{"id":6017,"date":"2016-11-05T11:31:59","date_gmt":"2016-11-05T11:31:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tech-ops.co.uk\/next\/?page_id=6017"},"modified":"2016-11-05T11:31:59","modified_gmt":"2016-11-05T11:31:59","slug":"bristol-a-centre-of-excellence","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/tech-ops.co.uk\/next\/bristol-a-centre-of-excellence\/","title":{"rendered":"Bristol \u2013 A Centre Of Excellence"},"content":{"rendered":"

Apologies if this duplicates material from the BBCPA<\/p>\n

Roger Bunce<\/h3>\n

Researching my memoirs for the BBCPA, I felt the need to talk about John Birt’s silly scheme to convert all the BBC’s regions into "Centres of Excellence". (Don’t Laugh!) This must have been somewhere between 1986 and 1993 – before the whole thing was reversed by "Producer Choice". (Which was no laughing matter either!) I just wanted some examples of which programmes were sent where. I know that Drama and Daytime went to Birmingham; while Religion and ‘Yoof’ went to Manchester, and I think Children’s went to Newcastle. But what happened to Education, Schools, Quizzes, etc? All memories gratefully received.<\/p>\n

Clifford White<\/h3>\n

Good luck with your project \u2013 it sounds fascinating.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t really help with where the programmes went, but I can tell you where a lot of them came from – BBC Bristol!<\/p>\n

We were home to TV Features, which covered a whole rag-bag of programmes across a very wide spectrum. Here’s just a few of many examples:-<\/p>\n

Animal-based Children\u2019s Programmes, like \u201cAnimal Magic\u201d with Johnny Morris, and \u201cThe Really Wild Show\u201d with Terry Nutkins.<\/p>\n

Other Children\u2019s Programmes like \u201cVision-On\u201c and \u201cTake Hart\u201c, starring the late, great Tony Hart.<\/p>\n

Schools Programmes like \u201cWords and Pictures\u201c, presented by Janet Ellis.<\/p>\n

Health-based Programmes like \u201cThe Health Show\u201d, with Terry Wogan and Dr Miriam Stoppard, and \u201cLooking Good, Feeling Fit\u201d, presented by Richard Stilgoe.<\/p>\n

Science-based Programmes like \u201cTake Nobody\u2019s Word For It\u201d, starring a young Carol Vorderman, and \u201cThink Of A Number\u201c, produced by Albert Barber and presented by Johnny Ball.<\/p>\n

Quiz-type Programmes like \u201cPuzzle Trail\u201d, produced by Clive Doig and presented by Davy Jones (of The Monkees fame).<\/p>\n

Then in 1992, John Birt, in his infinite wisdom, decided that Bristol Studio A should be closed down, which left our TV Features Unit with the rump of Natural History Programmes, which now had to be commissioned from Independent Production Companies, and \u201cAntiques Roadshow\u201d which, although the production team remained in-house, now had to be made using freelance directors and technical crews, and edited in Post-Production Facilities Houses.<\/p>\n

When one of our famous presenters was told that John Birt was doing this to turn Bristol into a Centre of Excellence, the presenter said \u201cWhat the f\u2026..g h..l does he think it has been so far"?!<\/p>\n

Roger Bunce<\/h3>\n

Interesting that you should mention Clive Doig and Albert Barber!  (ed: as they are Tech Ops history contributors.<\/i>)<\/p>\n

The "Centres of Excellence" wheeze was John Birt’s second cunning plan for the BBC Regions.<\/p>\n

His first, under the "Resources Review" was to shut them all down and move everything into London.<\/p>\n

When the Governors told him this would be politically unacceptable, he did a 180 degree change of mind, and decided to move things out of London to the Regions, to create those "Centres of Excellence". This would have been about 1987-ish, when he was Deputy Director General. It sounds as though Bristol was doing fairly well at that time.<\/p>\n

His third cunning plan, of course, was "Producer Choice", about 1993. Inevitably, when London-based productions were allowed to ‘choose’ where they made their programme, they chose to move back into London!<\/p>\n

It has all been a mad yo-yoing back-and-forth – into London, out of London, into London, out of London – culminating in the insane ‘Move to the North’ and closure of TV Centre. I think they’ve even brought back the phrase "Centre of Excellence", in order to justify moving dramas to Cardiff. – Not to mention moving News out of Broadcasting House to TV Centre – then back to Broadcasting House.<\/p>\n

Geoff Fletcher<\/h3>\n

Never mind – it was all a good waste of Joe Public’s money.<\/p>\n

Roger Long<\/h3>\n

Before TV Features was born, it was the General Programme Unit. We were asked in the Club for a more suitable moniker and I suggested the Average Programme Unit. This was not taken up\u2026<\/p>\n

The General Programme  Unit was the rump of John King\u2019s many various programme strands featuring Antiques, but John (father of Simon) also did drama short stories on film with the Bristol Film Unit: this became the basis of many Screen Ones and Twos when Sally Head revitalised Design Dept and enabled  grand productions like \u201cEdge of Darkness\u201d and \u201cMonocled Mutineer\u201d –  London Drama serviced by Bristol:  we had these for about 10 years. <\/p>\n

We also had the Anthropology Programme with Chris Curling which ventured to far flung  locations for \u201cUnder The Sun\u201d and Barry Gavin\u2019s wonderful Music and Arts Strands, not to mention all the Nat Hist Attenborough block busters, \u201cWorld About Us\u201d, \u201cWildlife on One\u201d etc etc.<\/p>\n

The spectrum of work was truly fabulous.<\/p>\n

\u201cCasualty\u201d was the beginning of the end for the Film Unit, disbanded in 1992. <\/p>\n

Single plays on film out, continuing drama on tape in, docos by self shooters on Sony PD150s  via the Community Affairs Unit: the slow demise of proper docs.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a mere ghost of a Centre of Excellence now.<\/p>\n

Bill Jenkin<\/h3>\n

I recall, when being presented with the \u2018Centres of Excellence\u2019 wheeze by John Birt at an NJC meeting, commenting that I presumed this meant that London was to become a centre of mediocrity as it was clearly not a centre of excellence.  I don\u2019t think there was a response. <\/p>\n

But what about Leeds nowadays (2016) …<\/em><\/p>\n

Tony Nuttall<\/h3>\n

Who needs TV Centre?<\/p>\n

It seems as though there IS a NEED for large TV Studio Space; even in YORKSHIRE!<\/p>\n

     (Click on the picture below to see larger version:
\n     use your Browser’s BACK<\/strong> button to return to this page<\/em>)<\/p>\n

     
\n\"Victoria<\/a><\/p>\n

Mike Jordan<\/h3>\n

Interesting as they are based on what was a WWII airport called \u201cLeeds East\u201d. This explains why the building looks like an aircraft hanger. I hope there are no flights now or it is well soundproofed! Their website says \u201cVictoria\u201d is the first programme to be filmed (sic) there.<\/p>\n

Nick Ware<\/h3>\n

I always regarded Leeds as a centre of excellence. Some of my fondest memories are of working there, and on the Harewood Estate. I hope the Church Fenton runways aren’t still active! Can’t say I’ve noticed any aircraft noise on “Victoria”, so I assume not.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/h1>\n

\"ianfootersmall\"<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Apologies if this duplicates material from the BBCPA Roger Bunce Researching my memoirs for the BBCPA, I felt the need to talk about John Birt’s silly scheme to convert all the BBC’s regions into "Centres of Excellence". (Don’t Laugh!) This … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6017","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"coauthors":[],"author_meta":{"author_link":"http:\/\/tech-ops.co.uk\/next\/author\/alec\/","display_name":"Alec Bray"},"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 10 years ago","modified":"Updated 10 years ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on November 5, 2016","modified":"Updated on November 5, 2016"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on November 5, 2016 11:31 am","modified":"Updated on November 5, 2016 11:31 am"},"featured_img_caption":"","featured_img":false,"series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/tech-ops.co.uk\/next\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6017","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/tech-ops.co.uk\/next\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/tech-ops.co.uk\/next\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tech-ops.co.uk\/next\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tech-ops.co.uk\/next\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6017"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/tech-ops.co.uk\/next\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6017\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6020,"href":"http:\/\/tech-ops.co.uk\/next\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6017\/revisions\/6020"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/tech-ops.co.uk\/next\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6017"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tech-ops.co.uk\/next\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6017"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tech-ops.co.uk\/next\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6017"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}