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East Coast Documentary
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What's that on Channel Four? Did I miss one?
PG
Established Member
Both highly unlikely but :
Government wanting to whip up the bidding for the franchise; or
DOR making the case for keeping hold of EC
[removes tongue from cheek]
Bet the franchise angle is barely (if at all) covered!
I too am amazed that Wilson has been selected. The man quite truly has no respect for the railway as his Dispatches broadcast showed.
Puzzling really as I don't think he's a very good narrator at all. It did sit very uneasy with me.
As for the programme itself, not bad but not educational.
Puzzling really as I don't think he's a very good narrator at all. It did sit very uneasy with me.
As for the programme itself, not bad but not educational.
As I said, it's the dumbed down mess that I feared from Channel 5.
I expected more from Sky, which has managed to make some very good productions over the years. I don't feel this is one of them, but I'll give it a few more episodes.
I expected more from Sky, which has managed to make some very good productions over the years. I don't feel this is one of them, but I'll give it a few more episodes.
ModernRailways
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Channel fives seemed to pick up at points - with the exception of continuity.
This however is a load of rubbish.
They kept going back to that Daz at Newcastle but we never saw what happened/what he did.
Loads of continuity issues, and it would also seem they want to use every popular song that has been produced.
I had a look and the programme lasted just over 30 minutes altogether minus the adverts!
Butts
Veteran Member
Quite agree with your comments, please TOC's/ Network Rail just let BBC Cameras in
GatwickDepress
Established Member
Channel 5's documentary wasn't exactly "The World at War", but they did go out of their way to talk about what is done behind the scenes to keep the railway running.
In comparison, I was very disappointed with the Sky documentary. If that was episode one, presumably episode ten will lure the viewer in with heart palpitating terror and suspense as the steward puts a bit too much milk in someone's cup of tea.
Then they play a Katy Perry song because if you're paid for the license, you may as well use it.
Maybe I am being a bit too harsh!
In comparison, I was very disappointed with the Sky documentary. If that was episode one, presumably episode ten will lure the viewer in with heart palpitating terror and suspense as the steward puts a bit too much milk in someone's cup of tea.
Then they play a Katy Perry song because if you're paid for the license, you may as well use it.
Which can be aptly abbreviated to "SOD" as in the popular phrase "sod it, I'll go back to watching grainy 1980s British Rail documentaries on YouTube".
Maybe I am being a bit too harsh!
Harbon 1
Member
I'm in Canada. I love watching UK TV on my computer, using a VPN to fool UK broadcasters website into believing that I'm in the UK. Its just too bad that you need to subscribe to Sky to watch their catch-up service. For me its either waiting 'til it's posted on Youtube or trying to find a torrent.
northern156
Member
Ben.A.98
Member
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- 13 Feb 2013
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- 229
Thank You
You have saved me looking for it!
MisterWhippy
Member
I'm finding Sky's rendition very, well, arduous. I'm also struggling with Richard Wilson's narrating and the amount of songs they've used. I must have counted well over 10 within the first 15 minutes.
tractakid
Member
Agree on the soundtrack used. Excessive and cliche.
Ben.A.98
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- 229
Not a bad start, but perhaps not the most exciting first episodes. Don't overly mind the use of songs but perhaps they could have cut back slightly?
Hopefully a bit more excitement next week?
Hopefully a bit more excitement next week?
Manchester77
Established Member
4 mins in, no need for all the music s t o p
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
5 mins, think I've counted 6 different songs
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
10 minutes and I've stopped, its painful so fragmented story here oh then another here but we won't end it yet
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
5 mins, think I've counted 6 different songs
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
10 minutes and I've stopped, its painful so fragmented story here oh then another here but we won't end it yet
Captain Chaos
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- 31 Jan 2011
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- 840
So, I take it this is not currently recommended viewing? Was going to record it but forgot. Not even worth catching up?
Manchester77
Established Member
I found it a bit tedious and as others have said dumbed down, guess though its not made for rail enthusiasts? idk
ModernRailways
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As I said earlier Channel Fives attempt is brilliant in comparison to this.
They never seem to focus on one thing.
Hopefully, when disruption does occur again there will be more too it than the very short 2 minute chat about what was going on with Daz whilst also showing HSTs when he was dispatching a MK4, train station packed with Newcastle football fans, yet it was Friday evening. They didn't show what went on to actually help restore the service, something which even Channel Five did!
Songs are way too overused and not needed, they seem to be time killers more than anything. So many stock videos used to help fill in time.
Making a big deal about safety and stuff at York - did she need to go all the way down the platform ramp or could she not have used the platform and stepped down, picked the bag up then maybe walking back along to the ramp? I know that's what happened at Newcastle, trains kept running although there wasn't one due.
The send off for JR was a huge mess, they didn't really say much about him, or what he had done for the railway. Hardly any comments - only from his manager - were made about him.
I can only hope it picks up and actually shows something decent, even if it gets up to the Channel Five standard which I must admit was at times very good not BBC quality but they certainly tried whilst also trying to appeal to their audience.
They never seem to focus on one thing.
Hopefully, when disruption does occur again there will be more too it than the very short 2 minute chat about what was going on with Daz whilst also showing HSTs when he was dispatching a MK4, train station packed with Newcastle football fans, yet it was Friday evening. They didn't show what went on to actually help restore the service, something which even Channel Five did!
Songs are way too overused and not needed, they seem to be time killers more than anything. So many stock videos used to help fill in time.
Making a big deal about safety and stuff at York - did she need to go all the way down the platform ramp or could she not have used the platform and stepped down, picked the bag up then maybe walking back along to the ramp? I know that's what happened at Newcastle, trains kept running although there wasn't one due.
The send off for JR was a huge mess, they didn't really say much about him, or what he had done for the railway. Hardly any comments - only from his manager - were made about him.
I can only hope it picks up and actually shows something decent, even if it gets up to the Channel Five standard which I must admit was at times very good not BBC quality but they certainly tried whilst also trying to appeal to their audience.
The Channel 5 one had lots of things to interest someone with no real interest in the railway.
Assuming most people have used a train, it showed a lot of the 'behind the scenes' stuff that Sky seems to have glossed over and yet can be interesting if explained in an inoffensive and non-geeky way. Just like any other series that might cover air or sea travel etc.
Even the fact that it showed members of the public complaining, trying to dodge fares and so on is something people can relate to - it's the railway as they know it. Not this sanitised utopia that we seem to have here, like it's some sort of ad for East Coast Trains - where anything that goes wrong isn't the fault of the company.
Seeing nice scenic locations, including footage of festivals and airshows, might make you think 'I'd like to go there'.. so I wonder if Sky has done anything on the places East Coast serves or will just find new people to give hilarious stories or reveal what celeb they've seen in first class. Problem is, it's somewhat more limited than FGW's network.
Oh, and they made you care a lot more about the people they covered. The show didn't do any justice to JR and his many years of service, even calling him a whistle blower to begin with (fortunately, later on they did mention he dispatched trains).
I guess the budget was far more limited, or they simply didn't get enough good footage. The stories/anecdotes really seem to be scraping the bottom of the barrel.
Assuming most people have used a train, it showed a lot of the 'behind the scenes' stuff that Sky seems to have glossed over and yet can be interesting if explained in an inoffensive and non-geeky way. Just like any other series that might cover air or sea travel etc.
Even the fact that it showed members of the public complaining, trying to dodge fares and so on is something people can relate to - it's the railway as they know it. Not this sanitised utopia that we seem to have here, like it's some sort of ad for East Coast Trains - where anything that goes wrong isn't the fault of the company.
Seeing nice scenic locations, including footage of festivals and airshows, might make you think 'I'd like to go there'.. so I wonder if Sky has done anything on the places East Coast serves or will just find new people to give hilarious stories or reveal what celeb they've seen in first class. Problem is, it's somewhat more limited than FGW's network.
Oh, and they made you care a lot more about the people they covered. The show didn't do any justice to JR and his many years of service, even calling him a whistle blower to begin with (fortunately, later on they did mention he dispatched trains).
I guess the budget was far more limited, or they simply didn't get enough good footage. The stories/anecdotes really seem to be scraping the bottom of the barrel.
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If you watched the Channel 5 series on the Great Western and enjoyed it then you will more than likely enjoy this.
As mentioned based purely on the first episode, not quite as good, but a very similar format.
anthony263
Established Member
I do hope it gets better.
We all remember the comments about the 1st episode of the BBC "the Railway" series and yet the following episodes improved a lot compared to episode 1.
We all remember the comments about the 1st episode of the BBC "the Railway" series and yet the following episodes improved a lot compared to episode 1.
ModernRailways
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- 21 Apr 2011
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- 2,116
Wasn't the first BBC episode set on East Coast at Kings Cross?
matchmaker
Established Member
For some reason I managed to download it from Sky On Demand before it was broadcast! Anyway, a bit of a curates egg - lot of continuity errors plus shots of trains running backwards!
I'm also sure I saw a destination on one of the information screens at York or Newcastle that didn't belong there, but can't remember where it was!
I'm also sure I saw a destination on one of the information screens at York or Newcastle that didn't belong there, but can't remember where it was!
I'm just glad they pick on the long distance companies, would hate to see then start on southern. If they did I could well guess which conductors they would follow, ie the young female ones. I'd make sure I would just be a blur on screen.
But you could imagine the shows:
1 signal fault makes all trains 15 late on the main line, commuters say 'terrible , waste of money'
2 Another 442 smokes a lot, passengers almost miss their planes
3 Someone from Lancing does not have a ticket, what will the conductor do next
4 signal fault makes all trains on the mainline 8 mins late, commuters say 'I spend thousands, for this'
5. there are drunk people on the all night services from victoria, oooooo
6 signal fault makes all the trains on the main line 12 mins late, commuters say 'I had to stand from Victoria to three bridges' a disgrace'
zzzzzzzzzz viewer switches off, test card f returns to great rejoycing.
But you could imagine the shows:
1 signal fault makes all trains 15 late on the main line, commuters say 'terrible , waste of money'
2 Another 442 smokes a lot, passengers almost miss their planes
3 Someone from Lancing does not have a ticket, what will the conductor do next
4 signal fault makes all trains on the mainline 8 mins late, commuters say 'I spend thousands, for this'
5. there are drunk people on the all night services from victoria, oooooo
6 signal fault makes all the trains on the main line 12 mins late, commuters say 'I had to stand from Victoria to three bridges' a disgrace'
zzzzzzzzzz viewer switches off, test card f returns to great rejoycing.
Captain Chaos
Member
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- 31 Jan 2011
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- 840
On the topic of Southern, why do their CIS Systems make an apology if a train is 1 minute late? 1 minute. 60 whole seconds. It's happened many times when I have been stood with my Gatwick waiting to go. Are the passengers of Southern-land really that bad that an apology must be made if a train is 1 minute late? I have never come across it anywhere else!
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