BBC Documentary 'The Railways'

[Ferret]

Jimm, the thing with journalism is that it seems to have a profound impact on the nation as a whole. You tell people in a newspaper or on the TV that bananas are square and that fairies are real, and some will believe you.

I totally agree with your point about conductors and indeed every other walk of life, but journalists have far more of a responsibility and indeed power - just look at the guff printed in the newspapers every day of the week.

To 'answer' (or not!) your final question, why shouldn't they have to bring something new? Because it's just entertainment, and we just need to fill the time of the unintelligent masses, so therefore we'll recycle the same things that have appeared in other shows until people get bored of it? That's just pandering to the lowest common denominator, something that our Television companies excel at.

 

[Hellfire]

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Of course, what we don't know is whether the BBC asked them to make this documentary or whether they made it on the off chance they could sell it to the BBC.

No company can afford to make documentaries on the off chance. A good cameraman will cost you £500 a day, add the sound person various other crew members and you are budgeting around £1500 a day plus overheads just for the filming. Then you have the editing and post production.

On top of that there would have been the cost of research and the negotiation with TOCs and NR just to get access. Goodness knows how many risk assessments had to be done.

Either the company making it would have had the idea and pitched it to the BBC or someone in the BBC had an idea and it went out to tender. The BBC is now obliged to put a percentage of its output to independent companies.

 

[D1009]

Reading this thread I'm beginning to wonder whether the contributors know the difference between a documentary and a news report?

 

[Kt]

I'm pretty sure he knew what he was doing and for all we know viewing the programme he already had a block on that line anyway.

Good point about the line blockage, because come to think about it he was being followed by a film crew!

 

[Zoidberg]

Good point about the line blockage, because come to think about it he was being followed by a film crew!

BIB - oh no! Can open, worms everywhere!

- were they wearing hi-viz?

- was it the right colour?

- did they lead with the right foot?

- were they wearing headphones?

etc, etc, etc.

 

[Marklund]

I guess he forgot to take off the Site Warden armlet before using the phone, and carrying out the work!

 

[Kt]

You can put the worms back in the can

I am sure full safety regs were followed... NR are not 'that' stupid! I have often walked around looking like an out of place bottle of irn bru and you don't need PTS, just TVP.

 

[Zoidberg]

You can put the worms back in the can

I am sure full safety regs were followed... NR are not 'that' stupid! I have often walked around looking like an out of place bottle of irn bru and you don't need PTS, just TVP.

Me, too - I was just thinking about what opportunities for, well, making a meal of things, might have been afforded by the observation that he was being followed by film crew.

 

[jimm]

Jimm, the thing with journalism is that it seems to have a profound impact on the nation as a whole. You tell people in a newspaper or on the TV that bananas are square and that fairies are real, and some will believe you.

I totally agree with your point about conductors and indeed every other walk of life, but journalists have far more of a responsibility and indeed power - just look at the guff printed in the newspapers every day of the week.

To 'answer' (or not!) your final question, why shouldn't they have to bring something new? Because it's just entertainment, and we just need to fill the time of the unintelligent masses, so therefore we'll recycle the same things that have appeared in other shows until people get bored of it? That's just pandering to the lowest common denominator, something that our Television companies excel at.

While I'm sure journalists would like to think they have a "profound impact" on the nation, I think you rather overstate the situation. Newspaper sales are falling, TV news viewing figures are falling, web traffic figures hardly suggest that new media news outlets are making up for the falls elsewhere, and most people I know have a fairly sceptical view of what they read/see.

This series is about painting a broad picture of the railways, so in that respect, some sort of forensic examination of overcrowding and what's behind it was clearly outside the brief. That's a programme in itself, same as the effects of constant political meddling in the railways and the way they are run. These things have been done before, as I said, and I'm sure they will be done again - perhaps even by someone who knows what they're talking about and is undeserving of being branded with all the things you called them back up the thread.

 

[jon0844]

I do think that we'll eventually pay the price for allowing journalism standards to fall, which they are simply because most new people entering the business aren't getting paid enough - and eventually the really good ones will retire/die and be replaced by people who only got to re-write press releases!

It isn't sustainable to expect everything to be free and that's where we are at today. People don't want to buy a newspaper, or even buy music, TV shows or film. There's a lot of fuss over the music/film/TV industry trying to cut down on piracy and even newspapers are now trying to recover lost revenues by charging for web access to their material (most of which is usually very good and we'd be a lot worse off for not having it).

It's hardly the fault of the press that Joe Public no longer care about politics, what's going on around the world and seem happy to just read celebrity gossip and other inane drivel. Like TV, the press have to give people what they want or go out of business completely.

Everyone also thinks that they're now fully qualified journalists because they've got access to Twitter, hence the problems and increasing court cases as people get to learn that you can't just make stuff up or libel people - and that not everything you read and re-tweet is true. Most papers and broadcasters do make a lot of attempts to verify information first, whether anyone believes that or not (rather like people making assumptions about how the railway does things, funnily enough!).

For all the people questioning the safety aspects of what was seen on the TV show, as it's a BBC programme, why not write in - or else contact the production company - and ask for clarification of what was done. Chances are some bits were filmed on a live railway and other bits might have been done when it was closed, and then edited as such. As I've said before, it's more an entertainment show than a documentary and so there's always going to be a degree of artistic licence and 99% of the viewers won't care.

Those that do can ask and perhaps be able to sleep easier.

 

[Hellfire]

I do think that we'll eventually pay the price for allowing journalism standards to fall, which they are simply because most new people entering the business aren't getting paid enough - and eventually the really good ones will retire/die and be replaced by people who only got to re-write press releases!

It isn't sustainable to expect everything to be free and that's where we are at today. People don't want to buy a newspaper, or even buy music, TV shows or film. There's a lot of fuss over the music/film/TV industry trying to cut down on piracy and even newspapers are now trying to recover lost revenues by charging for web access to their material (most of which is usually very good and we'd be a lot worse off for not having it).

It's hardly the fault of the press that Joe Public no longer care about politics, what's going on around the world and seem happy to just read celebrity gossip and other inane drivel. Like TV, the press have to give people what they want or go out of business completely.

Everyone also thinks that they're now fully qualified journalists because they've got access to Twitter, hence the problems and increasing court cases as people get to learn that you can't just make stuff up or libel people - and that not everything you read and re-tweet is true. Most papers and broadcasters do make a lot of attempts to verify information first, whether anyone believes that or not (rather like people making assumptions about how the railway does things, funnily enough!).

For all the people questioning the safety aspects of what was seen on the TV show, as it's a BBC programme, why not write in - or else contact the production company - and ask for clarification of what was done. Chances are some bits were filmed on a live railway and other bits might have been done when it was closed, and then edited as such. As I've said before, it's more an entertainment show than a documentary and so there's always going to be a degree of artistic licence and 99% of the viewers won't care.

Those that do can ask and perhaps be able to sleep easier.

As a qualified journalist all I can say is excellent post. Sums things up beautifully

 

[Meridian richard]

According to this https://twitter.com/TrainTVCasting twitter page promoted by East Coast this evening, Sky 1 are making a documentry on the East Coast Mainline!

 

[D365]

According to this https://twitter.com/TrainTVCasting twitter page promoted by East Coast this evening, Sky 1 are making a documentry on the East Coast Mainline!

Sure hope that'll be a little better than BBC at King's Cross - there seem to be many railway or railway-related documentaries showing at this time :P

 

[Cletus]

If you hang on after next week's episode there's another railway documentary.

11.20pm The Flying Scotsman: A Rail Romance. I think it's a repeat though?

 

[michael769]

11.20pm The Flying Scotsman: A Rail Romance. I think it's a repeat though?

The first (and premiere) broadcast is on Monday at 9PM on BBC2

 

[FGW_DID]

Just watched the last episode tonight, one thing which is apparent is the complete lack of manners in today's society.

Whilst I can understand the frustration of passengers caught up in major disruption and was on shift for some of that shown on TV. When it came to the 'Norman at Twyford' segment there was a discernible lack of 'Please' & 'Thank You' from some well dressed commuters.

You may pay an astonishingly high fare for your ticket but that does not exempt you from basic everyday manners!

 

[gimmea50anyday]

According to this https://twitter.com/TrainTVCasting twitter page promoted by East Coast this evening, Sky 1 are making a documentry on the East Coast Mainline!

They are indeed. Cineflix are producing it. The same firm that makes aircrash investigation for national geographic channel!!!

 

[jon0844]

With the help of the thread on here, it will be called 'first class investigation' and concentrate on the catering...

 

[Butts]

With the help of the thread on here, it will be called 'first class investigation' and concentrate on the catering...

You would need a whole series for that

 

[jon0844]

I just heard the company behind the rival to aircrash investigation is also doing a series following EC's catering, concentrating on the struggle to get another drink or more food.

It will be called 'Seconds or Disaster'...

 

[Harbon 1]

I just heard the company behind the rival to aircrash investigation is also doing a series following EC's catering, concentrating on the struggle to get another drink or more food.

It will be called 'Seconds or Disaster'...

Why is there no like button on here!

 

[Flamingo]

Why is there no like button on here!

I've asked that many times

 

[ainsworth74]

Because we want you to make interesting comments not just click a button

 

[Tracky]

Richard Wilson in the Channel 4 documentary was trading on his alter ego and passing his own comment,. Although it would be naïve to think that he wasn't being guided by the programme makers. I certainly "don't believe it!"

Richard Wilson is also a true champagne socialist who's only experience of the railway prior to his documentary was First Class.

 

[Flamingo]

Because we want you to make interesting comments not just click a button

But often there is nothing useful to say except for the internet equivelant of "here here" or "I wish to be associated with the remarks of the last speaker"!

 

[ralphchadkirk]

But often there is nothing useful to say except for the internet equivelant of "here here" or "I wish to be associated with the remarks of the last speaker"!

I agree.


(See? We need a like button!)

 

[tsr]

They are indeed. Cineflix are producing it. The same firm that makes aircrash investigation for national geographic channel!!!

Perhaps they can do a one-off episode that focuses on dispatch at Purley and call it "30 Seconds Prior To Disaster"...

 

[yorksrob]

Richard Wilson is also a true champagne socialist who's only experience of the railway prior to his documentary was First Class.

We can forgive him that because One Foot In The Grave is truly superb.

 

[jamieb0202]

They are indeed. Cineflix are producing it. The same firm that makes aircrash investigation for national geographic channel!!!

Filming is going to take place in March. I'm at Uni in Durham and last week they were asking for students who were going to be embarking on a "special journey" at the time of filming and who'd like to appear in the programme.

 

[Flamingo]

We can forgive him that because One Foot In The Grave is truly superb.

I have to say, I always found it about as funny as a road accident.