Sky At Night

[Night Train]

The Sky At Night is one of the few programmes I watch on TV. It really bugs me that the BBC cannot schedule it with any accuracy. Other programmes I allow a minute each side of the times shown and I can usually catch it all for recording. The Sky at Night needs 10 minutes before and 30 minutes after to catch it! It was 8 minutes early tonight and I have known it to be 20 minutes late which is crap for a 25 minute programme!

I have given up complaning to the BBC about it as they obviously don't give a poo about it as it isn't Eastenders or football so clearly has zero viewing figures. I reckon it has zero viewing figures because it isn't on when the viewers switch over for it!

Rant over. As you were.

 

[jasper]

Sky+ is your friend...

 

[Night Train]

Maybe, but it is the principle of the thing.
I record everything anyway and hardly ever watch live tv just so I can cut out the time wasting adverts, trailers and credits.
It is just annoying that I have to devote an hour of recording time to make sure I can capture a 25 minute transmission.

 

[Maz]

Why is The Sky at Night so variable in its start time? Surely that would mean all the programmes before it were not running on schedule as well.

 

[Maz]

Well, it doesn't have Simon Cowell in it and it's on BBC2. That means that if the live tiddlywinks coverage overruns you're buggered.

I see what you mean. Snooker's the classic one for over-running.

 

[Night Train]

The Sky At Night was on BBC1 last night and before it was a film, The Weather Man, scheduled to run from 10.20 to midnight. I set my recorder for 11.50 to 1am and The Sky At Night started just 2 minutes after the recorder did. It did capture the end of the film and all the credits before hand.
I guess the schedulers probably couldn't make the film fit to a 10 minute increment and thought 'Bugger it, no one except nerds and geeks and people who are hard of hearing will be up on a Sunday night anyway so it don't matter!'

 

[Maz]

Pointing out the obvious, but your VCR clock time is correct, right?

 

[Over The Hill]

It is delayed sometimes while they try and squeeze Patrick Moore through the studio door.

On the plus side, at least the BBC is still showing it. Any commercial station would not.

 

[jonathan ellis]

Sky+ is your friend...

but where is the series link?

I always forget its on and end up on Iplayer

 

[Mr Phoebus]

I like to catch it on BBC4 when it's shown at a more realistic time.
It's repeated on BBC4, tomorrow at 7.30pm.

 

[Night Train]

Pointing out the obvious, but your VCR clock time is correct, right?

Fair question I guess.
All my recorders are correct to within +-30 seconds of 'the time sponsored by Accurist is...' so I can usually catch everything else without any problems. I was recording other programmes on other channels through out the evening and they are all fine.

 

[domtyler]

Have you considered taking this issue up with the director general himself? Or even your local MP?

 

[Andy in Sig]

Why is The Sky at Night so variable in its start time? Surely that would mean all the programmes before it were not running on schedule as well.

Obvious innit? They've just tied it in to the phases of the moon.

 

[Maz]

In the inimitable words of Patrick Moore: "Never, never, ever, under any circumstances look directly at The Sun with the naked eye, especially page 3. You could go blind."

 

[Night Train]

Sky at night started 5 minutes late tonight. The film before it started on time so someone at the BBC is an idiot!

I have emailed the BBC tonight.