John Bishop - Saving the Whales

[dukeboy749r]

ITV 1 last night (tonight and also tomorrow, I believe) - 9pm.

Very insightful - such magnificent creatures and aside from Russian research Beluga whales, I didn't know they were being kept in any aquariums.

[and31]

Watched this last night-what magnificent,intelligent creatures they are-it was awful to see how distressed they were when first separated.

[popeyewhite]

Didn't watch but am intrigued as to how a second rate TV comedian gets paid filming and meeting whales. I guess once you're on the ITV/BBC rosta of 'celebs' you get paid holidays like this. Better than the ubiquitous Alan Davies/Dara O'Briain though. Incidentally you don't 'swim' with whales, dolphins etc - you share a patch of water with them. Unless they're in captivity of course, and that's sharing a cell, effectively.

Apologies, bit of a rant there. forgot my vitamins this morning.

[Castrol for a knave]

popeyewhite said:

Didn't watch but am intrigued as to how a second rate TV comedian gets paid filming and meeting whales. I guess once you're on the ITV/BBC rosta of 'celebs' you get paid holidays like this. Better than the ubiquitous Alan Davies/Dara O'Briain though. Incidentally you don't 'swim' with whales, dolphins etc - you share a patch of water with them. Unless they're in captivity of course, and that's sharing a cell, effectively.

Apologies, bit of a rant there. forgot my vitamins this morning.

I suspect having an agent helps...

It was a good programme - he presented it well, from an everyman perspective. Worth the watch.

[SlimJim16v]

He's also raised a st load of money for charity.

I enjoyed it, 2 happy whales.

[popeyewhite]

SlimJim16v said:

He's also raised a st load of money for charity.

I'm sure he sits next to Godliness.

However he's no more qualified to present a program about whales than an oceanographry student from Liverpool University. In fact he's less qualified, but he is on the seemingly endless conveyor belt of 'TV personalities' that are given these types of holidays. See also Lumley in India etc

[Castrol for a knave]

popeyewhite said:

SlimJim16v said:

He's also raised a st load of money for charity.

I'm sure he sits next to Godliness.

However he's no more qualified to present a program about whales than an oceanographry student from Liverpool University. In fact he's less qualified, but he is on the seemingly endless conveyor belt of 'TV personalities' that are given these types of holidays. See also Lumley in India etc

Have you watched it yet?

[Countdown]

popeyewhite said:

However he's no more qualified to present a program about whales than an oceanographry student from Liverpool University. In fact he's less qualified,

He's probably better qualified actually. he doesn't need to be an Expert on whales. He needs to be able to get the stuff written on his script across to the Audience in an engaging and effective manner. As a stand-up comedian/TV presenter, building a rapport with an audience should be his forte.

In other words its his job to be on TV and say stuff.

[popeyewhite]

Countdown said:

He's probably better qualified actually. he doesn't need to be an Expert on whales. He needs to be able to get the stuff written on his script across to the Audience in an engaging and effective manner. As a stand-up comedian/TV presenter, building a rapport with an audience should be his forte.

So we can sack presenters like Mary Beard then. Perhaps replace her with a mediocre comedienne?

Countdown said:

In other words its his job to be on TV and say stuff.

I thought his job was trying to be funny. He's a TV presenter now? But in a way this is also relevant to my point - at what stage did ITV decide a slightly amusing scouse comedian would make a good documentary frontman?

[Countdown]

popeyewhite said:

Countdown said:

He's probably better qualified actually. he doesn't need to be an Expert on whales. He needs to be able to get the stuff written on his script across to the Audience in an engaging and effective manner. As a stand-up comedian/TV presenter, building a rapport with an audience should be his forte.

So we can sack presenters like Mary Beard then. Perhaps replace her with a mediocre comedienne?

I think it depends on how much depth the Presenter needs to go into. Personally I don't find MB as engaging as JB but that might be down to the subject matter. The $64 million dollar question is - how many ratings did JB get compared to MB?

popeyewhite said:

Countdown said:

In other words its his job to be on TV and say stuff.

I thought his job was trying to be funny. He's a TV presenter now? But in a way this is also relevant to my point - at what stage did ITV decide a slightly amusing scouse comedian would make a good documentary frontman?

Like the rest of us I'm sure he'll do whatever he is asked as long as it pays the bills In answer to your 2nd question - why can't a slightly amusing scouse comedian would make a good documentary frontman? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

[popeyewhite]

Countdown said:

Like the rest of us I'm sure he'll do whatever he is asked as long as it pays the bills In answer to your 2nd question - why can't a slightly amusing scouse comedian would make a good documentary frontman? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

There's no reason Bishop shouldn't be engaging - if that's the criteria for ITV documentaries at present. But a documentary is supposed to be a kind of factual report. Anyway he's on the gravy train now sitting next to Lumley, Rhys Jones etc - choo choo.

[Castrol for a knave]

popeyewhite said:

Countdown said:

Like the rest of us I'm sure he'll do whatever he is asked as long as it pays the bills In answer to your 2nd question - why can't a slightly amusing scouse comedian would make a good documentary frontman? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

There's no reason Bishop shouldn't be engaging - if that's the criteria for ITV documentaries at present. But a documentary is supposed to be a kind of factual report. Anyway he's on the gravy train now sitting next to Lumley, Rhys Jones etc - choo choo.

I agree there is a repetitive roll out of the same faces, but in this he was good. It wasn't BBC 4 fayre, but aimed at the typical 7:30pm weeknight viewer.

If it took JB to engage with them then fine - the story and the message was good and made a change from Celebrity Love Jiggle Soup Maker Get Me In There Paedo Toddlers in Tiaras Island Real Househorrors of Immingham, Part 5.


Have you watched it?

[Fastchas]

popeyewhite said:

Didn't watch but am intrigued as to how a second rate TV comedian gets paid filming and meeting whales. I guess once you're on the ITV/BBC rosta of 'celebs' you get paid holidays like this. Better than the ubiquitous Alan Davies/Dara O'Briain though. Incidentally you don't 'swim' with whales, dolphins etc - you share a patch of water with them. Unless they're in captivity of course, and that's sharing a cell, effectively.

Apologies, bit of a rant there. forgot my vitamins this morning.

I enjoyed it and thought he got the facts over in an enjoyable, empathic way.
Would you have preferred to see a different, first rate comedian instead?

[popeyewhite]

Castrol for a knave said:

Have you watched it?

Nope. My comment concerns sinecure's offered to existing TV 'celebs' of modest ability that the ordinary person would give their right arm for. I have no interest in the subject, though I wish the whales well!

[Castrol for a knave]

popeyewhite said:

Castrol for a knave said:

Have you watched it?

Nope. My comment concerns sinecure's offered to existing TV 'celebs' of modest ability that the ordinary person would give their right arm for. I have no interest in the subject, though I wish the whales well!

Thought as much.

The whales send their regards.

[popeyewhite]

Castrol for a knave said:

Thought as much.

Because I said "didn't watch" in my first post ? Very sharp.

Castrol for a knave said:

The whales send their regards.

Can't read but you know what whales think? Remarkable.

[Castrol for a knave]

popeyewhite said:

Castrol for a knave said:

Thought as much.

Because I said "didn't watch" in my first post ? Very sharp.

Castrol for a knave said:

The whales send their regards.

Can't read but you know what whales think? Remarkable.

I think that you said you didn't watch it, then proceeded to give us all the benefit of your opinion says it all.

I'm a part time whale whisperer - we get a lot in the Leeds Liverpool.

[AlexRS2782]

It's not the first documentary JB has fronted for ITV. He also did one a year or two back about endangered Gorilla rescue, and there may have been another one too.

I thought it was a very good watch tbh, just like his previous ones, especially seeing how they had to deal with all the additional challenges.