Idea for a motorcycling TV progamme

[Bob]

Someone mentioned the Men and Motors channel earlier - I used to watch a few of the bike shows they ran. And to me, they all failed because they didn't make it interesting.

Two Wheels - which was their magazine show - was dull as dishwater. The original presenter (Jeff Stone, really nice guy and press man for the BMF) was less interesting than paint drying. And the two blokes on there who tried to be "funny"? Didn't work on any level. The other problem was they'd show a bike... going obviously slowly in a straight line!

Also, for a magazine show, they regularly failed to cover anything topical, or run any good new consumer news.

There was another show - a good idea in theory - where someone wanted to buy a new bike, but different from what they were riding. So the show organised a bunch of different bikes, which the customer would then take for a short test ride and comment, based on different criteria.

Trouble was... all the riding shots were.... you guessed it... in a straight line, going very slowly. Then the judging criteria would have categories like "reliability". Utter farce! Regular thing 'It is a Honda, so 9 out of 10 for reliability". THEY ONLY RODE EACH BIKE FOR 20 MINUTES! So how can you rate reliability?

I'd love to see a good, interesting and well presented bike show. But the challenge is to keep it topical, make it interesting and show off bikes with great photography (Top Gear has stunning photography, as well as great presenting).

Don't know who you could get to be the biking equivalent of 'The Stig', but you'd need someone seriously good! Is Aaron Slight allowed to ride now?

[Lucy]

I used to work in TV, not that it makes my opinion worth any more than anyone elses, but I also watch a lot of tv, and consider myself more of an average tv watcher than a 'film wanker'.

From what I can tell, the shows that start out with lots of advertising and sponsorship are the ones that are uninteresting and crap and don't last long, because they have to get lots of 'shots of the sponsors products in'. The ones that start out with a passion and good writing and personalities get to be popular and then advertisers want to jump on board. Think "Back of the Y" or "Eating Media Lunch" or the early Mikey Havoc shows, as opposed to "Five thirty with Jude". Although Jude was very popular I must say....

I remember seeing Jeremy Clarkson a really long time ago and Top Gear was nothing like it is now. Things grow and get better if they start with something good. A guy with a handycam interviewing someone interesting is better to watch (in my opinion) than lots of lovely pictures of bottles of oil or racks of tyres.

TV can be made for very low budgets nowadays. Yes getting paid is the hard part, but if you make good stuff, it'll get picked up, especially if it gets talked about and popular. TV stations are just as much like sheep as the rest of us.

[Bob]

I remember seeing Jeremy Clarkson a really long time ago and Top Gear was nothing like it is now. Things grow and get better if they start with something good. A guy with a handycam interviewing someone interesting is better to watch (in my opinion) than lots of lovely pictures of bottles of oil or racks of tyres.

I remember how Top Gear used to be... which is why it was dropped by the BBC. Then another channel (Five) hired the team - aside from Clarkson, who was trying other things for the Beeb - to start up exactly the same show 5th Gear. It started getting good ratings, so the Beeb went back to Clarkson to re-launch Top Gear - and the new format is a massive success.

TV can be made for very low budgets nowadays. Yes getting paid is the hard part, but if you make good stuff, it'll get picked up, especially if it gets talked about and popular. TV stations are just as much like sheep as the rest of us.

Look at the people that have launched their careers on YouTube or MySpace - a good idea is a good idea.

I still stand by the quality of the photography being an important part of Top Gear though. Same with the bke magazines in the UK - Bike has superb photography, which makes it stand out against most of the rest of the market.

Getting back to the bike show - how long are you intending it to be? Half hour or hour? Depending on time, your challenge changes. Half hour could see you struggling to cover anything in decent depth. Hour? You might struggle with the weekly content!

Things I'd like to see a bike show on TV cover:

1. A look at new bikes. Road test or two each week - maybe even a back to back as well.
2. Current affairs - anything new we need to know about? Or news about a dealership offing zero finance or a heavy discount on new kit?
3. Interviews with important people in the biking arena - this doesn't have to be a top racer, but someone like a major importer perhaps. Make it a "send in your questions" feature and you'd get some good information from them, as well as providing feedback they'd otherwise not get... which would make them want to come on the show.
4. Getting someone from somewhere like the California Superbike school on would be good - you just have to be careful not to preach. Same with teaching some spannering skills.
5. How about a small feature on something like touring? You can even take a sideways angle - for example, do you really need a sports-tourer for touring? Or would a big cruiser actually be better? Or even maybe a BMW1200GS?

The challenge has to be keeping it interesting - something the Top Gear team are fantastic at doing.

I'd say you don't touch racing at all - quite aside from NZ not getting the world championship stuff there, it is much better covered by a specialist show and could take up too much time.

All just my opinion of course, but having watched some of the attempts at this sort of show in the UK, I've seen a fair few fall, despite having a bit of money thrown at them.

The best show I remember seeing (and I'm kicking myself for not remembering it's name), was on a tiny little channel. It had a budget of peanuts - but the presenters were so into the show that it really came across and made for great viewing.

[CookMySock]

To appeal to a sizeable audience it would have to have "something for everybody"

I think it would have to appeal to the masses, and ignore the niche bikers. Which means, cover the basics only.

I think the general public wants to ride, but they have issues with the ideas ;

1. I will fall off
2. I feel inadequate on a bike
3. Bikes aren't much fun
4. The skills required are too much for me
5. I could never wheelie like that blah-blah so I won't go there

I think a TV program could every day conquer each one of these and other ideas, and introduce ordinary people to the new-found freedom and lifestyle that we enjoy. I had no idea biking was like this, and I would hazard that many others do not either. Show them how it feels - start with total newbies and bring them up carefully. A group of ladies, a couple of responsible young fellas, a couple of giggly girls, a hardass racer, a cruiser couple.. away we go !

So, carefully crafted, I think such a show could be a winner, Pedro, and I would not relinquish it to the public domain so quickly if I were you.

It would lose credibility instantly, if there was a wheelie or a burnout, or some other display of unnecessary bravado or idiocy.

I'd help make it. I'd watch it because it was topical, but otherwise I don't watch TV. TV is junk, because theres nothing like this on it.

edit: add a couple of noob celebrities etc

DB

[BiK3RChiK]

I think in principle this is a damn great idea! Sure, it has it's problems, but they aren't insurmountable.

There was a film featured at our Little Theatre just recently that some local guys made and the local radio station ran with it and supported and promoted them along with the local paper. It was along the lines of what Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman did, but on a shoe string. I'll see if I can find out any details with regards to budget, filming, editing etc....

Cheers, ChiK

[Bob]

Pedro - did you take the idea any further? Hopefully all the feedback gave you some good stuff to put into the idea for the show.

Be good to hear how you got on.

[dubshack]

4. Getting someone from somewhere like the California Superbike school on would be good - you just have to be careful not to preach. Same with teaching some spannering skills.

This suggestion is very easily fulfilled as I am an instructor at this very school and I'm Auckland based.
That's one step done only about 999,999 to go.

I am currently working on some projects that may (very big may) be able to get regular air time but we are a very long way off at this stage.

[Pedrostt500]

Well sorry kids I havent done much at all with this, being a working class fool I and working 6 days a week I dont get much time for me let alone time to chase this, winning lotto would help the cause, but dont get me wrong, I do wish to see some thing of this happen but there will be times that nothing much will happen.

[JohnR]

Don't let the nay sayers kill your enthusiasm!
There are many organisations in NZ whose purpose it is to promote motorcycling (aside from the obvious ones with commercial interests).
Motorcycling New Zealand and BRONZ are two that immediately spring to mind and may be interested in assisting with such a project. Also the head of Documentary New Zealand on Sky is a keen motorcyclist... One or some of the local biker magazines might see an opportunity as well.
Maybe instead of aiming for anything as ambitious as a weekly "Top Gear" type show, why not look at a one off "magazine" type production and see how it flies.
As for production quality, I seem to remember the first episodes of Gone Fishin' were shot on a handycam and obviously low budget compared to the current format.
I agree that the "types" of motorcycling enthusiast are many and varied in their choice of mount, but all have one thing in common... they use two wheels to get from one place to another!
Any that are "only interested in HD Shovels with red flame paint jobs" may have their horizons broadened...or their prejudice may become more firmly entrenched lol. I for one will watch/read anything that has motorcycles as a vehicle (excuse the pun).

[Bend-it]

Hey, I agree with this and think it's a great idea!! I know a production studio that can help, but will need to be paid of course... And we can always get volunteers from KB to help out.

We could do a trial 40min episode, get some feedback and see how things go. I'm Welly based as well, so would love to sit and chat over lunch or coffee or something.

[JohnR]

And the ball starts rolling!?
How many great things have begun with the phrase "Let's do lunch"
Shame I'm in Auckland... but then the Strom's tank is full and it's not really that far

Seriously though if anything goes ahead and I can help, I'd be more than happy to.

[Sparrowhawk]

Bloody great idea. I'm seeing more & more bikes commuting. I saw 11 bikes on the way home from work the other day, I used to see 2 or 3 a week. If you put a slot for noob riders, what gear to wear, some leaner-legal bikes reviewed.

I like the idea of the top-gear model. They do some great stuff like the 'buy a car for less than $5k', the famous reliant shuttle, and rocket powered ski mini.

As a extra feature at the end, take a page out of dobbo's book, and do a 'plays of the week'.

[The Pastor]

Hire the mormon few and you've got it set!

[carver]

dude, its coming.
safety, change public opionions?
fuck that, lets make them worse, the mormons really practice what they preach.

thats not what stimulates people...saftey, blah blAH

danger, and extremes are what we need

look to the mormon few stunt crew.

were gearing up to start a series soon.
PM me for suggestions.

also, fuck TV, and sponsors that may ties us back, the i-net (google vid) is the way of the future.

[Bend-it]

there goes the neighbourhood...