TV coverage of the Thames Pageant, what did you think?

[Riverleak]

Firstly I would like to say to all those that attended the Thames Pageant, whether afloat or ashore, I hope you had a splendid time. For those of us that didn't make it and decided to watch it on the telly, what disappointing coverage and commentary from the BBC, I feel the producer should hang his head in shame and offer his resignation, what happened to all the coverage of the Thames based boats, all the historic craft, the Dunkirk little ships, the sailing vessels that had come from all around the world, all the efforts of the many thousands of people in preparing their vessels for this historic event? Not a bit, Naff all, what disappointing coverage, the BBC have had two years to get their act together on this. My wife and myself sat through four and a half hours of mind boring commentary by a BBC team who had only done about five minutes research into this!!!! Well rant over what was your opinion on the coverage? (I want my TV licence fee back)

 

[teddington_lock]

I feel exactly the same.

Sat through until 5pm , before i became bored and left to consume prodigious quantities of bubbley at a party.

Lots of tripe talking to 'artists' painting on doors , and one who had painted a watercolour which was effectively an abstract after the rain cheered me up a bit.

Lots of shots of the rowboats but very very little ( an occasional cut in shot ) of a barge , or a Dunkirker. Seemed to be an awful lot of 'interviews' with X list celebs and i saw that they had taken Annika Rice out of stasis for the day.

Very poor BBC , hang your heads in shame.

 

[Gumpy]

BBC production was total Carp so much so that we are not watching the concert tonight as two nights of carp would be to much.

The best thing to come out of the BBC coverage is the time lapse video

 

[dash300]

I take my hat off to the organisers and participants of this world beating historical once in a lifetime event - what a spectacle, against all the odds!!
I returned home hurredly to catch the rest of the recording for the bits I was not be able to see. The BBC presented this 'A' class event with a 'C' class presentation team and random uncoordinated footage, interspersed with irrelevant daytime TV pulp and technical glitches, no doubt due to the wrong type of rain !!!
Licence payers have been deprived forever of a historical recording and COMMENTARY

 

[lenten]

went to putney to watch the mustering----brilliant----then on to a friends house to watch on tv----it was absolute unresearched rubbish----luckily i don t have a tv ----if i had to pay a license fee for that cr_ p i would be complainly loudly to the bbc-----regards lenten

 

[TrueBlue]

Fantastic marhalling and organization of the event itself, especially when you think of all the different parameters to be considered for each type of vessel. Not to mention the logistics of "parking" vessels at eithe end of the course.

Thoroughly let down by the Beeb content management. Apart from the banal, uninformed comments and missed on the water views.
Some say Sky wasn't better - but at least the had some views from the wet stuff.

Methinks the Beeb has disposed of folks who knew what to do.

All that boating effort deserves a better memory.

 

[thames cruiser]

Fantastic marhalling and organization of the event itself, especially when you think of all the different parameters to be considered for each type of vessel. Not to mention the logistics of "parking" vessels at eithe end of the course.

Thoroughly let down by the Beeb content management. Apart from the banal, uninformed comments and missed on the water views.
Some say Sky wasn't better - but at least the had some views from the wet stuff.

Methinks the Beeb has disposed of folks who knew what to do.

All that boating effort deserves a better memory.

Hear hear. Nuff said.

 

[dmst]

Thames TV Coverage What Did you Think

I agree with comments made so far. BBC TV coverage was inane without anyone of any knowledge providing commentary or opinion. Not one word of recognition of the difficulties of actually getting the boats marshalled in those fairly difficult conditions.
Considering a letter to Points of View, but then it will be dealt with by Jeremy Vine another vacuous fool. I just feel sorry for all those people who put in so much work to organise and participate and then get the rubbish coverage that was served up.

 

[jecuk]

Just back now. I watched some of it last night and have to say I agree. The only boat I can recall hearing discussed in much detail was the barge carrying the bells. A real shame given the detail they had on all of the participants.

 

[Wavey]

I have the greatest admiration for all those involved in the organisation of the event, and huge thanks are due to all those who participated.

As for the BBC I just couldn't believe what I was watching. I'd been looking forward to seeing this since it was announced. Complete and utter drivel from start to finish.

Someone at the BEEB should be held to account for ruining the coverage of the greatest river event for hundreds of years.

But of course, no one will be............

 

[SP2]

On the Today Programme this morning they said that it had been decided that the Pageant coverage should be "One Show" rather than the formal coverage of the St Paul's service. Apparently the Great British Public were regarded as unable to stomach too much formality.

For "One Show" read "lightweight", "inane" "c**p"...

For "formality" read "quality", "style", "Dimbleby".

My daughter blagged her way into a 14th floor flat overlooking the River and says it was fantastic.

I got stuck with the Beeb.

 

[treemendos]

participation

I was on an open boat in the recreation section on Sunday.
we arrived friday and left Monday.
not once were we interviewed.
despite our vessel standing out from the crowd by flying special sails and displaying the queens award for volunteers.
We did not even get displayed on TV as well as most of the squadron or even other boats . Except the rowing boats and celebrities.
there were quite a lot of people that had to be rescued especially from open boats as they were not allowed in the first lockin. we were on our boat for over 10 hours solid. good job we had a portable loo with a screen.
Three of our six crew had to be evacuated suffering with hypothermia,one is still in hospital . I myself was also evacuated suffering from extreme cold despite me wearing Gill offshore jacket and saloppetts with insulated gill jacket and gill underwear. The jacket and trousers leaked and i got drenched through and very very cold. i was that cold the thames felt like a hot bath when I felt the water.
the organisers should have allowed all the open boats to be in the first lockin that would have saved so many of them falling ill as it was the extra time on the water that caused so many to be ill.
we did ask special permission on the Friday night briefing to be allowed in the first lockin as we had so many disabled elderly members aboard and was told that would happen. Despite us mentioning it on the radio as we neared the lock and getting a yes confirmation it did not happen hence the subsequent later rescue of our crew.
Only good thing was the free bar on Friday night and the crowds that cheered .
being on the water I knew we would not see much of the event other than our immediate vicinity.
Therefore I was looking forward to looking at the TV my wife had recorded.
I was devastated when I looked at the rubbish which had been shown.

 

[dash300]

As kindred spirits we appear to be unanimously agreed on these fora,that the BBC coverage of the Pageant was lamentable. However having spoken to many non boaties - all without exception felt deprived of the some customary input into the background and history of the pageant boats, many of whom, in particular the avenue of sail craft, had come a considerable distance in order to attend.
The BBC really have excelled themselves this time in turning a world class event into daytime TV brain pulping mush.
To move on I have been compelled to put pen to paper.

 

[lenten]

if you want to complain google--- bbc tv complaints---i have------------regards lenten

 

[apollo]

Done

 

[jecuk]

Having now had some more time to look through both networks' coverage I have to say it was truly terrible. Sky better than BBC but still just horribly superficial.

I had to check the still damp bags from the trip to remind myself I was actually at the Pageant!

If you saw how much detailed boat-by-boat commentary was given to them you would be even more horrified. They didn't even need to research it just have a camera watching the boats go past. Talk about them. Fine to mix it up a bit but a real shame that a programme that should have highlighted Britain's maritime history spent more time on a rubbish barge on which bells had been welded than any of the other 999 boats.

After all - it was a procession of boats. How can you cover it without talking about the boats as they go past? Across the Avenue of Sail, Dunkirk Little Ships, Historics, Narrow boats and Modern boats there were lots of stories. What a lost opportunity.

 

[Wavey]

having spoken to many non boaties - all without exception felt deprived of the some customary input into the background and history of the pageant boats, many of whom, in particular the avenue of sail craft, had come a considerable distance in order to attend.

Chatting to people in the office yesterday now most are back after the long weekend the view of everyone is the same. They tuned in to watch the spectacle but knew many of the boats involved had interesting histories and they wanted to know about them. The consensus is that they all feel very let down by the BBC. I still have difficulty understanding how the BBC got this so wrong and how completely out of touch they are with the wishes of the viewing public.

 

[OceanBlue]

It's simple, the BBC are of the opinion their viewing audience has a collective IQ of 3. Likening our concentration levels to that of a gnat they presented us with a selection of immature reporters, childish inserts and diabolical comments totally lacking in any intellect or factual content, in fact ignoring the vast majority of participating boats!

Proving the BBC's 'dumbing down' approach to be astonishingly misguided were the many people, despite pouring rain and cold weather, lining the river, bridges and properties en route, doing exactly what the television viewers wanted to do - watch and enjoy the pageant.

Sadly the BBC missed the pageant and missed the point!

 

[Poignard]

It's simple, the BBC are of the opinion their viewing audience has a collective IQ of 3. Likening our concentration levels to that of a gnat they presented us with a selection of immature reporters, childish inserts and diabolical comments totally lacking in any intellect or factual content, in fact ignoring the vast majority of participating boats!

Proving the BBC's 'dumbing down' approach to be astonishingly misguided were the many people, despite pouring rain and cold weather, lining the river, bridges and properties en route, doing exactly what the television viewers wanted to do - watch and enjoy the pageant.

Sadly the BBC missed the pageant and missed the point!

Spot on!

 

[oldgit]

The non boaty public.Just not interested.

Not single person I have spoken to who did not have something to do with the Pageant has mentioned even in passing,that they were unhappy with the coverage.
Very tiny percentage of UK population will know someone with a boat,even fewer ? people would have known somebody involved with the flottila.
Unless very determined,few people outside the boaty world of the Southeast would have found a detailed boat by boat commentory of any interest at all.
The Queen could have gone across London on a Boris bike and still attracted the same amount of public attention.

IMHO a far better bet would be a Pageant on the river each year featuring the Dunkirk/historic/working boats which all the critics could go to along and cheer.....and the Thames clubs could play a role in organising it.
Perhaps even folks from outside ATYC might be allowed on it.At the very least we could show how to keep formation.