhill trials, only a dark inside shot of part of Rocket.The only early loco really seen in action was the replica Locomotion. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
(The) Youth Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Felt like he was talking to 5 year old most of the time Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
micklner Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Same old thing ,for some reason he was standing in a bog very disapointing so far Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Fisher Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 The bog was and is Chat Moss, one of the biggest hurdles Civil Engineering wise on the Liverpool and Manchester. I thought it was OK overall, pity they did not actually say locations of where it all began, the cutting which I beleive was one of the first in the world down to Crown Street is now a industrial world geomorphic site with listed status. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
10800 Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Disappointing, another missed opportunity I suspect. Too much fluff and flannel, and repetitive graphics - typical Discovery channel format, take an hour to say what you could in 20 minutes. And disjointed - one minute talking about the challenges of crossing Chat Moss, then it's off at a tangent to talk about navvies and I'm thinking 'what about Chat Moss then?' (I know the answer but where's it gone?). Later on he comes back and just throws away a line about rubble, timber and reeds to float the trackbed across it. The best bits were the animations based on contemporary illustrations, although I was expecting to see Ivor at one point. I'll probably watch the rest but only out of 'completeness'. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cary hill Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 An hour of my life completely wasted - hugely disappointing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pacific231G Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 I've watched part of it. There is probably some good material there but I do find Dan Snow's presenter as action man hero style irritating. Five minutes of treating the Co. Durham countryside like an expedition to find the source of the Nile just to get to a good angle of the Sankey viaduct was very OTT. I've been there and it's not that hard. I understand the point he was making about wagonways being better than pack trails but it didn't need to be quite so laboured. I'd really like to see a proper historian who's actually done some original research - at the awarding of a PhD level- giving us a new angle on the development of railways. Maybe a bit like Prof. Mary Beard is with the Romans. This programme felt like I could have written the script off the top of my head with just the the odd search on Wiki. or even The Boy's Bumper Book of Railways. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted January 16, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 16, 2013 Much the same opinion as David (Pacific 231G) and I was irritated by a very foreign sounding engine whistle as a sort of background noise just about anytime something that was or was meant to be a steam engine moved. The graphics done on old prints were rather charming I thought, the little Rocket model that kept on making faded focus appearances definitely was not. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Who the heck is Dan Snow? I'm beginning to sound like one of those old fart Judge's that the Eye used to rail against........ Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br2975 Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Dan Snow is the son of 'veteran' broadcaster Peter Snow, who in turn is a railway modeller. . Brian R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.