Rail TV Programmes - Portillo v Tarrant.

[Envoy]

I have just been checking the ratings for the 2 series of rail based programmes currently running on TV.

On BBC 2 - Friday nights at 9pm, Michael Portillo's 'Great Continental Railway Journeys' is getting around 1.81 million viewers whilst on CH 5 (Thursdays at 9pm), Chris Tarrant's 'Extreme Railway Journeys' is only getting around 1.21 million. You would think that being similar programmes that they would get almost identical ratings. Perhaps people who have Freeview & Freesat give CH 5 a low priority because they will only allow pay TV (Sky / Virgin) to see their programmes in HD?

Anyway, I found the first section of Portillo's programme last week (Vienna), to be rather tedious. I can't help but think that Tarrant's programmes offer a better description of the rail journeys - especially as they tend to include more external shots of trains.

It will be interesting to see how the 2 programmes compare this week with CT doing Japan (CH5 Thursday 29 Oct 2015 at 9pm) whilst MP is covering Italy (BBC 2 Friday at 9pm).

TV Ratings can be found here:>
http://www.barb.co.uk/whats-new/weekly-top-30?

http://www.channel5.com/shows/chris-tarrant-extreme-railway-journeys/episodes/railroad-to-mandalay

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01rdqn7/episodes

 

[yorksrob]

I tend to prefer programmes that centre on the railway itself rather than travelogues based on railway routes.

Recent examples being the excellent Ian Hislop documentary on the Beeching cuts and the one on the Intercity 125 a few years ago. Both on BBC 4.

 

[CharlieSpotted]

TV ratings are a total minefield at the moment, so many different measurements. AIUI the BARB 7 day ratings (which I think these are) include catch-up services when viewed on a TV (not phone, tablet, computer).

If this is the case, then the difference in viewer figures between the BBC and CH5 programmes can, I expect, at least partly be explained by the wide availability and popularity of BBC iPlayer on connected TVs and STBs, compared to Demand 5.



OT, but for those interested in such things, Editor Tom Spilsbury has an excellent regular feature in Doctor Who Magazine discussing TV ratings. (With focus on Doctor Who, obviously)

 

[yorksrob]

My home town in Kent could never get channel 5. Don't know whether this is still the case.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I must admit I prefer the railway interest of the Tarrant programme over the general interest of the Portillo one, though I do enjoy both.

 

[Howardh]

My home town in Kent could never get channel 5. Don't know whether this is still the case.

Lucky home town!
I understand many places in Kent, especially near the coast, could receive French analogue stations. Is this still the case, either analogue or digital?

 

[leaffall]

Lucky home town!
I understand many places in Kent, especially near the coast, could receive French analogue stations. Is this still the case, either analogue or digital?

Radio, definitely, TV however not any more, you used to be able to get a weak analogue signal if the weather was favourable and you pointed your aerial in their general direction (excuse the pythonesque wording) but now it's satellite and digital I don't think so.

 

[CharlieSpotted]

Radio, definitely, TV however not any more, you used to be able to get a weak analogue signal if the weather was favourable and you pointed your aerial in their general direction (excuse the pythonesque wording) but now it's satellite and digital I don't think so.

The analogue TV signal will have been destroyed by the 4G mobile signals.

 

[Howardh]

Radio, definitely, TV however not any more, you used to be able to get a weak analogue signal if the weather was favourable and you pointed your aerial in their general direction (excuse the pythonesque wording) but now it's satellite and digital I don't think so.

Thanks for that. Totally off-topic but I was once in a caravan in NW Scotland (1970's) and on the b/w portable we received programmes in French! Have to explain that due to atmospheric conditions the French-speaking TV was bouncing it's way from Canada! Locals explained that wasn't so rare - but in today's digital world may well be impossible. My best mate was into DX'ing - which is tuning into distant radio signals and he explained about the atmosphere etc - and it all made sense at the time

 

[eastwestdivide]

Lucky home town!
I understand many places in Kent, especially near the coast, could receive French analogue stations. Is this still the case, either analogue or digital?

Continuing wildly off-topic, last time I was at Samphire Hoe (reclaimed land using Channel tunnel excavations, now a nature reserve at the foot of the cliffs between Dover/Folkestone), my mobile phone said "Welcome to France".

Veering back on topic, as for Portillo versus Tarrant, it's horses for courses really - they're trying to do different things: one a train-based travelogue and the other "look how mad this rail system is".

 

[thenorthern]

With Channel 5 the black spots were because Channel 5 at first largely used separate transmitters from the other 4 channels such as in London they used the Croydon Transmitter rather than Crystal Palace Transmitter and in the West Midlands Lichfield was used rather than Sutton Coldfield meaning it only had 70% coverage rather than 99% for the other 4 channels. This was the same when ITV Digital/Freeview first launched but it was changed in 2009. Because of Channel 5's rather late start (1997) its always struggled to get large viewing figures though.

Now on the topic of BBC and Channel 5 with their railway programmes the BBC ones should in theory be there to "educate entertain and inform" and because of the licence fee viewing numbers aren't as important while the Channel 5's primary purpose is to make money they are important.

With Channel 5 they have an established host (Chris Tarrent) who is a well known and established entertainer who is likely to draw in viewers including people who have no interest in trains, there is also the excitement of the "Extreme" nature of the programme. Michael Portillo on the other hand is still probably best known for being a politician and as such is less likely to draw in viewers and his programmes are more about the history of the railways and how they work and runs at a much slower pace which appeals to a much smaller audience. I personally prefer Michael Portillo though.

 

[Aldaniti]

I quite enjoy both. Each has a different theme and the presenter a different style, and I like both Tarrant and Portillo. I have to record Tarrant though, just so that I can fast-forward through the crappy Channel 5 adverts every 10 minutes.

 

[CharlieSpotted]

Portillo (and a small crew) got on the same train as me on a commute home one day. It was a service from Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton and they got on at Smethwick Galton Bridge. Didn't see them actually do any filming, mind.

Not very interesting, but true.

 

[DarloRich]

Imagine my disappointment when I realised this thread wasn't about a celebrity death match style grapple off............

 

[eastwestdivide]

Imagine my disappointment when I realised this thread wasn't about a celebrity death match style grapple off............

Yes, Harry Hill's "FIIIIGHT" entered my head too.
My money's on Portillo: he took an unhealthy interest in the oiled Turkish wrestlers a couple of episodes ago, and Tarrant always looks a bit peaky to me.

 

[Howardh]

Yes, Harry Hill's "FIIIIGHT" entered my head too.
My money's on Portillo: he took an unhealthy interest in the oiled Turkish wrestlers a couple of episodes ago, and Tarrant always looks a bit peaky to me.

Unhealthy? Oh, dunno about that - if a bloke takes a shine to well-built hunky chaps covered in oil that's fine by me!
His missus might have something to say, mind.

 

[eastwestdivide]

yeah, but covered in oil???

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Has Portillo stopped making "Great British Railway Journeys"?

 

[fireftrm]

I hadn't heard of Tarrant's programme before this, interested to see the content but I cannot abide the man. Therefore I fully understand why he gets less viewers than Portillo.

 

[Mikey C]

Has Portillo stopped making "Great British Railway Journeys"?

I don't know, but the Continental journeys have run for several years as an additional series.

They are 2 different programmes, the Portillo ones are much more about Europe in 1913 just before WW1 and the political, social and economic importance of the railways. Having been to Trieste, I knew it had been part of the Hapsburg empire, but never realised its massive importance as the empire's main port, which that railway journey highlighted.

The Tarrant ones are much more in the mould of sending a humourous celebrity on an exotic journey. Griff Rhys Jones did something similarish on ITV earlier this year in Africa.

 

[swt_passenger]

Has Portillo stopped making "Great British Railway Journeys"?

No. Series 7 is in production and will be broadcast in 2016.

 

[CharlieSpotted]

The Tarrant ones are much more in the mould of sending a humourous celebrity on an exotic journey. Griff Rhys Jones did something similarish on ITV earlier this year in Africa.

And wasn't there something with Paul Merton in India, too?

 

[Bodiddly]

I hadn't heard of Tarrant's programme before this, interested to see the content but I cannot abide the man. Therefore I fully understand why he gets less viewers than Portillo.

The programme would actually be quite good if they left Tarrant behind in the UK!

 

[Howardh]

yeah, but covered in oil???

My old man's in heaven when covered in oil, grease, soot....

 

[Peter Sarf]

More and more I favour the BBC over the commercial channels as there seem to be more and more adverts. I sometimes give up half way through programs on Yesterday channel. I need to get one of the Plus boxes so that I can fast forward through the adverts while still recording. Would also mean I can replay the bits where noises in the house drown out what is said .

I have seen both Tarrant and Portillo and both have their weak points and strong points. So I cannot make up my mind which i prefer. They could make separate programs on exactly the same route by each of them and both would be worth watching I suspect.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

My old man's in heaven when covered in oil, grease, soot....

Oooh yea. And then when I come indoors the missus puts me in hell if I don't be careful where I walk/sit/stand/breathe .

 

[Antman]

I hadn't heard of Tarrant's programme before this, interested to see the content but I cannot abide the man. Therefore I fully understand why he gets less viewers than Portillo.

I didn't like Tarrant before seeing this programme, I'm now warning to him!

 

[Minilad]

I am looking forward to the Japan one tonight. Not so much because of Tarrant. Just because it's Japan and their railways fascinate me.

 

[Antman]

I am looking forward to the Japan one tonight. Not so much because of Tarrant. Just because it's Japan and their railways fascinate me.

Really interesting I thought, I really must get out to Japan one of these days

 

[Cletus]

More and more I favour the BBC over the commercial channels as there seem to be more and more adverts. I sometimes give up half way through programs on Yesterday channel. I need to get one of the Plus boxes so that I can fast forward through the adverts while still recording. Would also mean I can replay the bits where noises in the house drown out what is said .

Sky+ is great, just press record then fast forward through adverts and other waffle.

I do tend to over-record stuff now. Recently watched programmes about Grand Central and Pennsylvania Stations on PBS just because it was too easy to press record.

 

[hulabaloo]

Loved the Japan one and makes me want to do a full on Shinkansen tour of the country even more. Once I've won the lottery.

The railways in the north looked very interesting as well - the single car DMU through the snow and mountains looked like an extreme S&C!