BBC and Eastenders

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OFSO
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BBC and Eastenders

#1 Post by OFSO » Wed Mar 20, 2019 8:16 am

The EastEnders (soap opera) set used by the BBC was built in the 1980's and in 2015 was planned to be rebuilt ready for 2018 at a cost of £59,700,000. Due to, well, many things really, but above all due to the fact that the BBC isn't accountable to anyone, the completion date is now 2023 and the cost is projected to be £86,700,000. That what the BBC thinks the final cost will be four years away. Anyone like to bet on it going over a billion ?

(Info: Public Accounts Committee report).

Sisemen

Re: BBC and Eastenders

#2 Post by Sisemen » Wed Mar 20, 2019 8:40 am

BBC profligate? Shurely not.

I once had a house in Welbeck Close, Boring Wood, when I was at MOD, which virtually overlooked the BBC studio lot. They used my house, garden and the alleyway to film some Grange Hill stuff. They took a day setting up and a full day and half the evening in rehearsals and filming all for a 20 second scene. I got 300 quid for my troubles.

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Fox3WheresMyBanana
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Re: BBC and Eastenders

#3 Post by Fox3WheresMyBanana » Wed Mar 20, 2019 9:52 am

I was in Robin Hood's Bay when the BBC turned up to do a dockside 'Dark and Stormy Night' scene of about 3 minutes duration for 'David Copperfield'.
Since the London-centric idiots had not considered summer sunset times Oop Narth, the 9pm filuming time was too light. They waited. The publican was bribed to keep the pub open as a waiting room. When it got dark enough, the tide had gone out. All the lighting rigs were moved. The publican was bribed some more. The tide went out some more. The lighting rigs were moved much further. The water's edge scene was now ready...but the water was now too shallow for the wave makers to work. Spray rigs were set up. The publican was bribed some more..........
..............etc...............
They finally filmed the scene at 3:30am. In a rush as the tide was now coming back in and the sky was getting light again. Everybody was very drunk. The publican retired to Mustique on the proceeds. The scene was canned in editing as the director decided it had become too light again.

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Re: BBC and Eastenders

#4 Post by Mrs Ex-Ascot » Wed Mar 20, 2019 10:51 am

Northwick Park Hospital near Harrow was a very popular location for 'hospital' scenes for both film and telly crews. In the film Damien the paternoster outside Theatres and ITU is featured. Sybil in Fawlty Towers had her ingrown toe nail removed there.

On one occasion while I was working there a couple of fire engines arrived which confused everyone initially as we couldn't smell or see any fire. Then they doused down the dry car park for the film crews to film a 'rainy' hospital scene. Just as they finished filming the heavens opened. =))
RAF 32 Sqn B Flt ; Twin Squirrels.

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Re: BBC and Eastenders

#5 Post by Capetonian » Wed Mar 20, 2019 11:08 am

it sickens me to think that my money goes towards the production of this mindless crap, not to mention the BBC's left wing biased output.

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