BBC TV show that might well appeal to ME readers

[chris stephensParticipant @chrisstephens63393]

Hi Guys,

Just a heads up, BBC1 at 7-30 tonight (WED) and for the next six weeks, there is a program that should be of some appeal to the average ME reader.

chriStephens

[chris stephensParticipant @chrisstephens63393]

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Yes I was going to have a look at that, says he is going to build the steam engine for his narrow boat. I think its one of the guys that was on the Titanic series last year, the one with the big sideburns.

 

Bad scheduling by the beeb as Wednesday night is usually my weekday workshop evening as there is not often much on TV.

 

J

[NobbyParticipant @nobby]

Cheers Chris

I will record this as a series so I dont miss any.

Nobby

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, yes it is on iplayer now.

 

Regards Nick.

[chris stephensParticipant @chrisstephens63393]

Hi Guys,

Well, what do we think?

The chap seems quite personable, enthusiastic and fairly knowledgeable, but is he the “new” Fred Dibnah as I have heard him described?

I think it a shame the Auntie Beeb did not trust their new find enough to do the voice over himself. I also think it a shame that they put the show in the early evening family audience slot, had they put it on later they could have had more of the interesting-to-us-lot stuff and less of the “Tarbie twittering”.

Generally it is a big thank you to the Beeb for having a go, and some steam to come next week to make things better.

chriStephens

[Anonymous]

Not much I’m afraid; almost an information free zone. Seems a nice enough chap, but definitely not the new Fred Dibnah. I don’t think I shall be watching the rest of the series.

 

Regards,

 

Andrew

[John CoatesParticipant @johncoates48577]

He’s a motorcycle road racer. Never won a TT yet, the “almost” man. Fearsome and with a no-nonsense manner. He’s been set on fire at last year’s TT when his petrol tank exploded during a huge crash. From round my way and my wife’s uncle is good friends with the Martin family. Prodigious tea drinker, usually seen spannering on his race bike with a pint of tea in hand. Nice bloke

[Steve GarnettParticipant @stevegarnett62550]

I watched it. Usual BBC thing, long on excitement, short on detail. But at the time it was shown, it’s what I would have expected. The BBC has an agenda here, but you can hardly blame them for that – it’s all about our ‘heritage’; pretty much all we have left. And why are these programs and the ensuing discussions all about the presenter? I mean, why let a good story get in the way of showing us more of the presenter than anything else? I’m sure he’s a nice bloke, but surely this isn’t right?

 

I’m absolutely amazed that the casting worked, though – I wonder how many goes it really took? (I worked in TV for long enough to know not to take anything you see at face value…)

[Les Jones 1Participant @lesjones1]

I watched it and was disappointed that sol little was shown of Colin Peck’s waste oil furnace when it was that rather than the coke furnace that produced the molten iron.

He has a website which is quite interesting.

Colin Peck’s website

 

Les.

[Steve GarnettParticipant @stevegarnett62550]

Yes, and it’s interesting to note, in view of what I said previously, his comment:

 

“I was only involved in a minor capacity in the first of the six episodes, and how much of this ended up on the cutting room floor??”

 

Like, for instance, what happened to that pot between being released from the casting, and ending up on the fire? Just compare the two, and perhaps you’ll wonder too!

Edited By Steve Garnett on 02/03/2011 22:46:50

[Anonymous]

Hi Les,

 

Thanks for posting the link; I’ll probably end up buying the book! Damn sight more interesting than the programme.

 

Regards,

 

Andrew

[Ray LyonsParticipant @raylyons29267]

I missed it last night but for anyone getting their TV from sat, the programme is on BBC 1 Wales, Channel 972 on Friday Evening At 7.30.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Andrew. the book is interesting reading and well illustrated.

 

Regards Nick.

[Les Jones 1Participant @lesjones1]

Hi Andrew,

I have a copy of Colin Peck’s book which is why I recognised Colin his name on the programme. I would also recommend the book. I am building a furnace based on his design. If you are interested I have quite a few photographs of various stages of the construction.

Les.

[DustyParticipant @dusty]

C’mon Guys

This is entertainment, as Steve Garnett says it really is ‘the world of make believe’. Having said that , if it encorages just a few people to take an interest in our heritage or a few of us learn from it then it is worthwhile. At the end of the day it may be that some youngsters (anyone under 40 in my book) will take up any form of craft shown, then it will have been a good days work by the Beeb. ‘Voice over’ is a skill and T.V. companys pay a lot of money even for Actors who are not well known, to perform this service.

As long as the basic facts are correct then to my mind a little bit of cheating to tell the story is acceptable i.e. the cast iron pot.

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Well you are a glum lot!

I watched this today and thought it an entertaining and enjoyable show. What’s more my wife watched it with me, enjoyed it, and set up a series record for the rest. ( This is fairly surprising as whilst very tolerant – after all she puts up with me – she is not in general a big fan of things mechanical)

O.K. so it’s not great depth technical information and skips over much of the detail but I think it will be more likely to grab the attention of the uninitiated and perhaps encourage them to dig deeper. I doubt that the target audience reads ME/MEW!

The guy is certainly a character but I think a whole program of just him doing the voice over would be a bit tedious. As it was the background information to set the scene was provided by the “Beeb” voice whilst he provided the detail, comment and humour which brings the whole thing to life.

Jason I suspect you will be a bit disappointed next week if you are expecting the construction of a steam engine to power his narrow boat – it looks to be something on a much smaller scale!

Well I for one am looking forward to the next installment.

 

Regards

 

Norman

[Steve GarnettParticipant @stevegarnett62550]

Posted by NJH on 03/03/2011 23:07:59:

Well you are a glum lot!

 

That’s one way of looking at it – another would be to say that many of us have been waiting for years for proper engineering programs from the Beeb, etc and have been continually frustrated by them. Every time another one comes along, we get our hopes up, only to have them dashed on the rocks of disappointment… blah blah… with the possible exception of Dibnah, whom I quite enjoyed, I must admit.

 

Jason I suspect you will be a bit disappointed next week if you are expecting the construction of a steam engine to power his narrow boat – it looks to be something on a much smaller scale!

Unless I misunderstood the trailer, he’s intending to build a steam engine to power his shower, isn’t he? I’ll certainly give him marks for craziness!

[russellParticipant @russell]

For us colonials, would it be possible to share the name of this new program? A faint hope that it will ever appear this far south, but it is possible.

 

regards

 

russell

[chris stephensParticipant @chrisstephens63393]

Hi Russell

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00z88v0/The_Boat_That_Guy_Built_A_Cup_of_Tea/

I suspect that you will not be able to watch the program outside of the UK, but you never know.

chriStephens

[DustyParticipant @dusty]

If its on Tinternet then it should be possible to see it. Pull up BBC home page click iplayer( top right). You will then get iplayer home page, in the index click ‘B’ thats where you will find The boat that Guy built. Yes , you and I know it should be under ‘T’ but thats the Beeb

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, if any one is interested, this is on BBC 1 TV again this evening at 18:30 – 19:00.

 

Regards Nick.

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