Roger Bunce versus Management

Nigel Taylor

In the late 1990s, our management at Television Centre produced a monthly newsletter called ‘Focus’. It always featured an article entitled ‘The View From The Bridge’, with a stylised drawing of the bows of a ship. Roger Bunce decided this was ripe for satire. It was at the time that BBC Resources was about to be hived off as a wholly owned subsidiary of the BBC. It was also the time that you could only purchase food and drink at the Elstree canteen using a prepaid card (‘Girovend’).

Clever chap, our Roger. I’m glad I kept a copy of this.

Dave Newbitt

What an extraordinary standard of real wit. This guy was clearly in a class of his own for inventiveness, use of language, sharp observation and all-round ability to make a point in an incredibly effective way. It is humbling to see such ability.

Sara Newman

As they say “bloody brilliant”

Dave LeBreton

Absolutely brilliant!  Made my day.

Pat Heigham

I wonder if it was Roger who coined the quote: “If the BBC didn’t have to make programmes, it would run on oiled wheels!”

(Circa the 1960s as I recall)

[Ed: every industry had its own version of this: ” …if we didn’t have to do [our primary function] the [organization] would run like clockwork…”]

Robin Bunce

Thank you enormously for these. And thank you for explaining the context: ‘The View From The Blige’ is a great send up of ‘The View From The Bridge’!

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Roger Bunce – Model Work

Robin Bunce

Very slowly, I’m going to my Dad‘s collection of photos, scripts etc.

I found a bunch of photos, presumably taken in the early 1970s, of my Dad using very small cameras to shoot a miniature prehistoric landscape. I attach some photos.

If anyone has any idea what program he was working on, I’d love to know.