Great Canal Journeys

[LadyG]

37 minutes ago, gatekrash said:

I doubt it. We were chatting to a couple on the towpath when we stopped outside Brum a couple of weeks ago who had been employed by the hire company to move the boat they used for this series down to the Thames for the filming. From what they were saying they spent a lot of time getting the boat to certain locations at a specific time for the filming sections and then moving it on again without the celebs.

That is how these films are made, often even those in exotic snd dagerous places, the ground crew do all the dirty work and the celebs do the 'front of camera', all the boring bits are skipped, it understandable. 

PS get paid extra, to be an 'extra', it's pretty good money, just don't dress up in your best, you want to be 'au naturelle'

Edited November 7, 2020 by LadyG

[Mad Harold]

I found the series a bit boring watching a boat cruising along on a sunny day with blue sky and fluffy white clouds and happy smiling people.

The reality is a bit different.

A better more realistic programme would be in my opinion would be to put some of the people on this forum who have strong views together on a canal boat.

I suggest mrsmelly as skipper,LadyG and Dora the Explorer doing the locks,Alan de Enfield making the tea,Tony Brook as consultant engineer,and Tracy D Arth doing the commentary.

Send them up the Huddersfield Narrow in winter,and watch the fun.(and see who gets chucked overboard first!)

[Tam & Di]

6 hours ago, gatekrash said:

. From what they were saying they spent a lot of time getting the boat to certain locations at a specific time for the filming sections and then moving it on again without the celebs.

We had that many years ago when some of our boats were used in the TV film of "Maiden's Trip". A couple of times it meant going literally all through the night to get to the following day's location - "well it's only a couple of hours in the car" was their response when we remarked on it.

 

Tam

[Rob-M]

2 minutes ago, Tam & Di said:

We had that many years ago when some of our boats were used in the TV film of "Maiden's Trip". A couple of times it meant going literally all through the night to get to the following day's location - "well it's only a couple of hours in the car" was their response when we remarked on it.

 

Tam

A bit like when the director asks if you can just go back and do that again without understanding you need a wider canal to turn a full length boat around.

[TheBiscuits]

5 hours ago, Mad Harold said:

A better more realistic programme would be in my opinion would be to put some of the people on this forum who have strong views together on a canal boat.

I suggest mrsmelly as skipper,LadyG and Dora the Explorer doing the locks,Alan de Enfield making the tea,Tony Brook as consultant engineer,and Tracy D Arth doing the commentary.

Send them up the Huddersfield Narrow in winter,and watch the fun.(and see who gets chucked overboard first!)

 

That's nearly as bad as Team "Too Much Grand Marnier" who "won" the wooden spoon in the Virtual BCN Challenge

 

 

 

 

[john6767]

Well, what did you think?

[Tony Brooks]

Some "pub" The French Horn @ Sonning.

[Richard10002]

20 minutes ago, john6767 said:

Well, what did you think?

I thought it was a set up - 2 novices, not in the first flushes of youth, set loose on a 70ft widebeam.

 

I gave it a few minutes, found it a bit cringeworthy, and changed channel.

 

I like them together on Gogglebox, but didn't want to see them getting into trouble on a boat that is far too big for them.

[Arthur Marshall]

Must admit I turned it off after about thirty seconds.  Brandreth seemed to be explaining that this boating thing was all new to him, but the thing about Tim and Pru was that they've been enthusiastic about boats for donkeys years, however good or bad they are at driving the thing these days, and it showed. The original series of shows he did years ago were excellent.

 

[Rob-M]

Didn't have much boating in it.

[nbfiresprite]

Sleepfest, fell asleep after a few minuites and woke up when it finshed.

[Alway Swilby]

Sheila Hancock seemed to get the hang of steering ok.

[ditchcrawler]

I'm in trouble because we missed the bit with Tim in it, he was just drinking his wine when I switched over

[Guest]

I personally lost interest when he broke the handle on the slide of the Thetford loo.

 

That must have taken some effort.

[reg]

Gave it a try for 10 minutes but gave up on it.

I've always liked Sheila Hancock but I get the feeling the producers have paired her and Brandreth together hoping that they can get a series of 'amusing' incidents to film. 

Sorry Sheila, still a ran but not of this particular project. 

[Athy]

We watched it and found it entertaining - but I was shocked that they gave two novices a 70' X 12' monster to travel on - except that, as per comments above, they probably didn't travel far on it.

[Dr Bob]

11 hours ago, Richard10002 said:

I like them together on Gogglebox, but didn't want to see them getting into trouble on a boat that is far too big for them.

Yep. Pretty poor. Back to you tube vlogs.

[john6767]

11 minutes ago, Athy said:

We watched it and found it entertaining - but I was shocked that they gave two novices a 70' X 12' monster to travel on - except that, as per comments above, they probably didn't travel far on it.

In reality many weeks of the year first time hirers will be leaving Reading on that boat to go up/down the Thames.  I don’t think it as bad as the monster cruisers that Le Boat hire out to inexperience people.

 

The program was a bit light on boating, but there were a few good snippets.  No different to the ones with Tim and Pru, but I wish they would not do “impossible” things, like the visit to the “pub” and to Cliveden House.

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, Athy said:

We watched it and found it entertaining - but I was shocked that they gave two novices a 70' X 12' monster to travel on - except that, as per comments above, they probably didn't travel far on it.

Why, it the summer people hire them for the first time every week, I feel sorry for them aiming at the swing bridge narrows on the L&L when you cant see any sign of the bridge or narrows from the steering position 

[Nightwatch]

I’ve been instructed not to join in. My comments during the programme were apparently enough.. As expected there were some slightly humorous moments. And well informed comments.

 

Blast! I joined in. Don’t tell her!!.........

[LadyG]

1 hour ago, Athy said:

We watched it and found it entertaining - but I was shocked that they gave two novices a 70' X 12' monster to travel on - except that, as per comments above, they probably didn't travel far on it.

I think you'll find that is fairly typical skillset of those who buy a boat to live on as an alternative to renting a flat, so maybe it is realistic documentary.

Boaters won't be the target audience, otherwise they would post it on Youtube, Vimeo, Amazon or any other platform which does not demand serious broadcasting standards, and is not mainstream.

Edited November 9, 2020 by LadyG
Target audience

[rustynewbery]

Great Canal Journeys - on the Thames and Lee??  Watched to see if anything different - nope, same old same old.  Some nice drone shots though and off-water in Cliveden etc.

 

Barging round Britain was slightly more enjoyable with Lorraine Chase going into the K&A!

[doratheexplorer]

I shan't be watching. Sheila Hancock is a treasure but I can't bear the insufferable smugness of Brandreth even on the radio, to have look at his face is too much for anyone to bear, surely?

1 minute ago, rustynewbery said:

Great Canal Journeys - on the Thames and Lee??  Watched to see if anything different - nope, same old same old.  Some nice drone shots though and off-water in Cliveden etc.

 

Barging round Britain was slightly more enjoyable with Lorraine Chase going into the K&A!

Barging Round Britain was John Sergeant and was unwatchable.

 

Celebrity Five go Barging had Lorraine Chase and had all the necessary elements to be just as bad, but was quite a fun watch.

[john6767]

8 minutes ago, rustynewbery said:

Great Canal Journeys - on the Thames and Lee??  Watched to see if anything different - nope, same old same old.  Some nice drone shots though and off-water in Cliveden etc.

 

Barging round Britain was slightly more enjoyable with Lorraine Chase going into the K&A!

Apparently the Thames is a canalised river, well that's what they said in the program!

[Tony Brooks]

18 minutes ago, john6767 said:

Apparently the Thames is a canalised river, well that's what they said in the program!

I believe that is the correct term. If you accept canal as being man made then there are a fair few number of canals on the Thames and its not just the lock cuts that are all artficial. A great length of the Abingdon reach if the Thames histories are to believed and the Desbourgh Cut. Then there are the longer lock cuts like Culham and Boulters.