Whatever happened to intelligent documentaries?
Discussion
How many of you remember this QED programme from 1982 "Nuclear War: A Guide To Armageddon"?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t-RIog6XS4&fea...
Informative, interesting and gripping. And done without the benefit of CGI.
Who can recall a modern day documentary that isn't dumbed down, and aimed at the hard of thinking?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t-RIog6XS4&fea...
Informative, interesting and gripping. And done without the benefit of CGI.
Who can recall a modern day documentary that isn't dumbed down, and aimed at the hard of thinking?
I agree, I find the biggest problem with modern documentaries is the fact they feel the need to over sensationalise everything and repeat each "shocking" fact several times, then recap it again at the end of the segment, then you get ads and then they do a little rerun of what happened before the ads, total useful viewing time is about 14 mins in a schedualed hour long slot.
I watched the (admittedly not proper documentary) series " Life without people, I managed about 15 mins before I found that the overuse of CGI and repetition was making think I had dropped acid and had altzheimers. Very poor content, but could have been a cool idea if not done in such a daft dumb style.
I watched the (admittedly not proper documentary) series " Life without people, I managed about 15 mins before I found that the overuse of CGI and repetition was making think I had dropped acid and had altzheimers. Very poor content, but could have been a cool idea if not done in such a daft dumb style.
It has just dawned on me that at 35 I have become my father, bemoaning the quality of TV and saying thing like " documentaries were better in my day" I realise i had no idea what a LadyGaga was until I saw one on here being discussed and I think radio2 plays too much modern music.
I think I am in the s
t. Someone tell me its not too late for me.
Christ, I will be getting up at 6 in the morning after having an early night next, then I might find certain types of car attractive. Toyota yari, possibly one of those jap cars with high roofs you could wear a stovepipe hat in.
In burgundy, with steel wheels.
I think I am in the s
t. Someone tell me its not too late for me.Christ, I will be getting up at 6 in the morning after having an early night next, then I might find certain types of car attractive. Toyota yari, possibly one of those jap cars with high roofs you could wear a stovepipe hat in.
In burgundy, with steel wheels.
Getragdogleg said:
I agree, I find the biggest problem with modern documentaries is the fact they feel the need to over sensationalise everything and repeat each "shocking" fact several times, then recap it again at the end of the segment, then you get ads and then they do a little rerun of what happened before the ads, total useful viewing time is about 14 mins in a schedualed hour long slot.
I watched the (admittedly not proper documentary) series " Life without people, I managed about 15 mins before I found that the overuse of CGI and repetition was making think I had dropped acid and had altzheimers. Very poor content, but could have been a cool idea if not done in such a daft dumb style.
Yep, there's an annoying increase in drama-documentaries, eg Krakatoa.I watched the (admittedly not proper documentary) series " Life without people, I managed about 15 mins before I found that the overuse of CGI and repetition was making think I had dropped acid and had altzheimers. Very poor content, but could have been a cool idea if not done in such a daft dumb style.
Just present the sciencey facts and sack off the invented "human" interest...I'm not...
Try The Power of Nightmares - Adam Curtis. Fairly recent
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_Nightmar...
It's 2004, but very well written...
Downloadable (legally) - I think the BBC allowed it to get distribution in the US as no network would carry it:
http://www.archive.org/details/ThePowerOfNightmare...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_Nightmar...
It's 2004, but very well written...
Downloadable (legally) - I think the BBC allowed it to get distribution in the US as no network would carry it:
http://www.archive.org/details/ThePowerOfNightmare...
VX Foxy said:
Simpo Two said:
current version of Tomorrow's World
Used to love QED 'when I were a lad'.
There are still good documentaries out there. This for exaple is pretty good:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-war-of-the-...
and this was quite good:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/1983-the-brink-...
Also Nick Broomfeilds stuff has popped-up on 4oD:
I can't stand 'Gansta rap' but the investigation into the Biggie/tupac murders is a great watch.
http://www.channel4.com/search/?q=nick broomfield
Money is what happened. TV has become a mundane crass shameless revenue chasing exercise. And the average viewer isn't holding a Mensa membership, or rather those that the dumbing down is aimed at far outnumber the ratings potential of the rest of the population.
The BBC has a lot to answer for, I (perhaps wrongly) understood that the BBC licence fee was designed to circumnavigate this kind of crap in order to create quality, educational and interesting programmes.
The BBC has a lot to answer for, I (perhaps wrongly) understood that the BBC licence fee was designed to circumnavigate this kind of crap in order to create quality, educational and interesting programmes.
HOGEPH said:
How many of you remember this QED programme from 1982 "Nuclear War: A Guide To Armageddon"?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t-RIog6XS4&fea...
Informative, interesting and gripping. And done without the benefit of CGI.
Who can recall a modern day documentary that isn't dumbed down, and aimed at the hard of thinking?
Blimey. That is hard hitting.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t-RIog6XS4&fea...
Informative, interesting and gripping. And done without the benefit of CGI.
Who can recall a modern day documentary that isn't dumbed down, and aimed at the hard of thinking?
Just a few years before Threads. A very scary film....
Herbie58 said:
Money is what happened. TV has become a mundane crass shameless revenue chasing exercise. And the average viewer isn't holding a Mensa membership, or rather those that the dumbing down is aimed at far outnumber the ratings potential of the rest of the population.
The BBC has a lot to answer for, I (perhaps wrongly) understood that the BBC licence fee was designed to circumnavigate this kind of crap in order to create quality, educational and interesting programmes.
I agree with your first bit and while I know it's PH folklore to constantly have a go at the Beeb but IMO they're the last to look at in this instance (not to say they're not guilty..but they're not the worst by a looong stretch of the imagination)The BBC has a lot to answer for, I (perhaps wrongly) understood that the BBC licence fee was designed to circumnavigate this kind of crap in order to create quality, educational and interesting programmes.
They have a public service broadcast remit, which means a little bit of everything for everyone. TBH, I think they do a f
king good job on the whole with that in mind. They still have to bring in the ratings, thank fk it's not US PBS.They're in the unfortunate position of being pilloried by everyone for not being exactly what they and they alone want, and most overlook the bits they like...
I have noticed that there are still 'good' documentaries, but they are about religion, or architecture, art & culture, that sort of thing. As soon as you touch on any exciting science related subject out comes the sensationalist bullst and explosions angle.
History of Berlin, good. Boris on the Turks, good. Some fruit going on in great detail about Islam or Christianity, good. Manned mission to Mars? and all of a sudden we are told how far it is in terms of football pitches and double decker buses, and Oooh, it's so dangerous, they might all blow up (explosion in space by way of illustration).
t and explosions angle.History of Berlin, good. Boris on the Turks, good. Some fruit going on in great detail about Islam or Christianity, good. Manned mission to Mars? and all of a sudden we are told how far it is in terms of football pitches and double decker buses, and Oooh, it's so dangerous, they might all blow up (explosion in space by way of illustration).
HOGEPH said:
plg101 said:
Blimey. That is hard hitting.
Just a few years before Threads. A very scary film....
I've got Threads on DVD and it still has the power to shock, especially in its portrayal of the collapse of society after a nuclear attack.Just a few years before Threads. A very scary film....
Deeper into the pit of the aged I go as I recall I liked a series done by a guy called Dan Cruickshank, it was about "adventures in architecture" and was delivered in a soft, gentle, descriptive way that made me want to know more, much more about the subject and set me off on a Google-fest and a lot of loaned books. I would like the series on DVD I enjoyed it so much.
Hi, I am Paul and I am a grumpy old man.
Hi, I am Paul and I am a grumpy old man.
Unfortunately Dan "whisper like I'm in church during a service" Cruickshank gets on my wick, but at least he has formal training in architecture. It seems you can only be a scientist on TV if you have been in a pop band or something equally "cool".
The Open University did some stunning programmes about art and architecture in renaissance Italy. Visually attractive, interesting to listen to, but yet academically sound (and only a small quota of beard and large lapels). When the OU moved to DVD delivery and took it's programmes off BBC2, these programmes disappeared, along with the maths, science, engineering and serious arts programmes that must have looked dangerously like they might have taught something. Now the OU produces programmes for the BBC which has the intellectual content just below children's TV. If you want to learn anything even remotely difficult, you have to pay hundreds to the OU to receive the same DVDs. Just like the Christmas Lectures, it seems you can't broadcast a programme without expressing a 30-second verbal concept using 10 minutes of CGI and flying to California, Antarctica and Brunei.
The Open University did some stunning programmes about art and architecture in renaissance Italy. Visually attractive, interesting to listen to, but yet academically sound (and only a small quota of beard and large lapels). When the OU moved to DVD delivery and took it's programmes off BBC2, these programmes disappeared, along with the maths, science, engineering and serious arts programmes that must have looked dangerously like they might have taught something. Now the OU produces programmes for the BBC which has the intellectual content just below children's TV. If you want to learn anything even remotely difficult, you have to pay hundreds to the OU to receive the same DVDs. Just like the Christmas Lectures, it seems you can't broadcast a programme without expressing a 30-second verbal concept using 10 minutes of CGI and flying to California, Antarctica and Brunei.
I remember watching QED when I was a lad.
I also loved Tomorrow's World, in a time before we all had the internet it was source of what was up and coming in science and technology. I also loved the fact it was live and the sometimes stuff didn't work the way it should!
Maggie Philbin, Judith Hann, Peter Macann, where are you all now?
I also loved Tomorrow's World, in a time before we all had the internet it was source of what was up and coming in science and technology. I also loved the fact it was live and the sometimes stuff didn't work the way it should!
Maggie Philbin, Judith Hann, Peter Macann, where are you all now?
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