Twelve hours ago, I had been in Amsterdam having the time of my life.* Now, after a cross-continental bus ride, I was in class. Well, not yet. I was on the tube running 30 minutes late and on about 2 hours of sleep. And I wasn't exactly heading toward class. I was heading toward the spectacular BBC studios.
My Monday morning class, Visual Issues in the Media class, was receiving a tour of the British Broadcasting Corporation television studio- the largest news organization in the world (CNN is second, MTV News with Sway is third, I believe*).
BBC Television Centre
On that fateful day, I would never make it to that tour. I arrived too late. Luckily my professor happened to have an extra ticket for a later tour group...and thus began an awkward hour and a half jaunt through the BBC. Surprisingly, the tour was all kinds of awesome.
From watching BBC news broadcasts over here, I've noticed the BBC actually is a damn professional organization. There reporters are legit journalists, not just talking heads. It's not just beautiful faces sitting in front of a camera here, so it's cool to see the effort these Brits put into their work. (Because I sure as hell wouldn't go into broadcast journalism in America...no offense Syracuse.)
A quick run-through of the tour, which I highly recommend if you're a fan of stuff:
BBC TOURS
Price: £9.50 for adults
Hours: Mon. - Sun., not sure on the times
Location: Take the underground to White City.
Stupid fact: In 1939, the tv stopped in Britain due to the outbreak of World War II. A Mickey Mouse cartoon was the last program before the plug was pulled. It wouldn't be until 1946 that the BBC started back up again...with that same Mickey Mouse cartoon. Cute!
Three facts:
1. See where all those talented BBC journalists work. It's a massive newsroom. A bit overwhelming. But this place has money. Any huge breaking news anywhere in the world, and reporters are afforded a plane to wherever they need to be. Plus see the massive studios where the BBC shows are taped.
2. Learn random crap about celebs.
- While visiting the BBC, Will Smith demonstrated he doesn't understand how automatic doors work.
- Only three people have driven a car in the BBC courtyard. 1. The Queen when it first opened. 2. That dude from Top Gear*. 3. And Jennifer Lopez!?! She actually wasn't supposed to drive there, but apparently since she's a huge diva SOB and wouldn't walk ten feet...she was allowed to drive her car right up to the BBC's studio doors. She hasn't been invited back to the BBC since.
--
Foot notes
*Yes, just like that song.
*And everyone knows Kurt Loder is last.
*Actually screw the tour. That Top Gear video shows you all you need to know about the BBC studios. Plus, dammmmmn...did you see how tiny that car was? It was like a Ford Fiesta.
4 comments:
Hi Matt, Day 33 looks great. I thoroughly enjoyed viewing your page. The links were terrific. Actually, I learned some very interesting facts, especially about the Mickey Mouse cartoon. Happy new year and have a wonderful trip. Marsha and Bob Makemson
Kurt Loder really does suck.
Hi Makemsons! Thanks so much for the comment. I'm glad you could appreciate my random, useless facts. I'm a big fan of those.
And yes, we've talked about Kurt Loder far longer than he deserves.
Love the headline for this post. I found that quite amusing.
Yes, Kurt Loder does indeed suck.
Needless to say, that is one huge building!
Erin Andrews is far more than just a talking head! The rest of the US reporters though, I'm not so sure about.
Cool Mickey Mouse fact, too.
Post a Comment