I cannot express enough irritation at Holiday Showdown- can you?

Re: That was nearly me!

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The producers seem to have the same object as Jerry Springer - to bring out the worst in people

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Before they even get onsite to start filming, they already have a shot by shot 'script' that they want to follow. I once took part in a BBC2 programme and found out (rather belatedly) that they weren't actually interested in my story, but just want you as 'filling' to support a 'message' that they want to get across. They prompt you to say certain things and respond to questions in certain ways - then they cut out their involvement out and leave you "supposedly" acting independently.
 
Re: That was nearly me!

I think we have started to turn a corner as I have noticed the number of decent productions pick up recently. The BBC had Dr Who & Casanova and are currently running Life On Mars while 5 had Lost and are currently running House, Prison Break and all of the CSIs. Its not exactly highbrow stuff but it is significantly better than the choice we had, say, 6 months ago.
 
Personally I liked the "Holiday Showdown" where the two families got on. One family liked VERY expensive cruises. The other family liked camping at folk festivals on a Routemaster bus. But both of them had the right attitude to trying someone else's favourite holiday. It's never been repeated.
 
Is that because the programme-makers made a mistake and failed to follow their recipe of putting incompatible individuals or families together, persuading them to appear even more stupid than usual, filming the result and foisting it on the license-payers as "entertainment"? Typical examples of the genre are Taransay, Big Brother and, now, Holiday Showdown. Like you, I'd prefer the broader-minded approach of a minority of participants but I guess it doesn't sell advertising time as at the same profit.
 
It's on now on ITV2 and it's absolutely hilarious - the sailing family are a pompous, self-righteous bunch. Oh dear what a bad example for us sailors - if anybody knows the sailors and where they sail (hopefully just the odd charter) can the rest of us be warned.
 
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They're probably very nice folk, it's the power of editing you're seeing.


[/ QUOTE ] Treating your kids like that is not nice.
The chavs were quite right, until they got pissed of course.
The "skipper" soon stopped being the responsible person when the little lad tried to chop across the yacht and his instructions to bear away when they luffed up were frightening. He was panicking and I was frightened. No wonder the young girl wanted to leap over the stern.
We saw his Pirate 17 early in the programme. Avoid grubby white Pirates at all costs.
Still he's got a Private Pilots Licence so we should know our place.

What a pair of wankers. At least the chavs (Hills) kids seemed to enjoy life. The poor (Rileys) kids are probably seeing councellors as we speak. Poor buggers.
 
> instructions to bear away when they luffed up were frightening
I replayed that bit a few times: they were motoring, and the other yacht was so close by the time he realised the problem (the cameraman probably blocked his view), that I'm not sure what else he could have done, apart from not let it happen in the first place.

A crash stop would have resulted in them getting T-boned. A turn to port would have T-boned the other yacht. At least the turn to starboard minimised the relative speeds to lessen the ouch of any impact.

I'm also a bit surprised that the skipper of the "stand on" yacht let it get so close, without any kind of sound signal. I would have bottled out earlier, with 5 short blasts (probably followed by 1 long one /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif)...

dv.
 
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They're probably very nice folk, it's the power of editing you're seeing.
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This has been devastating for the sailing family. I know the family who took part and they are the nicest, kindest and least pompous people I know, who do a great deal for their community and believe in sound principles and morals. They are well educated and have years of sailing experience, particularly the Skipper. The final program was purely an edited concoction of the true reality of their 2 week experience. They had a very stressful experience in Benidorm with the binge drinking family, who were verbally abusive and pushed them way out of their comfort zone. Not the full extent of what they had to do was shown or how well they coped with it under extreme pressure. No wonder they were stressed and the kids were quiet. They did more sailing than was shown and put their feelings aside to demonstrate and show the other family how great sailing can be. They had no idea how many children would be in the other family as all this was arranged in secret by the program makers. The family were set up and could do nothing about it but do their best in the most unbearable circumstances with totally oppositional people on board. The responsibility for so many unruly people on board the yacht on a 'holiday' tried their patience, skills and resilience beyond belief, but they came through safely and with dignity. They tried their best to involve the other family as much as possible and spent time teaching and demonstrating to get them to participate. They all had a go and all the kids loved it but the parents couldn't cope without fags and alcohol and were sulky and moody. There were fun play stops for the kids to try fishing and rowing in the tender, tying knots and learning about the rigging and sails and they all had a good time. None of the positive experiences were shown in the program. The family are very upset at how they were portrayed and their friends and family are equally devastated at the unfairness. The total number of times they had to speak sharply in the 2 weeks were all shown in the one programme. It is totally out of context and distorted. They are only guilty of being naive enough to believe the programme makers' promises that it wasn't a programme about conflict but about sharing their passion for sailing with a family who have never even considered it before. The programme makers have let this family down big time. Leave the poor family alone to nurse their wounds!
 
To be fair, most of us guessed as much. That is what makes good TV. They do not just make a film and air it, they have a cutting room floor!

If you do know them well ask them to pop in, it might allow them to put their side and find some closure. given that the nightmare families eldest lad was getting on OK I guessed there was a little more too it.

seriously welcome them in to the fold...

Paul
 
Perhaps, but they must have been a bit naive not to see that the producers would want an "angle", which would probably involve conflict, hence focussing on any conflict that happened over the period.

It was never going to be a balanced transmission, cos that wouldn't make good tv. "Two families with similar values share slightly different experiences and everyone learns" is going to attract almost no viewers at all.

As to the other families suggestion that they leave the children outside to see "Sticky Vicky", I think that was pushing it too far, and he was right to bail out and go back to the hotel.

dv.
 
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