Ben Elton: the Great Railway Disaster
C4 20:00 26 June 2023
(with various +1 or catch-up services)

Ben Elton takes a critical look at nearly 30 years of
privatisation in the British rail industry. Nothing is likely to
be too surprising to people reading this newsgroup.

So far, he's mentioned delays and cancellations using examples
from London-Manchester, Huddersfield and TransPennine Express.

--
David

On 26/06/2023 20:26, David Williams wrote:
> Ben Elton takes a critical look at nearly 30 years of
> privatisation in the British rail industry. Nothing is likely to
> be too surprising to people reading this newsgroup.

With his politics, I don't suppose he will have made a programme with a
critical look at the old nationalised British Railways which many of us
remember.

On Tue, 27 Jun 2023 08:59:19 +0100, MB <MB@nospam.net> wrote:

>On 26/06/2023 20:26, David Williams wrote:
>> Ben Elton takes a critical look at nearly 30 years of
>> privatisation in the British rail industry. Nothing is likely to
>> be too surprising to people reading this newsgroup.
>
>
>
>With his politics, I don't suppose he will have made a programme with a
>critical look at the old nationalised British Railways which many of us
>remember.
>
Ho pointed out, as other commentators have, that it was in good shape
when it was privatised.

On Mon, 26 Jun 2023 20:26:24 +0100
David Williams <davidw_3@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>Ben Elton: the Great Railway Disaster
>C4 20:00 26 June 2023
>(with various +1 or catch-up services)
>
>Ben Elton takes a critical look at nearly 30 years of
>privatisation in the British rail industry. Nothing is likely to
>be too surprising to people reading this newsgroup.
>
>So far, he's mentioned delays and cancellations using examples
>from London-Manchester, Huddersfield and TransPennine Express.

How many minutes until he made his first dig at Thatcher?

On Tue, 27 Jun 2023 08:59:19 +0100
MB <MB@nospam.net> wrote:
>On 26/06/2023 20:26, David Williams wrote:
>> Ben Elton takes a critical look at nearly 30 years of
>> privatisation in the British rail industry. Nothing is likely to
>> be too surprising to people reading this newsgroup.
>
>
>
>With his politics, I don't suppose he will have made a programme with a
>critical look at the old nationalised British Railways which many of us
>remember.

Given he's lived in australia for about a decade why out of all the people
that could have been chosen did they choose him? Unless they simply wanted
some cookie cutter lefty to stick the boot into the tories.

On 27/06/2023 16:19, Muttley@dastardlyhq.com wrote:
> On Mon, 26 Jun 2023 20:26:24 +0100
> David Williams <davidw_3@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>> Ben Elton: the Great Railway Disaster
>> C4 20:00 26 June 2023
>> (with various +1 or catch-up services)
>>
>> Ben Elton takes a critical look at nearly 30 years of
>> privatisation in the British rail industry. Nothing is likely to
>> be too surprising to people reading this newsgroup.
>>
>> So far, he's mentioned delays and cancellations using examples
>>from London-Manchester, Huddersfield and TransPennine Express.
>
> How many minutes until he made his first dig at Thatcher?

He seems intelligent enough to realise how pointless that would be, but
he did remark how useful Crossrail is to London job seekers over footage
of Boris.

<Muttley@dastardlyhq.com> wrote:
> On Tue, 27 Jun 2023 08:59:19 +0100
> MB <MB@nospam.net> wrote:
>> On 26/06/2023 20:26, David Williams wrote:
>>> Ben Elton takes a critical look at nearly 30 years of
>>> privatisation in the British rail industry. Nothing is likely to
>>> be too surprising to people reading this newsgroup.
>>
>>
>>
>> With his politics, I don't suppose he will have made a programme with a
>> critical look at the old nationalised British Railways which many of us
>> remember.
>
> Given he's lived in australia for about a decade why out of all the people
> that could have been chosen did they choose him? Unless they simply wanted
> some cookie cutter lefty to stick the boot into the tories.

He seems to split his time between his family home in Western Australia and
his UK base in East Sussex. Much of his work continues to be in the UK, so
he probably does travel around the UK by rail, and probably came up with
the programme idea himself.

From Wiki:
"Elton directed a new 20th anniversary tour of We Will Rock You, that
opened in February 2022 and visited over 25 cities in the United Kingdom.
He will also make his theatre debut as the Rebel Leader (previously known
as Pop) in a production of the show in 2023 at the London Coliseum from 2
June to 27 August. The 3 main cast members from the touring production will
also be starring."

On Tue, 27 Jun 2023 17:03:33 +0100, Certes <Certes@example.org> wrote:

>On 27/06/2023 16:19, Muttley@dastardlyhq.com wrote:
>> On Mon, 26 Jun 2023 20:26:24 +0100
>> David Williams <davidw_3@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>>> Ben Elton: the Great Railway Disaster
>>> C4 20:00 26 June 2023
>>> (with various +1 or catch-up services)
>>>
>>> Ben Elton takes a critical look at nearly 30 years of
>>> privatisation in the British rail industry. Nothing is likely to
>>> be too surprising to people reading this newsgroup.
>>>
>>> So far, he's mentioned delays and cancellations using examples
>>>from London-Manchester, Huddersfield and TransPennine Express.
>>
>> How many minutes until he made his first dig at Thatcher?
>
>He seems intelligent enough to realise how pointless that would be, but
>he did remark how useful Crossrail is to London job seekers over footage
>of Boris.

I very nearly turned off after a few minutes because of the polemic
delivery because his attack targets are so trite as to be ineffective
(e.g. suggestions that money abstracted from the railways would fund
yachts). But I persisted and his points were valid, but not news to
anybody on here.

It is worth watching but not compulsory viewing.

On Wed, 28 Jun 2023 09:05:42 +0100, Ken <ken@birchanger.com> wrote:

>On Tue, 27 Jun 2023 17:03:33 +0100, Certes <Certes@example.org> wrote:
>
>>On 27/06/2023 16:19, Muttley@dastardlyhq.com wrote:
>>> On Mon, 26 Jun 2023 20:26:24 +0100
>>> David Williams <davidw_3@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>>>> Ben Elton: the Great Railway Disaster
>>>> C4 20:00 26 June 2023
>>>> (with various +1 or catch-up services)
>>>>
>>>> Ben Elton takes a critical look at nearly 30 years of
>>>> privatisation in the British rail industry. Nothing is likely to
>>>> be too surprising to people reading this newsgroup.
>>>>
>>>> So far, he's mentioned delays and cancellations using examples
>>>>from London-Manchester, Huddersfield and TransPennine Express.
>>>
>>> How many minutes until he made his first dig at Thatcher?
>>
>>He seems intelligent enough to realise how pointless that would be, but
>>he did remark how useful Crossrail is to London job seekers over footage
>>of Boris.
>
>I very nearly turned off after a few minutes because of the polemic
>delivery because his attack targets are so trite as to be ineffective
>(e.g. suggestions that money abstracted from the railways would fund
>yachts). But I persisted and his points were valid, but not news to
>anybody on here.
>
>It is worth watching but not compulsory viewing.

Agreed.

One problem is that, like many critics, he highlighted the faults in the pre-Covid franchise system that no longer
operates, and ignored the quite different faults in the concession system that we now have.