The Newsroom

BBC News (UK) presentation - Reith launch onwards

From Monday 15th July 2019 (July 2019)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
IS
Inspector Sands
The shows need people to sit up properly and not sink in to a regular couch.

I once went for a job at Granada Sky Broadcasting and the sofa I sat on for the interview was from the set of Surprise Surprise. Not sure if it's lack of comfyness is good or bad for an interview, I didn't get the job though
Spencer and Steve in Pudsey gave kudos
NG
noggin Founding member
I find it strange the sofa hasn't been replaced. This isn't recent damage. Are TV sofas very expensive?


Yes - you're looking at a much bigger cheque for a decent bespoke TV sofa made by a proper furniture manufacturer, than for a retail build (Tens of thousands of pounds would be a sensible amount to budget)

A lot of TV sofas are custom made by Davison Highley. They made the current Breakfast sofa, The One Show sofa, the Graham Norton Show sofa etc. : https://www.davisonhighley.co.uk/bespoke.html (click on Televison)

You have three real choices when designing a studio set with a sofa :

1. Buy or hire an existing commercially available seating solution (often these are designed for comfort and don't look great on camera - but there are sofas that work fine). Doing this does mean you have no guarantee that other shows won't use the same seating and have the same look.

2. Get your set construction company to make the seating. Whilst this may be cost effective, furniture construction is a specialised area, and a set construction company will probably just make a wooden structure and pad it, then upholster it simply. It won't be that comfortable, won't be that durable, but for a short run it may solve a problem cost effectively.

3. Go to a furniture manufacturer and order a bespoke designed sofa. This is by far the best solution for long-running shows. You end up with a unique sofa designed specifically for you, but built to high standards by people who know how to build sofas (other industries like retail, restaurants, high-end corporate hospitality etc. also often bespoke seating designs from these companies so they have in-house design and construction teams for bespoke construction). For long-running shows with a decent budget, this is by far the best solution. It is also the most expensive.
Last edited by noggin on 5 November 2019 9:13am - 2 times in total
BA
Bail Moderator
£20k to be Naga Munchetty?? Blimey!

How much does it cost to become BIG MOIRA

£70k, cheques made payable to Bail and Asa

Is this were I point out I already own TWO BBC News desks and have no room for a sofa. I'm fairly sure someone here has the old Breakfast sofa? Mediaboy maybe?
NG
noggin Founding member
The BBC Breakfast sofa is a very expensive custom build by Boss Design.


Are you sure it's not Davison Highley? Or is Boss one of their retail brands?
JW
JamesWorldNews
Bail posted:
£20k to be Naga Munchetty?? Blimey!

How much does it cost to become BIG MOIRA

£70k, cheques made payable to Bail and Asa

Is this were I point out I already own TWO BBC News desks and have no room for a sofa. I'm fairly sure someone here has the old Breakfast sofa? Mediaboy maybe?


Which two desks do you have, Bail? And what do you use them for?
MW
Mike W
The BBC Breakfast sofa is a very expensive custom build by Boss Design.


Are you sure it's not Davison Highley? Or is Boss one of their retail brands?

I suspect that there may be some overlap between the two (shared workshop or designs?). The bespoke work by Davison Highly looks similar to many of the 'catalogue' Boss sofas for workspaces (not identical mind).

I know for a long time the regions used Boss for their sofas (those rather nasty ones used by Midlands Today amongst others)


Either way, both reasonably expensive (I assumed added cost would've been due to the colour red like the Art Attack jumpers but that problem went away when PAL composite encoding did).
RK
Rkolsen
Bail posted:
£20k to be Naga Munchetty?? Blimey!

How much does it cost to become BIG MOIRA

£70k, cheques made payable to Bail and Asa

Is this were I point out I already own TWO BBC News desks and have no room for a sofa. I'm fairly sure someone here has the old Breakfast sofa? Mediaboy maybe?

I think the old Breakfast sofa is in the green room at NBH.
RN
Rolling News
I do believe they could do more with the 5pm hour on BBC News. Maybe mix up the intro sequence with some titles to make it stand out more. Also give it a better backdrop. Rename it Live at Five? It's supposed to be the flagship hour on the channel yet you wouldn't think it is.
AS
AlexS
I do believe they could do more with the 5pm hour on BBC News. Maybe mix up the intro sequence with some titles to make it stand out more. Also give it a better backdrop. Rename it Live at Five? It's supposed to be the flagship hour on the channel yet you wouldn't think it is.

The five is now the flagship hour on paper only and I can't see it lasting beyond the end of Huw's current contract. In practice it now feels as though Afternoon Live is treated as the flagship in terms of gaining the best interviews and access to the best guests and correspondents as well as the ability to be presented on location during relatively minor news and for weeks of special reports. Furthermore Afternoon Live benefits from more consistent presenters and continues to contain business updates which are no longer part of the five.
Last edited by AlexS on 5 November 2019 10:56pm
RN
Rolling News
AlexS posted:
I do believe they could do more with the 5pm hour on BBC News. Maybe mix up the intro sequence with some titles to make it stand out more. Also give it a better backdrop. Rename it Live at Five? It's supposed to be the flagship hour on the channel yet you wouldn't think it is.

The five is now the flagship hour on paper only and I can't see it lasting beyond the end of Huw's current contract. In practice it now feels as though Afternoon Live is treated as the flagship in terms of gaining the best interviews and access to the best guests and correspondents as well as the ability to be presented on location during relatively minor news and for weeks of special reports. Furthermore Afternoon Live benefits from more consistent presenters and continues to contain business updates which are no longer part of the five.

I guess you're right. They really do need to sort evenings out on the News Channel. The mornings are covered as 9 times out of 10 it's either Joanna, Annita or Carrie presenting. As you say, afternoons are sorted with it mostly being either Simon or Martine. It's just evenings and weekends that lack any consistency. Unless they're not bothered as less people watch at those times and there's only really 2 hours or so in the evenings which don't involve a simulcast with another channel?
JA
Jamesypoo
£20k to be Naga Munchetty?? Blimey!

How much does it cost to become BIG MOIRA

£70k, cheques made payable to Bail and Asa

If you're looking for a budget option, I hear Samira Ahmed is quite a reasonable choice.
JO
Josh
One of the guests that was on the NC earlier said on their social media that the fact he is being interviewed at the balcony even though the studio is right behind him is very W1A! Shocked

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