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#1 Stephen W

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Posted 19 February 2006 - 19:24

Just spotted details in some old Autosports I just purchased today of early BBC coverage of motor sport. They are as follows:

1) 29th June 1953 - Bo'ness Hillclimb. The feature was an Anglo-Scottish match-up on the hill which was part of the British Hillclimb Championship event.
2) 24th September 1955 - Oulton Park Gold Cup. The start and first few laps were in the first part of the broadcast then the last few laps were the second broadcast.

I was wondering does this footage still exist or has it gone the way of all flesh?

:wave:

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#2 Eric McLoughlin

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Posted 19 February 2006 - 22:47

I doubt if it survives. If the broadcast was live, there was no video taping capability back then. Sometimes, for really important events (like the Coronation) the live TV broadcast was "filmed" off a TV monitor for posterity. I wouldn't think that a humble motor race would have warranted such treatment.

#3 Rob29

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Posted 20 February 2006 - 09:21

I remember watching the 55 Oulton Gold Cup!
First race seen I think was 54 British GP.
Also seen in 55-Goodwood 9hrs,Oulton Park sports car race,Castle Combe F1.

#4 Stephen W

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Posted 20 February 2006 - 10:35

Originally posted by Eric McLoughlin
I doubt if it survives. If the broadcast was live, there was no video taping capability back then. Sometimes, for really important events (like the Coronation) the live TV broadcast was "filmed" off a TV monitor for posterity. I wouldn't think that a humble motor race would have warranted such treatment.


The Bo'ness programme went out one evening during the week so must have been "filmed". The Gold Cup was live so as you suggest is lost! :cry:

#5 Doug Nye

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Posted 20 February 2006 - 13:47

From around 1968-71 I shared a house with BBC boffins, one of whom worked in the videotape (VT) area at Telly Centre. On occasion we watched the raw feed coming in there from motor racing outside broadcasts. Occasionally he was also put onto recording OVER old tape as part of a Beeb economy drive - deleting what would now be regarded as pure gold.

Even more old coverage was lost when tape-standard changes were made to keep abreast of latest technology.

An enormous amount of historic sporting coverage of all kinds was erased or lost during this process - together with some editions of classic drama or comedy series such as 'Dr Who', 'Hancock's Half-Hour', 'Dad's Army' and so on - in some cases copies of which have only recently resurfaced, having been expropriated by enthusiastic ex-boffins at the time, who recognised this stuff was too good to be junked. If only there had been more motor sporting fans amongst them...

My pal wasn't, particularly. :rolleyes:

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#6 Lutz G

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Posted 22 February 2006 - 09:15

Very interesting point Doug. I know that in German TV archives is lots of superb footage (from the 1973 Nuerburgring F1 GP for example), but I fear that it's still on these old analog magnetic video tapes. They won't be in good condition forever. And I'm not sure if they care very much about, cause in the pre M.Schumacher era motorsport and especially F1 almost doesn't exist in the "Oeffentlich Rechtliches Fernsehen" (ARD/ZDF). The German TV sports director Claus Hinrich Casdorff (WDR) once even said: "Wir koennen die F1 nicht verbieten, aber wir koennen sie aushungerm" which means something like "We can't ban Formula One from TV, but we can starve it to death".
IMO in .uk you were very very lucky to have TV motorsport enthusiasts like Murray Walker....

Lutz

#7 Eric McLoughlin

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Posted 22 February 2006 - 17:31

Unfortunately, they are a disappearing breed here too.

Nowadays we have gelled up fashion and image concious wannabes fronting our F1 coverage. If they are enthusiasts they play that side of their character down because showing enthusiasm and knowledge for a subect is now very "uncool" in the UK.

#8 RTH

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Posted 23 February 2006 - 11:39

Still a few wonderful eccentrics fronting documentary UK TV programmes like Adam Hart - Davis Simon Sharma , That bloke in the dark glasses who dresses as if he has just come off the set of the Blues Brothers............what's his name......Jonathan something - Meades is it ? , Those Time Team blokes, and many more........ thankfully none of which are fashion concious, trendy or in any way cool at all !

Ah for the days of Bolster, Baxter, Raymond Spotiswoode, Walker, Hunt and others

#9 BRG

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Posted 23 February 2006 - 12:19

Originally posted by RTH
Still a few wonderful eccentrics fronting documentary UK TV programmes

Add Nicholas Crane (the Coast and Mapman guy) and Bettany Hughes wandering around archaeological sites in jeans and T-shirt, or Charlotte something-broek doing a female version of David Attenborough sitting in a bush with gorillas all around. Not to mention good old Motters in his sheepskin coat at the football match.

There are plenty of real people still – just stay away from reality TV and light entertainment where the plastic has always been the norm (think back to Jimmy Tarbuck or Brucie in their heydays – just as gelled up and fashion conscious by the standards of the day),

#10 ian senior

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Posted 23 February 2006 - 14:00

Originally posted by RTH
Still a few wonderful eccentrics fronting documentary UK TV programmes like Adam Hart - Davis Simon Sharma , That bloke in the dark glasses who dresses as if he has just come off the set of the Blues Brothers............what's his name......Jonathan something - Meades is it ? , Those Time Team blokes, and many more........ thankfully none of which are fashion concious, trendy or in any way cool at all !

Ah for the days of Bolster, Baxter, Raymond Spotiswoode, Walker, Hunt and others


Jonathan Meades it is. Absolutely brilliant man, erudite, witty, intelligent and with a slightly subversive edge at times. His usual trade is architecture and food, but I gather he is also something of a car nut and if only he could be persuaded to front more car-related TV progammes, the world would be a better place.

#11 RTH

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Posted 23 February 2006 - 14:10

That is a good idea Ian, I wonder if anyone has ever put it to him ?

I can just see him giving us an hour on cars of the 20s and 30s, he could really use some adjectives and analogies on a Bugatti Royale !!! Actually could be really good !

#12 ensign14

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Posted 23 February 2006 - 14:16

Originally posted by Doug Nye
An enormous amount of historic sporting coverage of all kinds was erased or lost during this process - together with some editions of classic drama or comedy series such as 'Dr Who', 'Hancock's Half-Hour', 'Dad's Army' and so on . in some cases copies of which have only recently resurfaced, having been expropriated by enthusiastic ex-boffins at the time, who recognised this stuff was too good to be junked.

The BBC periodically issue appeals for some of these programmes. I live in hope that they will ask anyone with copies of "Birds Of A Feather" to pass them to the Beeb so that they can be destroyed once and for all.

Originally posted by RTH
Still a few wonderful eccentrics fronting documentary UK TV programmes like Adam Hart - Davis, Simon Sharma...

Scharma is an erudite delight but to me Hart-Davis is trying too hard to be an eccentric. They should have had Wilf Lunn do his progs. Or Tim Hunkin and Rex Garrod.

#13 Garagiste

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Posted 23 February 2006 - 15:54

Currently the hunt is on for Reginald Molehusband:
http://news.bbc.co.u...ine/4700772.stm

#14 ian senior

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Posted 23 February 2006 - 16:03

Originally posted by Garagiste
Currently the hunt is on for Reginald Molehusband:
http://news.bbc.co.u...ine/4700772.stm


Long overdue to be shown again - and I'd like a personal copy so I can arrange a private viewing for my neighbours, most of whom have never grasped the essentials of parallel parking.

#15 Andy Glaess

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Posted 23 February 2006 - 20:07

Fellas, don't give up! In this day of the internet and Ebay, more and more of this kind of thing is turning up. For instance, I've recently watched German coverage of the German GP from 62-65,67 and 69. Also a Monaco TV broadcast of the GP from 1970 also. Rindt catching Brabham and fighting through the crowd to grab Nina and climb the podium--I never thought I'd see it!
Keep your eyes out, things are being unearthed all the time.
Happy hunting.

Andy

#16 Eric McLoughlin

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Posted 24 February 2006 - 18:39

Any chance of a link to those gems?

#17 MCS

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Posted 24 February 2006 - 19:37

Originally posted by RTH
Still a few wonderful eccentrics fronting documentary UK TV programmes like Adam Hart - Davis Simon Sharma , That bloke in the dark glasses who dresses as if he has just come off the set of the Blues Brothers............what's his name......Jonathan something - Meades is it ? , Those Time Team blokes, and many more........ thankfully none of which are fashion concious, trendy or in any way cool at all !


Brian Sewell (art historian, art critic, expert, et al) did some great stuff relatively recently on Rolls Royce. Last year, some time?

He'd be good - maybe with Meades ?!!!

Didn't we talk about this a while back though? :confused:

#18 RTH

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Posted 25 February 2006 - 14:05

Originally posted by MCS


Brian Sewell (art historian, art critic, expert, et al) did some great stuff relatively recently on Rolls Royce. Last year, some time?

He'd be good - maybe with Meades ?!!!


That is a great idea.....a sort of round the fireside ( in wing back armchairs ) discussion programme with archive and contemporary film clips about the merits and otherwise of the excesses of the pre- war coachbuilders........they could both go completely over the top !

#19 Eric McLoughlin

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Posted 26 February 2006 - 08:37

Similar to Channel 4's "Wheel Torque" and "Moss Nights" of almost ten years ago?

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#20 BorderReiver

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Posted 26 February 2006 - 15:56

I saw a Jonathen Meades Documentary a few years ago (but I can't for the life of me remember what it was actually about), and somehow the subject of the German Language came up.

The first German word Meades ever knew was "Pflanzgarten", as his boyhood hero, Peter Collins, met his end there.

I think it's safe to assume therefor the man is a motorsport fan . . .

#21 MCS

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Posted 26 February 2006 - 20:21

Originally posted by BorderReiver
I saw a Jonathen Meades Documentary a few years ago (but I can't for the life of me remember what it was actually about), and somehow the subject of the German Language came up.

The first German word Meades ever knew was "Pflanzgarten", as his boyhood hero, Peter Collins, met his end there.

I think it's safe to assume therefor the man is a motorsport fan . . .


Wow, really. I've read quite a few of his articles down the years and would never have guessed.

I wonder how we could get him interested in a project of some sort...?

#22 ian senior

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Posted 28 February 2006 - 09:04

Originally posted by RTH


That is a great idea.....a sort of round the fireside ( in wing back armchairs ) discussion programme with archive and contemporary film clips about the merits and otherwise of the excesses of the pre- war coachbuilders........they could both go completely over the top !


Sewell knows about that kind of stuff - if you've ever seen his articles in the motoring supplement of The Independent, you'll realise that this is another man whose energies need to be harnessed more firmly in the direction of cars. He's written about coachbuilders before, with knowledge and forthright opinions. He may be pompous and opinionated to some minds, but not mine.

Trouble is, this kind of programme would never appear on mainstream UK telly as we presently know it. Car programmes have to be laddish in tone, fronted by some Clarkson-esque idiot. There is, as they see it , no alternative. Even if Messrs Meades and Sewell were up for it (and I think they would be), it's the production company that would need to be convinced.

#23 RTH

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Posted 28 February 2006 - 10:03

This could all be very good indeed and don't forget now there are freeview channels which are suddenly accessable free to a majority of the population , recent take up has been colossal

BBC 3 BBC4 UK History as well as CH 4 and CH 5 all at some time or other have catered for minority interests yet are open to big viewing numbers and are looking for new programme ideas, ........two or three blokes sitting in a set discussing archive film clips and stills and the odd location walk about around a few unusual grand cars .......well how much can that in all honesty cost to make .....not a lot ....... and on these channel these sort of programmes get multi -airings anyway as a matter of routine.

#24 ian senior

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Posted 28 February 2006 - 10:18

Originally posted by RTH
This could all be very good indeed and don't forget now there are freeview channels which are suddenly accessable free to a majority of the population , recent take up has been colossal

BBC 3 BBC4 UK History as well as CH 4 and CH 5 all at some time or other have catered for minority interests yet are open to big viewing numbers and are looking for new programme ideas, ........two or three blokes sitting in a set discussing archive film clips and stills and the odd location walk about around a few unusual grand cars .......well how much can that in all honesty cost to make .....not a lot ....... and on these channel these sort of programmes get multi -airings anyway as a matter of routine.


I'll admit I didn't think of that (having just binned my Freeview box, such things don't feature highly on my agenda). Question is, how on earth do we take this forward? Does anyone out there have any friends in the right places? Cecil B De Critcher?

#25 RTH

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Posted 28 February 2006 - 16:34

Messrs Sewell & Meades are I imagine both published authors as well, is it possible to find out who they have both been published by, then ask for letters to be forwarded ? They have both already done similar style TV before on different subjects so will have contacts to put new ideas to ? Getting them both to read this thread would be a start.

#26 zakeriath

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Posted 28 February 2006 - 17:01

If ITV Wales can have an half hour program where you have two presenters talking about old farming clips from the 40`s on, surely there is an audience for a program on motor sport.

No sheep jokes please.

#27 Stefan Ornerdal

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Posted 28 February 2006 - 17:58

The German TV sports director Claus Hinrich Casdorff (WDR) once even said: "Wir koennen die F1 nicht verbieten, aber wir koennen sie aushungerm" which means something like "We can't ban Formula One from TV, but we can starve it to death".



IMO in .uk you were very very lucky to have TV motorsport enthusiasts



Yes, lucky Brits...

Once in the 60's, one of the big big shots in Swedish Television (Bengt Grive) told us that "There are three sports we do not like and will not broadcast: Formula 1, Formula 2 and Formula 3"

However, the censors - the people of good taste - failed a few times and we were fortunate to see Lorenzo Bandini's last minutes in his fight for life and Ronnie Peterson crashing the new March 693 at Montlhéry. How lucky we were :(

Stefan

#28 Hatzenbach

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Posted 28 February 2006 - 19:30

I remember Casdorff as one of the most arrogant person in german television. A fanatic bigot!
In the eighties I recorded a live discussion between him and Niki Lauda. With all his coolness Lauda, the straight eloquent intellectual as ever, drove Casdorff to madness. That night Casdorff made a complete arse of himself!

It's true: Motorsport hadn't any significant presence in german television. More than once I took my car to a higher place ( which is rather difficult in northern germany...) to receive BBC radio or something else and to get just the results of a Grand Prix..........
Can You imagine that today?
That all did change in the eighties with the arrival of private tv channels like RTL.

Today Casdorff is almost forgotten but every child in germany knows Schumacher, Hakkinen, Rosberg.............

Funny, isn't it? :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

#29 MCS

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Posted 03 March 2006 - 21:04

Originally posted by RTH
Messrs Sewell & Meades are I imagine both published authors as well, is it possible to find out who they have both been published by, then ask for letters to be forwarded ? They have both already done similar style TV before on different subjects so will have contacts to put new ideas to ? Getting them both to read this thread would be a start.

A quote from Mr Jonathan Meades:

"Cars can be as beautifully designed as a Soane building. The Citroen DS, the post-war Bristols or the early E-type Jags were absolutely wonderful. But you can see why they looked better and why designers were given their head in a way that they're not now. Up until the Mini, cars were luxury items and motoring was a pleasure, rather than a chore. So beauty was much more important than reliability - those lovely cars weren't as reliable as a Ford Escort.

"Motoring was something you indulged yourself in; it wasn't just a question of sitting in a traffic jam. And everything was designed around that - the roadhouses of the 1930s, the pubs built for motorists, even the garages were more beautiful. All the garages now come out of a mould - literally," he says as we pass a BP station on the way back to Bermondsey. "In that golden age, you had garages with curiously kitsch hairdressers' thatch, or garages made to look like Wild West saloons."

Despite his keenness for the golden age of motoring, Meades has no desire to trade in his Citroen - "I like those Alfa Romeos - the ones driven by Sicilian policemen - and I like Renault Lagunas. But I don't drive this Citroen - faute de mieux. It's my ideal car. I'll drive it into the ground."


(Should we try and encourage something here with Messrs Meades and Sewell...)

#30 RTH

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Posted 04 March 2006 - 08:54

Oh , I think so Mark, ........Clearly it would be a very entertaining slant on the whole scene .

#31 MCS

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Posted 04 March 2006 - 09:50

Originally posted by RTH
Oh , I think so Mark, ........Clearly it would be a very entertaining slant on the whole scene .


Wouldn't it just?! I certainly think so.

Both of them get to the point in no uncertain terms, are extremely articulate and, very often, highly amusing!

#32 RTH

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Posted 04 March 2006 - 09:55

...........So any ideas on how to get in touch with either or both of them ?

#33 MCS

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Posted 04 March 2006 - 10:28

Originally posted by RTH
...........So any ideas on how to get in touch with either or both of them ?


Meades has his own website as indeed does Sewell...

And whilst they are both "freelance" they are both retained by certain publications e.g. The Times and the London Evening Standard.

Richard - perhaps we should liaise and decide how we approach it first, before charging straight in?

Very obviously, alll suggestions welcome from other TNFers.

Maybe we could put something together between us by the end of next week i.e 10th March?

#34 RTH

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Posted 04 March 2006 - 14:17

Yes , sure Mark I really think its worth a try.

#35 ian senior

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Posted 06 March 2006 - 09:16

Originally posted by RTH
Yes , sure Mark I really think its worth a try.


A kind of "official" approach from TNF - weight of numbers lending some influence, perhaps (especially if one of the professional journalists in our midst could chime in too)? But isn't it more important to first attract the interest of a TV or film production company? I'm sure both Meades and Sewell would welcome the chance of some work, but they'd need to know it stands a realistic chance of happening.

#36 RTH

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Posted 06 March 2006 - 13:23

I have just looked at the 2 films made by Brian Sewell called Phantoms and Ghosts

The credits show Produced and directed by Stephen Kemp for Wag TV for Channel 5 2004

So does Wag TV mean anything to anyone ?
Might they be the independent production company who might go with this idea ?

http://www.wagtv.co.uk/

......Anyone who can make a documentary about "The Extreme Ironing World Championships " must have the right attitude !



Anyone got anything of Jonathan Meades on tape to see who his production company is ?

#37 BRG

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Posted 06 March 2006 - 13:55

Originally posted by MCS
A quote from Mr Jonathan Meades:

" Up until the Mini, cars were luxury items and motoring was a pleasure, rather than a chore. ."

I hope he would bring more accuracy to any such new programme than this comment seems to suggest. He has apparently never heard of cars like the Ford Model T, Austin 7, Fiat 500, Ford E93A, VW Beetle, Citroen 2CV - all of them the epitome of luxury....and motoring pleasure! And all predating the Mini by some margin.

#38 ian senior

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Posted 06 March 2006 - 13:56

Originally posted by RTH
I have just looked at the 2 films made by Brian Sewell called Phantoms and Ghosts

The credits show Produced and directed by Stephen Kemp for Wag TV for Channel 5 2004

So does Wag TV mean anything to anyone ?
Might they be the independent production company who might go with this idea ?

http://www.wagtv.co.uk/

......Anyone who can make a documentary about "The Extreme Ironing World Championships " must have the right attitude !



Anyone got anything of Jonathan Meades on tape to see who his production company is ?


Meades is represented by the agents, Capel and Land.

www.capelland.com

#39 RTH

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Posted 06 March 2006 - 17:01

He has done a huge number of TV programs , including a BBC documentary on .......The World of Caravans "

http://www.capelland...han_Meades.html

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#40 Cirrus

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Posted 06 March 2006 - 18:38

I hope he would bring more accuracy to any such new programme than this comment seems to suggest.



Bear in mind that this quote was probably not aimed at an audience who were car enthusiasts. Most Brits can relate to the iconic status, and importance, of the Mini, but would not realise how relevant the Model T, Beetle or 2CV were in their own countries.

The great thing about people like Sewell and Meades (and "our own" Mike Lawrence) is that the main thrust of their argument is entertaining, challenging and intelligently delivered - regardless of whether or not you agree with it.

Doesn't that sum up the philosophy of TNF?

#41 MrAerodynamicist

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Posted 06 March 2006 - 20:49

Originally posted by ian senior
A kind of "official" approach from TNF - weight of numbers lending some influence, perhaps (especially if one of the professional journalists in our midst could chime in too)? But isn't it more important to first attract the interest of a TV or film production company? I'm sure both Meades and Sewell would welcome the chance of some work, but they'd need to know it stands a realistic chance of happening.

I'd have thought a production company would be the last party to come to the table, and wouldn't do so until you can present them with at least the genesis of an idea and one that's going to put you above the hundreds of other people clambering for shows about their specialist subject?

#42 RTH

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Posted 07 March 2006 - 08:22

OK, let's just imagine for a moment that it was possible to interest one or both of these two presenters and an independent production company and that they in turn, could get outline backing from a channel , be it BBC 2,3,4, ITV 3 or 4 , CH 4 or 5, UK History, M&M or others.

1. What subject matter would we want to see being analysed, bearing in mind it would need at least a degree of general interest to be a success.

2. What format would it have

3. Would it be just a one - off or could it be a series of say 6 or more programmes covering say a period of history, a group of car makers.

4. Would it delve deeply in to the historical background of the people , circumstances, the times, the economic conditions , what drove people to become car makers and the outcome.
I believe for instance around 1900 there were something like 90 british car making companies most of which disappeared largely as a result of the advent of the first world war.

5. Would it encompass all levels of cars or do we just want to see the more prestige exclusive manufacturers covered?.

6. Could it be part of something really big , the definitive history of the motor car ? Something on the scale of Kenneth Clark's "Civilisation" in the '60's Clearly even non-car enthusiasts are still very devoted to their means of personal transport and will give up a great deal else before they would consider losing their personal mobility.

7. Top Gear has the highest audience rating of any BBC 2 programme , the Men & Motors channel has a high viewing figure. I think there is no doubt there would be an appetite for something along these lines and the slightly eccentric charisma yet well educated charm of the two individuals identified could prove both entertaining and popular especially as the subject matter is one they both have a personal interest in , yet neither has done a major work on .

So what would we want to see ?

#43 RTH

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Posted 07 March 2006 - 11:46

Originally posted by MCS


Meades has his own website as indeed does Sewell...

And whilst they are both "freelance" they are both retained by certain publications e.g. The Times and the London Evening Standard.

Richard - perhaps we should liaise and decide how we approach it first, before charging straight in?

Very obviously, alll suggestions welcome from other TNFers.

Maybe we could put something together between us by the end of next week i.e 10th March?


Mark, do you have the website addresses of both men ?

#44 MCS

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Posted 07 March 2006 - 12:23

Richard

The Jonathan Meades site www.jonathanmeades.com looks to be out of date, whilst Brian Sewell seems to have a few - go to www.briansewell.co.uk first.

I found them quickly the other day but, in all honesty, didn't give any time to looking at them in detail. (Really busy at the moment).

#45 RTH

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Posted 07 March 2006 - 14:42

So we do have a contact route for Brian Sewell via his own website and also for Jonathan Meades via his agent

#46 MCS

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Posted 07 March 2006 - 15:39

These look favourite, Richard:

Meades - yvonne@capelland.co.uk

Sewell - briansewell@briansewell.co.uk

#47 ian senior

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Posted 07 March 2006 - 16:05

Originally posted by RTH
OK, let's just imagine for a moment that it was possible to interest one or both of these two presenters and an independent production company and that they in turn, could get outline backing from a channel , be it BBC 2,3,4, ITV 3 or 4 , CH 4 or 5, UK History, M&M or others.

1. What subject matter would we want to see being analysed, bearing in mind it would need at least a degree of general interest to be a success.

2. What format would it have

3. Would it be just a one - off or could it be a series of say 6 or more programmes covering say a period of history, a group of car makers.

4. Would it delve deeply in to the historical background of the people , circumstances, the times, the economic conditions , what drove people to become car makers and the outcome.
I believe for instance around 1900 there were something like 90 british car making companies most of which disappeared largely as a result of the advent of the first world war.

5. Would it encompass all levels of cars or do we just want to see the more prestige exclusive manufacturers covered?.

6. Could it be part of something really big , the definitive history of the motor car ? Something on the scale of Kenneth Clark's "Civilisation" in the '60's Clearly even non-car enthusiasts are still very devoted to their means of personal transport and will give up a great deal else before they would consider losing their personal mobility.



So what would we want to see ?


From a personal point of view, all of this kind of stuff - I think there's lots of mileage in all of it- but given the "previous" of Messrs Sewell and Meades in subject areas such as art and design, it might be best to focus on one or two aspects of the motor car from that point of view.

I agree that they would both be worth hearing on any of the points Richard mentioned, but perhaps programme makers - and viewers - would expect a Meades/ Sewell programme to have some kind of link with their other stuff, so they would know what kind of angle to expect.

Another angle might be from the point of view of social history, but I recall a series of programmes called something like "The A to Z of the Car" which covered that kind of stuff but in a joky way. The programme in that series about the psyche of company car drivers will long remain in my memory!

#48 RTH

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Posted 07 March 2006 - 18:24

Ian I think you may be recalling a wonderful series of programmes on channel 4 in 1996 called " Motor Mania " by an odd co-incidence a friend rescued the accompanying book from a charity shop in St Albans recently for 50p ( was £16.99 ) for me.
They took a particular theme each week and it was almost all voiced over archive footage much of it unseen gems from goodness knows where........I shall have to dig it out and re-watch it . The book was by Richard Sutton. Great quality production.

#49 ian senior

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Posted 08 March 2006 - 09:35

Originally posted by RTH
Ian I think you may be recalling a wonderful series of programmes on channel 4 in 1996 called " Motor Mania " by an odd co-incidence a friend rescued the accompanying book from a charity shop in St Albans recently for 50p ( was £16.99 ) for me.
They took a particular theme each week and it was almost all voiced over archive footage much of it unseen gems from goodness knows where........I shall have to dig it out and re-watch it . The book was by Richard Sutton. Great quality production.


That's it, Richard - don't know how I got the title wrong, but it's definitely the one I was thinking of. I loved the piece where a guy was handed the keys to his new company car by a smirking boss, and feeling quite pleased with himself when he saw they were Rover keys. And then he saw the car- a Maestro diesel (non-turbo) with poverty-level trim. He said " I just felt like I'd been shat upon" and his wife refused to ride in it. He didn't know how lucky he was to get a gratis car, silly sod.

#50 Sharman

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Posted 08 March 2006 - 12:03

I know we are talking BBC but is there anybody who can sabotage that prat James Allen who at the start of each GP shouts the "whateveritis GP is GOOOOOOOOOO" like a Spanish football commentator :mad: