tv on trial

They didn't even run the London to Brighton thing in full, which is rather a shame. They should be pulling other tidbits out the archives for the breaks too, there must be loads there.

And showing them without 1/3 of the screen obscured. One DOG's just about tolerable, but this season's taken the biscuit. Anyone else think that the programmes without commentary should have been the default option with the commentary cockery as the 'press red' option? And that the 'To hear the commentators...' line shouldn't have been used at all, on the basis that you'd had to go through a considerable amount of effort to get rid of the inane sods in the first place?

How fantastic is this programme? Unfortunately I only just watched it today, but I was very impressed - what a great idea. It was really thought-provoking TV - highly interesting to listen to the opinions of the commentators tonight, John Humphrys and Janet Street-Porter. Just the kind of thing BBC Four should be doing. I'd really like to see some more like this in the future.

Here's an idea... BBC Four commentating live on a night of BBC One (or two, three..or even four), which you can access via the red button?

Perhaps BBC Three could extend the idea and get comedians to commentate on certain nights of its own programming?

I agree with Benji, this has been a good series. I know some people have complained about the on screen clutter and few minor slip-ups that have been made but all in all its proved quite interesting to see what the critics have to say and also get a chance to review how TV has changed.

I think praise should also be given to which ever pres head was responsible for the filler bits on the second stream. Let's face it they could easily have chosen something else to put in the gap.

Despite the onscreen logos lots of clean idents there tonight for the Pres sites to use (if not visually then in audio at least).

Janet Street Porter and John Humphrys watching Little Britain is TV gold in itself!

So what is your favourite decade for TV?

Damn I missed this TV on Trial. It sounds interesting as well, I'm just surprised that they could show all these different programmes from other networks.

Reading the previous posts am I right in thinking that they were introduced by the idents from the time the programmes were broadcast?

Has the BBC 1 balloon been shown yet? lol

Yes and No, in a couple of cases they used the wrong ones and there was a Granada slide which was actually the end slide (complete with copyright) but they did a reasonably good job of it.


Sadly not.

The series is repeated late at night next week.

There have been some huge gaffs with the research.

"Man About The House" was apparently made by Yorkshire Television.

They showed an ATV London ident just before "Double Your Money". However, the show was made by Associated Rediffusion, not ATV. It even said so in the end credits!

They've shown a BBC One ident from the 80's in the 70's programme.

A friend of mine had an email from the researcher on this series asking where she could get hold of ITV idents as her enquiries to Granada had been fruitless. He put her in touch with a contact he knew. She then emailed back and asked where she could get some BBC idents from! He asked her if she'd tried Windmill Road... she hadn't

What sort of researchers were working on this project? Seems like ones with a lower IQ than George Bush!

It wasn't made by the BBC itself, it was made by an independent company, so the researchers maybe weren't used to looking for footage.

There were no 80s idents in the 70s programme, but there was the earlier mirror globe (cropped too ), where it should've been the later one.

EDIT: Hopefully, we'll get some programmes without DOGs and other mess at 10.30 tonight, although it depends what decade wins.

I really enjoyed this series too. Not a great surprise that the 70s won. It was certainly obvious that the 90s or Now wouldn't win without the rose-tinted specs of nostalgia which gave the older decades an advantage.

I couldn't help feeling the whole thing felt a bit like a high-brow Flipside TV though.

having finally watched the couple of decades i recorded - its faults aside (ident mix ups/DOGs) i have to say it was fantastic. i watched a couple without commentary, but actually chose to listen to the commentary on the other couple. i think its down to who is commentating as to whether it works or not. the commentaries with mark lawson (and friend) and the other with janet street porter and john humphries were particularly good.

exactly the kind of thing bbc four should be doing. if promoted, uk gold-type nostalgia will draw in an audience that might not ever venture into bbc four ... and perhaps a few of them may like what they find.

it'd be great if this series returned.