Pedestrian television documentaries

[kernelbogey]

I don’t have a television but occasionally watch programmes on iPlayer. Last night I dipped into a documentary about Indian Railways and another about the human body at altitude.

They reminded me of one reason I don’t have a television: the pace of these documentaries is irritatingly slow. I recognise that television prioritises the image, and the commentary is in a sense secondary. But in a 60 minute programme the amount of information delivered is pitifully thin, and often patronising in style, as though the imagined audience is twelve year olds.

It seems to me that radio delivers information so much more efficiently.

Do others share these perceptions?

[Nick Armstrong]

Do others share these perceptions?

Yes. (Although I don't listen to much documentary material on radio other than features on radio 3.)

Frequently one thinks that an hour long TV documentary programme could easily fit into 30 minutes. The visual padding or repetitive dosing of information is often frustrating, in fact I don't indulge often.

The exception is when the visual element is part and parcel of the interest of the programme, for example the recent BBC4 programme about Dickens on film - some amazing early silent footage of the first adaptations, archive footage of David Lean etc.

[MrGongGong]

I don’t have a television but occasionally watch programmes on iPlayer. Last night I dipped into a documentary about Indian Railways and another about the human body at altitude.

They reminded me of one reason I don’t have a television: the pace of these documentaries is irritatingly slow. I recognise that television prioritises the image, and the commentary is in a sense secondary. But in a 60 minute programme the amount of information delivered is pitifully thin, and often patronising in style, as though the imagined audience is twelve year olds.

It seems to me that radio delivers information so much more efficiently.

Do others share these perceptions?

No

what's the rush ?

[eighthobstruction]

I just love watching to see what sort of shoes the presenter wears in recent history doc's....

[Nick Armstrong]

No

what's the rush ?

Not a question of rush, it's a question of being patronised and having one's time wasted by empty visual and verbal padding and repetition.

[MrGongGong]

I don't think that is true of the Indian Hill Railways doc

but at least it doesn't have some idiot with a nauseating ringtone interrupting every 5 minutes

[Norfolk Born]

In the last three weeks I've watched all three of the BBC4 documentaries on 'Indian Hill Railways'. I thought they were wonderful! Regarding the pace of the programmes (not to be confused with length), I thought it perfectly reflected the operation of the railways concerned and the lives and hopes of those whom they affected. Far from feeling patronized I felt - if anything - slightly humbled when reminded of how little we in the West understand despite, or because of, our ability to perform an increasing number of 'tasks' in an increasingly short space of time, not always with a commensurate sense of lasting achievement. Surely the story of the returning English schoolteacher made this point eloquently without labouring it? When at school, I was taught that great art involves, among other skills, matching content to form. In that respect, I believe that these programmes succeeded triumphantly.

[amateur51]

In the last three weeks I've watched all three of the BBC4 documentaries on 'Indian Hill Railways'. I thought they were wonderful! Regarding the pace of the programmes (not to be confused with length), I thought it perfectly reflected the operation of the railways concerned and the lives and hopes of those whom they affected. Far from feeling patronized I felt - if anything - slightly humbled when reminded of how little we in the West understand despite, or because of, our ability to perform an increasing number of 'tasks' in an increasingly short space of time, not always with a commensurate sense of lasting achievement. Surely the story of the returning English schoolteacher made this point eloquently without labouring it? When at school, I was taught that great art involves, among other skills, matching content to form. In that respect, I believe that these programmes succeeded triumphantly.

I had no intention of watching this series but you have whetted my appetite with this - thanks Norfs! To the iPlayer!

[Nick Armstrong]

at least it doesn't have some idiot with a nauseating ringtone interrupting every 5 minutes

You can't let that rest can you?!

No wonder you like long repetitive documentaries if you miss key elements like "I almost always have it on silent"... Things clearly need to be said many times before they sink in. Must be the effect of all those gongs on the brain!

[Norfolk Born]

I think that only no. 3 is currently available on the iPlayer - but BBC4 may well repeat the series again.

[Mr Pee]

I haven't seen the Indian Hill Railways documentaries, so can't really comment, but in general I don't think one can say that one medium is better than the other. There will be bad radio documentaries, just as there will be bad television ones. But one thing radio can never do is bring us such jaw-dropping images as we have recently enjoyed from the likes of Frozen Planet, Earthflight, and The Great Barrier Reef. The Orcas hunting seals in Frozen Planet, Gannets torpedoing into the water in search of fish in Earthflight, and the sheer beauty of the underwater landscape in Great Barrier Reef- these are images that will stay with me for a very long time. In that area at least, Radio can never hope to compete with TV.

[John Wright]

I find presenters on radio documentaries often speak too quickly and don't allow the listener time to 'take it in' and.... think. This is where TV scores, a skilled director will give us pause for thought while providing relevant visual stimulus.

[Panjandrum]

Sorry, I thought this was going to be a thread about the perils of perambulation on foot in Cameron's Britain. Obviously not.

As you were.

[Osborn]

Panjandrum
And I expected a serious discussion about the Ministry of Funny Walks & Lollipop Ladies

[kernelbogey]

It was perhaps a mistake for me to conflate, by implication, the style of the Indian Railways documentary and the one on altitude (To Boldly Go). I can accept the point made by Norfolk Born (n7) that the former reflected the slower style of Indian life and that of the railway.

The documentary on altitude employed various cliches of tv documentary - a helicopter shot of the presenter on a remote rock, but still he's talking to camera!! - a conversation between the presenter and another 'expert' while they do something adventurous etc. The domininance of the picture drives the narrative to such an extent that the commentary becomes very thin.

How much more satisfying the Jonathan Meades programme on France last night. Complex ideas presented, unabashed, in grand rhetorical style, and with teasingly inspiring pictures. Meades could have been delivering a R3 essay, but the pictures weren't just wallpaper.

(There's a separate thread on the Meades programmes.)