Gavin and Stacey Episode 2

[trainmania100]

When Stacey gets on the train back to Wales, from "London Paddington", they're clearly at London Marylebone as there's a 165 in the livery, but they've put up a fake sign saying London Paddington.

Why didn't they just film it at London Paddington ? Instead of putting a sign saying Paddington at Marylebone, and just make people think the trains go to Wales from there anyway?

 

[Darandio]

There could have been any number of reasons why filming at Paddington just wasn't possible. I also doubt people form travel plans based on watching Gavin & Stacey, it isn't a travelogue.

 

[GusB]

When Stacey gets on the train back to Wales, from "London Paddington", they're clearly at London Marylebone as there's a 165 in the livery, but they've put up a fake sign saying London Paddington.

Why didn't they just film it at London Paddington ? Instead of putting a sign saying Paddington at Marylebone, and just make people think the trains go to Wales from there anyway?

• TV/film producers don't really know/care about accuracy. They want a scene shot in a station with a train and that's about it.
• Paddington was possibly too busy to allow filming?

Yes, it's irritating that they don't focus on the details. How long were they using the background sound of a Routemaster in Eastenders, for example - long after they'd been out of general service? The simple answer is that it doesn't bloody matter to most of the population and we have to accept it.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Marylebone (and Chiltern in general) crop up quite a lot in TV shows, adverts etc. Probably due to Marylebone being significantly quieter particularly at weekends, along with perhaps Chiltern as an organisation having been more willing to allow filming to take place.

 

[Steddenm]

From what I recall at the time, Chiltern Railways had some incentives to use their stations and rolling stock for filming purposes, the recent Sky Mobile ad was also filmed at Marylebone. Marylebone station was used, as a poster above mentioned, as the station was a lot quieter. The scene was also shot late on a Sunday evening in Summer.

The fake Paddington signs were still in the stores at Marylebone for a number of years after filming from what I recall.

Another programme using a station coming up is Coronation Street and a train to London Euston, yet the scenes were filmed recently at Victoria station and a TPE Nova 3 set. The CIS on the platform was rejigged to say "1230 London Euston, calling at Stockport and London Euston. A North West Trains service". Platform signage wasn't changed, nor were the PA announcements removed from normal services.

 

[Scotrail314209]

From what I recall at the time, Chiltern Railways had some incentives to use their stations and rolling stock for filming purposes, the recent Sky Mobile ad was also filmed at Marylebone. Marylebone station was used, as a poster above mentioned, as the station was a lot quieter. The scene was also shot late on a Sunday evening in Summer.

The fake Paddington signs were still in the stores at Marylebone for a number of years after filming from what I recall.

Another programme using a station coming up is Coronation Street and a train to London Euston, yet the scenes were filmed recently at Victoria station and a TPE Nova 3 set. The CIS on the platform was rejigged to say "1230 London Euston, calling at Stockport and London Euston. A North West Trains service". Platform signage wasn't changed, nor were the PA announcements removed from normal services.

I believe an episode of Miranda was also filmed at Marylebone, which showed her boarding a train all the way to Wick!

It'd probably be a bit of an issue asking Network Rail to close off a platform at Paddington for filming, as well as FGW (at the time) providing a train for Stacey to board.

Marylebone is one of the quieter London terminals, and not ran by Network Rail, so getting permits might've been easier.

 

[Gloster]

They filmed The Bank Job on Platform 1 at Paddington around 2007, having put a rake of maroon Mark II in the platform (if I remember correctly) to put it back to the 1960s. I think they did Paddington as well and, of course, it masqueraded as Victoria in Quadrophenia with a Class 50 unsuccessfully pretending to be a green SR EMU.

 

[TheEdge]

Marylebone is one of the quieter London terminals, and not ran by Network Rail, so getting permits might've been easier.

That's the key consideration above all else. I'm fairly sure when someone contacts NR for filming and they don't specifically need a particular station then Marylebone is offered.

That's not to say it doesn't happen. I know there was filming on GA and at Liverpool Street but as I understand it the train and journey to Norfolk were important to the plot so maybe the decision was taken to pay more and use the right trains and station.

 

[AM9]

Just like Chigwell station in Birds Of A Feather, which was running SR slammers.
It happens all the time and it's not only the minutiae of railways that are ignored. At least the potentially damaging inaccuracies are far fewer now on such matters as medical details where lay viewers should not be misled for drama production convenience.

 

[SeanG]

COuld one consideration be also the distance from the barriers to the train, to allow Gavin to vault them and run to the train in the allotted time for the scene?

 

[Ken H]

Episode of Porridge had a class 40 pulling out of St Pancras to the sound of a modernisation DMU!

 

[Gloster]

Episode of Porridge had a class 40 pulling out of St Pancras to the sound of a modernisation DMU!

The station they got off at, supposedly in Cumberland (or there abouts), was Ystrad Mynach.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

If you really want pedantic detail , I was advised by an ex ATW staff member that "Billericay" in Gavin and Stacey was the back of Cardiff Central - but then "Billericay" as a place was around Dinas Powys.

Someone will be on soon to check the 14x numbers seen in the background at Barry Town....

 

[Scotrail314209]

If you really want pedantic detail , I was advised by an ex ATW staff member that "Billericay" in Gavin and Stacey was the back of Cardiff Central - but then "Billericay" as a place was around Dinas Powys.

Someone will be on soon to check the 14x numbers seen in the background at Barry Town....

I think Pam and Micks house in "Billericay" was actually a property near Stacey's house, both located in Barry.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

I think Pam and Micks house in "Billericay" was actually a property near Stacey's house, both located in Barry.

Dinas Powys - as I noted earlier - just down the line from Barry !

Brilliant series in all respects.

 

[C J Snarzell]

Generally with TV productions, they have dedicated location managers who scout for filming locations and alot of what you see on the screen is not exactly accurate with real life.

Production teams have to factor time restraints and of course getting permission from organisations like councils or private companies to film on certain premises.

I watched the third series of Tinstar recently (which was shot on location across Merseyside) and there were loads of inconsistences.

The central characters are seen in one episode travelling on a Merseyrail service to Haydock races. Everyone on here knows that Merseyrail do not go anywhere near Haydock which doesn't even have a train station!

Merseyrail do of course go to Aintree - having watched the location scenes, I'm not 100% if they are shot at Haydock or Aintree, but the episode does definately refer to the setting as Haydock Races.

Another TV drama that springs to mind involving Merseyrail was in the Jimmy McGovern drama 'Broken' when parish priest Sean Bean is on a Merseyrail service going from Liverpool to Sheffield (to visit his dying mother). Yeah right! Sean might get as far as Hunts Cross but that's it!!!!

CJ

 

[AM9]

Dinas Powys - as I noted earlier - just down the line from Barry !

Brilliant series in all respects.

Billericay was a strange place name for a typical Essex man's home location as when I lived there for a while, many non-Essex people thought that it was in Ireland!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Billericay was a strange place name for a typical Essex man's home location as when I lived there for a while, many non-Essex people thought that it was in Ireland!

What would the late Ian Dury make of it ? (Upminster born I believe !) - diamond geezer all right !

 

[Gloster]

What would the late Ian Dury make of it ? (Upminster born I believe !) - diamond geezer all right !

He’d think them a bleedin’ thickie.

EDIT: Harrow born, Upminster died (according to Mr W.Pedia), though he claimed to be born in Upminster.

 

[AM9]

A sadly missed people's poet. I like the lines:

"Had a love affair with Nina​

In the back of my cortina​

A seasoned-up hyena​

Could not have been more obscener"​

That thrid line is a gem.
Apologies for OT wander.

 

[Journeyman]

"Van Gogh did some eyeball pleasers
He must have been a pencil squeezer
He didn't do the Mona Lisa
That was an Italian geezer"

They don't write 'em like that any more.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Ah yes,Billericay Dickie!
I've never cared for Gavin & Stacy although my partner rates it. The shows only highlight for me is Nessa.

 

[C J Snarzell]

Ah yes,Billericay Dickie!
I've never cared for Gavin & Stacy although my partner rates it. The shows only highlight for me is Nessa.

I never took to Gavin & Stacey either. I maybe watched the first three episodes of the first series when it was originally televised but I found it rather bland.

CJ

 

[ChiefPlanner]

A sadly missed people's poet. I like the lines:

"Had a love affair with Nina​

In the back of my cortina​

A seasoned-up hyena​

Could not have been more obscener"​

That thrid line is a gem.
Apologies for OT wander.

Honourable mentions of Burnham on Crouch and Plaistow elsewhere - I reckon the scriptwriters were discreet fans.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Ah yes,Billericay Dickie!
I've never cared for Gavin & Stacy although my partner rates it. The shows only highlight for me is Nessa.

Doris , the next door - the ultimate Welsh neighbour of a certain age - surprisingly liberal !

 

[AM9]

Doris , the next door - the ultimate Welsh neighbour of a certain age - surprisingly liberal !

Yup, her keeness to 'know' Gavin was hilarious. I also think that Rob Bryden's skilled acting as Bryn gives an subtle but lasting creepynessfeel about the character, (and that's without mentioning the "fishing trip").
I grew up in Essex, and the Pam and Mick Shipman are absolutely spot on for the mid-Essex middle-aged 'comfortably off' couple. I've always liked Alison Steadman and given that she was born and grew up a scouser, she does well in the part of Pam.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Yup, her keeness to 'know' Gavin was hilarious. I also think that Rob Bryden's skilled acting as Bryn gives an subtle but lasting creepynessfeel about the character, (and that's without mentioning the "fishing trip").
I grew up in Essex, and the Pam and Mick Shipman are absolutely spot on for the mid-Essex middle-aged 'comfortably off' couple. I've always liked Alison Steadman and given that she was born and grew up a scouser, she does well in the part of Pam.

Again we need a like" button.

Being South West Walian , - (though not lived there since 1979) , I find the Welsh mannerisms excellent. Glad you find the "Essex" vibe correct.

 

[AM9]

Again we need a like" button.

Being South West Walian , - (though not lived there since 1979) , I find the Welsh mannerisms excellent. Glad you find the "Essex" vibe correct.

I'm glad the OT police haven't reported this thread.

 

[Scotrail314209]

I adore the show, my only problem is how quick they got engaged and married.

 

[AM9]

I adore the show, my only problem is how quick they got engaged and married.

Well, there's Smithy and Nessa's story to tell, -maybe.