BBC Election 2015

Whoa! Um there are some elements to like, but it seems to be leaning a bit X-Factor-ish in IMO. Not sure about the big X on the front of the desk and the blue pin spots from the centre rigging ring over the desk and the blue downshafts running along the back lighting the floor. I almost expecting them to do a Weakest Link lighting change each time a result comes in.( I hope they dont move). Certainly not one of my favourites. Sorry. Im hoping they tone down the graphics on the screens behind the presenters (yes i know that was for the 10). Too much visually happening. But we will have to seen Thursday. The era of huge Election Sets the US networks used to build are long gone. Interesting the BBC can still justify spending public money in this way, since people seem to get so upset when funds are seemingly in their view is being wasted. I personally like an special election set.
http://tig.gy/?m=BBCNEWSAT10E15-A.jpg

Remember this is effectively the same set as used in 2010 and 2014 - all the expensive lights and screens will be hired in, so they're actually getting a decent return on an investment made several years back.

But this isn't the US is it, news programming is done completely differently in this country to the transatlantic counterparts and hopefully will stay like that - after all we don't want ITN to announce they've won a court case meaning they don't have to accurately report the news (a la Fox News).

I know its the same set. Im just saying people always seem to be complaining about money being used for this that. I dont have a problem with it. But even though there are reused elements and hired elements, money is still being spent to light it, construct it and run it. No need to be defensive. Just an observation. Just surprised there arent articles in the DM about how much the BBC is spending on this. They seem to complain about anything else BBC is spending money on.

I must say, I think the backdrop is a bit busy. I preferred the 2010 'look', but will wait and see how it all works on the night. Not a fan of the desk, either, to be honest.

I really like the two-tier 'colosseum' approach, though, harks back to 1997 and that classic night.

At the risk of turning this into a rota thread (!) - do we know if Nick Robinson will be well enough to do his through-the-night studio analysis role, or will we be having James Landale instead?

@Mouseboy - I think the point is that the studio isn't just there to look pretty. The space is used by all the journalists and statisticians who sit within it and work hard. I guess in this era of high-connectivity they could all be sat in the BH newsroom, with Dimbleby in Studio E, with others dotted about the place, but why change what has worked for years. Plus, it has come to be expected that the BBC will have a big set.

Not sure what you are going on about. But I guess you just wanted to create some kind of irrelevant statement only to be contradictory. I was saying the US doesn't build these big sets for elections anymore and I like them. Not sure what you are going on about and how that translates into court cases and FauxNews..but to each his own I guess

But that money would need to be spent anyway - you can't do an operation the size of a UK election without commissioning additional work space, and you can't do it from the normal news studios because you wouldn't have any time to test and rehearse. So once you're committed to spending a tonne of money to actually put the programme together, you may as well try and make sensible purchase decisions - e.g. reusing previous sets and hiring everything you need which you don't need to buy. I imagine the reason the Mail isn't on at the BBC is because they've started writing an article, asked a BBC spokesperson for a comment and found out that there's very little capital expenditure on the programme (something along the lines of "we're reusing the set, and working alongside our colleagues at Sky and ITN to cover the counts, so we're exposing the licence fee payer to only a fraction of the cost of what the programme could cost if done entirely in house and from scratch").

I get the just justification for spending the money, Im just say with all the rumblings about scrapping the license fee and perceptions of wasted money. This years sparkly X-Factor-style set might have ruffled feathers of the BBC-haters. (im not one) Since the BBC is a fairly conservative-looking news broadcaster. Thats all.

I know what the point of the set is. I thought we were talking about presentation, right? I just dont like the way it looks. Thats my opinion. The set they used in years past was great. I dont like this one very much. Its a big OTT for my taste.

Maybe not in terms of sheer square footage, but ABC's 2012 election set wasn't exactly low-key. It was specially-constructed on the top floor of the Times Square studios and also made use of a lot of the big screens in Times Square....



And NBC's made use of the whole of Rockefeller Plaza, including the ice rink...



Personally, I think an election night merits this kind of effort - and, for the BBC at least, the audience will be big enough to justify the investment.

Yeah finally at last ABC built something.... not as big as the ones I remember back in the day. It was good to see. NBC usually uses the plaza for the Election results. NBC doesnt usually build an massive set anymore and neither does CBS. I like how NBC show results on the side of 30 Rock and he skating rink. But then again they can spend as little or as much as they want .

I agree @mark it justifies a big effort. You are certainly correct, and the BBC does a great job. (lets see if people get angry that you posted those North American examples LOL )

Looking at some of the rehearsal pictures I would say the set will be lit in some different ways on the night. Like the big screen behind the desk will have the houses of parliament on rather than loads of fake screens. I think for 10 o'clock news it looks fine but I would have a guess that it may look slightly different on Thursday. That's when we can truly review the set.