Previously Heads Up - Channel 5 (UK)

We had one at our show last year "Thunder mountain" I'm glad I didn't have the layout next to it..flashing lights … thunder effects "Blxxxy Noisy"

I watched the last series as the wife had recorded it for me, didn't enjoy any of it, most of it fast forwarded, so I have not bothered with this series.

I will agree with most of the comments made on this subject and will point out that the programme is probably aimed at the general public for a bit of light entertainment as opposed to the serious railway modeller.
If we want any hints and tips on how to improve our modelling, we wont get them from watching this programme but we do know where to find them.
Treat it for what it is.
It is very noticeable however that more and more, the teams are not made up of modellers but one or two modellers and the rest are techhies, or others along for the ride to make up the numbers.

I agree with everything that has been said, both positive and negative, so i suppose that makes it good TV.  However, I decided to watch this series from a different perspective.  Having seen series 1 and realised that it wasn't about modelling it was about layout building…. I watched this series from the perspective of how people solve problems and meet the challenges of the "competition".  Doing that, I have found it more enjoyable and have hardly thrown anything at the TV and the swear box is almost empty!
I'm delighted it is back for a second series, in this commercial world, it must have been successful.  Either there are more modellers than we thought and they all watched it, or non-modellers got involved.  I think that has to be good for the future.  I know people who are not modellers who feared it was going to be watching trains going round and round and were pleased that it wasn't.  In fact it was a non-modeller who alerted me to the start of series 2!

What I would really like is a "Gardener's World" type model programme…….. Expert advice and how-to… visit some layouts and jobs for the weekend!  You can see what the wife has had me doing this summer!!

Regards

Michael

Assuming the saying that there is no such thing as bad publicity the programme can only be good for model railways.

I was wondering with todays 'Best of British' a group might have used some three rail Hornby Dublo and a traditional temporary layout on the dining room table approach. Surely such a layout is more traditional than the model village approach which seems to predominate today.

Good point David - or even some "O" Gauge Hornby clockwork laid out in a circle on the carpet.

I think Bassett Lowke live steam might be pushing it a bit …………………………………….. :roll:

Heads up, just watched episode 4 and it appears episode 5 is on TOMORROW night as it moves to a Saturday night
Cheers

Matt

I thought last weeks and last nights episodes weren't too bad, few more trains running and a bit more railway like.

However tonight's subject is sci-fi, so I suspect more Martians, space ships and other aliens  :hmm


We shall see.



Ed

Last nights episode (Saturday) by far the best in the whole series. Almost professional. All three worthy of praise.

Fell asleep half way through, have to watch it on My5  


Ed

Watched it, not bad for light entertainment.

Certainly the best team won.


Ed

(PS I said yesterday there would be Martians  )

Still on my Humax - and not top of the "must watch" list yet .....................

GMRC is up for a TV award!!!

Vote Here

Vote | National Television Awards

(it's about halfway through the 25 categories)

So good last night I fell asleep…………. (yawn).

Anybody got a spare dinosaur I can use on my 009 layout  


Ed

Well I have definitely warmed to the series.  It has been interesting reading, in various places, how the production  company were making things up as they went along in S1 and I think it shows that they have a better idea now.  it doesn't attempt to be too serious, although I think the modelling, in the time frame, has been much better.  But it's a TV programme about model railways, which is in its second series and potentially a third.  All the hobby producers say that unless new hobbyists are attracted, it will ultimately either die or become the preserve of the wealthy - it it isn't already.  So I will tolerate the bits I don't like for a possible greater good.
It's even made me chuckle a few times.

Michael

We've been watching the series on catchup again (the way to watch it, and you'll see why if you do!).
The producers, without a doubt, choose teams and people who will be entertaining to watch, and set tasks and themes which will annoy some participants (there's some entertainment), and encourage creativity from others (also entertaining).

You will never see a Pendon quality layout on the show, but that said, some of the home-built items used on the layouts have been pretty good.

I think that the end results can be impressive, and I've certainly seen much worse at model railway exhibitions. And I've alway felt that the right team has won, at the end of each episode, too (not always the case on TV shows!).

I've also picked up the odd good idea, like the little vacuum-forming machine, and building a radio telescope from track was excellent.

The show does make me laugh when, with a few minutes to go, the layouts always look half finished, then, when the time is up, the contestants step back and the completed layout is revealed. Only on TV!

On the whole, we've found it entertaining watching some very talented people work very hard. Yes, it is a bit dumb, but that's TV.

Gordon

[user=2099]Gordon Curtis[/user] wrote: 

Yes, it is a bit dumb, but that's TV.

Gordon

That final sentence just about sums up television these days. I've gone back to good books.
Shaun.

[user=567]gastwo[/user] wrote:

[user=2099]Gordon Curtis[/user] wrote: 

Yes, it is a bit dumb, but that's TV.

Gordon

That final sentence just about sums up television these days. I've gone back to good books.
Shaun.

We have found some good foreign language TV shows. Mostly crime but it does combine reading with watching. 

Unless you speak that "foreign" language, or it's sub-titled, foreign language crime dramas seem to lose some of the impact !!!   

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

Unless you speak that "foreign" language, or it's sub-titled, foreign language crime dramas seem to lose some of the impact !!!   

'Ere, never mind the foreign language 'fing, what about shots of iPads/'phones etc showing important clues or messages germain to the plot that are probably only legible from more than 3 feet if you have a 72" T.V. screen….an' a nuvver 'fing, grammer, it's awful now, innit?

Douglas