Wrong Train On TV's New Tricks

[Thumper Bill]

I have been watching New Tricks on BBC 1 tonight. The story was concerning a man who went missing on a Charing Cross to Dover service which in this instance appeard to be a 1st class MK3 and a MK3 buffet car no such train ever run on that line in normal service. Is this sort of mistake becoming all too common on tv drama? I have even seen MK1 stock before WW2 on one occasion, should producers make more of an effort?

 

[transmanche]

Is this sort of mistake becoming all too common on tv drama? I have even seen MK1 stock before WW2 on one occasion, should producers make more of an effort?

Does it affect the dramatic narrative?

Most people will not notice and will not care.

 

[Fred26]

So what?!

No wonder some people call spotters 'sad'...

 

[Temple Meads]

The OP doesn't appear to be enraged, rather he is asking whether producers should make more of an effort, to which the answer is probably no, as said above, not many people will notice or care.

 

[Jatos]

If its about factual events, yes, I do think they should attempt to maintain what accuracy they can including, the right rolling stock if they can!

 

[yorksrob]

There used to be a cross country train in the 80's which did the Tonbridge - Dover part of the route and that used to have Mk 2's (which look a bit like Mk 3's).

But really - they'd have been nearer the mark hiring the Hastings unit for authenticity (particularly if they'd filmed in the CEP carriage).

 

[ATW Alex 101]

It's a film/program, I am sorry for being slightly harsh, but out of the shedloads of people watching, it't not going to affect anything that the type of train was wrong type. A train is a train when it comes to TV, as long as it shows a train when the storyline is such, thats fine.

For example scottish TV program Taggart showed the cally sleeper to be an East Coast train, Skyfall showed a 1996 stock as a District line train headed for Wimbledon. Nobody cares really

Not everyone is a rail enthusiast, they wont know and they wont care if it's wrong, to most people a train is a train. Besides, it probably costs less to hire out a few MK1 and 2's than to film on today's units at busy stations, also note the time and effort it could take to film it.

Fred26-How do you know Thumper bill is a spotter? And what makes them sad exactly, I'm not sad

 

[Roverman]

They have to get what they can when they do these flashback scenes, I've not watched the episode since it was originally transmitted last year, but as I recall the chap wanted a glass of water, therefore they needed a buffet car, and I imagine this was what they could get hold of. To the majority of people watching the show it looked fine! I found it more annoying that in another episode they described a Chrysler Sunbeam as a 1998 model!

 

[yorksrob]

I found it more annoying that in another episode they described a Chrysler Sunbeam as a 1998 model!

I would have safely missed that

 

[Roverman]

So did the retired copper, known as Memory Lane

 

[swj99]

should producers make more of an effort?

I think they do the best they can, given the resources they have avalable to them.
Another thing about this is what they call artistic license, which I suppose you could describe as a combination of what the scriptwriter and director want to portray, versus the level of accuracy and authenticity that it's practicable to achieve, or what they're bothered about achieving. To some extent, they have to find film sets which fit the story.

That said, I did notice a Mercedes Sprinter van go past the end of a road on Ashes to Ashes, in a scene that was supposed to be set in the 1980s. I think that was just an editing mistake though. Even the software I've got could have made that disappear easily.

 

[Temple Meads]

That said, I did notice a Mercedes Sprinter van go past the end of a road on Ashes to Ashes, in a scene that was supposed to be set in the 1980s. I think that was just an editing mistake though. Even the software I've got could have made that disappear easily.

Don't even go down the pedantry road with Ashes to Ashes, the Cortina (that was Life on Mars of course) and the Quattro were both factually incorrect for their time periods

Still a great show though!

 

[t o m]

Don't even go down the pedantry road with Ashes to Ashes, the Cortina (that was Life on Mars of course) and the Quattro were both factually incorrect for their time periods

Still a great show though!

There's an episode of Ashes to Ashes that shows the railway and the signals at a gantry have TPWS TSS loops.

Like you say, still a great show!

 

[Roverman]

And a 1993 Rover 600 in the final episode.

 

[Clip]

I have been watching New Tricks on BBC 1 tonight. The story was concerning a man who went missing on a Charing Cross to Dover service which in this instance appeard to be a 1st class MK3 and a MK3 buffet car no such train ever run on that line in normal service. Is this sort of mistake becoming all too common on tv drama? I have even seen MK1 stock before WW2 on one occasion, should producers make more of an effort?

Out of interest as I do not know the answer, just where would the producers get to film the correct train in this instance? Are there any left in preservation running any more?

Same with any other trains in telly. If theres nothing they can use then how can they be factually accurate?

 

[swj99]

And a 1993 Rover 600 in the final episode.

And that also !
Mad really, seeing as it was only in shot for a few seconds, I'm sure it could have easily been edited out later. It was quite obvious, so I'm not sure if it was a mistake, or whether it was deliberate.

Just thinking more about this, and I suppose it's fair to say that fictional tv programs and films are basically a cross between reality and fantasy. The story is usually made up (unless it's a true story or based on one), and the scenario is to some extent made up as well. With some tv and films, this is also going to have to extend to the scenery, props and locations etc unless it's got a multi million dollar Hollywood budget.

People filming something that's not set bang up to date in the present day are likely to have an element of difficulty in getting things totally accurate. The further back in time, the harder it is. For example, if you wanted to film a street scene that was set in 1984, where can you go that looks the part now, in 2012 ? The obvious giveaways are going to be things like satellite dishes, lottery signs in shops, big wheelie bins that didn't exist outside private homes in the 80s, cars, phone boxes, the list goes on. And of course, the lack of slam door trains. I know they still exist on heritage railways, but many have been repainted and are no longer in their 1980s BR liveries.

 

[LE Greys]

And that also !
Mad really, seeing as it was only in shot for a few seconds, I'm sure it could have easily been edited out later. It was quite obvious, so I'm not sure if it was a mistake, or whether it was deliberate.

Just thinking more about this, and I suppose it's fair to say that fictional tv programs and films are basically a cross between reality and fantasy. The story is usually made up (unless it's a true story or based on one), and the scenario is to some extent made up as well. With some tv and films, this is also going to have to extend to the scenery, props and locations etc unless it's got a multi million dollar Hollywood budget.

People filming something that's not set bang up to date in the present day are likely to have an element of difficulty in getting things totally accurate. The further back in time, the harder it is. For example, if you wanted to film a street scene that was set in 1984, where can you go that looks the part now, in 2012 ? The obvious giveaways are going to be things like satellite dishes, lottery signs in shops, big wheelie bins that didn't exist outside private homes in the 80s, cars, phone boxes, the list goes on. And of course, the lack of slam door trains. I know they still exist on heritage railways, but many have been repainted and are no longer in their 1980s BR liveries.

Of course, there are some who make a real effort (sometimes in vain). ITV did their level best with things like Sherlock Holmes and Poirot, often with clever camera angles to hide the giveaways, although they did once noteably let themselves down with a 47 on the Orient Express. That probably happened as a result of time constraints and needing a shot in a hurry. The BBC also did their best with The Thirty-Nine Steps, although the 1914 railways played a major part in that, so they were bound to make an effort.

There have been other silly ones. I can't remember which company it was that once filmed a 20th Century supposed suicide (that was actually a murder IIRC) at Didcot using the broad gauge baulk road! That may have been a practical joke by someone, but is more likely to be the result of someone choosing somewhere that 'looked good to them' or where the light conditions were best.

All filming is a fake, but somtimes it's a clever fake and sometimes people either make silly mistakes or just don't care. Still, think of the problems they have in theatres, with only wooden 'flats' or scenery backcloths to go with.

 

[IanD]

All filming is a fake, but somtimes it's a clever fake and sometimes people either make silly mistakes or just don't care. Still, think of the problems they have in theatres, with only wooden 'flats' or scenery backcloths to go with.

Went to see Spamalot the other week. The numpties have a Eurostar leaving St Pancras painted on the back drop. In King Arthur's day? Unbelievable! Plus I think Camelot was in Cornwall so how could they see St Pancras? And I don't think Eurostars ever went anywhere near Camelot even in more recent times.

 

[Deerfold]

Went to see Spamalot the other week. The numpties have a Eurostar leaving St Pancras painted on the back drop. In King Arthur's day? Unbelievable! Plus I think Camelot was in Cornwall so how could they see St Pancras? And I don't think Eurostars ever went anywhere near Camelot even in more recent times.

Yes, I have to say I saw all sorts of hysterical inaccuracies in that. Fairly sure they were using the wrong sort of coconuts too.

 

[IanD]

Fairly sure they were using the wrong sort of coconuts too.

My bad. Just checked Ye Bradeshawe from 497AD and, apparently, there was a Parliamentary special once a week from Camelot Parkway to Avalon West (to keep the Lake curve in use) which was operated by Eurostars in March and April. However, Camelot Parkway was actually closer to Castle Aaargh so still not visible from Camelot itself until the mightiest trees in the forest were felled.

 

[Deerfold]

However, Camelot Parkway was actually closer to Castle Aaargh so still not visible from Camelot itself until the mightiest trees in the forest were felled.

With a herring? Insert Ash Dieback joke here

 

[Smudger105e]

Don't even go down the pedantry road with Ashes to Ashes, the Cortina (that was Life on Mars of course) and the Quattro were both factually incorrect for their time periods

Still a great show though!

Mk3 Cortinas were correct for that time period, surely. Although the one they used was not a GXL as it said on the grill