BBC Shows and Tours

Well I certainly don't know where some of the people on here have been to but it certainly wasn't the tour of the BBC...

We were taken through different studios (BBC News and shown all the different studios and what they're used for). The guides were extremely friendly, helpful and happy to answer any questions you had a long the way.

In the tour we were told about all the different aspects of the TV centre not just one specific point. We were taken into to the dressing room where different people had been and the guide told us very interesting stories of all the different celebrities the BBC had had in the room we were in...

The news centre was the first bit where we were shown the control room and the actual news studio where the presenter was about to go live on air. We were then shown the control room where the director was talking to the presenter and the subtitles man was typing away!

Next we were shown two studios, 1 which had the two pints set in the next had a show in that was being filmed there and then so it was very exciting to watch.

There was loads of interaction on the tour, there was a made up quiz show and some people got to read the news and present the weather. We were told how they actually do the weather and was shows live pictures from the studio (go to the tour and find out how its done!!)

I would recommend this tour to everyone but here are some tips that I think the other people on here didn't realize...

1. DON'T go expecting to see hundreds of celebrities...

2. The whole point of the tour is to see what happens BACKSTAGE! You don't get to be on TV (or work the proper equipment)

3. It's extremely good value for money!

4. What you see totally depends what time of the year you go or what day... The BBC can't say what exactly is going to happen because they don't know.

and finally... Read the terms and conditions the BBC give you before you go it basically explains everything i've said

I’m going to get straight to the point about this tour without beating around the bush.

I booked this tour about three months in advanced and was REALLY looking forward to it. I had previously been on the Grananda tour in Manchester (they don’t do it anymore) and got to walk down “Coronation Street”, and go on rides and allsorts.

This tour was a real anti-climax.

You got to go in a conference style room where there was a glass window looking into the BBC news rooms. You saw nothing other than computers.

Then we walked down a corridor and into a studio. Again, separated by a glass window. Nothing but people working and preparing the studio.

Then we got to walk down another corridor and saw yet another studio. Then pretty much the tour came to an end.

I felt like I was back at school. The tour guides were really patronising and constantly asking very boring and silly questions. There were a couple of kids on the tour and I felt the whole thing was really aimed at them. But even they didn’t seem very amused.

This could have been so much more interesting if the whole thing had been organised better.

My estimation of the BBC has declined since this obvious money making tour. I felt ripped off.

If you could see the news being read from behind glass, that would have been more interesting.

If you could walk on the studio floor and have a rough idea about how the cameras work (etc) that would have been more educational.

However, I have been on this tour and I’m none the wiser of the general running and daily activity and “behind the scenes” of the BBC.

I wouldn’t recommend this tour and will never go back.

A note to the BEEB, take a note out of ITV’s tour book. Such a shame. L