BBC Midlands Today

Are they really replacing the view of a real newsroom for the view of a fake one... That seems very counter intuitive? Unless there were practical issues/problems with the view as it was, but it's been there seemingly without issue for a while now, it seems very odd If they do go with the faux newsroom... The set as it was seemed very "current" to me?

I guess it adds flexibility - it could be argued a newsroom backdrop isn't ideal for Late Kickoff, for example, and might not be the best use of space. I just hope they don't get stuck with lightboxes - the BBC London/ North West Tonight technique is much more impressive for studio backdrops, as you'd expect.

I suppose that the *primary* reason for the studio having a "glass wall" (i.e. window) is because of the Public Space? (There is also a window between the Public Space and the newsroom, which is perpendicular to the studio window; so visitors in the Public Space can see directly into the studio, looking diagonally across one end/corner of the newsroom)

So, any talk of the window now being blacked-out/replaced with a brick wall (or whatever) is surely extremely doubtful, as the Public Space ethos presumably will remain?

Whether or not the studio window also forms part of the on-air scenery of the programme, was presumably therefore never a given, and always going to be subject to change? (Who knows, it could reappear in a future revamp?)



I certainly admire MT for going to the effort of refreshing their existing set to make it look as "current" as was realistically possible, at a time when they weren't yet ready/able to adopt the "proper" generic set (rather than the "all-or-nothing" policy seemingly practiced by the likes of Oxford!).

However, IMHO their real newsroom view isn't/wasn't a particularly nice one. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is that I've never liked about it. Perhaps the lack of colour? (It's all a bit grey/white, really). Also, it being so "open plan" - literally a massive single space as far as I can tell, with no pillars (etc) to break it up - feels a bit monotonous for my taste.

The lack of vertical surfaces such as pillars also meant there wasn't much/any scope for introducing red elements into the newsroom view as part of the 2010 refresh. Without such red elements, the 2010 "frosting" in front of such an already-rather-grey view, just made it look like a fog had descended into the newsroom!

In summary: I'm not going to miss it!

Completely agree with you on that point. The newsroom looked much better before the 2010 frosting because it allowed for a bit of colour (and prior to the 2008 revamp, the title board played on many of the screens in the newsroom had more colour). It was just a boring grey/white newsroom. I'm not going to miss it either.

All I'm thinking is sofa+desk=doesn't work. Nick looks like a child at a restaurant.

Sometimes it can work, in this case I'd say no.

^^ I was thinking of child at primary school, but yours is so much better.

It really looks far from ideal there, especially the single presenter shots. What is it with those windows?!

Why not just make it the same height as Breakfast table? You have the computers in there but also papers, mugs etc. can be put on it. Very poor decision to have it that height.

He seems like a very annoying presenter as well. Jackie's good, but the normal female is a bit smug.

Indeed. I've sat on that sofa as part of a BBC Birmingham tour. The problem is you don't know what to do with your arms. If you put them on a desk, you slouch, but if you put them by your sides, as you say you look like a child.

That desk was originally shorter and was more coffee table height. They then poorly added extra height to the bottom of it in a material that doesn't quite match the rest which got it to its current state.

It's rumoured that the desk was heightened so Suzanne Virdee could keep her modesty.

I'm sure those who have been there, will agree the public space has never really allowed people to get a good view of the studio. You could always sort of see the sofa and the back of the presenters heads. But if you didn't know what you were looking for, you wouldn't have realised.

Also you have to stand at a position you don't feel you should be at.

There was a feature which I think had feeds from all the different cameras in the studio that you could flick between them. That was near the chroma key area. I'm sure it's not in use anymore though.

Not to do with the new set, but has anyone else noticed that they use the old BBC One logo on some of the Promos.

http://www.tv-live.org.uk/wp/media/bbcnews2008/regions/midlands/mt1006.jpg