[TV] Racing Legends on BBC Two

[TWRv12]

Episode 1 – Sir Stirling Moss | Thursday 27 December – 8pm – BBC Two

Former Captain of the USS Enterprise and renowned Shakespearian actor, Sir Patrick Stewart tells the enthralling story of Sir Stirling Moss’s glittering race career.


Episode 2 – Colin McRae | Friday 28 December – 8pm – BBC Two

Olympic hero Sir Chris Hoy tells the story of Britain’s first-ever World Rally Champion, Colin McRae.


Episode 3 – Sir Jackie Stewart | to be announced

Chef and host of BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen, James Martin tells the story of one of Britain’s greatest ever motor racing drivers, Sir Jackie Stewart.

http://www.touchline.tv/tv/motorspor...nds-on-bbc-two

[Aysedasi]

Excellent! Thanks for the heads-up!

[GORDON STREETER]

Ba humbug, we haven't got satellite TV in Spain !

[chunder]

Great idea, but why do we have to have "celebrities" doing this?

Wouldnt it be enough to have someone normal!

[Aysedasi]

Some of them can be good. I'm thinking back to the actor who narrated the 'Team McLaren' series back in 1993 - that was really well done.

[TWRv12]

Originally Posted by chunder

Great idea, but why do we have to have "celebrities" doing this?

Wouldnt it be enough to have someone normal!

These three would have some passion for the subject.

Chris Hoy tweeted

It was an absolute privilege to be part of this project, can't wait to see it on Dec 28th BBC2 at 8pm

Hope it will be good as they seem to have had a serious budget to do it.

[FIRE]

Didn't do James Martin a programme about the Mille Miglia?

[Aysedasi]

Yes - his car conked out very early, IIRC.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Didn't do James Martin a programme about the Mille Miglia?

Not a great programme.

These are promising, thanks for the heads up. The link is saying that the JYS episode is the 28th and the McRae episode is tbc. Still I'll watch all three!

[TWRv12]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Not a great programme.

These are promising, thanks for the heads up. The link is saying that the JYS episode is the 28th and the McRae episode is tbc. Still I'll watch all three!

Schedule musta changed

Should eventually appear on BBC Prog' Info
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by TWRv12

These three would have some passion for the subject.

Indeed. I'd rather somebody with enthusiasm for the subject presented it, rather than a sterile voiceover like some of the BBC Four shows on motorsport.

[TWRv12]

BTW Chris Hoy is doing the Melbourne GP celebrity race.

[fiona]

will need to remember this tomorrow to add a series link

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by TWRv12

BTW Chris Hoy is doing the Melbourne GP celebrity race.

And Radicals next year too. Who knows where we might see him when he's retired from cycling.

[FIRE]

Does he fit in a race car?

[Craner Curves]

His lower half can't be any wider than Nigel Mansell's in 1995 surely.

Have series linked this on Sky, look forward to it.

[cg7aa]

I enjoyed the Stirling Moss program, it exceeded my expectations. I was a little apprehensive about a 'celeb' presenting it even if I happen to like this one (I generally avoid the cult of the celebrity like the plague!) but the program wasn't about the celeb thankfully, no cringing or tenious bits that I can think of, although the presence of one contributor raised an eyebrow but maybe I'm doing him a disservice, for all I know he could be a historic racing anorak!

Anyway, Patrick did well in my humble opinion, he seemed geniune, just the right balance of everything really.

[The Fat Clerk]

I've recorded it and will sit down over the weekend with a can of something and enjoy.

[andy97]

Originally Posted by cg7aa

I enjoyed the Stirling Moss program, it exceeded my expectations. I was a little apprehensive about a 'celeb' presenting it even if I happen to like this one (I generally avoid the cult of the celebrity like the plague!) but the program wasn't about the celeb thankfully, no cringing or tenious bits that I can think of, although the presence of one contributor raised an eyebrow but maybe I'm doing him a disservice, for all I know he could be a historic racing anorak!

Anyway, Patrick did well in my humble opinion, he seemed geniune, just the right balance of everything really.

Must admit, I diasagree. Too much about Patrick Stewart's feelings about meeting his hero/ driving his car and not enough about SM himself. Not many contributions from others about what he was like to work with etc.

I still don't know how he made a living during his injury period and after his retirement. Didn't cover his comeback in the Audi 80 in the British Saloon Car Championship or his subsequent driving in hitoric racing.

Too shallow, I'm afraid.

[John Turner]

I didn't have a problem with Patrick's feelings; he was clearly moved by it all but I agree it was shallow in detail. I don't recall any reference to his major role with the Aston Martin works team, or indeed, his 4 wins in the Nurburgring 1000ks, which for me, at any rate, are up there with his Mille Miglia and 1961 GP victories. Still, it was never going to satisfy all of us!

[nicanary]

Originally Posted by andy97

Must admit, I diasagree. Too much about Patrick Stewart's feelings about meeting his hero/ driving his car and not enough about SM himself. Not many contributions from others about what he was like to work with etc.

I still don't know how he made a living during his injury period and after his retirement. Didn't cover his comeback in the Audi 80 in the British Saloon Car Championship or his subsequent driving in hitoric racing.

Too shallow, I'm afraid.

Haven't seen it yet. Too busy but that's the beauty of Sky+.

Regarding SM's income during injury and retirement - don't forget that he was the most professional and organised driver of his day. He may not have earned the mega-bucks of today's racers, but by the standards of his day he was a well-off person. He was considered within the racing world as THE superstar, and his endorsement for products would have been eagerly sought, as would personal appearances etc.. I'm not privy to the details, but in my own mind I would imagine that any retainers he had agreed for 1962 with oil, tyre and fuel suppliers would have been honoured, even if he didn't compete. That was the esteem in which he was held.

SM was a very canny man (even if his fans didn't see it that way with his refusal to seek the very best cars), and he had a decent back-up source of income, I'm quite sure. Not all the drivers of the 50s/60s did it just for fun. To SM it was a profession.

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by John Turner

I didn't have a problem with Patrick's feelings; he was clearly moved by it all but I agree it was shallow in detail. I don't recall any reference to his major role with the Aston Martin works team, or indeed, his 4 wins in the Nurburgring 1000ks, which for me, at any rate, are up there with his Mille Miglia and 1961 GP victories. Still, it was never going to satisfy all of us!

The programme might have been better titled as 'fan meets his childhood idol' or something along those lines as that's what it was. It was very shallow in detail but made up for by the passion and adulation that Sir Patrick felt for Sir Sterling. I enjoyed it for what it was.

[TWRv12]

Well worth a watch. Plenty of passion, history and respect for SM.

[TWRv12]

Thought the Jackie Stewart episode with James Martin was pretty good. Plenty of passion and respect for the subject.

Amazing production again, loads of great details, camera angles and superb image quality.

[cg7aa]

Originally Posted by TWRv12

Thought the Jackie Stewart episode with James Martin was pretty good. Plenty of passion and respect for the subject.

Amazing production again, loads of great details, camera angles and superb image quality.

Interesting take, I'm not too sure what to make of this one, I found it interesting in bits and a little underwhelming in others. Maybe it's because I know quite a lot more about the 1960s and early 70s Grand Prix racing era (purely from reading a lot about it you understand, I wasn't there) so for instance, I found myself subconsciously picking holes in how various bits of footage had been edited together. I've heard and read some of the commens made hundreds of times so there was little new for me in the respect. I guess this can't be helped. The only thing new to me was the quote that Matra refused to sell a chassis to Ken Tyrell in 1970, is that really the case?

I wonder if I enjoyed the Moss program a lot more because my knowledge of his era is a limited.

Anyway, I was quite moved by the garden benches in memory of Rindt and Cevert.