[Tech1] Working life at TVC

[Nick Ware]

In the two years before I joined the BBC I was a photography student at Guildford Art School, and spent much of my spare time working as a young volunteer at the old Guildford Repertory Theatre (long before the Yvonne Arnaud was built). Repertory Theatre was fun, and a number of surprisingly famous actors appeared there because of its cosy and close-knit rep company atmosphere. I thought at the time, if I can’t be Tony Armstrong Jones or David Bailey, I’ll go into the Theatre.
However, as destiny had it, on joining the Beeb (Crew2, Frank Wilkins, etc) I started off by thinking what a huge impersonal place The TV Centre was, but very quickly realised that as one of a crew, each and every production and studio was, for that particular day, a small repertory-like unit. Then, any other day, the same would apply with a completely different set of cast, prod team, pool-people, etc.
I liked the way that we all got to know each other as friends, and that even if you didn’t see someone for months on end, you always just carried on where you left off last time you saw them. Small groups of people, but lots of them ever changing. A vast sausage factory in principle, but not in practice.
Nearly six years after I left the BBC, I had occasion to accompany a young singer as his recording manager, to TVC for a TOTP appearance. He/we had recorded a single that had made it to No13 in the pop charts. Not bad in those days for a young St Paul’s Chorister!
But the thing that struck me was that everywhere I went in that building, people said casually “O Hi, Nick, what are you on today?” (Meaning production, not drugs!) as if I’d never left. Similar experience on Russell Harty Show and Simon Dee. And then again years later, doing Red Nose Day celeb p-to-c’s.
Life at TVC was a big, but close-knit community.
As to choosing what programmes to work on - all I’ll say is, you just had to be “in” with the right people!
If I could have those years all over again I wouldn’t change a thing, other than maybe a couple of ‘what-ifs?’
I’ll shut up now - I’m supposed to be preparing a speech for my daughter’s wedding tomorrow!
Cheers,
N.
Nick Ware - Sent from my iPad mini 5

On 24 Aug 2021, at 23:19, patheigham via Tech1 <tech1 at tech-ops.co.uk> wrote:


A possible new thread.

Mostly this involves studio crews.
What did you like about working for BBC at TVC/LG/TVT/Riverside?
Could it be:

  *   Although likened to a factory, it was not a M-F 9-5 job. Even if on a 3-day play, there could be one or two days off afterwards, and during a week, too.
  *   Different shows to work on – Drama/LE/Sitcoms/Current affairs/Music
  *   Call time could be after rush hour, and home time ditto.

For myself, Grams and Sound Supervisors could have a certain amount of pleading to be allocated to favourite programmes – maybe not open to crew scheduling, though.
I must say that, while enjoying life on Crew3, we were seldom away from the TVT at weekends, so I lost out with parties and gatherings with my non-BBC friends.

Send in your thoughts!

Regards
Pat

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