Channel 5 documentary, 'The Railway: First Great Western'

[whole diary]

[TonyK]

Naming the guy is fine, but I suspect his promotion after the incident was coincidental and not causal.

Nor casual.

[GBM]

Just had a reply from Channel 5 as thus
Thank you for your recent enquiry regarding The Railway: First Great Western.
 
We were pleased to read that you enjoyed this programme. It is too early to say if a second series will be commissioned but we have noted your appreciation and interest in a second series in our Viewer Enquiries Report. This is circulated throughout the company and seen by all relevant personnel.
 
Thank you for your interest in Channel 5.
 
Yours sincerely
 
Terry
VIEWER ADVISOR
Here's hoping for another series (on FGW^▸ (First Great Western), please).
Yes, a few inaccurate parts, but overall I loved it.

P.S, did I spy superguard in it?

[devon_metro]

P.S, did I spy superguard in it?

There was at least one member of the forum featured on the programme. (they haven't posted for a while though..)

[GBM]

Apologies to other forum members, but only "know" sg.  Perhaps an insult to others, but none intended!  Working in my little part of the world, I don't get out much (odd thing for a bus driver to say)...........

[Henry]

 Have to creep out of my sarcastic shell to say how much I enjoyed
 the series. 
 Particularly impressed with the station at Charlbury.
 
 Comparison to my local station at Totnes, which is falling to bits.
 'Back into sarcastic shell' - Perhaps it would help if my local MP^▸ (Member of Parliament)
  was the Prime Minister.

[ellendune]

Perhaps we should establish a written constitution that ensures that the job is on rota so that each constituency gets a go. That way all railway stations would be refurbished !

[Super Guard]

Apologies to other forum members, but only "know" sg.  Perhaps an insult to others, but none intended!  Working in my little part of the world, I don't get out much (odd thing for a bus driver to say)...........

I had a brief moment of fame yes... autographs anyone?

[Busboy W1]

After Charlbury's fame on C5 the lights no longer work around the B.O area. So I'm not to sure wether being in the Prime Ministers constituency has all the perks one would think.

[TonyK]

 Comparison to my local station at Totnes, which is falling to bits.
 'Back into sarcastic shell' - Perhaps it would help if my local MP^▸ (Member of Parliament)
  was the Prime Minister.

If he really had power over railways, the Oxford, Witney, and Fairford line would be rebuilt, along with Witney station, now an industrial estate. Few Prime Ministers are in office long enough to build a railway, though.

[bobm]

Was told today that a second series is being considered.  If it happens it would be interesting to see what new ground they could cover.

[JayMac]

TransWilts? 

Severn Beach Line, Reading to Gatwick, Cotswolds Line, Cardiff to Portsmouth...

[lordgoata]

Was told today that a second series is being considered.  If it happens it would be interesting to see what new ground they could cover.

I'd like to see more of the track work they do overnight etc, I quite like the logistics side of it, I was amazed how quick they moved tracks during the Reading work for example, but apart from a few tidbits on here and on the show, I had no clue how they did it all!

[anthony215]

With all the changes happening to the Great Western network over the next 5 years or so there should be more than enough things for the film crews to film.

[IanL]

After Charlbury's fame on C5 the lights no longer work around the B.O area. So I'm not to sure wether being in the Prime Ministers constituency has all the perks one would think.

Possibly more to do with the fact that Charlbury was Sir Peter Parker's local station long before the current PM became the Witney MP^▸ (Member of Parliament).

[Chris from Nailsea]

From Marketing Week:

Allowing a film crew behind-the-scenes access to the inner workings of a brand sounds like it has all the hallmarks of a PR^▸ (Public Relations) nightmare, but these ^warts and all^ documentaries are on the rise ^ with positive results despite the potential risk to reputation.   

Another bonus is the fact that the shows offer a view of the brand from a third party, so any positive reflections on the company will be a result of what the film crews find rather than messages pushed by the brand itself, as First Great Western found from its recent series. 

Dan Panes, head of communications at First Great Western, says: ^It^s a film crew that has uncovered and delved, and is presenting stories in an independent way. As much as you want to get in there and stage-manage you have got to rely on the relationship you build up with your staff and the production company. Above and beyond everything is that third-party endorsement, and that resonates much more with our potential customers.^ 

Trust appears to be a major factor in why brands are agreeing to TV company involvement. Channel 5, which is running the sixth Eddie Stobart series and also commissioned the First Great Western documentary, believes the relationship between brand and production company is born out of honest communication.

It is not just faith in the production team that a brand needs. For First Great Western, weighing up the reasons for and against taking part also came down to whether the company trusts its staff, who serve 90 million customers every year.

Panes says: ^It was a leap of faith ^ we trusted them to shine.^

That is not to say that everything can be planned. The First Great Western series recently concluded, earlier than the brand had envisaged, meaning that investments in the business intended to coincide with the last episode did not get the mention that was hoped for. 

This is an inevitable aspect of taking part in a TV programme. Because editorial control and scheduling decisions lie with the TV channel, it cannot necessarily be aligned to any marketing or brand activity the company has in the pipeline.

First Great Western takes the same stance on the negative aspects that the film crews might find, which Panes believes adds to the authenticity of the series. The train operator found that those episodes which were a ^little less fluffy^ and contained aspects that the brand was initially nervous about ^ for example, delays and overcrowding ^ resonated more with the viewers and perceptions of the brand were better because those negatives were exposed.

Panes says: ^By making sure there was a broad spread of narratives we were able to give the production team the opportunity to go in and experience disruption. It was interesting to see that had a direct positive impact on people^s perception of us rather than a negative one, as you might instinctively think.^ 

First Great Western built in a measurement system when Channel 5 filmed The Railway, with a viewer panel of 42 people who watched each episode for qualitative feedback. The brand also looked at forums and discussions online and asked questions regarding perception. As a result, 57 per cent of viewers said their view of First Great Western improved following the series.

^We were under no illusion that it was going to be an hour-long ad for us but we had to make sure we were clear about what we wanted to achieve, how we were measuring it and we needed processes in place to make sure we were doing that,^ says Dan Panes, head of communications at First Great Western.

(My quoting of selected, First Great Western related, pieces of text from that longer article. CfN )