General Election Thread

It's not been fully used yet, it has seemed a bit empty during the Ten O'Clock News but that's understandable. I'm imagining it will feel very different when used tonight. I do think they've gone a bit overboard with technology - all those LED screens and virtual newsrooms seems a bit much.

Who thought that music sounds good? It sounds like it belongs to the 1992 election, its got that pompous sound that news and in particular political themes had back then. Arthur is a good track but the full length track used at the end of the 2005 did sound dated, would have been good to have a fully orchestral version of that though.

I really, really like the new BBC election theme. It reminds me of the BBC News themes from the virtual era, which in my mind can only be a good thing! It has an historic, momentous feel to it which I think is timeless.

I listened to the 2005 theme the other day, and thought it sounded awful. The horrible synthesized arrangement didn't help, but the tune itself just sounded dated and grating to me. The closing theme was especially bad!

Does anyone know if Tony King will be part of the BBCs coverage tonight?

Doesn't look like it, which is a shame. All the press releases have mentioned Peter Kellner, who was alongside Tony and John Cole in 1992 but hasn't appeared since.

The 2010 studio feels quite similar, in some ways, to the 1997 set, with the cross motif?

BBC has so many reporters and presenters, they don't know what to do with them.

It's a great shame as his analysis is often great and there's no doubt that he knows his stuff. I assume Sky will have Michael Thrasher again, so it's a shame that an Emily Maitliss / Peter Kellner double act appears to have replaced him.

Will the US networks provide any coverage of the results?

C-Span 3 will be broadcasting the BBC coverage. The other networks will probably include a few reports but not much more beyond that.

And courtesy of the BBC, there will be live streaming of their election night coverage outside of the UK here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/election2010/liveevent/


If you can't get it, you're not trying.

I wonder how Alastair Stewart will manage the marathon without smoking? He's a huge smoker. Hopefully it'll be so busy he'll forget to smoke.

Or maybe we'll get another ITN fire alarm