Rivers with Jeremy Paxman

[Tee-Cee]

Always on the lookout for unusual programmes of this nature, my wife has drawn my attention to this one (a new series which covers four different rivers) beginning with this one on the Tweed.
Not everyone's cup of tea (not me, though) Paxman can come across as rather pompous, but he is a very keen fisherman and hopefully this will come across in the programme. He is (fairly) local to me and can often be seen in the local pubs including one in Turville village, not a million miles from Henley - seems a genial sort of chap to me...

Anyway, the programme is on Ch4 at 8pm tomorrow(Sunday)

Well worth a look and a whole lot better that 'The Voice' or 'Call the midwife', but only my opinion....................................

 

[chub_on_the_block]

I heard rumours some years back that he was a regular at the historic Amwell Magna fly fishery on the River Lee near Stansted Abbots. This was probably early 1990s.

 

[mikench]

He can't be all bad then!

 

[peter crabtree]

Just watched it, despite his rather pompous attitude on other shows he made me laugh a few times. Very interesting viewing, certainly better than the other old @&£!! on offer tonight...

Well spotted Tony....

 

[flightliner]

A bit dissapointing, too much talking not enough fishing.

 

[maggot_dangler]

A bit dissapointing, too much talking not enough fishing.

Yes my thoughts exactly but will give it another couple of weeks see if it improves interesting thou .

PG ...

 

[Tee-Cee]

I've watched the like of this programme before with offerings by Tom Fort who did something similar on the river Trent, and TBH I think he may have done a better job than Jeremy Paxman.
In watching him intently I'm of the opinion that he is, perhaps, a very shy man and a lot of his bluster covers it up. Whatever, he just doesn't seem comfortable talking to 'ordinary' folk for short spells which is what he did in this programme. He just seemed out of his comfort zone, and this is what I've thought when seeing him at the occasional pub visit - almost as if 'fame' doesn't rest easy with him................

Anyway, I totally agree with others in that the content wavered too far from the subject matter and to my mind came across as more of a 'short' advertising sites to visit when on holiday, or similar. It started well enough with him standing in the water fishing, but then contained far too much of him driving around in his Land Rover!

Undoubtedly he is a very passionate fisherman and the river/ surrounding countryside very beautiful - I just don't think the programme did either justice. Only my opinion, though................................

I will watch the others, but not for the fishing content!!

 

[theartist]

There was very little fishing content as expected. Also the river seemed just a route for forays inland for the main features. I feel bad as I turned over for Dragon's Den

I think the Severn and Thames are to come which are rivers that a lot of us are familiar with but whats the odds of some Coracle paddling and Swan Upping?

Remember that program they did where they just followed a sled ride in lapland with no dialogue. Wouldn't that be great just floating down the river?

 

[mikench]

I watched it and enjoyed it. Clearly it set out to have something for everybody and I feel it achieved that end. Even my wife enjoyed it! As an aside Northumberland in general and Berwick in particular are a fabulous place with so much to see and do. The landscape is spectacular!

 

[flightliner]

For the Tweed to be so overlooked as it was in favor of locations close by was bad enough but not to see what the river is truly famous for worldwide, namely a salmon caught on rod and line was a major oversight by the producers.
Earlier in the day I watched the travel programme with Robson green chasing a salmon grand slam in alaska and actually enjoyed it !!

 

[S-Kippy]

Earlier in the day I watched the travel programme with Robson green chasing a salmon grand slam in alaska and actually enjoyed it !!

Oh my giddy aunt !

 

[thames mudlarker]

I've watched the like of this programme before with offerings by Tom Fort who did something similar on the river Trent, and TBH I think he may have done a better job than Jeremy Paxman.
In watching him intently I'm of the opinion that he is, perhaps, a very shy man and a lot of his bluster covers it up. Whatever, he just doesn't seem comfortable talking to 'ordinary' folk for short spells which is what he did in this programme. He just seemed out of his comfort zone, and this is what I've thought when seeing him at the occasional pub visit - almost as if 'fame' doesn't rest easy with him................

Anyway, I totally agree with others in that the content wavered too far from the subject matter and to my mind came across as more of a 'short' advertising sites to visit when on holiday, or similar. It started well enough with him standing in the water fishing, but then contained far too much of him driving around in his Land Rover!

Undoubtedly he is a very passionate fisherman and the river/ surrounding countryside very beautiful - I just don't think the programme did either justice. Only my opinion, though................................

I will watch the others, but not for the fishing content!!

I was gonna watch it last night but unfortunately forget about it because I was on me iPad on the forum.....where else would I be if I can't get out to fish yet ....lols

By the looks of it I didn't exactly miss much then mg:

---------- Post added at 09:40 ---------- Previous post was at 09:35 ----------

For the Tweed to be so overlooked as it was in favor of locations close by was bad enough but not to see what the river is truly famous for worldwide, namely a salmon caught on rod and line was a major oversight by the producers.
Earlier in the day I watched the travel programme with Robson green chasing a salmon grand slam in alaska and actually enjoyed it !!

Hilarious .........Robson green Almost as bad as Jack Charlton mg:

 

[greenie62]

Very disappointed with the very sketchy view of the Tweed itself - the shots we had of it between the 'travelogue' sections of the programme were nearly all of the lower river downstream of Kelso - almost nothing of the river in it's more unknown intimate stretches prior to the mergeing with the Teviot.

It told you very little about the River itself - let alone the fish or ecology of it - or what a physical border it actually makes in terms of transport / trade to the local populations.

I suspect there is another programme or two's worth of material still 'in the can' that should do justice to the River. Maybe JP is saving it for his pension!?

 

[psmith]

Always going to be different styles, how about this as a comparator:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vv4dbxOLNw

 

[flightliner]

Notice I used the word "actually", maybe "surprised" would have been a more suitable word to use !.

 

[terry m]

Haven't seen it because I am working in India at the moment.

But, I am currently reading his Auto Bio - A Life in Questions. Great reading, written in his normal combative, yet cynically humorous style. Would recommend.

 

[Tee-Cee]

He may need the extra dosh as he has just split from his partner of 35 years and mother of his 3 children.....................could be expensive!

I will get the book...................

 

[chub_on_the_block]

Agree with others - not enough about the fishing or even the natural history for that matter. More about cultural history, the Scots v English handbagging (yawn) and so on. I would have mentioned the massive shoals of 1-2Ib roach that lived in the river in the early 1970s and what became of them, and maybe shown a salmon too.

 

[dorsetandchub]

I wasn't expecting a massive amount of fishing in it anyway but was a bit disappointed by the fact the makers seemed to give equal to the fishing airtime to Paxman's efforts to turn his Land Rover around in a narrow country lane.

And he seemed equally incapable when set that particular task....

 

[theartist]

I wasn't expecting a massive amount of fishing in it anyway but was a bit disappointed by the fact the makers seemed to give equal to the fishing airtime to Paxman's efforts to turn his Land Rover around in a narrow country lane.

And he seemed equally incapable when set that particular task....

To be fair I would assume he spends a lot of time in London where the 'ten point turn' is standard practise for those who drive 4x4s