BBCS&PP brings 10 O’Clock Live to air

The topical comedy show 10 O’Clock Live returned to Channel 4 last month for a second series. Adrian Pennington takes a closer look at its fast turnaround production. Produced by Zeppotron and made in London at BBC Studios and Post Production’s TV Centre studio six, the series has a ten-week run. The studio’s 8,000 sq ft capacity (about 745 sq metres) means it can accommodate quick set changes and multiple staged areas, which are used to host various skits throughout the show. As the programme’s charm relies on it representing various topical news stories from the week, the studio crew has to prepare for every eventuality. Scripts are written on a Tuesday and re-written up to transmission, with rehearsals taking place on Wednesday afternoons, before the live show airs on a Wednesday night. Once the sketches and locations have been decided, any visual effects, gags and on-set stunts are constructed by the production with support from BBCS&PP. The team is experienced in facilitating indoor stunts and physical effects as they also help to make Sky1 HD’s A League Of Their Own, which in the past has involved everything from water tanks to race tracks. Last minute sketches are often written into the script. These need to be safety checked, managed and equipment sourced in time for transmission. The show’s camera set-up consists of a jib, Steadicam, handheld camera and four pedestal cameras. The live feeds are delivered via HD fibre direct to C4’s transmission facilities. A key part of the show is the pre-recorded footage. This is a mix of archive clips, other TV clips and new material recorded at TVC or at outside locations, post produced in house by BBCS&PP just before transmission. This footage is slotted into the running order, but it’s often only decided on the night which clips will make it into the show. According to BBCS&PP, it delivers “a fast, flexible and reliable workflow, along with extensive use of HD fibre lines between the various edit suites and the studio gallery” to ensure last minute decisions can be accommodated and the programme airs without a hitch. www.bbcstudiosandpostproduction.comwww.zeppotron.com