Tuesday 5 July 2016

Trainspotting Live arriving on Platform BBC4, 8pm, 11th July.

Between 8 and 9pm on the 11th, 12th and 13th July, BBC4 will be screening "Trainspotting Live". 

There will be times of waiting to see what happens - live, in real time - a core dynamic of Slow TV. It will be good to see how much it is a mix of a live news event, traditional 'information' film and to what an extent it is an experiential Slow Television celebration of trains and rail network, minute by minute. 

Will they include any delayed services? Even the very first Slow TV from NRK in Norway was lengthened by about 10 minutes due to a signalling problem between Bergen and Oslo!

There will an official live blog on the BBC website (some of it already being coupled together HERE). There's an invitation to get involved via Twitter (#TrainSpottingLive) and on Facebook from the page.

Also keep an eye on tweets from Plum Pictures and Didcot Railway Centre HERE and HERE, respectively.

New to The Slow TV Blog? Have a look around...


The BBC Press release reads:

"Trainspotting Live will bring three nights of spotting, joy and excitement to BBC Four as Peter Snow, mathematician Dr Hannah Fry and engineer Dick Strawbridge along with a team of rail train enthusiasts revel in the tantalising intricacies, trade secrets and true pleasures of trainspotting... live!

Live from the historic Didcot Rail Museum, Peter Snow will be asking the audience to join the spotting by recording the most frequent to the most elusive trains on the tracks all over country during the three days of live broadcast. Our team of expert spotters will also be waiting in anticipation to catch the full range of British rail stock on camera - from classic steam, to diesel locomotives, to high-speed electric and our rarest beauties - explaining how they did it and delving into their importance in our British heritage.

Mathematician Hannah will be breaking down the mind-bending equations that go into keeping the thousands of trains on the network every day, while engineer Dick will explore the historic hidden marvels of rail engineering and surprising, rich history of trainspotting as trains whizz past his trainspotting location in the north of England, live.

As the train spots come in thick and fast from our presenters and the Great British public, Peter will be joined in Didcot by collectors, photographers, record holders and poets.

This is not just a show for the thousands of trainspotters out there; this is a show for anyone with a passion for British history, travel and engineering. This is a love letter to trains told by trainspotters – the custodians of our train history.

Trainspotting Live was produced in partnership with The Open University."

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