Around the world in 80 days BBC adaptation

[Sparky]

Dec 31, 2021 9:42:42 GMT Three Litre said:

Hope you get your due rewards. 

I doubt it'd be much, I'm way down the pecking order,

I might get my fuel expenses - at 2008 prices if I'm lucky.

Things have just become to complicated with focus groups, agendas, closed shops (actors and producers) and over-polished productions which just feel too forced and staged for me. Much of what was on over Xmas had no interest for me in fact some of what was or has been on TPTV was more interesting than pretty much everything on BBC One for example.

Shame really I'm sure there's a lot of creative people out there who've been burned by how things operate these days... whereas say 2/3 decades ago they'd have got these ideas to the screen.

It's frightening just how many stories/scripts/ideas get thrown aside for whatever reason.

Thing is, if you send in a script, a producer never reads it at first; it is read by the numerous "assistants" who weed them out.

They will only read the first 5-10 pages, a little bit in the middle, and a bit on the end - if they think it's any good, they will then be read in full, and then possibly passed to a Producer to consider.

I was told by many, the best way to get into writing is with Short Scripts/Short Films - as they are usually about 10 pages long and can show that you are skillfull at cramming a story into 10minutes.

I just find it annoying when we watch stuff like ITV4 / TPTV / Drama / Yesterday / Forces and they show all these quality British series, so varied, well written, casted and these days it's rare when something "special" pops up on TV.

I can't think of much in recent times to merit being special - apart from Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes of course.

It's why forums like this exist - discussing programmes made nearly 40plus years ago. They must be good for at lest one reason.

Producers/Writers/Directors of those eras all say the same thing - They had more freedom to be creative - and were more daring.

[Cartman]

The BBC news is awful now, it's just agendas and issues being pushed all the time.

Bring back how it used to be when Robert Dougall, Kenneth Kendall and Richard Baker used to read it.

[Sparky]

Dec 31, 2021 13:33:08 GMT Cartman said:

The BBC news is awful now, it's just agendas and issues being pushed all the time.

Bring back how it used to be when Robert Dougall, Kenneth Kendall and Richard Baker used to read it.

I don't learn anything from the news these days - I just get the feeling of depression after seeing/listening to it.

[Nightfly]

Dec 31, 2021 13:33:08 GMT Cartman said:

The BBC news is awful now, it's just agendas and issues being pushed all the time.

Bring back how it used to be when Robert Dougall, Kenneth Kendall and Richard Baker used to read it.

One of the reasons I stopped reading ALL newspapers some 30 years ago. I preferred the neutral TV news - now sadly going the same way as the newspapers over the last few years.

What peeves me is the correspondent's role has changed of late. It's all "Blah blah blah happened today. Let's talk to our political/science/arts correspondent for their view on the story". I don't want to hear their views - they're suppose to just give us the facts. Tell us what happened, in simple terms if necessary, and then go away.  Maybe it's the longer bulletins and the need for rolling news channels that started the trend....and the need to fill the time with something.

Sometimes I think the Newsbunny from Live TV maybe wasn't as bad as we remember.

[Cartman]

I think this rubbish has infiltrated every programme now on the BBC. Strictly Come Dancing, for example, which I did used to quite like at one time, has moved on from simply being a dance contest and a bit of light entertainment, into showcasing diversity.

[Sparky]

Dec 31, 2021 20:58:01 GMT Cartman said:

I think this rubbish has infiltrated every programme now on the BBC. Strictly Come Dancing, for example, which I did used to quite like at one time, has moved on from simply being a dance contest and a bit of light entertainment, into showcasing diversity.

Indeed.

With Strictly... I reached the conclusion some years ago, that it was set in stone before the start of the series just who exactly the Producers wanted to win. So the Judges comments were often tailored to favor the "flavour of the month celeb" - and then everyone else would simply be ridiculed.

A lot of the the viewers phoning in would be influenced by their comments and vote accordingly.

Our General Elections get like that these days - though, they turn into nasty mud slinging exercises. Just like in the US.

With Strictly... I liked the fact that most of the "Celebs" taking part were not professional dancers - perhaps never danced a step before; but were at least having a crack at it in front of 6million viewers. Fair play to them.

Though when they started dragging in Youtube "stars" and that - forget it.

The only thing I'll consider watching the show for now is the great Band they have (who'll turn their hand to anything) and of course, the lighting work.