BBC Trainspotting Live

[Clip]

As a concept its fine and it obviously needs some fine tuning if its going to come back for another run and lets face it Springwatch that you are comparing it too was rather a different beast when it first started too

 

[RPM]

So, we're all done. Thank God.

What a mess. Finished up nicely with the 390 spotted up in Wick. So, what have I learned from this?
1) Peter Snow should enjoy a well earned retirement.
2) Dr Hannah Fry needs a show of her own about maths. Give her time to talk about what she's passionate about and you'll get a worthwhile show.
3) Whatever Dick Strawbridge is smoking looks like it would be a lot of fun, but significantly impairs your concentration.
4) There is the potential for a well done show about the railways. This was not it.
5) After almost 80 years of broadcasting, we still struggle with live content.
6) Fact checking is seemingly optional nowadays.
7) If you use amateurs to talk about a subject, the result is predictably amateurish.

I concur 100% with the above. I'd say the pre-recorded segments varied from reasonable to good but the live content was dire and embarrassing. Why all the enforced overexcitement?

 

[AlterEgo]

4) There is the potential for a well done show about the railways. This was not it.

...and it won't be about trainspotting (which I define narrowly as number collecting).

Trainspotting is not a hobby which lends itself to television. It's slow, requires patience, has a niche and mostly homogenous audience, and so on.

Being a railway enthusiast on the other hand is different - not a gricer or spotter, but simply enjoying the pleasure of travelling by train to different places. Portillo and Palin both did this more populist travelogue aspect very well.

 

[trentside]

I'd quite like to see more of Tim Dunn, his enthusiasm is rather infectious!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

...and it won't be about trainspotting (which I define narrowly as number collecting).

Trainspotting is not a hobby which lends itself to television. It's slow, requires patience, has a niche and mostly homogenous audience, and so on.

Being a railway enthusiast on the other hand is different - not a gricer or spotter, but simply enjoying the pleasure of travelling by train to different places. Portillo and Palin both did this more populist travelogue aspect very well.

Though if this programme had been another Portillo or Palin, or indeed much like the East Coast or FGW documentaries, it wouldn't have been trending on Twitter. There was a lot wrong with the execution but at least they tried something different. I would have preferred less focus on number collecting (or at least an acknowledgement that whilst all spotters are enthusiasts, not all enthusiasts are spotters!) and a bit more fact-checking (which I admit is not easy when the show goes out at least partly live).

I do wonder if Dick Strawbridge is really a character by the Keith Lemon/Avid Merrion bloke though...!

 

[Crossover]

I thought the episode last night was the best of the lot - some interesting content and it felt, on the whole, a lot less awkward...I say on the whole as there is one notable exception - Peter Snow! Some of the misguided "facts" were hilariously bad and in some cases I had to rewind (I had it recorded) to see if they actually said what I thought they'd said

That young lad did trainspotters a service - came across as well dressed and sociable. Wonder if he is on here, should have mentioned the name of his site!

Absolutely - even got down to whether seeing it on a video counts as having it for sight. It turned into a pretty good piece for camera, which was good as it meant Dick didn't have to try and fill in

"Darth Vaders" don't exist anymore. They were the Class 460s that were cannibalised to form the 458/5s, were they not?

But anyways, I'd happily watch another season of this.

They mean 180s, i've never heard them called that before though

I commented to a few people about this the other day - the Darth's were the 460's as far as I'm concerned.

I wondered if that was somebody playing a prank on them by sending that report in. If so, it needs a person who knows something about the subject to weed out any spoof reports before they get through to the presenters.

There were some utter junk coming in - as you say I'm not sure whether someone was on a wind-up! I'd happily do the weeding for it :P

I thought that Peter Snow's helpful explanation of EMU numbering would just confuse any budding enthusiast:

• 3xx series are all ac - well apart from 375/3s, 375/7-9s, 376s, 377/1,/3,/4,/6s, 378/1, a total of over 300 units
  
• 5xx & over, not on the lines south of London - despite the fact that by 2020, there will be nearly 150 units running on DC south of the Thames.

I thought the same - unfortunately things aren't quite so straightforward in reality. Of course, the 4xx's in some cases could be converted to run AC too

I'd quite like to see more of Tim Dunn, his enthusiasm is rather infectious!

Monday up at Fort Bill was a bit awkward but the other two weren't too bad.
Looks like he had quite a following at Stafford last night (at least one forum member was there) but they kept them mostly off camera :P

 

[Be3G]

I find some of the more vitriolic comments about Peter Snow earlier in this thread really quite sad; he might not read what's said here but that doesn't mean it's an excuse for otherwise reasonable human beings to be so rude. I actually thought he was a good choice for the programme because (aside from on here!) he's a respected TV figure, so him being the lead presenter will have given the subject an air of legitimacy to people whose initial reaction to the word ‘trainspotting’ would be a very deliberate rolling of the eyes. Yes his constant use of exclamations (great! amazing! etc.) was a little wearying, but I would say that for the majority of people, witnessing abundant passion for a subject is going to be more successful at winning them over compared to a dour but factually perfect presentation.

(Disclaimer: I have no interest in trainspotting, but I have nothing against it either, and I am always pleased to see more programming about the railways in pretty much whichever form that takes.)

 

[Matt Taylor]

Matt Taylor certainly is quite a humorous chap, he was also responsible for the original Trainy McTrainface IIRC.

Thank you for that compliment. I posted the Jaffa Cake Class 411 as a joke to point out just how poor some of the research was, I really didn't expect them to use it!

 

[fowler9]

I fear that a program that was trying to promote people often seen has being weirdos on the edge society was partially "De-railed" by weirdos on the edge of society. What is the point of saying you saw a 390 at Wick? etc.

 

[Harbornite]

I fear that a program that was trying to promote people often seen has being weirdos on the edge society was partially "De-railed" by weirdos on the edge of society. What is the point of saying you saw a 390 at Wick? etc.

It was a silly thing to tweet in, but do you really think Joe Public will know or care about why 390s won't appear at Wick?

 

[Iskra]

It was a silly thing to tweet in, but do you really think Joe Public will know or care about why 390s won't appear at Wick?

I've been sat all day today at Wick waiting for one to turn up

 

[Antman]

I find some of the more vitriolic comments about Peter Snow earlier in this thread really quite sad; he might not read what's said here but that doesn't mean it's an excuse for otherwise reasonable human beings to be so rude. I actually thought he was a good choice for the programme because (aside from on here!) he's a respected TV figure, so him being the lead presenter will have given the subject an air of legitimacy to people whose initial reaction to the word ‘trainspotting’ would be a very deliberate rolling of the eyes. Yes his constant use of exclamations (great! amazing! etc.) was a little wearying, but I would say that for the majority of people, witnessing abundant passion for a subject is going to be more successful at winning them over compared to a dour but factually perfect presentation.

(Disclaimer: I have no interest in trainspotting, but I have nothing against it either, and I am always pleased to see more programming about the railways in pretty much whichever form that takes.)

I totally agree, I had the pleasure of meeting Peter Snow a few years ago and found him to be a charming gentleman, I'm surprised admin haven't removed some of the derogatory remarks about him!

 

[Haig paxton]

But anyways, I'd happily watch another season of this.[/QUOTE]

Three nights hardly makes it a 'season'. A series, yes. Creeping Americanisms.

 

[43021HST]

...and it won't be about trainspotting (which I define narrowly as number collecting).

Trainspotting is not a hobby which lends itself to television. It's slow, requires patience, has a niche and mostly homogenous audience, and so on.

Could say that about sport

But just to add my tuppence, of course the program isn't perfect, but it's nice to have something on the TV that tries to aim for the rail enthusiast audience rather than some glossy tourist guide to the railways like Great British Railway journeys or some dull workplace documentary like 'The railway' where some grim faced worker moans about the bins rather than the program giving us any actual insight into the workings of the railway itself.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

My wife accidentally switched over to the third programme in this series by accident, meaning to watch another channel, near to its end.

She ventured the opinion that it was embarrassing to see grown men being so effusive....read into that what you will.:roll:

 

[Crossover]

She ventured the opinion that it was embarrassing to see grown men being so effusive....read into that what you will.:roll:

I hope you responded by advising the pros and cons of the continued use of the Pacers

 

[Harbornite]

Someone should have tweeted that they'd seen an XC class 442 and vivarail 230 slip coaches being hauled by class 43s from Newhaven Marine to Wick, via Brighton.

 

[6Gman]

I totally agree, I had the pleasure of meeting Peter Snow a few years ago and found him to be a charming gentleman, I'm surprised admin haven't removed some of the derogatory remarks about him!

I once had a chat with said Mr Snow whilst standing at adjacent stalls in a gents' urinals.

However, referring to EMUs as if they were Australian birds is poor presenting, nice chap or otherwise.

 

[Harbornite]

People saying that Snow should retire should have a bit of perspective and get over it. He wasn't that bad.

 

[Railman10]

I looked forward to this programme but was so disappointed by the inept presentation.
One would expect presenters to have a fair idea of the correct terminology at least. Peter Snow may have been a train enthusiast since the age of 1 but he still can't tell the difference between a TRAIN and a LOCOMOTIVE, and couldn't recognise the difference the K1 and Black 5 on the West Highland line. (Rather like the people who say every rear platform double decker is a Routemaster!). And, despite it being explained earlier on the programme, still confused HST with Class 43!

I could understand a bit of excitement about unusual spotting of Class 66s, but why were they so surprised and excited at seeing HSTs at Swindon and Newport?

I guess the majority of non-railway nuts watching the programme would have been confirmed in their preconceived views that Train spotters are not quite right in the head! A pity that a good opportunity to inform the public about railways was lost by the 'dumbing down' by the participants.

 

[Antman]

I once had a chat with said Mr Snow whilst standing at adjacent stalls in a gents' urinals.

However, referring to EMUs as if they were Australian birds is poor presenting, nice chap or otherwise.

Oh come on, aren't you being just a little bit pedantic?

 

[IanD]

The company collecting the facts was Plum pictures, not the BBC.

Are they connected to Dick?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I hope you responded by advising the pros and cons of the continued use of the Pacers

My good lady wife has no need of being advised about Class 142 Pacers, as when in the very early part of this year, we travelled on an early morning service on a dry but exceedingly cold Saturday from Manchester Victoria to Clitheroe, when the Bolton to Blackburn line was having engineering works carried out, meaning that we had to travel via the Copy Pit line then a reversal at Blackburn. The train had originally started its journey at Wigan Wallgate.

Never have we travelled for so long in such bitterly cold internal train temperatures. Don't forget, by the the time that train reached platform 6 at Manchester Victoria from Wigan, you would have expected the heating would have had time to warm the train. Don't they carry blankets these days in times such as this? Did you know, unlike the Class 185 TPE units we have used for years, there is no first-class accommodation available to genteel passengers in the Class 142 Pacer fleet....

 

[Bromley boy]

I looked forward to this programme but was so disappointed by the inept presentation.
One would expect presenters to have a fair idea of the correct terminology at least. Peter Snow may have been a train enthusiast since the age of 1 but he still can't tell the difference between a TRAIN and a LOCOMOTIVE, and couldn't recognise the difference the K1 and Black 5 on the West Highland line. (Rather like the people who say every rear platform double decker is a Routemaster!). And, despite it being explained earlier on the programme, still confused HST with Class 43!

I could understand a bit of excitement about unusual spotting of Class 66s, but why were they so surprised and excited at seeing HSTs at Swindon and Newport?

I guess the majority of non-railway nuts watching the programme would have been confirmed in their preconceived views that Train spotters are not quite right in the head! A pity that a good opportunity to inform the public about railways was lost by the 'dumbing down' by the participants.

You've hit the nail on the head there.

I really struggle to understand who the target audience for this show is. It falls between two stools. Not enough basic information for lay people showing a casual interest, not enough in-depth information for railway enthusiasts. As an enthusiast, I just found it boring.

Possibly the worst decision the BBC has made since sacking Clarkson and reminds me why I refuse to pay the licence fee.

 

[Harbornite]

I'm currently watching embarrassing mums on tivo (featuring fanny fox and her dildo) and I find myself longing for trainspotting live. There's plenty of trash on tele and transpotting live wasn't included.

 

[Kite159]

I've been sat all day today at Wick waiting for one to turn up

Were you waiting at the right Wick

You need to be at Wickerhampton to see lots of 390s

Although I'm still waiting for a class 155 to show at Swindon, those pesky 153s, pretend 158s with only 2 carriages and 150s with 3 carriages keep showing up instead!

---------

As for the show, it could have been done a bit better, maybe less 'live' parts and use of more viewer video footage/pictures to avoid the audio cutting out. But felt a bit all over the place

 

[Harbornite]

Were you waiting at the right Wick

You need to be at Wickerhampton to see lots of 390s

Although I'm still waiting for a class 155 to show at Swindon, those pesky 153s, pretend 158s with only 2 carriages and 150s with 3 carriages keep showing up instead!

---------

Sucks to be you, I spent all of today bashing those new southwest trains class 45s!

 

[Rail Bus]

I think these comments are harsh, was a decent watch

Clearly the target audience wasn't hardcore or industry like on this forum - but more for the masses, bit of enthusiast snobbery going on here if Im honest

 

[Bromley boy]

I think these comments are harsh, was a decent watch

Clearly the target audience wasn't hardcore or industry like on this forum - but more for the masses, bit of enthusiast snobbery going on here if Im honest

I'd agree with you... If I hadn't spoken to my non-enthusiast family who also said it bombed...!

 

[extendedpaul]

who would you like to see as presenters?

While I enjoyed the programmes overall I do think they suffered from, to use a railway-related phrase, "the wrong (type of) snow" :roll:

Son Dan Snow would be a good choice of presenter for a second batch of programmes. Plenty of live TV experience, somewhat more articulate than his elderly dad, and partly responsible for the excellent BBC4 Locomotion series broadcast a few months ago.