Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with bbc

why i love the internet

sgt.serenity — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 13:20:06 -0800

how to watch bbc iplayer outside of the uk ? genuine uk resident and er... licence payer here - im in the us for three months so would want to watch some stuff from home but it wont let me even though i am incredibly legally entitled to watch - anyone who can lend a hand ?

Lets Not Do the Timewarp Again

Gratishades — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:52:43 -0800

I can't watch the Daily Show or listen to the BBC iPlayer any more in Firefox- what the heck have I done? Please help me avoid using IE. I've done something to my computer (Windows XP) that means that I can no longer watch the Daily Show (I kept being prompted to download Adobe Flash Player which I've done a few times to no avail) in Firefox, and since the bbc has updated to iPlayer I can no longer use the Listen Again function (again IE works but Firefox doesn't)

I updated Windows Media Player recently and root cause may be the settings it installed. Please help as having to go back to IE after years of happy Firefox use, it is driving me mental. Ta!

I have Outlook withdrawal syndrome

[ixia] — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 06:38:32 -0800

Where can I find a podcast (not streaming audio) of the BBC World Service program Outlook? I love this program dearly, but my local station no longer carries it. The BBC World Service website offers Outlook as (free) streaming audio, but not as a podcast. Streaming audio isn't convenient for me right now because I don't have reliable web access at home.

Is this program available anywhere as an mp3 podcast? Perhaps from a US public radio station or other international affilliate? Or maybe on some sort of audio aggregator page?

Many BBC World Service programs are available for podcast, and every now and then new programs are added to the list. This makes me think that international rights restrictions aren't the problem here; rather, the BBC is gradually phasing in podcasting as their budget-to-bandwidth ratio improves. So although I'd love to get Outlook directly from the BBC, I don't think getting it from elsewhere makes me an Evil Illegal Downloader. Please correct me if I'm wrong on this.

Can I watch BBC World News America free online?

DarwinianDan — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 07:22:46 -0800

Is there a way to watch BBC World News America from BBC America online for free?

Identify this concert/track for me!

Artw — Tue, 27 May 2008 09:30:03 -0800

On BBC Radio 6 a few days ago, probably sometime late at night or early in the morning in British time (I was listening in the afternoon in the US) they were playing a concert recording of an artist who’s volcal style resembled a less coherent Amy Winehouse. One of the songs used part of tchaichovskys Romeo and Juliet for a hook, and it was all mostly soul/R&B type music. Any ideas what it was?

What was the programme I watched?

Kiwi — Sat, 17 May 2008 06:24:43 -0800

What was the name of this BBC documentary? It was broadcast sometime around 2000. It was about how Britain has changed post-WWII, dwelling on rail closures due to the Beeching Axe, the construction of the motorways, and the subsequent death of the 'traditional' rural Britain. Its tone was pretty melancholic, and it was (to me) quite a moving piece. P.S. I am assuming it was a BBC thing, it may have been shown on ITV or Channel 4. Probably not Channel 5.

BBC Documentary Filter

Hutch — Wed, 14 May 2008 12:09:13 -0800

Looking for the name of a BBC documentary involving people performing interpretive dances which portray the lives/mating rituals of insects. I was talking with a friend over lunch about Isabella Rossellini's recent "Green Porn" short films and the documentary in question came up. As an amateur, mainly sample-based VJ, I'm always looking for interesting material and this documentary sounds intriguing. Other suggestions are also quite welcome.

Looking for Emma Thompson TV series

bartleby — Mon, 05 May 2008 15:11:46 -0800

Emma Thompson TV series? Late 80's? Did I hallucinate this? I could swear that in between between presenting episodes of A Bit of Fry and Laurie, French & Saunders, and Alas Smith and Jones for me 20 years ago, my magical televisual display unit once showed me several episodes of Emma Thompson's own series (likely short-lived). I think it might have just been called "Thompson", and used Brubeck's "Unsquare Dance" as its theme music.

Did I imagine this? Are recordings available? Region 1 preferred.

Ask Jeeves

misha — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:36:59 -0800

I have come into some Amazon.com credit, and I want to spend it on the Fry/Laurie Jeeves series; although I have never seen it, I adore the Wodehouse books and the two stars so I don't see how I could go wrong! I can't afford all the episodes, though. Which season would you recommend to me, and why?

I'm trying to find an index of BBC Music Magazine, in particular the cover cds.

feelinglistless — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:38:47 -0800

I'm trying to find an index of BBC Music Magazine, in particular the cover cds. I'm collecting them. There is a back issues page at their website [link] but info about the cds only begins in 2005. Any ideas?

Muqam about with BBC Radio 3 Podcasts?

sagwalla — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 02:58:41 -0800

Does anyone have a copy of Part 1 of the BBC Radio 3 World Routes podcast of Lucy Duran in Azerbaijan? I was thrilled to see that Radio 3 has finally started posting some podcasts (World Routes, Composer of the Week, Building a Library), but by the time I was able to subscribe, the first part of the Azerbaijan podcast had gone off the feed (they are frustratingly only keeping programmes in the feed for seven days).

If anybody has the first podcast and is willing to share, would you kindly mefimail me? This was an awesome programme and I'd like to have both parts. I'm in the UK and would legitimately have been able to download it / store it had I known it was available.

Ohhh. Made in Britain! [/moss]

jtron — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 11:40:11 -0800

Recommend me some British comedy, please. I never cared much for sitcoms until I got a solid hookup for British TV.

Now I'm desperately addicted to shows like the Mighty Boosh, Father Ted, Black Books, the IT Crowd, Brass Eye, the Day Today, Big Train, Spaced, Is It Bill Bailey, and Look Around You.

I'm at a bit of a loss as to what I should look for next. Little Britain is next in the Queue, and I've got the League of Gentlemen on the way, but what should I be watching that will make my girlfriend stop weeping about there being no more Green Wing to watch?

Extra credit if it's something I've never heard about, and please don't recommend Bo Selecta as I've tried watching it and don't care for it at all.

BBC World Service in stereo?

Brocktoon — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 07:12:00 -0800

Why won't Realplayer 11 play back the BBC World Service stream in stereo? I recently upgraded my Realplayer client to version 11, running on an iBook G4 with Tiger 10.4.11, and am now only getting the BBC World Service out of one speaker. Has anyone else had this problem?

What are some of the best tools available for mastering the Received Pronunciation accent?

scarylarry — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 16:31:11 -0800

What books/courses/web tutorials would you recommend to help me learn the Received Pronunciation (BBC) English accent? I am an American, and I grew up in and around Los Angeles, so I have a slight 'valley' Californian accent. I'm interested in mastering an RP accent, just as a hobby. (Though when I lived in England, I sometimes fantasized about using a British accent to avoid the instant judgment I received in shops and pubs....)

I'm willing to put the time and practice into this that I know it requires. Are there any very good tutorials out there? I'd love to find something that both represented the phonemes visually and offered audio accompaniment.

Thanks.

Paging Inspector Morse!

nkknkk — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:05:32 -0800

[GiftFilter] I think my husband would really like Inspector Morse, but where to begin? My husband loves the old Perry Mason serials, enjoys Law&Order, and also smart BBC serials like Doctor Who. So he might really like Inspector Morse... but I've never seen any and don't know which one to start with.

Amazon sells them in Collection Sets. Any Morse fans in the house? Which set should I get him for Christmas?

Yes, I know I can get the complete collection for big $$$, but that seems a little excessive at this stage.

How can I get a copy of the MacinTyre Report?

lemonpillows — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 05:09:11 -0800

UK documentary t.v. filter.. Can anyone point me to a place where I can buy / rent / download / view a copy of Donal Macintyre's Report on Care homes?? I've googled, searched the BBC archives, the BBC shop, amazon, google, bit torrent etc etc, but with no luck. The series was called "The Macintyre report" and the particular one I'm looking for was an undercover report into a care home for those with learning disabilities. The place was called the "Brompton Care Home" and it was released (I think) in 2002.

Though there are lots of news reports on the outcome of the documentary, I can't find a link to the actual video anywhere. Nothing on YouTube, Bit Torrent or on MacIntyre's site.

Does anyone know where where I can get a copy?

Thanks in advance!

Classic music recommendations

feelinglistless — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 15:31:36 -0800

ClassicalMusicfilter: I'm suffering from withdrawal symptoms having listened to all of the BBC Proms this year -- no really, all of them, from first to last -- and I want to continue my musical education but I'm not sure what to listen to next and I was hoping you might have some recommendations. Literally any period of music, I'll try anything! If you can say which are your favourite recordings either on cd or region two dvd that would be helpful too.

Where can I find the missing History Of Britain Epsodes?

bonecrusher — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 17:38:52 -0800

Can anyone direct me to episodes 3, 7, 12 and 14 of A History Of Britain? This excellent metafilter post introduced me to Simon Schama's History Of Britain series. Sadly, it is incomplete. Episodes 3, 7, 12 and 14 aren't available on that GUBA site (there are smaller, SAMPLE versions that last for only a few minutes). Does anyone know where to find the rest?

How to get myself employed in NGC, Discovery, BBC documentary crews

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 07:07:43 -0800

How can a Indian software engineer join documentary/photography crew of National Geographic, Discovery, BBC, PBS or other similar production houses? What kind of jobs are available in these organizations? Are there similar jobs (outside of the documentary business) that can take me to such places and pay for it? Low salary not an issue. (work colleagues read MeFi, hence anonymous, hence a bit lengthy, so pls bear with me).
I am a 29 year old Computer Engineer working in software development for the past 7 years (underutilised from my perspective because I am hardly motivated -- just going thru the motions, but on par for my firm), and over the last 4-5 years I have gradually come to a firm conclusion that I don't want to continue any corporate job that requires me to sit in front of a computer for 8+ hours, enclosed in a dull cell and work for the man. Currently I am dragging along in a VeryBigDeal MNC Computer Inc. in India with good pay, have absolutely no desire to continue in it or in this industry, married, no kids (no plans for the next 3-4 years), no debt, no mortgage, no long-term commitments. Only wife and old parents (without retirals) to support. I've already secured a small house in India, and our daily survival expenses are v.moderate, just about 3 meals (touchwood, no big medicals). I also have some small savings that I can fall back on to go without a steady pay for a year or so. But other than that I am not flu$h in any way. I don't have any other investments, stocks etc. Wifey is a Science graduate, can work something on the side based on where I land up.

The challenge :
The ideal place where I envision myself giving my 250% is in documentaries. Outdoors, in the lap-of-nature, with a filming-crew, under the ocean, on the Arctic ice-sheet, in the midst of Amazon rainforest, on the Tibetan plains, anywhere in Africa et al. I actually cried watching the absolutely stunning beauty of the March of the Penguins. Documentaries are the only thing I care to watch on TV and everytime I wonder, well, these guys must be needing some porters/helpers/assistants to carry their equipment around, take care of trip details, to pitch the tent while they are busy shooting that billion-dollar pic? Can I be that man? I am an amateur photographer myself, and have basic knowledge of film-making from the interwebs, but I don't fancy any chances against the professionals who've been at this game for far too long (atleast not right away, maybe 10-15 years from now). But I think I can be a good assistant and a valuable crew member to teams who do these jobs. Do these people need a tripod-carrying-assistants with a thing for photography ? Is there any forum of professionals who are looking to work in India and need help in researching a particular topic/region before they visit here so that I can get my feet wet while I am at my desk job and gain some street-cred?

And I am not just a couch-happy viewer. I am an adventure freak as well, as far as they go in India. I like to trek, hike, take long walks, have bungee-jumped, skydived (in US), slept overnight out in the open on Goa's beach etc. This is not to boast but just to show that I have that streak in me. I guess for most MeFiites this is just normal, but really in India I am called a nature-wilderness guy, and I am happy with it. Infact I am not even looking at just jobs in geo-societies. Any of those wild-dangerous jobs (working the North-Sea, bridge construction crews, anything that they show on MegaStructures and Frontlines of Construction and similar)..the whacky jobs. Anything outdoors, requiring a fair bit of travel that takes me to stunning places... I am game.

I have already looked into things like WWOOF (visa restriction, short-term, age < 30 years) and other backpacking options, but i get a feeling that most of them really look like short-term odd jobs for single college students, while couchsurfing that country. also, my republic of india passport is not very embassy friendly in many places. in that respect i envy you europeans. however, i am open to even that route (get visa etc.), provided i see a way of stringing together a series of such odd jobs and come out top with some cash at the end of the month to send home to my parents. i don't mind doing short bursts of high-paying jobs mixed with long gaps of minimum or no wage. i guess i'd love it./small>

A real problem I face is that there are v.few people doing such things in India and none that I know of to approach and seek guidance. It's even difficult to google the credits of a "Wild India" Discovery documentary(Aamir Bashir, Samara Chopra, Jasdeep Punna, Avinash Singh, I am looking at you). I guess the NGC office in India is mainly an admin office that takes care of mktg & mag. distribution. There is no one in my circle with a arts/film/social-sciences background. We are all bloody engineers and doctors here.

In order to 'get there from here', I am ready to 'pay my dues' doing low-end menial jobs at these organizations, short-term unpaid-internships, side-assignments, stipends-while-training, etc. to prove to them that though I don't have the academic background, I am willing to put whatever it takes. Infact I think I’d enjoy even that, if it happens to be NGC, Discovery. Do they need people to watch their archives, for hours on endlessly, and....I don’t know like take notes, categorise, place/mark them for specific target audiences etc ?? Do their sales/marketing dept. needs people who can place the right content, customize it across their many media properties? I guess that could be a good first step to take.

I don’t know how the production side of it goes? Sometimes I see a single person appearing in many titles of credits (eg:John Paul Davidson - Himalaya with Palin). Do they first secure a grant from BBC or whoever and then go filming, or is it just that they do the complete thing on their own and then try to sell the rights? I am asking as it may probably impact whether I should be looking at jobs in telecast channels or with individual documentary makers and photographers like Mr.Davidson. Then sometimes I see credits ending with "produced by i stylus for Discovery"(unGoogleable btw) , which suggest presence of small production companies who might be later selling their work to BBC, NGC. Again, I want to know such individuals and companies, who are preferably working in India, or any country where I can just show up and 'take it from there'. If it helps, I have my own film & digital SLR camera(Nikon N80, D70s), let's say if a BigDeal photographer/documentarian requires an assistant with some pay for 6 months with no upfront costs -- maybe I can fit in there?

I’ve thought about joining one of the wilderness tour operators, but again, I don’t have any experience whatsoever as a guide or such high-end places, and I don’t know what is the best way to proceed here.

I even have an idea or two on topics for documentaries right here in India, which NGC and the likes haven't tackled yet. I can work alongside someone (grad film-students who want to shoot their final project?) who have heir own budgets/grants, and be a host to them in India. But I guess without any experience or 'portfolio' nobody is going to take me seriously on this one

Also related: If you know of any jobs in India similar to show-up on the deck for crab-fishing, I might be interested in them.

As far as other skills go: I was a straight 'A' student, good at maths/logic/languages, good communication and team skills, a fairly decent knowledge of various cultures, basic photography skills, can survive on most kind of outside food, no allergies, any water that the locals drink(no Misty Blue ColdMineral for me), have been to US a couple of times, so I have a good feel of US-culture, a good sense of humour, and good presentation skills.

Basically help me chart my way out of the office environs and out in the open, under the vast blue sky.

Any help, any info, any contacts for networking or further guidance, no matter how small or irrelevant you think, please post it. It will only help me. You can reach me at helpmejoinNGC@gmail.com if you have any queries.

Hustle, Series 2, who did the dog paintings?

OmieWise — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 09:53:42 -0800

In the BBC show Hustle, series 2, the gang stays at a hotel in London decorated with huge dog portraits. They're straight on, un-ironic portraits of dog faces. They're fabulous. Does anyone know who painted them?

Two questions about the 2004 Tsunami

np312 — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 10:40:45 -0800

Tsunami-filter: I have a two part question about the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004. One involves the BBC/HBO miniseries "Tsunami: The Aftermath," and the other involves the guerilla warfare going on in Indonesia at the time. Okay, first question: In the BBC/HBO miniseries "Tsunami: The Aftermath" there is a scientist character named Dr. Pravat Meeko who supposedly wrote a report in 1993 which predicted the coastline's vulnerability to a tsunami, but his report was ignored due to developers' connections in office. Is this character based on a real person/real report? And if so, where can I find more information?

The second part of this question is: have there been any articles about the Free Aceh movement and the guerilla fighting/civil war in Indonesia who (at least temporarily) laid down their weapons following the Tsunami? I'm looking for in-depth articles about specific people involved, fighters, politicians, etc. My google-fu has failed me.

Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks.

What British Television should I be watching?

John Kenneth Fisher — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 09:56:56 -0800

What British Television should I be watching? Being a bit of an American anglophile, I watch a lot of UK television. We'll gloss over how. :-)

But I find that i don't even know certain shows exist until i blunder across them by luck, and I am sure that I am missing a great deal of shows I should be watching. I realize, of course, that this is highly subjective, and there's no way to tell me what I'll like -- but if people can point me towards well-liked/respected shows out there I've never heard of, I can look them up and see if I am interested. :-)

To show some of what I do or have watched, in no particular order: Blackadder, A Bit of Fry and Laurie, The Prisoner, The Avengers, Python, The Office, Extras, I Claudius, Mr. Bean, Fawlty Towers, Hyperdrive, Spaced etc. Some of those are brilliant, some are decent, but they're all stuff I've enjoyed. Absolutely loved Yes Minister/Prime Minister, even with my rudimentary knowledge of UK Government. Never quite got into Red Dwarf, but it's usually the type of thing I like. Quite into the last 29 seasons of Doctor Who, especially the modern relaunch and Torchwood (and keeping my eye out for the actual start of Sarah Jane Adventures, though the pilot wasn't all that exciting to me.) Because I like Tennant from Doctor Who, I've ~~downloaded~~ acquired Casanova but it is yet unwatched.

A small ampling of the US TV I like tends to be the darker sci-fi shows (DS9, Modern Galactica), the science stuff (Nova), bad 60's Drama (Mission Impossible, Time Tunnel) Arc-based television (above mentioned Galactica, Lost, Heroes), Shows with people who are jerks (House, Office US), etc.

Again, I know this is vague. So, sort of - ignore all of the above, and tell me this: What UK Television do YOU like?

Sex video from the inside out.

RoseovSharon — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 15:56:07 -0800

Where can I find that BBC real sex video that was linked to from this thread? That video was removed from Google video almost immediatly after someone linked to it from Metafilter. I've done every sort of search imaginable, but I only keep coming up with porn. Anyone know where I can find this video online now?

For those who didn't see it, it's a video of a study done by the BBC where they attached cameras to a couple having sex. The video shows what intercourse looks like from the inside of the vagina as well as from the head of the penis. Fascinating stuff! I want to see it again and share it with others, but can't find it. Any help towards locating it on the web would be much appreciated (as you can see I already asked over on the original post, but no one has replied). Thanks!

Is It Legal - Desperately Seeking This Britcom

catcatwomanman — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 17:02:30 -0800

I am desperately seeking a copy of the UK sitcom "Is It Legal?" - an insanely hilarious tv show from 1995-98. Does anyone know where I can get a copy of all three seasons? I've been searching on the net every few months for over 5 years. I've tried Google. I've tried ebay. I even emailed the show's production company a few years ago (never heard back). The show was never released on DVD or VHS and I haven't seen it picked up by BBC America. The cast included Imelda Staunton and Kate Isitt among others, though my favorite is by far Richard Lumdsen. I live in the US and would happily trade or buy a good copy of any of the seasons or all 3. More about the show at the BBC Comedy Guide. Any help will be much appreciated!!! (triple exclamation marks to prove I'm sincere)

Flamenco / Spanish type Stairway To Heaven cover on Jonathan Ross

chrissyboy — Sun, 30 Jul 2006 17:09:06 -0800

For UK MeFites and UK TV watching MeFites: Apparently on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross recently one of the guests was a band or duo playing a spanish / flamenco type version of stairway to heaven.... ...does anyone know what they were called? A friend of mine saw it and wants to buy their album but didn't catch their name. I must have weak imdb/google/tv.com-fu because I can't find it.

Oh, and the only other thing he can remember was it was either a duo or a band fronted by a guy and a girl...