The Newsroom

BBC Newsnight

(March 2010)

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DT
DTV
DTV posted:

Perhaps it was to satisfy the usual requirement that a spoof news bulletin must vary from the real thing.


They've done bulletins from Studio E for Doctor Who and Sherlock before and Studio A has appeared in a few other programmes such as EastEnders. Surely if it must vary they'd also not allow Evan to be doing it?


That's what I mean. Add Evan, take away the studio. Add the studio, take away Evan and replace with Jimmy Frinton or similar.

The appearances of BBC News in Doctor Who that I can recall have usually included poor recreations of the BBC News graphics to counter any potential realism, though the ones I remember had fictional presenters in a set not resembling the national sets at all.


I seem to recall Matthew Amroliwala did one, as ISTR Jane Hill referring to it as the ideal cameo or something like that. He also did one from Studio E for Sherlock which was notable for the fact it neither used the smart glass screen or the screen that is currently in use. During the RTD era of Doctor Who it predominantly came from the Wales Today set. In the first series it was BBC News 24 then it became just News 24 then became BBC News again. On the Thick of It they used almost perfect recreations of the BBC News graphics over genuine News Channel footage, simply with the sound down.

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VM
VMPhil
There's also this from Skyfall

http://jim-mann.com/?p=981
HB
HarryB
A few done from Studio A -
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CR
Critique
Yes, certainly sometimes they use the actual graphics and studios when it comes to featuring BBC News in TV shows. The graphics in Skyfall actually look to be a very good recreation rather than the real deal at the time, but the Thick of It definitely used real graphics (although for one series with a post-it note always on the TV covering the BBC News logo on-screen), and occasionally the actual presenters for specially recorded bits ISTR. Sherlock also used fake BBC Breakfast broadcasts a couple of times, which had terrible recreations (if they could be called that) of the graphics, but in TC7 with the real presenters, who did a short bit to camera before handing over to a fake correspondent.
DT
DTV
but the Thick of It definitely used real graphics (although for one series with a post-it note always on the TV covering the BBC News logo on-screen), and occasionally the actual presenters for specially recorded bits ISTR.


For Series 4 they may have got the BBC to give them some real graphics, but series 3 were definitely faithful recreations - the giveaway is the clock is in Gill Sans Display (used for the 2010 Election graphics) rather than Gill Sans Bold that the clock genuinely used - the giveaway is the 1 vs. I. I've always assumed that the post-it note was on there for continuity purposes to cover up the clock when it was on the genuine news channel rather than specially edited parts so that when cutting from take to take it didn't say 14:45 then 16:22 etc. When they went to Radio 5 Live that used the genuine studios and presenters (On the Special features they mention that World News were worried about the radio mics being picked up given the proximity of 5 Live to Studio N8. The Paxman - Swain interview wasn't original and was in fact cobbled together from several old Paxo interviews (watch his tie) and then cleverly Airbrushed and CSO'd in - much like some of Time Trumpet. However Rebecca Front said somewhere, it might have been RHLSTP, that when she went on Newsnight and talked to Paxman it seemed like he'd of been up for doing it. 'Steady' Eddie Mair recorded a bit for In the Loop and Sky News or very accurate recreations appeared in the latter series. During the pissgate episode ITV News makes an appearance. I don't recall any other high profile journalists appearing but by all accounts Nick Robinson, Andrew Marr and a few others wouldn't have minded even if Tucker wasn't very complementary about them - after what's written about Kay Burley and Adam Boulton in the book I doubt they'd of done it though. If only Tucker wasn't dead/in jail and Capaldi occupied elsewhere - the new political climate would be so great for a new series though I doubt there'd be much place for Tucker in the Corbyn Labour Party.

<Sorry for the essay>
AC
aconnell
Nick Hopkins leaves Newsnight to return to the Guardian as head of investigations.

http://gu.com/p/4ft2h?CMP=twt_a-media_b-gdnmedia

A shame really, but I don't think Nick was used as well as he could have done. Investigations on TV are a different beast to in print, and I guess he was probably more at home doing the latter.

14 days later

AC
aconnell
The Guardian-Newsnight merry-go-round continues.

Newsnight lining up the Guardian's chief political correspondent Nick Watt as the programme's new Political Editor, replacing Allegra Stratton.

More here
WO
Worzel
The Guardian-Newsnight merry-go-round continues.

Newsnight lining up the Guardian's chief political correspondent Nick Watt as the programme's new Political Editor, replacing Allegra Stratton.

More here


I've always thought he'd make an excellent transition from a print reporter to TV. He's no stranger to the BBC featuring regularly on the Sunday Politics.

I wonder if Polly Toynbee will ever return to the BBC?
GE
thegeek Founding member
DTV posted:
When they went to Radio 5 Live that used the genuine studios and presenters (On the Special features they mention that World News were worried about the radio mics being picked up given the proximity of 5 Live to Studio N8.

I think there's a real studio manager at the sound desk too. (Possibly even a TVF member, though I may be misremembering)
NG
noggin Founding member
DTV posted:

(On the Special features they mention that World News were worried about the radio mics being picked up given the proximity of 5 Live to Studio N8.


Unlikely though - as all BBC radio mics and talkback units will be on JFMG licensed frequencies. Any drama unit should either also be on JFMG licensed frequencies for that location (and JFMG won't grant licenses if they are going to interfere) OR on unlicensed frequencies. Of course there could be harmonic interference - but that shouldn't have been too tricky to mitigate.

Thought it could, of course, have been someone in News who didn't know how radio mics worked who was worried...
DT
DTV
DTV posted:

(On the Special features they mention that World News were worried about the radio mics being picked up given the proximity of 5 Live to Studio N8.


Unlikely though - as all BBC radio mics and talkback units will be on JFMG licensed frequencies. Any drama unit should either also be on JFMG licensed frequencies for that location (and JFMG won't grant licenses if they are going to interfere) OR on unlicensed frequencies. Of course there could be harmonic interference - but that shouldn't have been too tricky to mitigate.

Thought it could, of course, have been someone in News who didn't know how radio mics worked who was worried...


I think it was probably someone in News, given that the episode in question has some of Tucker's most spectacular swearing in it.

52 days later

AC
aconnell
No surprises here but Nick Watt from the Guardian is Newsnight's new Political Editor.

http://order-order.com/2016/03/12/nicholas-watt-new-newsnight-political-editor/

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