BBC2 Programme on Senna - 10pm - 16.12.03

[Jonny Apex]

Personally, I saw little point in this programme. I found it really rather tacky. No real F1 footage. They even showed a McLaren going around Estoril (in a private test) as if it was Senna when in fact it was Berger driving! Old F3 footage is great to watch, but not like this - as if the programme makers might fool the general viewer into believing these were Eighties F1 cars. If they couldn't afford real F1 footage they shouldn't have bothered. Also, note how some of the footage was 'duplicated' from Steve Rider's Senna documentary which went out at the end of 1994 ... Not impressed.

ps: Flexible Flyer - I thought Senna's biographer (Christopher Hilton) said Senna was fighting with Hill when he lapped Irvine.

[Irv the Swerve]

Originally posted by Jonny Apex
Personally, I saw little point in this programme

I don't think they achieved whatever it is they set out to achieve. There wasn't enough coverage of Senna's financial affairs for the program to live up to its billing. At the same time, there wasn't enough general information on Senna to give the program a general documentary feel.

Also

Steve Rider's Senna documentary which went out at the end of 1994

was much better in every sense.

There was nothing new in this programme, but at least it killed half an hour.

[Mr V]

Imo, Viviane (sp??) the sister seemed away with the stars, all this talk about F1 being like slaying dragons etc

Plus, i felt at the time, and i still do now that Adriane was given a bum deal by the family.

[Sheila M]

I found it rather strange that no mention was made of his ex-wife.

[Aysedasi]

Good point Sheila.

I'm a Senna fan, through and through (as many of you know), but it was a poor programme. I still have the tribute programme in tape, although I confess that I'm such a wimp that I find it very difficult to watch.......

[MrBluesman1]

Originally posted by Aysedasi
Good point Sheila.

I'm a Senna fan, through and through (as many of you know), but it was a poor programme. I still have the tribute programme in tape, although I confess that I'm such a wimp that I find it very difficult to watch.......

it was good in a way for people (like my wife) that knew very little about Senna. Thankfully I can educate her on him better than that program can. I still find it difficult to watch anything about him as well Ayse so forget about it

[flexible-flyer]

[i]
ps: Flexible Flyer - I thought Senna's biographer (Christopher Hilton) said Senna was fighting with Hill when he lapped Irvine. [/B]

yes he did. and he has it all wrong. you would like to think senna biographer would know what he is talking about. not in this case.

irvine on his debut and in a jordan was fighting hill in the dominant williams for 4th place. when senna came to lap irvine, who was basically stuck to hills gearbox and had been the whole race, irvine let him through as normal. he knew that in a few seconds, senna would lap hill aswell. because if irvine was able to keep hill on his toes then senna should be able to pass him like primary school exam. senna didnt lap him though. all this time hill went off to the distance while irvine gets held up. so coming into the chicane irvine overtook senna and immediatly overtook hill in turn one. hill got past and normal service was resumed. i dont think senna lapped either in the end. (he was so far ahead he never needed to push)

its not that im a senna hater or an irvine lover. senna is one of the greatest and irvine one of the better drivers of the past while. its just i hate it when people always single out irvine in this case just because he was on his debut in a much slower car and in the process of being lapped. mr hilton comes on national tv and basically makes irvine to be a villian in the situation when he had it all wrong. and he never even mentioned the moment on the same track just a few years before.

one of those 'gets you all mad when you never get mad' moments!

[Kojima_KE007]

I thought Senna was going to get a four race ban for the beggining of 1994 season because of the punch-up he had with Irvine, which never happened.

Was it just a rumour or was I dreaming??

[esorniloc]

Originally posted by Jonny Apex
Also, note how some of the footage was 'duplicated' from Steve Rider's Senna documentary which went out at the end of 1994 ... Not impressed.

I thought it was January 95 when the programme was shown???

[flexible-flyer]

i also heard talk of a ban. but senna and irvine soon made up before even the 93 season was out. in pre season testing in 94 i actually heard they had become good friends.

(irvine also once used ayrton sennas helmet design as his own helmet with different colour use as he was once a huge senna fan in the mid 80s!)

[Down F0rce]

There was also a fair amount of footage taken from the Ayrton Senna: Racing is in My Blood VHS.

[Kojima_KE007]

Originally posted by flexible-flyer
i also heard talk of a ban. but senna and irvine soon made up before even the 93 season was out. in pre season testing in 94 i actually heard they had become good friends.

(irvine also once used ayrton sennas helmet design as his own helmet with different colour use as he was once a huge senna fan in the mid 80s!)

Good to hear that they made up because I never heard that before.

Didn't Irvine have exactly the same designed helmet as Senna's when he was in F3000? I heard a story that Senna told Irvine to change the colour when he came into Formula One.

[steve_r]

Originally posted by Jonny Apex
Personally, I saw little point in this programme. I found it really rather tacky. No real F1 footage.

I enjoyed the program, and don't really understand why you call it "Tacky".

[paulzinho]

Seeing the funeral procession at the start was quite moving, I remember being In Brasil the following Christmas and watching it after my Aunt videoed it. Unbelievable that a racing driver would receive such a tribute.

[ss_collins]

was an excellent program I enjoyed it a lot

[Aysedasi]

Originally posted by Down F0rce
There was also a fair amount of footage taken from the Ayrton Senna: Racing is in My Blood VHS.

Yes, the jet-ski stuff was lifted straight from that. I've had that video for yonks - well worth having if you're a Senna fan, as is the Senna and McLaren video (the exact name of which escapes me - it was to be found in bargain bins not so long ago.....)

[alesi95]

Originally posted by steve_r
I enjoyed the program, and don't really understand why you call it "Tacky".

The programme used quickly edited MTV Style edits to show how clever and cutting edge the makers were at the expensive of proper storytelling, actual facts and the respect and dignity of season and his realations.

In short it was flashy exploitive television.

[Mattracer]

Originally posted by Aysedasi
the Senna and McLaren video (the exact name of which escapes me - it was to be found in bargain bins not so long ago.....)

It's called "Inside Track"- Senna and McLaren. There was an earlier version based on the 1989 season when Prost was with Senna at McLaren and concentrated specifically on the Phoenix GP weekend. The later version (1991) was better IMO.

[Sato san]

The best Documentry ever filmed on Senna was back in 1993 when BBC TV filmed a 7 part series called A Season With Mclaren .
It was a documentry series that followed the team for the whole season , and each programme was brilliant. Seeing Aryton and Ron argue and fall out , It followed him defecting Mclaren for Williams , Showed his reactions to Mika when he was out qualified at Portugal 93 and best of all followed his last ever win at Mclaren at Adelaide 93 with access to his pit to car radio communications.......a real behind the scenes fly on the wall programme , and a quality series ( 7 programmes ) too .

One of the best Documentrys ive ever seen infact ,....Anyone else remember it ?...I was so pleased that i taped it all back then , i must dig it out some time and watch it all over the Christmas Break .

[ensign14]

Originally posted by Kojima_KE007

Didn't Irvine have exactly the same designed helmet as Senna's when he was in F3000? I heard a story that Senna told Irvine to change the colour when he came into Formula One.

Irvine had no design until he went into F3000. He wanted the same design as Senna but in Ulster orange rather than yellow; unfortunately you could barely tell the difference!

When he went to Japan, Eddie changed the colour of one of the stripes so they were both green, and changed the angle, presumably to make his helmet more distinctive. I doubt if Senna told him to do so, Ayrton probably did not care much - another driver in Europe (Giambattista Busi) had the same design as Senna and did not change it.

[MrBluesman1]

Originally posted by Sato san
The best Documentry ever filmed on Senna was back in 1993 when BBC TV filmed a 7 part series called A Season With Mclaren .
It was a documentry series that followed the team for the whole season , and each programme was brilliant. Seeing Aryton and Ron argue and fall out , It followed him defecting Mclaren for Williams , Showed his reactions to Mika when he was out qualified at Portugal 93 and best of all followed his last ever win at Mclaren at Adelaide 93 with access to his pit to car radio communications.......a real behind the scenes fly on the wall programme , and a quality series ( 7 programmes ) too .

One of the best Documentrys ive ever seen infact ,....Anyone else remember it ?...I was so pleased that i taped it all back then , i must dig it out some time and watch it all over the Christmas Break .

I wouldn't mind having a look at that one never even heard of it b4 sounds great

[ghinzani]

Originally posted by flexible-flyer
as he was once a huge senna fan in the mid 80s!)

Who wasnt? that programme served to remind me just how much I miss Senna and how poor F1 has been in the intervening years. The Brazilian journos comment about F1 nowadays being just a good race (if you are lucky!) was so resonant. No one will ever replace Ayrton.

[Aysedasi]

Originally posted by Sato san
The best Documentry ever filmed on Senna was back in 1993 when BBC TV filmed a 7 part series called A Season With Mclaren .

Ah, yes indeedy! I should have remembered that! I still have the whole thing on video. And like you, I'm now determined to dig it out again (although I have watched it through maybe 4-5 times before). Thanks for reminding me

[flexible-flyer]

senna in an oynx?

no it was irvine! nearly got the drive but then the team went into utter dissary. irvine then went to japan, made a fortune, was robbed of the 1993 title but got a nice compensation of an f1 debut, a point to go with it and a nice punch from the main man himself as the icing on the cake!

[Aysedasi]

I've just dug out my video of The Team - A Season with McLaren. I watched the first three "episodes". It really is a gem. I particularly like the show where they concentrate on the mechanics, plus, of course, "The Boy from Brazil" in which Ayrton's full thoughts on the dangers of driving an F1 car are given (some taken for the recent documentary.

I wouldn't part with my copy for anything.....