Portillo returns to your tv screen

[merlodlliw]

Michael Portillo makes another five rail journeys across Britain following Bradshaw's Victorian Railway Guidebook, every weekday night from Mon 3 Jan to Fri 4 Feb 2011 at 6.30pm on BBC2. The five journeys (one per week in five stages) are: Brighton to Cromer, Ledbury to Holyhead, Newcastle to Melton Mowbray, London to Hastings and Ayr to Skye.

Thanks to Shrewsbury/Chester rail users Assoc for advance notice

 

[willas00]

Thanks for the heads up.

I'm currently watching the repeats again! which is being shown on BBC2 at the moment

 

[Aictos]

Thanks also for the heads up, found the last series to be very interesting - the whole family actually got into watching it which is some achievement!

 

[me123]

Hopefully I'll be able to get over the glaring continuity errors this time. Seen inside a pacer, cut to an overhead shot of a 156, opens the door on a Turbostar and steps off a Voyager. Even my (non-enthusiast) parents thought it looked really unprofessional.

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[Domeyhead]

I found it a very formulaic, superficial and unsatisfactory series. What is it trying to be - social history? railway history? Or just a gentle travelogue using Bradshaw as a flimsy excuse to observe random objects and people along the way? Michael Portillo is genial company but the programme content was anodyne if you have a particular interest in anything or anywhere covered. Nobody would be satisfied. It reminds me of those pointless rambles by Julia Bradbury. If the person delivering the commentary didn't actually do the research or write the script you are never going to get much in the way of interesting insight.

 

[moonrakerz]

Hopefully I'll be able to get over the glaring continuity errors this time. Seen inside a pacer, cut to an overhead shot of a 156, opens the door on a Turbostar and steps off a Voyager. Even my (non-enthusiast) parents thought it looked really unprofessional.

Think I'll have a notebook at the ready to write all the howlers down this time

 

[Mojo]

I remember writing down a long list of all the places he visited that I thought I'd like to visit. Annoyingly I managed to get to a few places and lost the list! Will try harder this time.

 

[David Dunning]

Hopefully I'll be able to get over the glaring continuity errors this time. Seen inside a pacer, cut to an overhead shot of a 156, opens the door on a Turbostar and steps off a Voyager. Even my (non-enthusiast) parents thought it looked really unprofessional.

Thanks for the heads up!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exTS4BTL5pw

He came to the NYMR and in this film you will see him address those points about continuity

 

[merlodlliw]

I found it a very formulaic, superficial and unsatisfactory series. What is it trying to be - social history? railway history? Or just a gentle travelogue using Bradshaw as a flimsy excuse to observe random objects and people along the way? Michael Portillo is genial company but the programme content was anodyne if you have a particular interest in anything or anywhere covered. Nobody would be satisfied. It reminds me of those pointless rambles by Julia Bradbury. If the person delivering the commentary didn't actually do the research or write the script you are never going to get much in the way of interesting insight.

Absolute no comment, other than I enjoyed the series.Looking forward to Betws Y Coed/Llandudno
on the Ledbury to Holyhead film.

M

 

[rail-britain]

Ayr to Skye

How likely is this journey?!?
At least it will include parts of the routes which this journey overlaps, plus Bradshaw did not follow the obvious route!

 

[yorksrob]

London to Hastings ! I wonder if the slimline Thumpers will get a mention.

 

[Chapeltom]

I've been inspired to watch the first series on iPlayer, looks good so far. As a Northerner it should all "make sense" as I can relate to the lines and places and Our wonderful trains, Class 142s, 150s, 158s

 

[Fred26]

Good, that's something for me to record. I'm looking forward to Brighton-Cromer most.

 

[Proud Salopian]

I know he was at Shrewsbury station - I assume this was on the Ledbury to Holyhead trip?

 

[Domeyhead]

Out of interest has everyone seen the BTF short entitled "Mr Betjeman goes to the seaside" - which is similar in the sense of a train journey (from Kings Lynn to Hunstanton on a local DMU) but why should it be so enjoyable while Portillo's is so uninspiring?
I think the reason is that although Betjeman and Portillo are well read enough to be able to talk about a range of subjects, Betjeman was free to talk more or less as the fancy took him whereas the producer insists Portillo has to keep referring to BRadshaw which after a while becomes more a nuisance than a help. Either investigate the books completely or forget about them. Half and half is pointless.

 

[CosherB]

It's more than that. Betjeman was enthusing about the railway, which he loved, as much as the places, which he also loved (and he knew a great deal about both). Bordello is not a railway enthusiast (as he readily admits) and his programme is more about the places and some local characters than the railway.

For him, Bradshawe is just a vehicle for a (rather pleasant) travelogue. I enjoy Bordello's stuff, but it's not up there with Betjeman's.

 

[12CSVT]

I found it a very formulaic, superficial and unsatisfactory series. What is it trying to be - social history? railway history? Or just a gentle travelogue using Bradshaw as a flimsy excuse to observe random objects and people along the way? Michael Portillo is genial company but the programme content was anodyne if you have a particular interest in anything or anywhere covered. Nobody would be satisfied. It reminds me of those pointless rambles by Julia Bradbury. If the person delivering the commentary didn't actually do the research or write the script you are never going to get much in the way of interesting insight.

Totally agree with you. In fact there was one episode screened last Xmas/New year on Blackpool which was more like a 30 minute party political broadcast than a programme relevant to railway history.

 

[linesider]

Thanks for the information,I enjoyed the first series and am looking forward to the next one.

 

[merlodlliw]

Looks like its a Southern Brighton start, note this week its been shown Mon to Fri,


New series. Michael Portillo embarks on another trail across of the country with a copy of George Bradshaw's Victorian Railway Guidebook to discover how the railways have affected people and find out what remains of Bradshaw's Britain. He begins by exploring Brighton's Victorian aquarium, the underground quarries of Godstone, Surrey, and the wonders of the Crystal Palace in suburban south London.

Tomorrow (Tue)
Michael Portillo embarks on the next leg of his journey, learning about the London Necropolis Railway, a funeral service that transported coffins from Waterloo to Surrey's Brookwood Cemetery from 1854 to 1941.

 

[Striker]

I love this programme and also equally adore Michael Portillo. I think he's a gentleman and a great choice to present this show. Dare I say it, he's also a bit sexy.

 

[scotsman]

I love this programme and also equally adore Michael Portillo. I think he's a gentleman and a great choice to present this show. Dare I say it, he's also a bit sexy.

I vomited at the first part and spent the next half hour wretching after reading the second part

 

[tbtc]

Michael Portillo embarks on another trail across of the country with a copy of George Bradshaw's Victorian Railway Guidebook to discover how the railways have affected people and find out what remains of Bradshaw's Britain

This is my problem with the programme. I'm not entirely sure what "purpose" Portillo has. There's little real focus (to me).

Its not specific to this show - there are a lot of these "someone famous chums around the country..." shows on the go at the moment - they tend to have a vague plot, but drift around from place to place...

...but its cheap television, which I guess is the main thing.

 

[Mojo]

There's another railway programme on afterwards, tonight (19.00 - 20.00) on BBC4, about railways in India

 

[Striker]

I vomited at the first part and spent the next half hour wretching after reading the second part

Be careful. You might offend someone by mentioning "vomiting".

This is my problem with the programme. I'm not entirely sure what "purpose" Portillo has.

Er....he's the presenter. He's an amiable face, without a moustache, who looks good on TV. It's a light programme for the mass audience. What more could you want?

 

[CarterUSM]

I actually quite like Portillo's presenting style myself, and I find him very easy to listen to, not to mention he's a pretty likable chap. I think so anyway.

 

[GodAtum]

Its a shame he doesnt focus more on the railway itself but he did make Crystal Palace look nice :roll:

I'm glad to see he's not travelling in 1st class so far!

And why on earth is he piloting a boat on the next program!!!

 

[Striker]

Its a shame he doesnt focus more on the railway itself but he did make Crystal Palace look nice :roll:

Because it's not meant to be a program for train spotters. No doubt if they did there would be lots more people complaining that it's boring.

I'm glad to see he's not travelling in 1st class so far!

If he had any sense he would just upgrade himself as it's "not that serious to ride in first with a second class ticket".

And why on earth is he piloting a boat on the next program!!!

Because Porto can do anything. He's fantastic.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

AFAIK, the Southern services he was on (Redhill-Godstone-Crystal Palace) don't convey First, but I think he is entitled to it being an ex-MP.

 

[tbtc]

Er....he's the presenter. He's an amiable face, without a moustache, who looks good on TV. It's a light programme for the mass audience. What more could you want?

Sorry, I mean no slight on the man himself, I just mean I'm not sure what kind of show he is presenting.

Is it about Bradshaw's books, and a history lesson?

Is it comparing Bradshaw's era with the modern world? (concentrating on what has changed)

Is it about modern railways? (no)

Is it educational?

Is it a compromise show which purports to be about one thing, but is really just an excuse for lots of little clips to be linked together? Yes...

Did anyone see the Dara O'Brien/ Rory McGrath/ Gryff Rhys Jones show where they "followed Samuel Johnston's trip sailing round the western coast of Scotland"? They started the show with some high-minded purpose, to follow the path of historical "adventurers", but really it was just a collection of set pieces as they meandered around (which wasn't really about Johnston's experience)...

...for me, that's what the Portillo show is like. Pleasant viewing, diverting stuff with some nice scenery at times, but not really educational, not really about Bradshaw, not really for any great purpose...

 

[TomJ93]

I found he seemed a bit strange when he was at Coventry, the woman with the "ping pong bat" now always catches my eye