Forum for former BBC staff

Forum for former BBC staff
http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl >> News and Comment >> W1A http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1395930243 Message started by EyeTunes on Mar 27^th, 2014, 2:25pm

Title: W1A
Post by EyeTunes on Mar 27^th, 2014, 2:25pm

This new series is very very funny and a must for ex-BBC staff!

However last nights episode sadly reminded me of the truly awful treatment so often doled out to OCs and freelancers by "hiring" managers over the years and seemingly still going on!

Well worth a laugh though!

Title: Re: W1A
Post by Roundabout on Mar 28^th, 2014, 7:57am

It's hard to see to whom this series is aimed.......for staff and ex staff it just shows...admittedly in slightly OTT writing ...how we think things probably are, and it's frightening...but for the average member of the public the 'in' gags and the chaotic editing and disjointed presentation must leave them totally mystified. One inspired thing is the choice of Theme music...from 'It's a Cockup.......sorry Knockout!

Title: Re: W1A
Post by chris west on Mar 28^th, 2014, 11:20am

It is, of course, a documentary.

Title: Re: W1A
Post by Mikej on Apr 3^rd, 2014, 9:34am

Well hopefully W1A is almost over.
At a time when sections of the press, media and even the Government are doing their best to totally destroy the BBC, this so called "Comedy" (sic) Series must be like manna from heaven to them. Ok, so all big companies make jokes about all other staff and levels of management internally - as I am sure we all have - usually such things are kept "in house"
In this series we are treated to two senior managers who admittedly may not be that far from type. However they are surrounded by a whole group of hangers-on who do nothing to support them and give us all a bad name. None of them seemed to even understand the principle of "Reithian values" whether they agree with them or not.
We have a PR person brought in (not bought in at no doubt vast expense - BBC journos and presenters notice that "brought" and "bought" have completely different meanings) from an outside company who doesn't even know the correct names of presenters or programmes and can only decide viewing or listening figures or comments about someone who isn't even kept informed by 140 character messages posted by just anyone to a mobile phone. She is backed up in her office by three "air-heads" who wish to re-brand the BBC as a squiggle in an iCON - thus removing one of the most recognisable group of letters in the world.
A Press Officer who seems equally lost in figures and unable to issue Press Releases (surely her purpose in life?) by herself.
We have a so-called "intern" like who brings a total like disrespect to the like cool trainees who have over the years like worked tirelessly to learn about the principles of like broadcasting and offer so much help and support to the like cool programme makers. Totally like incapable of stuffing envelopes and meeting like cool visitors and seemingly like only capable of folding - but not storing - a cool folding bike.
We won't touch on the treatment of the poor scriptwriter and the complete lack of sensible support, who is trying to sell a "fly on the wall" programme which would be perhaps more suitable for a channel higher up the channel list.
The whole programme completely misses out anything about the hundreds of thousands of loyal BBC staff in all departments who have, over many years, almost invented TV as we know it today and all the superb engineering and production techniques exported, and still used in one form or another, worldwide and throughout the industry.
So far, the only people coming out on top are the professional broadcasters - Jenny Murry, Clare Balding and Carol Vorderman who maintain their calm and try to treat the thing as serious.
Lets hope Tony Hall has watched the series so far and removes any appearance in the last episode before it brings him down to the "lowest common denominator" when he is trying so very very hard to improve things in the wake of recent events.

Title: Re: W1A
Post by EyeTunes on Apr 4^th, 2014, 11:14am

Some very good points here Mike. Extraordinarily-whilst watching the third episode the other evening I stopped laughing and found myself distracted and saddened by personal memories-most specifically 1993. This was the year of Producer Choice roll out, when Finance became king. Staff were ignored, operational middle management was also by-passed and strategic blue sky thinking came into play at the expense of creativity. Example-I have thankfully forgotten what they were called-but maybe you remember those ridiculous all day staff "Making it happen" seminars at Marylebone High Street that ran throughout the 1993 summer. It was obligatory to attend.
It was all very very sad. Of course there was some waste, but not much and certainly very little in comparison to the sort of expenditure dedicated to the pure unadulterated and very believable rubbish process -as illustrated on W1A.

Title: Re: W1A
Post by Peter_Neill on Apr 5^th, 2014, 3:16pm

Roundabout wrote on Mar 28^th, 2014, 7:57am:

One inspired thing is the choice of Theme music...from 'It's a Cockup.......sorry Knockout!

Sorry - it's called Las Vegas by that prolific film and tv composer, Laurie Johnson.
But we all know it as the theme from "Animal Magic"

Oh, and I also thought that the intern was unbelievable but, the other day, I met the young man who I'm sure inspired the character - at Broadcasting House.

Title: Re: W1A
Post by Roundabout on Apr 6^th, 2014, 7:03pm

Apologies re the sig. tune...memory failure!