Not The Nine O'Clock News Danger!

Don't know if there's already a thread for this show, but I had to mention this. I was watching an old repeat tonight and during the infamous "I Like Trucking" segment, I noticed a peculiar thing. (Apart from how sexy Pamela Stephenson was!)

There's a sequence shot from a moving truck that shows a car trying to overtake the truck then putting the brakes on, wobbling about and just about keeping control as it moves back behind the truck. The action is closely-following the lyrics of the "I Love Trucking" song. (The gag being that the trucker has waved the car out and then it meets another truck, narrowly-avoiding a collision).

ANYWAY, after that lengthy, boring explanation, my point is that if you watch the clip, it actually looks quite dangerous. Obviously there was no green screen in those days, and the other cars on the motorway contain normal civilians going about their day, oblivious to the BBC filming a potentially-fatal car stunt sequence. There's no way in Hell this would be allowed today.

I may be wrong - maybe all the other cars on the road were stuntmen...no..that's ridiculous.

Check the clip out. The bit I'm talking about starts about 1:40. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzrPUQXB0jY

Good clip.

I put it down to good editing.

Quote: Leevil @ March 18 2009, 1:55 AM GMT

Good clip.

I put it down to good editing.

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No way. That sequence is genuine and unedited.

Oh, I believe it's genuine (as in they did the stunts) but if you watch the raw footage, it probably won't be the same.

Doesn't strike me as anything that wouldn't be accomplishable by an even reasonably accomplished stunt driver - and, as Leevil says, some clever post. Also remember that Rowan Atkinson is a stunt driver and racer himself, so would have more than known what he was doing with the lorry.

Also worth pointing out that the 'road' they're on could easily be a stretch of test track somewhere.

I apologise if this sounds horribly anal, but I'll put it down to the stewed prunes I ate last night. The blue Cortina (when attempting its overtaking) is being followed by at least two other cars (clumsily circled in red at 1.48-1.49) traveling in the same direction in the same lane. The "oncoming" truck is in a separate lane entirely, so the stunt driver of the Cortina is in no danger (and not putting other motorists in danger), just start overtaking, brake, wobble and go back behind Rowan Atkinson's Leyland. Presumably the vehicles immediately behind the Cortina and the Leyland are being driven by stunt drivers to give the Cortina space for the attempted overtake.

Although green screen is more of a digital era thing, it's basically the same thing as blue screen (chroma-key), which NTNOCN used in some sketches (and the Goodies were using it long before NTNOCN).

If you want dangerous car stunts, go on YouTube and search for 'the sorcerors'. It's a Boris Karloff film from the late 1960s. Excellent chase with an old Jag and a Police Wolseley 6/110. Now those old Wolseleys had trouble enough keeping in a straight line as they were so wafty and vague- and in the car chase clip you can see the driver constantly correcting the wheel and ultimately spinning the car, narrowly missing parked cars on a residential street. They had no permission to film any of this and it was a genuine accidental spin as they come out of a corner too hard.

Can't find the clip at the mo as I am at work and YouTube is verboten.

Quote: Kenneth @ March 18 2009, 6:49 AM GMT

I apologise if this sounds horribly anal, but I'll put it down to the stewed prunes I ate last night. The blue Cortina (when attempting its overtaking) is being followed by at least two other cars (clumsily circled in red at 1.48-1.49) traveling in the same direction in the same lane. The "oncoming" truck is in a separate lane entirely, so the stunt driver of the Cortina is in no danger (and not putting other motorists in danger), just start overtaking, brake, wobble and go back behind Rowan Atkinson's Leyland. Presumably the vehicles immediately behind the Cortina and the Leyland are being driven by stunt drivers to give the Cortina space for the attempted overtake.

Although green screen is more of a digital era thing, it's basically the same thing as blue screen (chroma-key), which NTNOCN used in some sketches (and the Goodies were using it long before NTNOCN).

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Yep, you're absolutely right about the set up with the cars following the stunt driver to give him room for the stunt etc - my point though is the other cars / trucks travelling in the opposite direction are clearly civilian and know nothing about being filmed. (Unless the BBC hired 9 or 10 cars and trucks and drivers and closed a section of the motorway off for one sketch. Which I highly doubt.)

I showed this to my mate who used to be a traffic cop and he said that if no effects were used, it looks like a fairly risky manoeuvre to do on a public road because the driver obviously brakes hard and puts the car into a wobble, which could easily have caused the tyres to skid and the stunt driver to lose control of the car, however experienced.

Quote: Maurice Minor @ March 18 2009, 9:52 AM GMT

If you want dangerous car stunts, go on YouTube and search for 'the sorcerors'- its a Boris Karloff film from the late 60's. Excellent chase with an old Jag and a Police Wolseley 6/110. Now those old Wolseleys had trouble enough keeping in a straight line as they were so wafty and vague- and in the car chase clip you can see the driver constantly correcting the wheel and ultimately spinning the car, narrowly missing parked cars on a residential street. They had no permission to film any of this and it was a genuine accidental spin as they come out of a corner too hard.

Can't find the clip at the mo as I am at work and YouTube is verboten.

View original

Found it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USWuIhf6oAw

Quote: Lee Henman @ March 18 2009, 12:28 PM GMT

(Unless the BBC hired 9 or 10 cars and trucks and drivers and closed a section of the motorway off for one sketch. Which I highly doubt.)

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Well it's not a motorway, is it? It's not even a dual carriageway. Just a stretch of road with more than 2 lanes. Very easy to find quiet roads like that around here!

Its actually a pretty good film, but the chase is marvellous. The DVD extras talk about it and say they had no permission to film, no streets were cleared, just a man in the boot of the lead car, and they had no permission for the fire at the end either. Apparantly they just guessed the amount of petrol needed and blew the car up, shattering windows of nearby houses. They filmed for as long as they could before sirens started and scarpered to avoid awkward questions.

Lee Henman, what have you done to me?! In my foolishly careful scrutiny of the 'I Like Trucking' segment I watched (and listened to) it several times. I've just been away on a job for over 30 hours and that song has been stuck constantly in my head - even when I try to sleep!

How to exact revenge? Try listening to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POv-3yIPSWc