Portillo returns to your tv screen

[43021HST]

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

I doubt it, he doesnt talk about the important things like trains, he only talks to farting waddling skittles (people).

So Portiloo is back on the tele, that show would be better hosted by someone like Fred Dibnah (if he was still alive) hell anyone hosting that show would be better then a tory MP. I say we get Frankie Boyle to host it, now that would be a show worth watching.

 

[The Barlow Boy]

The programme that Michael Portillo is presenting is about travelling to the places and discovering snippets of information about those places that are mentioned in Bradshaw's guide. The point is, is that rail travel was in Victorian/Edwardian times a revolution for the travelling habits of the public opening up opportunities to visit places that people had only heard of much the same as people now have the (relatively) easy option of visiting places like Khatmandu or Machu Pichu or Bali. It's not a programme for trainspotters or railway enthusiasts, the train is shown merely as a means to an end. It's about Bradshaw's then and now.

 

[merlodlliw]

I doubt it, he doesnt talk about the important things like trains, he only talks to farting waddling skittles (people).

So Portiloo is back on the tele, that show would be better hosted by someone like Fred Dibnah (if he was still alive) hell anyone hosting that show would be better then a tory MP. I say we get Frankie Boyle to host it, now that would be a show worth watching.

Well the programme is about the deceased this evening,why not get Robert Crow to present the programme as neither he or Porto are M.Ps anyhow the programme is for the general public, not specifically for the likes me with various interests in the PW. I had hoped to have seen a bit about the http://www.urban75.org/railway/brighton-sea-railway.html,

as Charlie Hume sees it below from this weeks http://www.nwrail.org.uk/nwnews.htm with permission to use copy

Portillo is back
Michael Portillo starts a new series of his Great British Railway Journeys on 3 January, Mondays - Fridays 18:30 - 19:00 on BBC2 TV for five weeks starting in Brighton. The main interest for North Wales readers is in the second week: Monday 10 January - Ledbury to Shrewsbury, Tuesday 11 - Telford to Wrexham, Wednesday 12 - Chester to Conwy, Thursday 13 - Llanrwst - Porthmadog, Friday 14 - Llanberis - Holyhead.

The first series of programmes came in for some criticism from the railfan world, for not enough train scenes and so-called 'continuity errors in which, for example, the train seen from the helicopter was not the same class as the one MP in which was seen travelling, but these programmes are for the general public, and to always get the same type of train in shot would clearly need a much greater budget than is available for a programme of this sort.

 

[tbtc]

It's about Bradshaw's then and now.

...in which case it should have a lot more archive filming/ pictures/ history lesson to it...

 

[ralphchadkirk]

I doubt it, he doesnt talk about the important things like trains, he only talks to farting waddling skittles (people).

So Portiloo is back on the tele, that show would be better hosted by someone like Fred Dibnah (if he was still alive) hell anyone hosting that show would be better then a tory MP. I say we get Frankie Boyle to host it, now that would be a show worth watching.

It's lucky it's not presented by a Tory MP then.

 

[43021HST]

Well the programme is about the deceased this evening,why not get Robert Crow to present the programme as neither he or Porto are M.Ps anyhow the programme is for the general public, not specifically for the likes me with various interests in the PW. I had hoped to have seen a bit about the http://www.urban75.org/railway/brighton-sea-railway.html,

as Charlie Hume sees it below from this weeks http://www.nwrail.org.uk/nwnews.htm with permission to use copy

Portillo is back
Michael Portillo starts a new series of his Great British Railway Journeys on 3 January, Mondays - Fridays 18:30 - 19:00 on BBC2 TV for five weeks starting in Brighton. The main interest for North Wales readers is in the second week: Monday 10 January - Ledbury to Shrewsbury, Tuesday 11 - Telford to Wrexham, Wednesday 12 - Chester to Conwy, Thursday 13 - Llanrwst - Porthmadog, Friday 14 - Llanberis - Holyhead.

The first series of programmes came in for some criticism from the railfan world, for not enough train scenes and so-called 'continuity errors in which, for example, the train seen from the helicopter was not the same class as the one MP in which was seen travelling, but these programmes are for the general public, and to always get the same type of train in shot would clearly need a much greater budget than is available for a programme of this sort.

Oooh great a tory is finally riding the railway system that they ruined.
I think Portillo is one of the only tories who know that the north actually exists.

 

[The Barlow Boy]

...in which case it should have a lot more archive filming/ pictures/ history lesson to it...

I haven't seen this series but if it's the same format as the previous ones that I watched (I will eventually catch up with this one via the i-player) then Portillo takes a Bradshaw book, reads what Bradshaw has to say about a location/line then travels to it/over it himself to make a then and now comparison. It's part historical, part factual. Trainspotters are getting themselves in a tiz over continuity errors (ooh he got in a 142 then was filmed in a 157 and the helicopter shot showed an HST. Who cares?, not the average viewer and that's who the programme is aimed at.

 

[Aictos]

Well said The Barlow Boy!

 

[GodAtum]

Shouldnt they change the confusing title to something like Bradshaw's Great Journeys?

 

[pendolino]

Well said The Barlow Boy!

Seconding this.

I find it a very interesting and enjoyable programme, I couldn't care less about continuity errors.

 

[cuccir]

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.

My feeling about it too, the unfortunate effect of programme makers trying to copy the once excellent Coast which now also seems to have started to (longshore?) drift.

Still, it's vaguely entertaining and interesting when it's a place/route that you're already interested in, but often extremely random and only really roughly connected to Bradshaw. I'll still watch it though!

 

[tbtc]

My feeling about it too, the unfortunate effect of programme makers trying to copy the once excellent Coast which now also seems to have started to (longshore?) drift.

Still, it's vaguely entertaining and interesting when it's a place/route that you're already interested in, but often extremely random and only really roughly connected to Bradshaw. I'll still watch it though!

Coast is the perfect example of this "tapas television" that seems to be everywhere. Lots of pretty things, but nothing substantial enough to satisfy.

With Coast there was a clear "journey", and it was a very interesting show at first.

Now, the logic for the programmes which have been spawned afterwards seems to be "it'll be nice cheap friendly television to have a well known presenter chumming round the country bumping into a few people and making a few generalisations".

Straightforward "lifestyle" telly dressed up to look like a documentary, nothing clever, you can show it over and over again on the likes of GOLD.


Gryff Rhys Jones, Dara O'Brien and Rory McGrath sail around vaguely following Samuel Johnston, but its mainly about them doing a few short set pieces to distract the viewers - a couple of minutes in a distillery, a couple of minutes at a Highland Games (but no real explanation of the history behind these things, we are quickly moved on to the next little feature).

Oz Clarke and James May/ Hugh Dennis cobble together a programme supposedly about alcohol, but with little real information about booze.

It looks like the kind of thing which broadcasters dangle in front of their "stars" as a means of giving them more exposure and allowing them to develop beyond the one show they are known for (sitting on a sofa with Dianne Abbot, in the case of Portillo).

I'm not asking for a programme specifically made for railway enthusiasts - there are never going to be enough people to justify that on a BBC channel - but I'm frustrated by these kind of shows which are neither documentary nor educational nor historic and a lot of the time seem to dumb down the information (which leaves little substance).

Mildly diverting television, but a wasted opportunity IMHO.

 

[cuccir]

Coast is the perfect example of this "tapas television" that seems to be everywhere. Lots of pretty things, but nothing substantial enough to satisfy.

If 'tapas television' is not the name for these sort of programmes then it should be!

 

[Max]

Moved to General Discussion.

 

[The Barlow Boy]

There's one good thing about "Coast" - the divine Dr. Alice. Corrrrrr!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

The first bit of tonight's show was interesting about the Waterloo Necropolis Railway. for all interested, on friday this week, he will be driving a heritage deisel in Norfolk! (I assume to be either the NNR, MNR, or the one at Wymondham.)

 

[me123]

I've been watching this. And I've not been noticing as many glaring continuity errors, so that's always good!

In all seriousness, it's as interesting as ever. A good mix of railway related history, as well as looking at the wider impact that the railways had on the areas they serve. And, as has been said, it's very accessible - you learn a lot watching it and it's very interesting, but at the same time it's not too taxing. Ideal tea-time viewing.

 

[43021HST]

Well the programme is about the deceased this evening,why not get Robert Crow to present the programme as neither he or Porto are M.Ps anyhow the programme is for the general public, not specifically for the likes me with various interests in the PW. I had hoped to have seen a bit about the http://www.urban75.org/railway/brighton-sea-railway.html,

as Charlie Hume sees it below from this weeks http://www.nwrail.org.uk/nwnews.htm with permission to use copy

Sticking with the 'Mr dead' theme why not get Bradshaws own rotting corpse to host it, then again I think the show may end up like something out of Zombieland, will be more interesting though then the current format.

 

[Mojo]

Love the series so far, my list of places I want to visit so far is quite short as most of the places he's mentioned I've been to before, but I imagine in the next three weeks it'll get a lot longer when he covers other parts of the country.

Only real oddity I noticed so far was him on the way from Liverpool Street to Enfield, the interview on train was filmed on a 360 on the way to Stratford but he then gets off an (IIRC) 317 at Enfield L.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

I'm enjoying the series so far.

I think many people are mistaking it, and thinking it should be just about the trains. It's not, it's about how the railways facilitated social cohesion and industry never before seen in Britain, and how Britain was seen by Bradshaw compared to how it is now. The railways is purely an object to facilitate it, and is not the main point of the program.
If you're not interested in social history or industrial history, then don't watch it!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Love the series so far, my list of places I want to visit so far is quite short as most of the places he's mentioned I've been to before, but I imagine in the next three weeks it'll get a lot longer when he covers other parts of the country.

Only real oddity I noticed so far was him on the way from Liverpool Street to Enfield, the interview on train was filmed on a 360 on the way to Stratford but he then gets off an (IIRC) 317 at Enfield L.

He could have got a 360 LST-SRA, then jumped on the local all-stations SRA-SSD, calling at Enfield Lock...

 

[Mojo]

Enjoyed tonight's episode also, added a few more places to my list. Went to Norwich for the first time last summer and loved it, a nice city of churches and other historical buildings but with good modern amenities. I was shown around by a friend of mine from Wymondham. I wouldn't like to live there though as it's a bit out of the way.

Looking forward to next week, Herefordshire and North Wales are both areas I've never really visited before (or if I have it was as a child) so sure I'll add more places to my list!

 

[43021HST]

Enjoyed tonight's episode also, added a few more places to my list. Went to Norwich for the first time last summer and loved it, a nice city of churches and other historical buildings but with good modern amenities. I was shown around by a friend of mine from Wymondham. I wouldn't like to live there though as it's a bit out of the way.

Looking forward to next week, Herefordshire and North Wales are both areas I've never really visited before (or if I have it was as a child) so sure I'll add more places to my list!

Also home of Alan Partridge

 

[Dennis]

Also home of Alan Partridge

Who's back with North Norfolk Digital

Enjoying Potaloos new series - makes for good teatime viewing.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

The full breakdown of journeys, separate journeys are undertaken daily:
Week 1 (Brighton-Cromer):
Brighton-Crystal Palace
Waterloo-Canary Wharf
Enfield-Cambridge
Ely-King's Lynn
Dereham-Cromer

Week 2 (Ledbury-Holyhead):
Ledbury-Shrewsbury
Telford-Wrexham
Chester-Conwy
Llanrwst-Porthmadog
Llanberis-Holyhead

Week 3 (Newcastle-Melton Mowbray):
Newcastle-Chester-le-Street
Durham-Grosmont
York-Saltaire
Batley-Sheffield
Langley Mill-Melton Mowbray

Week 4 (London-Hastings):
London Bridge-Chatham
Aylesford-Tunbridge Wells
Canterbury-Margate
Sandwich-Folkestone
Hythe-Hastings

Week 5 (Ayr-Skye):
Ayr-Paisley
Dumbarton-Tyndrum
Oban-Corrour
Roy Bridge-Glenfinnan
Lochailort-Skye

 

[Nigel Cliff]

Even the Mehm Sahib who hates railways is enjoying this sries

 

[TrainBrain185]

I really like this guy. He played his part to save the Settle Carlisle Line in the days when the Government of the day was content with cuts. I like watching him teamed up with Diane Abbott on BBC's "THIS WEEK". Its nice to see Conservative and Labour Politicians sit side by side and share the highs and lows of the UK in a friendly way.

 

[Mojo]

Wow, didn't realise we got five weeks this year instead of the four last year. We really are spoilt!

 

[43067]

Today Michael Portillo joined the amazing ATW 175-185 morphing train. Embarks a 175 at Flint but wait this interior is from a 2 car 185, cue ariel shot yep defo a 185, but NO disembarks in Llandudno from the 3 car 175 he got on in Flint. Now that is amazing. Top continuity from the Beeb again...I suppose they did get the trains with matching livery.

but it's still enjoyable to watch.

 

[Lampshade]

What's the betting he'll try to pronounce Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (which I did just spell without looking up, no space intended) on Friday? :P