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-   -   London BBC Tour (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/london-bbc-tour-457569/)

dorfan2 Dec 3rd, 2008 05:38 PM

London BBC Tour
 
My husband loves BBC America. Does the BBC tour in London have any connection to what is aired on BBC America?

alya Dec 4th, 2008 07:44 AM

Dorfan2

BBC America is a misnomer the programmes shown on that channel are British programmes but not all are shown on the BBC

Graham Norton and 'How Clean is Your House' for example are aired on Channel 4 in the UK. Nothing to do with the BBC.



PatrickLondon Dec 4th, 2008 07:50 AM

It doesn't look as though their tours are particularly focussed on specific programmes:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/

There may be some programmes you could get audience tickets for, but more likely radio programmes that will be unfamiliar to you.

flanneruk Dec 4th, 2008 08:29 AM

Without wishing to sound sniffy, the BBC tours absolutely aren't British versions of a Universal Studios tour.

They're geared to education, and in the case of the Broadcasting House one, architecture (it'll be a strange world in which the BBC TV Centre attracts any architectural interest). Essentially about how programmes are made, and how the BBC operates. You get to play with some technology - but there's (mercifully) no Jane Austen Experience, or No-one Expects the Spanish Inquisition dark ride

SallyCanuck Dec 4th, 2008 08:53 AM

I was disappointed in the Broadcasting House tour.

hetismij Dec 5th, 2008 12:11 AM

alya, Graham Norton is most definitely on the BBC. He has his own talk show plus various presenting jobs. He is even taking over the Eurovision song contest from Terry Wogan.
Quite why the Beeb thinks we need an Irishman for that job I don't know - maybe no English/Scots/Welsh are so stupid as to want to do it :)

Nonconformist Dec 5th, 2008 10:59 AM

Surely it's in the spirit of Eurovision?

Thomas Dec 5th, 2008 01:02 PM

I too was very disappointed in the BBC tour. I said never again.

emily71 Dec 5th, 2008 04:12 PM

I enjoyed my tour of the BBC TV Centre, but Flanneruk is right it's definitly not like a movie studio tour.

Each tour is slightly different but we stopped by newsroom, saw some shows being taped in studio, took an architecture tour around the courtyard and lobbies and at the end played a "Weakest Link" gameshow for some prizes.

The guides were quite knowledgeable and engaging, though they were amazed that I watched so many British shows in the US.

I read that the Beeb is selling TV Centre so I'd definitly recommend touring it before it closes.

sandra3120 Dec 5th, 2008 05:17 PM

Good lord, Heitsmij - your prejudice is showing! You need either a longer skirt or a shorter slip.

dorfan2 Dec 6th, 2008 06:06 PM

Thanks - you all answered my question - think I'll skip the tour.

OneStep Dec 6th, 2008 07:44 PM

hetismij

The reason why the BEEB have Irish presenters is consider the alternatives - the welsh droning on all day.

We english may tolerate irish presenters but having to listen to the insufferable welsh is a fate worse than death.

I'd rather listen to chalk on a board

PatrickLondon Dec 7th, 2008 12:36 AM

Move along, people, nothing to see here.......

<whistling quietly>


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