Did anyone watch the Clarkson docu about the Arctic convey disaster?

[HesterShaw]

I know I for one would like to bury him in snow up to his neck and pelt him with icy snowballs before setting loose a mother polar bear. But did anyone see it? It, and he, were brilliant - entertaining, informative and respectful.

Why does he insist on being such a dick the rest of the time, if he's capable of such good documentaries? Remember the Brunel one, years ago? And it was very much "his" documentary, as he researched and wrote it.

Very moving at the end, when it revealed those four wonderfully brave old gents had died before it had aired. I wish they'd got to see the programme.

Just me then :o

I watched it - you were not alone.

Those lovely, brave, seemingly ordinary men with such horrific stories to tell.

I thought Clarkson did it well, not a hint of his usual sarcasm.

I've recorded it not had a chance to watch it yet. Glad to here it was good.

He has a public 'persona' which a lot of people like. I think you see the real him in his documentaries. It wouldn't work on Top Gear though.

We have it recorded
I agree that he has a persona for tv and that it was likely to be the real him, I remember the Brunel one.
He does a lot for charities etc on the quiet, I kind of like him for his not being showy offy about it.

I'll nag dh to watch it with me tonight

dh was watching it, and i was half heartedly too. Also sent me off on a google since my paternal grandfather was lost at sea in the Merchant Navy and i was n't sure if it was the Arctic Convoys or not.

I really like Jeremy Clarkson, not in a "I so would" fashion, but in a "Interesting chap to be stuck in a lift with" way. And his persona makes me laugh.

And he saved my life once ....had a tyre blow out at 70mph on the dual carriageway and thanks to watching so so so many Top Gears I heard his voice in my head "if you ever have the misfortune to loose a tyre at speed DO NOT brake or you will die!"

Because he isn't a 'dick' he knows exactly what a lot of people, myself and my DDs included miss in the trash that is modern TV - a proper laugh.

Ah we'll have to disagree on his public persona usually verging on the dickish, Starball :)

He is clearly an intelligent, well educated man who is passionate about his interests - we'll agree on that bit.

The story he told last night was mesmerising. It's a national scandal that those brave men were not honoured by their government until last year, when nearly all of them were gone. Contrast that with Russia's recognition of them.

Another thing I found interesting is that we are often told that we in Britain simply "hung on" until the Soviets turned the tide and that they were the real victors. But they wouldn't have turned the tide were it not for the convoys. What brave men.

I'll have to have a search on iPlayer, that sounds fascinating.

Verging is the point, most of the family sit coms of my childhood verged on being offensive. If you listen to the Two Ronnie's, open all hours or even some of The good life as an adult, many of the jokes are pretty near the bone.

Apart from top gear and the interactions between Merlin and Arthur, nothing on TV is funny for 8-adult.

QI and some of Mock the week is funny, but they are street wise 12y upwards.

"Verging" was me being polite. I, and loads of other people, have just never found his antics on Top Gear particularly clever or entertaining and he and his chums act like dicks.

Whereas his documentary last night shows what he actually can do. Same goes for James May - did anyone see that thing he did last year about trying to fly his model glider across the Channel? In the end he did it from North Devon to Lundy, and it was almost moving! . I was cheering the little glider on.

Absolutely fascinating documentary, and yy Clarkson was really very good. So glad I watched it, had no idea about the arctic convoys.

I watched it BECAUSE JC was presenting it, but I was drawn into the story too. fascinating.

and he did it so well too.

I like him.

I watched it because I like war things.

I saw it, very good. He's genuinely interested in that sort of stuff and his passion shows.

I loved the program last night - not just for JC - but also for the subject.

The thing with Clarkson is that he knows what entertains a lot of people and this enables him to make a program like this and bring it to an audience, who might not normally watch a history program. If he wasn't 'a dick' he wouldn't have this gift of being able to do this. Same goes for the other stuff that Hammond and May are doing / have done with science and engineering and natural history.

The success of Top Gear means that a program that might not otherwise been commissioned because of a 'lack of public interest' even with the BBCs remit.

Even Top Gear for all its flaws and stupidity has moments of very real seriousness and political / journalistic importance. Its particularly true of the specials (the point of the American road trip to New Orleans or moments of the Vietnam special).

In fairness to Clarkson, I do feel that some (but not all) of the criticism he gets is unfair for this reason.

yep agree about being passionate about it.

I am abit at some of the things he gets away with saying on top gear but hes genuinely funny and on TG prepared to make a prat of himself (as do the other 2 guuys) and that's why I like him too.

Theres a James may toy prog coming up too soon.

I loved on the Vietnam special (sorry, going off topic here OP) when he said that people think Vietnam is a war, not a country.

verypoignamt and very true.

James May is tonight

well watch that too, I like the way he makes things out of toys.

but back to the OP its good that people known in other progs present progs like that because as I said I watched because I knew it was him presenting and that then drew me into the history as I had no idea of that part of history.

Waves at Hester.

DP watched it, and I was in the room, reading. I don't like JC and I don't like war things, but I did hear the odd bit, and I agree that on this occasion, JC got the tone exactly right. I saw the bit about painting the ships white, and the little picture that someone had done. You could see that JC was reverential about it. Very moving.

Knew one or two survivors of the dreaded convoys, what they went through was horrific.

The thing with Clarkson is that he knows what entertains a lot of people and this enables him to make a program like this and bring it to an audience, who might not normally watch a history program. If he wasn't 'a dick' he wouldn't have this gift of being able to do this.

That's a really good point actually. Brunel, for example, was suddenly a focus of a lot of renewed interest after his presentation of him as a top ten greatest Briton. I think a lot of people in this country are still fascinated by all things WWII, but this programme contained a lot of information the general public had by and large previously overlooked.

Apologies for calling you a dick, Clarkson. But you do often act like one.