TV series on UK channel 5

https://peco-uk.com/blogs/news/great-model-railway-challenge

10 teams compete, 2 teams per week starting October 5th final on November 9th.

Paul Tyer of Peedie models is in one of the teams on the second week October 12th.

Peedie models do N and 00 etched brass, cast resin and recently stared 3D printing  small items like chimneys, barrels, post boxes etc.
Welcome to Peedie Models - Peedie Models

Looks interesting Mike,i'll be recording that.

The first episode aired in the UK this evening on Channel 5.

I confess that I went into it somewhat sceptical as to how the hobby was going to be portrayed.

The fact that Tim Shaw (who I have met and is a genuine nice bloke) fronted it was not all bad - he has a military modelling interest so didn't patronise the modellers.  Steve Flint and Maggie ? who were the judges didn't get to say much.  Other frontmen asked useful questions and looked interested.  The team members came across as decent blokes (no ladies in the bunch) and there was even a token youngster with a bonkers haircut!!

The 3 teams all produced basic layouts - the sort of thing you see at local shows all over the UK - nothing special in my book.  Steve Flint described the winning team effort as "high quality modelling" - Hmmmm.  There's plenty better on here like Much Murkle, Far North Line etc but these guys did only get 3 days.

The captain of one team was a bit "we're gonna win this" but it looked a bit "put on" for the programme so he can be excused.

There was a rather silly "scratchbuild challenge" in the middle.  Much derided by the teams, you could see where they were coming from.  They had to use a high-heeled shoe as the basis for something.  Really?

Overall - actually, I was left rather happy.  Not with the show per se, more the fact that the hobby was portrayed quite well on mainstream TV at a decent time.  Somewhere, little boys and girls (and some not so little) will be insprired to have look at model railways/dust off that box of stuff in the loft/re-kindle a long-lost hobby.  That can only be a good thing.  The timing of the show in the run up to Christmas may be beneficial - time to go to a local show and then ask Santa to get you going with something.

Happy days.

Each to his own Barry …………………….

I admit, I haven't watched the whole programme yet - I taped it last night - but what I have seen, didn't impress.

When you know what can be achieved, I thought it all a bit amateurish - a sort of "Blue Peter" for trains.  I must watch it all before I can make any final comments but I'm not holding my breath ……………………."disappointing" would be my current feeling and it does nothing to make me rush out and tell everyone I'm a railway modeller.

I too was unimpressed.  As a rule I dislike programmes which have too short time limits. I know they have to make the programme exciting, but it would have been good to have seen some better quality finishes.  I also did not like the themes chosen, but again I suppose this is necessary to attract the wider public.
Overall I was left a little cold and, although I watched until the end, I almost walked when the adverts came up.

Watched the first ten minutes or so and thought  :hmm, not sure about this……………..

so I turned over.

I suppose you have to take into account they were building a layout in only three days.

https://www.my5.tv/the-great-model-railway-challenge/season-1/episode-1



Ed

I've now watched it via the My5 link I posted above.

It's not that bad, and you don't get the advert breaks.

Basing the layouts on a theme (in this case films) really restricts what can be done.

As general entertainment I'd give that episode 6 out of 10.


Ed

I thought the best comment of the night was when the leader of what turned out to be the winning team, knocked the "scratchbuild challenge" with the comment; "We are modellers, not clowns."
Turned out he was right to be sceptical, a ladies shoe and a lipstick as raw materials!

Rob

[user=1338]Ed[/user] wrote:

I've now watched it via the My5 link I posted above.

It's not that bad, and you don't get the advert breaks.

Basing the layouts on a theme (in this case films) really restricts what can be done.

As general entertainment I'd give that episode 6 out of 10.


Ed

That's very generous Ed.

I've now watched it all and thought it was poor.

It (the programme) said nothing about the hobby, didn't show any modelling (although I'd agree watching glue dry is hardly epic TV) and was, all in all, an almost insignificant glimpse of what our hobby is about.  The raw materials offered for the scratchbuild bit were crass.

I'll watch the next one in the hopes that it improves, otherwise, I'll save the recording space for something more interesting - the adverts maybe ………………………….

Just watched it a while ago.I thought it was fun.
Enjoyed the winners standard of modelling & thought their animations really added to the scene.
I look forward to the next program.

I watched it and after 10 minutes, thought to myself, 'where is this all going' I dislike intensely the bake off programmes and the master chef series and thought that this is going to be akin to them. I wasn't wrong - but I did watch the whole programme and will probably watch the whole series. Just to put my two penneth worth in, the best team did win and I am so glad the big head team lost after flouting the rules and hoping to get away with it.

 

I will add my two pennies worth of thoughts….
At the end of the first show my overall feeling was of an opportunity missed - both to make an entertaining TV show and to showcase model railways.  I quite like the fact that each week has a theme, they are broad enough not to be too limiting (well, given the first two themes) and I don't dislike the time constraint.  I liked that they came with plans and that they could bring six prebuilt items (even if one team did rather push that!).  I liked that they needed to have some animation and the concept of the scratch build challenge could have been a good one. 

But, unlike other TV time-limited competition shows, there was very little information in how things were done to interest model makers or inspire new modellers.  I thought the layouts were just too large, given the time constraints.  Maybe if they had to design modular layouts, which could be fitted together at the end it would have been both better and more practical: that way we could have seen completed layouts and some real modelling taking place. Clearly competitors were skilled and experienced - it would have been nice to showcase that, rather than some relatively basic skills of scenery building.  Perhaps a segment on how the prebuilt items were made would have added to the depth of the programme.  And finally the scratch build challenge ended up being a farce.  Why not give a box of bits of every day items and some modelling bits and pieces? It would have turned it into a proper scratch build challenge.  I can't remember the last time I looked at my wife's shoe collection and wished I could cut a heel off and make it into a bit of walling!

So overall I was left feeling disappointed at the show and disheartened about how the finished models looked, but I will probably end up watching the series!

Michael

Well said Michael - echoes my feelings almost exactly and yes, I will probably watch the rest of the series - if only in the hopes that, like a fine wine, it improves over time................ :cheers

Must agree with most of the above, I enjoyed it. , , kind of  :roll:   To much style over substance ? I know its a quick show with limited time but the constant camera cutting and jumping around, never lingering long enough for a good look at anything was annoying. The challenge was pretty lame, although I did like the bomb idea  :thumbs Glad I taped it so I could rewind and pause to try and get a better look at things.   I think I would have much prefered two starting shows, introducing half the teams each time then three elimination shows culling down to a final with three teams. That way you could see the teams building and detailing ONE layout each over several weeks, and drop in a new challenge to each show I.E by the end of this show each remaining team must incorporate XY or Z into their layout using anything from *this box of bits*  also with today's technology surely a small screen on  screen in one corner with a constant feed showing say the guy spraying up the plane and coaches or the guy applying static grass etc to show better some of the techniques being used ? 

Lets see what next week brings ! 

Cheers

Matt

I like to think that I watched the program with an open mind but one cannot stop being a railway modeller.
One perhaps has to remember that the broadcast has to reach a main stream audience and that people who are enthusiastic enough to be on this forum are not mainstream.
I was cheered initially when I saw Tim Shaw presenting the show. He is one of the best presenters around and I found his manner friendly and enthusiastic without being patronising. It was no surprise to seeing him pitching in with some modelling knowledge of his own. Probably the perfect choice.
As a fine scale modeller did I like the layouts? Of course not! However, the show is not about finescalers like me. It is about ordinary people with little knowledge of what we do and who think that railway enthusiasm begins and starts with the Flying Scotsman. The director has got to do something that tickles their fancy.
Should the director manage to get up the nose of all the serious modellers what will the consequences be? If all the serious modellers returned to their workshops or club rooms instead of watching the show the drop in number would hardly affect the viewing figures.
If the director appealed to us serious modellers then the ordinary viewers would be bored rigid with 5 minutes and switch channels. Their loss would definitely affect the viewing figures.
I have to accept that the show has very little appeal for me. I doubt as though I will continue to record it. If I want to be entertained on screen with a railway modelling subject then there is plenty to find on You Tube. (You can even find the judge Kathy Millett on You Tube. She's a good modeller.)
In fact if we are serious about our hobby, what are we doing in front of the box in the first place? (Rugby Union Internationals are a legitimate reason to watch the box and are permitted!)
When I think carefully about it I have to ask, 'How difficult is it to pitch a mainstream telly program about railway modelling?' With this show I think that on balance they have got it about right. Some people may even take the hobby up on the strength of it.
Yes, it does follow the tried and tested time limited competition formula that is so popular now. A Bake Off for railway modellers! Think about it; how much did that show put baking into the consciousness and conversations of people across the nation?
If this show has one tenth of the effect of Bake Off on our hobby I would be more than happy, even if the show excludes me.
On that score I can understand being excluded as like most enthusiasts who are deep into their hobby I am a boring old so and so. I would make a dreadful subject for television.
As long as the show is not patronising or infantile it will be okay by me. I am glad that it is not me who is pitching that program to a mainstream audience. I would not know where to start.
Our hobby is getting coverage and for that we should give thanks, we need new blood very urgently. Perhaps The Great Model Railway Challenge will bring that new blood in?


 

^^^ Wot he said. ^^^

I thoroughly enjoyed it, for what it was - light hearted entertainment and an introduction to many into the world of model railways. I enjoyed watching teams get as much done in 24 hours, which takes us years to do as we dont have time limitations or restricted budgets/items to chose from. I also liked the scratch-build element - reminded me of when I was a child, picking up things from the floor, garden or street and trying to make something out of them!
I think the teams did extremely well under the circumstances and the best team/layout effort definately won in my book.

No, its not serious, no, its not prototypical modelling, no, its not very exciting, but it was enjoyable, not "crass", not "cheesy", and not "over-done".

I say well done to the teams, well done to the producers and I look forward to next week. 

For me, I would hope the "finished" layouts might just persuade some of the couch potatoes watching to get off the couch and try modelling.

I have to say that I think a quick 30-second cameo on static grass or Digital sound or making water would have enhanced the show much better than the Scratchbuild challenge - I too find little use of high-heeled shoes and lipstick - even at weekends!!!!!!!!

Barry