Inside Alton Towers
Thursday 23rd August 2018, Channel 4, 9pm
A look behind the scenes as the UK's biggest theme park prepares a new, multi-million pound roller coaster, Wicker Man.
Can the theme park sell the new ride to the public?
Inside Alton Towers - General Discussion
-
Swarm Chris
Justin wrote:
Can the theme park sell the new ride to the public?
Spoiler
Yes. Yes they can.
-
everton_99
- New Member
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2012 10:44 am
- Location: Connahs Quay
I would love to have a good look through the storyboard book!!
-
hursty
- Member
- Posts: 950
- Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 11:18 pm
Programme now available on demand!
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/inside-alton-towers/on-demand/67613-001
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/inside-alton-towers/on-demand/67613-001
-
ThemeCrafter264
Good documentary but there were a few things I didn't like. Some fake news was said like towers being the most popular theme park in the UK (which goes to Legoland). It seems that there was a major cut or something due to the snow being only half mentioned. Finally I didn't seem to like how all the chosen enthusiasts were presented in a specific light (about coasters helping them), which does make the enthusiast stereotype worse.
-
Swarm Chris
I'm not sure how interviewing people from various walks of life and having them describe the different positive impacts the parks provide to them, is either a stereotype or represents a negative concept?ThemeCrafter264 wrote:Finally I didn't seem to like how all the chosen enthusiasts were presented in a specific light (about coasters helping them), which does make the enthusiast stereotype worse.
-
wamdue
- Member
- Posts: 163
- Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2015 8:07 pm
I have to question the timing of this, for what was pretty much a puff piece, and too focused on Wicker Man for what the title suggested, this should have aired 3 months ago, not at the end of August.
That said, it did occur to me, that having a "week in the life of Alton Towers" type thing, could be tricky for CBeebies Land.
Finally, for all the talk on the program of the Wicker Man staff being in character, I just didnt see it, the staff when I visit, seemed about as inspired as their were on the first day of their training. So much planning seems to have been done, for something that only happened on press night.
That said, it did occur to me, that having a "week in the life of Alton Towers" type thing, could be tricky for CBeebies Land.
Finally, for all the talk on the program of the Wicker Man staff being in character, I just didnt see it, the staff when I visit, seemed about as inspired as their were on the first day of their training. So much planning seems to have been done, for something that only happened on press night.
-
SJW
- New Member
- Posts: 37
- Joined: Mon Jun 29, 2015 7:11 pm
-
Ladyofthelake
- Member
- Posts: 2661
- Joined: Sun May 12, 2013 12:20 pm
- Location: Warwickshire
I think all things considered the documentary has shown the Resort in a positive light. It was to be expected that it would be aimed at the GP, after all, in order for this kind of show to get comissioned it would need to have a wide appeal. Yes, there were a few omissions - the most obvious one being the events surrounding the snowed off opening day, however I suspect this may have been due to the time constraints they had. I think there could easily have been a short series worth of coverage.
I believe the documentary was originally meant to go out in mid June, which would have been better timing and would have realistically been the earliest the show could have been shown given the time it would have taken to edit the footage and take it through the required steps to get it the OK to be shown. However, it was pulled from its June slot meaning that it took a short time to find it an alternative slot to air in.wamdue wrote:I have to question the timing of this, for what was pretty much a puff piece, and too focused on Wicker Man for what the title suggested, this should have aired 3 months ago, not at the end of August.
-
Tom170499
- Member
- Posts: 508
- Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2013 6:15 pm
- Location: Leeds
If I’m honest, I was really disappointed with this documentary. I was expecting something similar to The Magic Factory but it felt nothing like it. It could have been so much more, it could have shown the day to day operation of the rides, especially The Smiler, to show the GP what goes into operating the attractions and the relevant safety measures imposed after the crash. It seemed like a missed opportunity to help rebuild trust and to educate the GP.
-
Robert.W
- Member
- Posts: 1200
- Joined: Fri May 12, 2017 12:38 am
Something I think many of us feel (and this is very true of the general public as well), is that it didn't feel as though it was really a look inside Alton Towers, it felt like an hour long prime time advertisement for the park's new rollercoaster. I completely agree with you Tom, about how they should have shown more about the park operations side of things.
I'm also quite disappointed at the way enthusiasts were portrayed in the documentary. Whilst I appreciate everyone has individual reasons for becoming interested in Alton Towers / theme parks / rollercoasters, I felt the way that enthusiasts were portrayed on the whole was not representative of the wider enthusiast community, but rather those select few who would make more interesting TV.
I think it was just such a poorly put together production. Indeed, it could have been shown at a better time, but that was just unfortunate circumstances really. It doesn't take away the fact that they just didn't focus on the correct things. To regain the trust of the public, they have to show people how the resort safely operates on a day to day basis, rather than just one long ad for Wicker Man.
Wether it has a positive or negative effect, I just don't know. On social media, even things like the poor editing has had people very confused, and over such a crucial aspect that is ride safety – and that can't be a good thing. I've seen Alton Towers replying to reassure some people becasue of this very error.
I'm also quite disappointed at the way enthusiasts were portrayed in the documentary. Whilst I appreciate everyone has individual reasons for becoming interested in Alton Towers / theme parks / rollercoasters, I felt the way that enthusiasts were portrayed on the whole was not representative of the wider enthusiast community, but rather those select few who would make more interesting TV.
I think it was just such a poorly put together production. Indeed, it could have been shown at a better time, but that was just unfortunate circumstances really. It doesn't take away the fact that they just didn't focus on the correct things. To regain the trust of the public, they have to show people how the resort safely operates on a day to day basis, rather than just one long ad for Wicker Man.
Wether it has a positive or negative effect, I just don't know. On social media, even things like the poor editing has had people very confused, and over such a crucial aspect that is ride safety – and that can't be a good thing. I've seen Alton Towers replying to reassure some people becasue of this very error.
-
wamdue
- Member
- Posts: 163
- Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2015 8:07 pm
That would have worked betterLadyofthelake wrote:I think all things considered the documentary has shown the Resort in a positive light. It was to be expected that it would be aimed at the GP, after all, in order for this kind of show to get comissioned it would need to have a wide appeal. Yes, there were a few omissions - the most obvious one being the events surrounding the snowed off opening day, however I suspect this may have been due to the time constraints they had. I think there could easily have been a short series worth of coverage.
I believe the documentary was originally meant to go out in mid June, which would have been better timing and would have realistically been the earliest the show could have been shown given the time it would have taken to edit the footage and take it through the required steps to get it the OK to be shown. However, it was pulled from its June slot meaning that it took a short time to find it an alternative slot to air in.wamdue wrote:I have to question the timing of this, for what was pretty much a puff piece, and too focused on Wicker Man for what the title suggested, this should have aired 3 months ago, not at the end of August.
-
wamdue
- Member
- Posts: 163
- Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2015 8:07 pm
This, so much more could have been done with the time devoted to meeting the rollerocoaster fans, who didnt come out of it well if im honest.Tom170499 wrote:If I’m honest, I was really disappointed with this documentary. I was expecting something similar to The Magic Factory but it felt nothing like it. It could have been so much more, it could have shown the day to day operation of the rides, especially The Smiler, to show the GP what goes into operating the attractions and the relevant safety measures imposed after the crash. It seemed like a missed opportunity to help rebuild trust and to educate the GP.
-
lewis97
- Admin
- Posts: 4374
- Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2012 6:41 am
- Location: Hertfordshire
I believe it was always intended for the documentary to focus on Wicker Man, and that was something that I thought information released ahead of the programme airing made relatively clear. However, the title “Inside Alton Towers” may have understandably created expectation that it would provide a more general insight into the Resort.
I do agree with the sentiments that it would have benefitted from a longer running time (or not being a one-off), as the postponed opening day did seem a significant omission, with no reference made to it whatsoever. It was also a bit of a strange choice to have the guy (who was a member of the advert’s production crew, not a member of the “construction team” as Ride Rater’s article suggests) make a ‘dramatic’-sounding comment about the ride stopping before a commercial break, to then cut to it all being fine afterwards, without some insight into what the issue was (likely just a routine stoppage).
As enthusiasts, and people who’ve followed the ins-and-outs of the ride’s development, we are more prone to spotting discrepancies with how it was edited though, with things like them showing the train going through the same section of track twice during the initial test run sequence (then cutting to them cheering its completion following a shot of it only halfway round), the use of a clip of TH13TEEN’s train arriving in the station during a section referring to Wicker Man, and not to mention the stock rollercoaster screams.
While it may not have got as deep and technical as we maybe would have liked it to go, it’s been nice to see something in the media which shows Towers in generally a positive light, and gives a relatively unexplored insight into the personal effect The Smiler incident had on staff.
I do agree with the sentiments that it would have benefitted from a longer running time (or not being a one-off), as the postponed opening day did seem a significant omission, with no reference made to it whatsoever. It was also a bit of a strange choice to have the guy (who was a member of the advert’s production crew, not a member of the “construction team” as Ride Rater’s article suggests) make a ‘dramatic’-sounding comment about the ride stopping before a commercial break, to then cut to it all being fine afterwards, without some insight into what the issue was (likely just a routine stoppage).
As enthusiasts, and people who’ve followed the ins-and-outs of the ride’s development, we are more prone to spotting discrepancies with how it was edited though, with things like them showing the train going through the same section of track twice during the initial test run sequence (then cutting to them cheering its completion following a shot of it only halfway round), the use of a clip of TH13TEEN’s train arriving in the station during a section referring to Wicker Man, and not to mention the stock rollercoaster screams.
While it may not have got as deep and technical as we maybe would have liked it to go, it’s been nice to see something in the media which shows Towers in generally a positive light, and gives a relatively unexplored insight into the personal effect The Smiler incident had on staff.