Coast

Andy3

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Anyone catch this on BBC2? I decided to watch this on the strength of the trailers, which had a kind of magical quality about them. It looked like we were in for a 'people' programme, with interviews with real people telling their stories from all around the coast of Britain.
What we got was a slightly 'dumb' science/nature/history show with presenters that sounded like they used to be primary school teachers.
The bit about the sound-mirrors could have been good, but they over-egged it by trying to tell us that we had 'forgotten how they worked...'. For Heaven's sake, they are just reflectors with a microphone (or ancient equivalent) at their focus - any schoolboy could tell you how they worked!
Some parts were good and on the whole I enjoyed it, but not enough 'people' in it for my liking, and too much gabbling from the presenters.
Any thoughts?
 
Hi Andy,

I am 100% in agreement with you. My husband particularly wanted to watch this so I recorded CSI and watched Coast whilst playing on the computer.

Your sentence "Slightly 'dumb' science/nature/history show with presenters that sounded like they used to be primary school teachers" hit the nail on the head. I found your comments really amusing as I had commented last night that it was like a school travelogue. The presenters spoilt some of the more interesting parts with their "gabbling" as you put it, their voices were intrusive, lacked spontaneity and humour. I had seen the part of the sound mirrors in another programme and it was overkill in this one.

In contrast to the excellent,repeated programme "My Land", which has been shown at lunchtime on BBC2 lately, Coast was almost devoid of human interest. I see Part 2 of 13 programmes is to be shown tomorrow night. It could be a fascinating programme with the history and beauty of our coastline but I hope the next twelve programmes are more rewarding to watch than the last.
 
Totally agree with Andy and Cynthia. When they do show shots of the coast they're really stunning but there's too much focus on the sideshows, which are not even very interesting. As a Devonian I was particularly disappointed with last night's programme which devoted about ten minutes of the hour to Devon and the rest mostly to Cornwall and a bit to Dorset and Somerset!
 
Hi lovemunkey,

I must have missed the Roman empire programme on Sky One. I normally like that sort of thing, but it sounds like you had the same experience as I did watching Coast.
We want to be entertained not just educated!


Hi Bernard,

I thought last night's programme was a little more interesting but my husband thought exactly as you did. He was born in Poole, Dorset and was disappointed to see the bulk of the show was about Cornwall. As you said, Devon, with its beautiful coastline, hardly had a look in, nor Dorset and Somerset. I hate to see the fishing scenes, have to look away then, although I do enjoy them on my plate!
Possibly the compilers thought the deliberate luring of ships onto the rocks added a bit of sensationalism for viewers (Channel 4 style) and parts of Cornwall made a good living out of that in the past.

I always feel like writing to the Radio Times about these matters but am usually too lazy to bother. I can just rant to fellow members on the forum instead.
 
Well I thought when I watched this last night it might show something interesting about the area I live in but Whoosh!, about six or seven locations in detail and the rest of us don't exist! :eek: :lease: Less stories, more scenery of our coastline. And what's with all the time spent fishing for pilchards, I'd watch a programme on fishing :boring: if I wanted to see that. :oops: I'll be hounded by anglers now, after saying that. :)
 
Hi Thor,

Your humorous words speak the truth. Those little faces always make me laugh too and they were in just the right places to accentuate your remarks. The fishing scenes seemed to go on forever (yes, I know that's what happens on coasts) but we all know about that! Yes, definitely more scenery of our coastline, which I thought this programme would show, and less showing bits that we've seen ad nauseam in other programmes.

Yes, you can please some of the people all the time ............................................
With apologies to whoever wrote fool some of the people etc. etc.
 
Having watched part 2 last night, I fear we are now firmly in the grip of the 'new breed' of TV producers who know nowt (probably got one of Blair's useless degrees.. oops political comment :suicide: ) and grew up watching 'The Learning Zone' on late-night BBC2. The presenters certainly remind me of that kind of thing. I can almost hear the producer telling them "make it bright, exciting! Remember most of our viewers are like us, dolts with the attention-span of a toddler... Get in plenty of bright colours, wobbly cameras and is there any way we can get the viewrs to vote one of you off at the end of each show?"
Despite this, I'll try to persevere to the end, as it has its good bits :D
 
Andy you forgot the bit about "and be sure to include some thumping rock music in the background as viewers don't understand words without music." I shall not the watching any more of the series as the decent stuff just makes me more infuriated about the rest. What a missed opportunity.
 
Hi Andy 3,

You are obviously of the same political persuasion as this family, in fact you sound just like my husband! His every other word is slating Blair or Prescott or Brown. I ought to insert here your smilie of the face shooting himself in the head (or is it scratching his head?! He said of the producers of Coast that they probably all had degrees in media studies from Blair's so called universities. (Apologies to anyone who has one!)

Hi Bernard,

Yes, that's another bete noir, loud rock music with every programme nowadays, which is often inappropriate, and highly irritating. I love music of all kinds but we are reaching saturation point on television, there are no quiet moments to appreciate the scenery or drama. Sometimes music is necessary to heighten tension or the mood of a film but it seems to be in so many programmes it loses effect.

I shall probably still continuing watching Coast if only in the hope of seeing previous holiday destinations. We once spent a very enjoyable break in Whitby and that town is featured so often on tv it's bound to be mentioned on Coast. There could also be the added bonus of seeing somewhere so interesting and beautiful it can be earmarked for a visit in the future.
 
It looked like we were in for a 'people' programme, with interviews with real people telling their stories from all around the coast of Britain

I dont know if it was just a regional broadcast to the yorkshire area, but there used to be an excellent programme, called 'Clegg's People' which did exactly what you thought this programme might have been about. A real person, down to earth and very likeable bloke called Richard Clegg, who travelled around (can only remember Yorkshire), meeting real and interesting people, with great stories to tell. If only they'd release it on DVD.

Perhaps others from the yorkshire area can remember this too?.
 
Whitby and Robin Hoods Bay just down the coast should be on it in episode 11. I agree that there is too much waffle...the bit that bugged me was the interview with the bloke from the war on Alderney which isn't even part of our coastline. They waste far too much time with pointless expeditions and experiments. It is not as good as I had hoped, god knows how much it cost to make! The B&B bill must have been tremendous!
 
Thank you for that Decadence. I was trying to work out how much of the coastline was in each programme, but didn't get very far. I particularly wanted to watch the Whitby one, due to happy memories of a family holiday. It may be a tourist destination but it has great charm and is surprisingly unspoilt, you probably know it well. Also great fish and chips at the Magpie cafe! Quite delish. (Sorry I was watching recorded "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme" today and that is one of Tom's favourite expressions - delish!)

I also queried why Alderney was included in "Coast" but I was told the Channel Islands are part of the British Isles. I was not totally convinced (due to tax differences, etc.) but I suppose it must be. You're right it must have cost a large slice of our TV licence. I never thought about the B. & B. bill but that would have been huge. No boarding houses for them I bet!
 
Joe Pineapples said:
I dont know if it was just a regional broadcast to the yorkshire area, but there used to be an excellent programme, called 'Clegg's People' which did exactly what you thought this programme might have been about. A real person, down to earth and very likeable bloke called Richard Clegg, who travelled around (can only remember Yorkshire), meeting real and interesting people, with great stories to tell. If only they'd release it on DVD.

Perhaps others from the yorkshire area can remember this too?.

And more recently htere was a series with the live one from Two Fat Ladies and a bloke who went around the country seeing different traditional trades and things. A proper family sitdown type prog, it were.
 
Hi Joe,

Probably Clegg's People was on Granada or a local channel. I tried to find out about it on Google in the hope it may be repeated but without luck. Not every programme has to have thrills, sex, comedy or whatever to be interesting. Programmes like Clegg's People probably featured great characters and can be so enjoyable and leave you feeling relaxed and happy.

A while ago we saw a series (broadcast very late at night) called "Clough" or was it Cluff? about a detective in Yorkshire, I think. It may have been black and white too , must have been a repeat and probably made in the sixties; it was totally unsophisticated but realistic. I remember it started or ended with a picture of him with his dog, and I think he smoked a pipe.

So many of these early programmes were destroyed, it's really tragic how many have been lost.
 
It wsas shown on ITV and i think produced by Yorkshire Televsion, though you might be right about Granada Cynthia. I remember it had some connection to the locall news and topic programme, 'Calender', in which i think Clegg had a slot. Probably the best people to contact are Yorkshire televiosn. Infact i'm going to try that myself too.

can be so enjoyable and leave you feeling relaxed and happy

You've hit the nail on the head with that - i remember thats exactly what it did for me. :)

UPDATE - just found this bit of info

"Mike Clegg (later to freelance with his long running Yorkshire TV series Clegg's People)"
 
haven't seen this show yet......but sounds a long way off Coastal Ways.....which although simple and old fashioned, I really enjoy!....I'm not sure if its just South Coast they cover...but having been bought up in Brighton and spending my childhood on the beach there and at Shoreham it's pure nostalgia for me
 
I remember 'Cluff', Cynthia. I think it was the mid-sixties. He wandered around Yorkshire with his walking-stick and his dog. Solved a few crimes using his Yorkshire gumption. Good telly at the time :)
Hey, at the end of Coast last night I realised it really is an OU production! That explains the 'now children' approach. It has a Saturday morning teenagers show type of ambience about it, which is what annoys me most. Will there be a phone-vote for the best bit of coast at the end? It wouldn't surprise me one bit :(
 
I was interested to see your update, Joe. It may mean that Clegg's People will be shown again; we must look out for that as it will never be advertised on Sky (not high enough ratings). Thankfully now, few programmes are just regional, so we should get to see it in the South too.
 
Hi mep,

It seems I've missed some interesting programmes there. I did see the title on Sky EPG but assumed it was to do with the fishing industry.

Living in East Sussex, and my son lives in Brighton, it would have been of particular interest. As you say, great nostalgia for you having spent your childhood there. It will probably have a repeat viewing so I will look out for that.
 
Thanks Andy, I had forgotten about Cluff's walking stick, that really brings it back more clearly. I think I must have seen it repeated in the eighties or nineties. I see you live in Cheshire, we lived in Cheadle Hulme for five years so maybe I saw it then.

Very perceptive spotting that "Coast" is an OU production, now we know why we feel back in the classroom. Yes, a phone-in at the end sounds quite possible in view of that information!

I found the last programme of interest as I'm familiar with parts of that coastline. The tremendous enthusiasm for everything shown by the presenters actually makes me feel less enthusiastic about it. They think we are all delta minuses, who need cajoling into watching something for our own good. Grrrrr!
 
I was about to pick up a friend from Gatwick but when I checked on Channel 4 teletext arrivals, the plane was going to be 45 minutes late. So I just made some coffee and thought I'd browse through today's freebie Daily Telegraph weekly tv guide. I could not believe the Pick of the Day comment for Sunday for "Coast."

"Coast BBC2 9,00 p.m.
The patronising presentation spoils this series - Nicholas Crane and fellow coastal ramblers seem to be under the misapprehension that they're addressing an audience of very young children, or very stupid adults. Even so, the spectacular scenery makes it worth watching. Tonight's edition plots a route from Cardigan Bay to the Dee, exploring everything from legends of a lost Welsh Atlantis to leatherback turtles, and how the race to improve links between London and Dublin led to the engineering marvel of the world's first suspension bridge, across the Menai Straits."

Uncanny, the way it echoes all our thoughts, and could it be that Andy 3, who started this thread, is secretly Gerard O'Donovan who writes the critique of this programme!!!!!!
 
Cynthia 7 said:
Hi mep,

It seems I've missed some interesting programmes there. I did see the title on Sky EPG but assumed it was to do with the fishing industry.

Living in East Sussex, and my son lives in Brighton, it would have been of particular interest. As you say, great nostalgia for you having spent your childhood there. It will probably have a repeat viewing so I will look out for that.

Hi Cynthia, I'm sure it will and it's well worth looking out for
 
"...and could it be that Andy 3, who started this thread, is secretly Gerard O'Donovan who writes the critique of this programme!!!!!!"

I deny everything! :D I reckon ol' Gerard reads this forum to see what the public thinks...
 

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