BBC Two are currently screening a documentary series on the London Tube system: The Tube.
What a fabulous programme!
Many travellers are so badly behaved you really do think that people lose their humanity when they go underground. Disillusioned migrant workers - who came to work in the UK for a better life - find their days filled with cleaning the vomit and mess that is left by travellers. No thanks or apologies provided.
But not all the staff are despairing of their customers: one bright and cheery chap at Warwick Avenue station seems to be dedicated to making an engaged smile with passing travellers. Dedicated teams deal with the trauma of 'one under' (Tube-system speak for someone under a train - rarely with a good conclusion) and somehow still keep going: I wonder if they get the same sort of access to counselling that drivers are offered.
It's a great insight into one of the world' great transport infrastructures and the people who keep it going. Brilliant stuff.
23 comments:
Tis good isn't it. I love anything about the tube, always find it fascinating. So much hard work put in by all staff...and as you say, with little thanks. Great series!
Glad to find another fan!
Great insight in to the daily life of the London underground.
Jk
I love this program. Maybe it is because I love the tube. But also the series are very well made. It gives a good inside view of all the hard work that is done by so many people with limited time and budged.
Also the humour and friendliness of individual train drivers and station employees in the series (and in real life) is hart warming.
I will like our next visit to London even better, now I know so much more about how this great system is maintained.
I was born and brought up in London but haven't lived there for more than thirty years. The Tube was always one of the worst aspects of London life for me - crowded, dirty, very smelly and inefficient. Staff were, for the most part, slovenly and unhelpful. meneryt In the past few years I've made a couple of trips to the city and have been astounded in the changes made to the Tube. It's still not perfect - as we can see only too clearly from the programme - but what an achievement for all concerned. It's more crowded than ever but the look of the stations and trains and the attitude of the staff - at least the ones we see on the programme - has been transformed.
Hilary and I are hooked on this series too. I used to commute regularly on the Piccadilly Line from Holloway Road to Holborn (four stops) and just love the thing.
A first class series. The planning, technical brilliance and editing is a major achievement. Congratulations to all concerned
the tube a fantastic programe as a regular visitor to london it is fasinating to see how it all works.
a great peice of film making and and historic peice of engernering. roger from derby more please.
This has been a marvellous series. I have always taken the tube and its workings for granted, never really given it a second thought. Never again. What an eye opener this has been. It has also been so uplifting to hear and see people who really seem to enjoy their jobs.
The BBC must choose the staff that they feature very carefully. My experience of many London Underground staff is that they are rude and barely speak any English.
I live in Glasgow but visit London once or twice a year because I love it!Part of the experience is figuring out which line to take on the tube. I made the mistake of once asking two people which was the best route to take and nearly started a fight as they had different opinions on the matter.As you can imagine I am loving The Tube( but switched over at the one under bit).Well done to
BBC 2 and a salute to the people who work to keep the tube going!
Super programme about a super service! The Tube shows all that is good about London. For many years a group of staff on the Norhern Line has collected money for our school - Richard Cloudesley School - all done quietly with no reward or priase . Lovely people. Great series indeed!
Nicely put together series with much unexpected and unique footage. Not critical enough of the management , the unions and the unimaginative fare structure. A series that badly needs a website to back it up with plenty of incisive and factual analysis to balance and complement the programme content.
I hope there is another season of this as its great insite to the tube and its hard working staff.
I also love the history of the underground and enjoy travelling on it. Even when its packed and a tad rip.
Great programme. Does anyone know the theme tune. I see Sam Hopper is the composer but can't find anything on him. Thanks.
Olaf said...
Great programme. Does anyone know the theme tune. I see Sam Hopper is the composer but can't find anything on him. Thanks.
The background tunes stuck in my head ..HELP! :-)
Just wanted to agree with your blog, as an outsider to London it astounds me how critical Londoners are of this form of transport. I hope they produce another episode around the time of the Olympics.
Brilliant program - Most people do not understand anything that happens behind the scenes of most services they take for granted.
I wish there was even more of this show - Haven't enjoyed learning about something so much in ages
My wife and I loved this series. It should be compulsory viewing for anyone who uses the Underground on a regular basis to see just what problems the staff have to face!
I have always been a transportation geek. This series was great. I hope furhter series are made. As an occasional visitor to London, I find the tube an amazing system although I usually avoided peak time.
I would really enjoy a touring series, taking rides on the tube and seeing what is above stations which I have only seen below. Keep up the fine work.
This series (The Tube) which I have just finished watching has been one of the best documentaries of recent times. Well done to all concerned from the production team through to all those good people who make the tube work each and every day (and night). I do hope the BBC will take note that we don't NEED all that zip-zap clever photography and thunderous music, or the celeb posturing and pontificating so beloved of BBC productions of late. Blast films know how to do it and this series was wonderful. Maybe a DVD for us poor persons who want to keep it as a portrait of the amazing London Underground?
An excellent insight into the hard work done by the underground. It's amazing the attitude that these guys have when faced with such horrific behavior! Brilliant!
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