BBC TV: The Repair Shop

[ajgriff]

Originally Posted by ColinTheAmpMan1

The programme is produced by the BBC, so there is no money to be made by its popularity or lack of popularity.

Colin.

Don't think that's strictly true Colin as the BBC makes money by selling programme and format rights to other broadcasters or content providers worldwide. Theses days I believe this is done via a commercial subsidiary known as BBC Studios. However, I'm not sure how much revenue a production like Repair Shop would be likely to generate in this respect.

Alan

[stevehertz]

Originally Posted by ajgriff

Don't think that's strictly true Colin as the BBC makes money by selling programme and format rights to other broadcasters or content providers worldwide. Theses days I believe this is done via a commercial subsidiary known as BBC Studios. However, I'm not sure how much revenue a production like Repair Shop would be likely to generate in this respect.

Alan

I would think the programme would be popular in many countries, especially the ones that enjoy Britain's past and heritage. Hence the potential for considerable income.

[ColinTheAmpMan1]

Originally Posted by Ted Kendall

Don't you believe it. The modern BBC is under more coshes than it can count.

Perhaps I should have been clearer - the BBC wouldn't be selling advertising time to go in the breaks. Put my lack of clear detail down to the fact that it was quite late at night and I was a bit dozy . You can bet your boots that would be different if it was one of the ITV channels or some other commercial channel.

I presume, Ted, that you are referring to the BBC having to produce programmes that are popular so that they can be sold on to other broadcasters?

Colin.

[Electronpusher0]

Originally Posted by ColinTheAmpMan1

the BBC wouldn't be selling advertising time to go in the breaks.

Colin.

However I notice that any BBC program that has the potential to be sold has break points inserted where an advertising break could go, in the case of the repair shop these are the bits where they show a series of 5 second snips of other work going on in the shop.

Peter

[Superscope]

The Repair Shop isn't produced by the BBC. It is made by a third Party production company.

The BBC have bought it in, the same way as they did with "The Great British Bake Off".

They do not own it, but may or may not have Worldwide distribution rights for a period of time.

Ian

[avocollector]

Originally Posted by Radio Wrangler

The welding gear and the forge hearth are outdoors with shelter from rain. The processes indoors all seem rather small scale. I think all of us solder away, paint, and wipe things with solvents in much more restricted spaces than they have.

I don't see anything being done to a hazardous extent.

David

Well we don't usually do it with other people around. Supposedly one person was sanding wood while another was touching up paintwork on ceramics for example. Plus you would expect sanding and soldering (which they do show done indoors) to be done with masks/dust extractors - especially hardwoods which are a known danger. I don't bother with fans etc when soldering but a lot of people that use the old lead solder do and you would think health and safety people would have problems. Of course if they are miming it - no problem.

[G6Tanuki]

There's an interesting article about the program in today's Telegraph:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2020/...en-year-needs/

[Phil G4SPZ]

Originally Posted by G6Tanuki

There's an interesting article about the program in today's Telegraph...

Only viewable to Telegraph subscribers, sadly. However, in my wife’s copy of “Prima” magazine (December issue) there is a four-page colour spread, in which the show’s producer claims that “The experts repair everything themselves and repairs normally take between one and 10 days.”

[Junk Box Nick]

It’s an article by Victoria Coren Mitchell

There’s very little detail about the projects in the show – more a commentary on current times.

VCM talks about her proud achievement of assembling some flat-pack garden furniture in 2001 that she still has despite two house moves and how the show has come along at the right time when we should be thinking about conserving and repairing things, even the utilitarian stuff that we tend to dump when, like her furniture, it’s showing a bit of wear and tear.

She does complain of an ‘element of hamminess’ in the show but feels ‘it’s a show we need in a broken year’.

She also says: “I am a conserver, a hanger-onto of things, even when they’re a bit old and crap.” Well, Victoria, I'm ready and waiting to be conserved.

[Ed_Dinning]

Hi Folks, perhaps the show could give tips on conservation/ preservation of these objects now they have been restored.
Or perhaps the producers hope to "recycle" them for another show in 2 years time !

Ed

[The Philpott]

Apologies if i repeat something already noted, but:
No good reason in a recent ep. for not mentioning the real use of a small boxkite (ie for hoisting a radio antenna in the field, before it got liberated by it's former army man and relegated to recreational use) Sloppy.

Dave

[Radio Wrangler]

You wonder what the audience of the show were left thinking the army had these kites for... recreation? After a hard day's fighting, why not relax with a kite? Give the enemy something to waste ammo on.

They missed out on just how dangerous flying long wires on kites and balloons can be.

David

[M0FYA Andy]

Was it an army kite?
Frustratingly the camera didn't pause for long enough to read the wording on the kite, but it looked very much like the one used with the 'Gibson Girl' life-raft transmitter with which our bombers were fitted during WW2.
Comparing the images with those I found on the internet, the kite structure and the position of the wording look just right.
These kites were readily available on the surplus market, and turn up quite often on ebay.

Andy

[Dave Moll]

I suspect that they failed to realise the purpose of the kite, as this is the sort of thing of which they are so fond - "brave man flying the kite to send emergency message despite twin dangers of lightning strike and being spotted".

[stevehertz]

I think we should forgive them for not being experts on each and every esoteric piece of kit that comes their way for restoration, not deride them. Their area of expertise is more to do with their ability to restore, not being walking encyclopaedias on wartime or any other aspect of our past. The programme's accent is on the before and after state of the object, the actual restoration work, and importantly, the personal stories of those bringing in items for restoration and their satisfaction at the final outcome. It's sentimental entertainment, not an antiques history lesson, neither is it a tutorial as such, although restoration methods and procedures can be gleaned, I know I have learnt from it on many occasions. I watched a show last night and another this morning, and yes like all of us I see the 'mistakes' and production tweaks, but I let it wash over me, I love it. If there were more shows on tele like this and less glitzy, shouty, down and dirty reality TV shows I for one would be a happier man.

[ms660]

Well said.

Lawrence.

[Dave Moll]

Originally Posted by stevehertz

I think we should forgive them for not being experts on each and every esoteric piece of kit that comes their way for restoration, not deride them.

My intention wasn't to deride them for not knowing about the purpose of the kite. I was merely pointing out that they would surely have wanted to emphasise this if they had known, as it is the sort of back story that adds to the human appeal of an item.

[turretslug]

Originally Posted by The Philpott

Apologies if i repeat something already noted, but:
No good reason in a recent ep. for not mentioning the real use of a small boxkite (ie for hoisting a radio antenna in the field, before it got liberated by it's former army man and relegated to recreational use) Sloppy.

Dave

I thought it a shame that this wasn't at least touched on, too- it would surely have added a bit of background interest. Dad (a former military pilot) recognised it straight away and similarly felt that it deserved a mention (I recall being intrigued as a kid that his flying suit had a stilletto in a sturdy leather pouch stitched to one calf- the "dinghy knife", apparentlly survival dinghies had occasionally spontaneously inflated on board and had to be stabbed before they quickly became an obstructive hazard). Either, no-one associated with the programme twigged in the first place, or maybe any initial stuff about it had been cut in editing, it's not unusual for some man-hours to be spent on a few minutes of a programme, then just dropped rather heartlessly as content is boiled down and crammed in to the schedule.

[The Philpott]

It didn't annoy me as such, Steve (and perhaps more nuances and chat might show up in one of the 60 minute specials) but having freeze-framed on the printed legend it said something along the lines of 'Part of radio set XYZ, for use in wind from 7-20 mph.'
I was surprised in that situation that there was no mention. My first thought (before seeing the legend) was that is was for hoisting lightweight signal pennants in the field in the event of comms. lines being cut.

Dave

[Rileyman]

Noticed this thread by accident . I refer you all to recent issues of The Radio Times (letters page).
I recall flying my own kite in 1947 -- or thereabouts.

Laurie.