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Horse Racing on Terrestrial TV |
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#576 |
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,429
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Quote:
I was going to ask who the course commentators were, sounds a very good team I would certainly of swapped two of those in place of Hoyles and Bartlett today.
Who called the final stages? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVU-pGI20bs |
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#577 |
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: St Albans, UK
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It was all very "bitty", too, with too many messy handovers between the presentation team (in the build-up and reaction, rather than the coverage of the race itself). If you're not going to have the presenter do a handover ("Here's Rishi" or something similar), then the link needs to be flawless, and so many of today's were not.
The whole show felt a bit amateur at times, I'm afraid. I think that Luck chap is absolutely hopeless and it felt that he was doing a lot more than Balding. She should have done far more of the presenting. The analysis of the race from the studio was embarrassing, frankly. And I'm with everyone else with regard to coverage of the race itself. It all felt very distant and a bit clunky. Poor camerawork and direction. I was interested to see the BBC-style credits at the end, too. You can see that it's an ex-BBC producer who is in charge! |
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#578 |
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Join Date: Oct 2010
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Quote:
Weird Question time. What was the music the BBC used when there were shot's of the course introducing the program? They always used it. It was quite cheesy but it was all part of there "bigging up the event tactic".
They played it every meeting last year. Ken The John Hurt film about Bob Champion and Aldaniti, "Champions". The Beeb sometimes played Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwwCvl45qFA |
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#579 |
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Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 55
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The best parts of the coverage today were Clare Balding, Mick Fitzgerald, Ian Bartlett & Rishi Persad.
Don't get why people think Simon Holt is so good! Yes he might call the race well but he is bland he voice has no gravitas! He is not as good as Sir Peter or Big Aussie Jim at their best. It was the worst call of grand national finish. Sorry but I just think his commentary lacked something! The best commentator today was Ian Bartlett! There was no chemistry between the commentators. The handovers were dire. Some how on the BBC the commentary team seemed to build up the excitement between them, slowly but surely! I know you are all going to say Holt calls races error free! its not that the bothers me its his voice! He is bland he may call the races perfectly but he for me lacks gravitas! Big Aussie Jim had that yes maybe he made mistakes but you do if you lack practice which he did towards the end of BBC coverage! But his national calls were excellent! Balding should host the show with Mick Fitz without Luck. Have paddock commentators say Bartlett and another say Ray Cochrane or whoever. With Rishi and who ever out and about! |
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#580 |
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 12,022
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Quote:
Weird Question time. What was the music the BBC used when there were shot's of the course introducing the program? They always used it. It was quite cheesy but it was all part of there "bigging up the event tactic".
They played it every meeting last year. Ken |
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#581 |
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 5,063
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As someone who only watches one horse race a year I can't comment on whether channel 4 are doing a good job or not, but it just didn't feel like a big event.
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#582 |
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Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Daventry
Posts: 14,895
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It was a bit strange really as channel 4 cover racing every weekend and this production team have been doing it since January in a perfectly professional manner (4 days of Cheltenham went off absolutely fine) but the production at times today was a total mess!
Whoever thought that camera shot for the chair was a good idea wants their P45! Miles and miles away and behind the fence so you couldn't see how the horses even got over it! Clunky handovers between presenters and a race rerun that just went totally wrong just topped it all off! I don't really have a problem with the on screen staff but today they were let down by the people on the other side of the camera. |
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#583 |
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 5,063
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It felt like they almost missed the start? Also there was one camera view where you couldn't see the horses go over the jump because there was a large object in between !
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#584 |
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 3,771
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I wish they would stop showing horse racing. What a load of boring tosh!
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#585 |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear.
Posts: 4,621
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I wish they would stop showing horse racing. What a load of boring tosh!
Ian. |
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#586 |
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: County Durham
Posts: 946
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There seemed to be one moment where the view was blocked by a big screen for about 5 seconds
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#587 |
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Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Leicestershire
Posts: 507
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With regards to the picture quality it was in HD just think its different cameras that were being used. The C4 coverage was done by Visions OB who normally do Sky's Premiership and Championship football I believe they use Philips LDK cameras and I wonder with them having their regular work for Sky with both a premiership and championship game to cover Saturday and the IMG contract for premiership world feeds, that they had to use older OB units and cameras for Grand National. I would imagine that Sky would still demand their usual Gemini unit for Premiership and Atlantic unit for Championship as biggest customers.
When the BBC had it SIS Live provided all the facilities and had their super size OB1 unit along with new units OB 3 and 7 as not tied to football the cameras they use are Sony ones which I personally prefer, SIS live also have and are specialists in special and strange cameras unit |
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#588 |
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Borders, Ayr & Glasgow
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Has Ian Bartlett been used on CH4 much at all this year? Cheltenham and the odd race-course? I thought he was superb (ok going on about him again!) Missed him on the screen after the race going over each fence like previous years on the Beeb... As he isn't a 'proper' member of the ch4 team, I gather he wouldn't do this anyway but hey ho.
I didn't feel WOW it's the National this year, doubt it was because of channel 4, I think external factors (Cold outside still, snow, not feeling spring etc)... Hoiles was pretty poor tbh. I didn't think Holt was that 'startled' at the start... Came across to him for a sec, and a brief intro and the race started... sounded fine to me. My dad is a die-hard horse-racing man and the channel change/coverage didn't effect him, he seems to like it more.... He enjoys the likes of Nick Luck (From Racing UK days etc)... Maybe the team is great for die-hards but for the casual not quite clicking... I'm not a fan of Luck myself tbh, a bit drab. |
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#589 |
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 3,513
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This article sums up some of the points raised on here
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/hor...-the-mark.html The coverage was still good overall but the direction on the National race itself definitely let them down. It would have been ok to cut Simon Holt just before the start if he was not in-vision, but as they chose to have a camera-shot of him he should have had 10 seconds at least. It seemed they definitely missed the start and if they had deliberately chosen to cut to it only as they went off then it was a bad decision. I agree with the comments on the camera angles as well. If the race did feel less 'special' then I think that is due to Channel 4 having racing in that slot every week and also the lack of fallers, particularly at the start which was a record number of jumps for the National with the full field getting over. |
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#590 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hull - UK City of Culture
Posts: 27,235
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Quote:
The best parts of the coverage today were Clare Balding, Mick Fitzgerald, Ian Bartlett & Rishi Persad.
Don't get why people think Simon Holt is so good! Yes he might call the race well but he is bland he voice has no gravitas! He is not as good as Sir Peter or Big Aussie Jim at their best. It was the worst call of grand national finish. Sorry but I just think his commentary lacked something! The best commentator today was Ian Bartlett! There was no chemistry between the commentators. The handovers were dire. Some how on the BBC the commentary team seemed to build up the excitement between them, slowly but surely! I know you are all going to say Holt calls races error free! its not that the bothers me its his voice! He is bland he may call the races perfectly but he for me lacks gravitas! Big Aussie Jim had that yes maybe he made mistakes but you do if you lack practice which he did towards the end of BBC coverage! But his national calls were excellent! Balding should host the show with Mick Fitz without Luck. Have paddock commentators say Bartlett and another say Ray Cochrane or whoever. With Rishi and who ever out and about! |
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#591 |
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 4,153
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Well if it was the Champions theme music (Carl Davis) you must have a different take on "cheesy" than me-I thought it was a magnificent piece of music and pretty much is the National.
Ken |
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#592 |
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: County Durham
Posts: 946
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Would it be very cynical of me to suggest Risha is only there to fill quotas?
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#593 |
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 4,153
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Quote:
Hi Ken,
The John Hurt film about Bob Champion and Aldaniti, "Champions". The Beeb sometimes played Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwwCvl45qFA Ken |
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#594 |
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,673
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It seems that it was a mixed reaction to C4'S coverage yesterday. Maybe they looking at points raised over the net and so forth and look at how they can get better for the next big main event (Ascot is it)?
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#595 |
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hull - UK City of Culture
Posts: 27,235
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Quote:
Would it be very cynical of me to suggest Risha is only there to fill quotas?
Rishi has been on ATR, RUK and BBC. He isn't bad at all. Adds some humour to things and whilst he isnt Thommo, he does a decent job. |
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#596 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 4,153
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Quote:
It seems that it was a mixed reaction to C4'S coverage yesterday. Maybe they looking at points raised over the net and so forth and look at how they can get better for the next big main event (Ascot is it)?
Royal Ascot on C4 is going to be odd. Ken |
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#597 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 102
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I didn't think it was too bad a job overall but perhaps not up to former BBC standards. Main problems for me were the presenters. I couldn't see what Nick Luck added to the presentation and wasn't impressed with Mick Fitzgerald, particularly when he droned on about the winning jockey needing to savour the occasion. We got the point first time! Please bring back John Francome.
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#598 |
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 4,153
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Quote:
I didn't think it was too bad a job overall but perhaps not up to former BBC standards. Main problems for me were the presenters. I couldn't see what Nick Luck added to the presentation and wasn't impressed with Mick Fitzgerald, particularly when he droned on about the winning jockey needing to savour the occasion. We got the point first time! Please bring back John Francome.
Ken |
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#599 |
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,338
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Let's face it, as a broadcaster Channel 4 just isn't up to the level of the BBC at this type of event.
Also, the camera positions the BBC used for years were perfect - particularly Bechers and the canal turn. |
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#600 |
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Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Wenger Out
Posts: 28,877
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Quote:
Let's face it, as a broadcaster Channel 4 just isn't up to the level of the BBC at this type of event.
Also, the camera positions the BBC used for years were perfect - particularly Bechers and the canal turn. Holt is a master of his craft and as a non-racing specialist I enjoy Jim McGrath's input but I couldn't warm to many of the rest of them to be honest. Balding was the only one who seemed to have that big event gravitas- don't see why she needs to be booming out of the public address system at the course as well though- too much! I was wondering if some of the long distance shots of the horses jumping the fences was because they were worried about showing potentially fatal falls- especially at The Chair? Playing it safe maybe? |
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