Recommended Television Programmes

[french frank]

I despair that producers on both tv and radio seem convinced that we are unable to take in the spoken word - or perhaps stick with their programme - without shedloads of 'background' music.

Does it link with the fact that so many people have earphones in continuously while they navigate the rest of their lives? Music is the background to All Life. Or perhaps life is the background to Music?

[Richard Tarleton]

It's an interesting question, though. What do you do when putting a programme together? How do you (for example) present WWI footage, which is silent? The sound effects are conjectural and approximate. We mostly don't have contemporary recordings, and these are not up to much when we do. Do you have more added sound effects, or more words, or periods of silence? I agree that music in wildlife programmes is often overdone, but - again - silence or sound effects? Ambient sound - "wildtrack" - in the jargon - is not recorded at the time but added afterwards. With the Blue Planet series, apart from words, there would be a lot of water, splashing or (underwater) silence, if we left it to what was actually happening. (On the radio, of course, you can't have silence - if it goes on too long, it triggers the nuclear alert at Broadcasting House ) Experiments with "slow TV" which rely on ambient sound are...slow.

In brief - I don't mind background music

[Nick Armstrong]

I despair that producers on both tv and radio seem convinced that we are unable to take in the spoken word - or perhaps stick with their programme - without shedloads of 'background' music.

Agreed - sadly the recent catalogue of David Attenborough programmes are ruled out for me by the musak, for instance. Presumably decent work for some composers who churn out the soundtracks, is I suppose the only upside.

[Richard Tarleton]

I repeat - what do you have in its place? Ambient sound only (which is recorded separately anyway) or a lot more script. If you're out in the wild yourself of course it's different, but on the television screen it's....odd. We already have, by way of comparison, the last ten minutes of the Attenborough-type wildlife doc on the BBC where we find out how they did it - cameraman talking, producer muttering, etc......

There is another type of wildlife doc on the Beeb - where they go mob-handed to Burma, Bhutan or wherever to film everything - there, we have a lot of Gordon Buchanan, George McGavin, Justine Evans, Steve Backshall and co talking a lot about what they and we are seeing, in excited tones.....

With a bit of professional insight into how these things are made, I can see the problems......

[Nick Armstrong]

I repeat - what do you have in its place? Ambient sound only (which is recorded separately anyway) or a lot more script. I

It may be a question of balance - sound balance I mean - and degree. The emotionally manipulative soundtrack in the Attenborough films seems to me to dominate, whereas I'm watching and listening to the current repeats of the New Zealand series on BBC2 with pleasure: not least because I could listen to Sam Neill read the phone book for hours, one of my favourite voices (and actors)... I just checked back, and indeed there is a music soundtrack but it's less intrusive (I hadn't noticed it and couldn't remember there was one at all).

[LMcD]

In the case of '100 Days to Victory' the music merely served to distract from everything else that was going on. I'm perfectly capable of reacting to what's on the screen without heavy-handed help from soaring strings. My enjoyment of 'Blue Planet 2' was seriously marred by Mr (Herr?) Zimmer's contribution.

[Stanfordian]

'Berlin Station' - More4

[Nick Armstrong]

'Berlin Station' - More4

Recorded, yet to watch. Any good?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Recorded, yet to watch. Any good?

I thought so, yes. A bit "seen this sort of thing before", but done well.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Recommended viewing: '54 Hours - The Gladbeck Hostage Crisis'. Top-rate 2-part German production based on a real-life incident (mind you, 'incident' scarcely does justice to what happened). Part 1 2100-2230 on BBC 4 last night with Part 2 next Saturday.

Crumbs! I'll say - unbelievable incompetence, lack of communication (literally!) and missed opportunities. Last week's episode had elements of farce - distinctly darker for the conclusion. Harrowing stuff.

[LMcD]

Crumbs! I'll say - unbelievable incompetence, lack of communication (literally!) and missed opportunities. Last week's episode had elements of farce - distinctly darker for the conclusion. Harrowing stuff.

The Bremen Interior Minister took responsibility for the response (such as it was) of the police and other authorities and resigned. His North Rhine-Westphalia counterpart stayed on.

[Richard Tarleton]

I thought so, yes. A bit "seen this sort of thing before", but done well.

I thought not. Formulaic, yes - and it appeared we knew the answer (who the wrong'un was) by (long before) the end of the first episode, so it's going to be one of those where it takes another 9 to see how they get there. Mrs T hadn't a clue what was going on, so probably won't be stiching with this one.

Is anyone watching the wilfully obscure but fascinating Black Earth Rising? Finishes tomorrow. Informer excellent (Tuesday)- Paddy Considine talks about being diagnosed in his thirties with Asperger's in yesterday's Times. And....looking forward to seeing how they do The Little Drummer Girl, starts tonight.

[kernelbogey]

Recommended viewing: '54 Hours - The Gladbeck Hostage Crisis'. Top-rate 2-part German production based on a real-life incident (mind you, 'incident' scarcely does justice to what happened). Part 1 2100-2230 on BBC 4 last night with Part 2 next Saturday.

I found this absolutely gripping. A lot of the tension came from the police incompetence and the unbelievable behaviour of the media. A very good film, I thought.

[kernelbogey]

Is anyone watching the wilfully obscure but fascinating Black Earth Rising? Finishes tomorrow.

I have been hooked, despite the plot's obscurities, not least by the mesmerising performance of Michaela Coel as Kate. I hope, though not without reservation, that the threads will be pulled comprehendingly together in the final episode.

While I have huge admiration for Hugo Blick being credited as writer, director and producer, I wonder whether such a combination of roles results in a lack of creative tension, leading to obscurity.

[Richard Tarleton]

I have been hooked, despite the plot's obscurities, not least by the mesmerising performance of Michaela Coel as Kate. I hope, though not without reservation, that the threads will be pulled comprehendingly together in the final episode.

While I have huge admiration for Hugo Blick being credited as writer, director and producer, I wonder whether such a combination of roles results in a lack of creative tension, leading to obscurity.

aka self-indulgence. As Alison Graham (I think it was) in Radio Times put it, it's very Hugo Blicky.