0:00:10 > 0:00:13Good afternoon and welcome to Points Of View
0:00:13 > 0:00:16from the new home of news and current affairs output,
0:00:16 > 0:00:18New Broadcasting House.
0:00:18 > 0:00:19And, for the past week,
0:00:19 > 0:00:22all eyes have been on the US presidential election.
0:00:22 > 0:00:23A good thing?
0:01:13 > 0:01:15That's a resounding no, then.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17But surely the powers that be had good reason
0:01:17 > 0:01:20to send so many different faces to cover the polls?
0:01:20 > 0:01:24It is a big story. We think really hard about how to cover it
0:01:24 > 0:01:27and because we do so much output on television,
0:01:27 > 0:01:30television services, radio services and also on the website,
0:01:30 > 0:01:34we need to make sure we have a team that can do everything.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37And so what we do is combine the really strong
0:01:37 > 0:01:40and brilliant team in Washington, in America,
0:01:40 > 0:01:42with people that we send from London.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45The people that you see in the piece of output that you watch
0:01:45 > 0:01:48are actually doing a lot of other things besides.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50They may indeed also have been working for radio
0:01:50 > 0:01:52or writing for the website.
0:01:52 > 0:01:53So we think really, really hard
0:01:53 > 0:01:57about the deployment and cost-effectiveness
0:01:57 > 0:02:00and making sure all our people share journalism across the platforms.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04In fact, we sent fewer people this year than in 2008.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Back at home and if some music fans are to be believed,
0:02:07 > 0:02:11an international incident was almost triggered on Strictly
0:02:11 > 0:02:15by the audience reaction to a world-renowned opera singer.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43I don't think it was your fault, Norman.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46APPLAUSE DROWNS OUT SINGING
0:02:53 > 0:02:57APPLAUSE DROWNS OUT SINGING
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Naturally, the studio audience for Strictly
0:03:02 > 0:03:05is more likely to be made up of dance fans than opera fans
0:03:05 > 0:03:10but it seems a spot of cross-arts courtesy wouldn't go amiss.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Now, on to the natural world. Miraculous, isn't it?
0:03:13 > 0:03:16That appears to be the only word BBC1 can think to apply to it
0:03:16 > 0:03:19as they launch two entirely unconnected
0:03:19 > 0:03:23but eerily similar-sounding documentaries.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27Nature's Miracle Babies and Miracles Of Nature.
0:03:27 > 0:03:28First, the babies.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30We are here in Australia
0:03:30 > 0:03:34but you have Tasmanian devils. Why? Why are they here?
0:03:34 > 0:03:37Well, the devils in Tasmania are doing quite badly.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41They are suffering from devil facial tumour disease,
0:03:41 > 0:03:43which is really spreading quite fast
0:03:43 > 0:03:46and has wiped out over 80% of devils down there.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48- 80% now?- Yes, that is right.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51So what we are doing is building up an insurance population.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Should the Tasmanian devil get wiped out in Tasmania,
0:03:54 > 0:03:56we will have a population large enough
0:03:56 > 0:04:00and diverse enough to hopefully later reintroduce it to Tasmania.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23On the other hand, Miracles Of Nature
0:04:23 > 0:04:26was presented by petrol-head Richard Hammond,
0:04:26 > 0:04:29which put the cat among the pigeons before it even started.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07- Oh!- You doing all right?
0:05:07 > 0:05:09I am scared, on an Olympic scale.
0:05:09 > 0:05:14- All right, have a look up to your left.- Whoa!
0:05:14 > 0:05:18There's millions! How did we get in amongst them?
0:05:18 > 0:05:23Outdoing Richard Hammond in aerial acrobatics was Felix Baumgartner.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26His space dive made headlines in the newsrooms last month
0:05:26 > 0:05:31and made an hour-and-a-half-long documentary for BBC2 last week.
0:05:31 > 0:05:32SOARING MUSIC PLAYS
0:05:32 > 0:05:35And our guardian angel will take care of you.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Alarming, Ashley, spot on!
0:06:10 > 0:06:14And how on earth do you film such an endeavour?
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Felix's jump, we had to find ways of covering it
0:06:17 > 0:06:18from every possible angle
0:06:18 > 0:06:22and the most important cameras to us, in some respects,
0:06:22 > 0:06:24were the cameras on Felix himself.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27We had five cameras on him and it was really important
0:06:27 > 0:06:30that we were able to capture the moment
0:06:30 > 0:06:32when he passed through the sound barrier on him,
0:06:32 > 0:06:34through his point of view.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39And those cameras were the cameras that we used to illustrate
0:06:39 > 0:06:43just how severe the spin and tumble was.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46So just as he was about to pass through the sound barrier,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Felix lost control completely.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51You see the sun spinning at an incredible rate.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54You see the Earth in his visor spinning at an incredible rate.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58And then, when he gets that stability back,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01you see that moment where he is tracking, head down again,
0:07:01 > 0:07:03the way a skydiver would want to.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07And the cameras caught those moments absolutely perfectly.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10A legendary achievement and, speaking of legend,
0:07:10 > 0:07:13"In a land of myth and a time of magic..."
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Merlin is attracting around seven million viewers
0:07:16 > 0:07:20into its web of medieval intrigue each week.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23EXPLOSION
0:07:28 > 0:07:29Arthur!
0:07:52 > 0:07:55You can't imagine that when you start a job
0:07:55 > 0:07:58and it is this little show about magic down in Wales,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00that it would become this phenomenon that it has done.
0:08:00 > 0:08:05And five years and over 180 countries later, we are still going.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16We are taking the fans who came with us from Series 1
0:08:16 > 0:08:17all the way to series 5.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19They have grown up with the series.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22It has got tonally more darker, which hopefully will be right.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25We do not shy away from, not the bloodshed,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28because there is no blood but there are a lot of fight sequences
0:08:28 > 0:08:30and it looks amazing.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32The main thing about Merlin has always been the story
0:08:32 > 0:08:36and then the CGI and all those elements come in to round that out
0:08:36 > 0:08:39and give it the extra colour, the tapestry and things like that.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43But it is difficult when people look at TV and they expect film.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46But I think what has made Merlin so successful
0:08:46 > 0:08:48is it does stand up well to that.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01The CGI is incredible on this show. It really is.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03Every year they get bigger and better
0:09:03 > 0:09:07and it makes it really fun for us to watch and see what they have done.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11I think it is really impressive, especially for a British show.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15The effects are as good as you will see on American TV
0:09:15 > 0:09:18and I just think that it is brilliant.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20HORSES WHINNY
0:09:20 > 0:09:22SNAKES HISS
0:09:26 > 0:09:28It is not strictly science-fiction,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30although Merlin is now making
0:09:30 > 0:09:32as much use of computer-generated images
0:09:32 > 0:09:35as the glossiest of Hollywood sci-fi.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38But little else on the BBC offers an adult outlet
0:09:38 > 0:09:42for fans of science-fiction, according to George Matthews.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46Can I please ask why there are no adult science-fiction
0:09:46 > 0:09:48programmes on BBC television?
0:09:48 > 0:09:52We get lots of cookery, costume dramas and soap operas
0:09:52 > 0:09:55but we do not get any adult science-fiction.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59Doctor Who is OK but really is just for the children.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Please can we have some adult science-fiction?
0:10:01 > 0:10:05There are lots of great stories out there just waiting to be
0:10:05 > 0:10:08made into television programmes and films.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10Now, strap yourselves in tightly.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12How Safe Are Britain's Roads?
0:10:12 > 0:10:15has had a far from smooth ride with viewers.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19The BBC2 investigation into traffic accidents
0:10:19 > 0:10:21nearly caused a few, by all accounts.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37We are down to 60 but let us take her up to 70.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40It is going to take a while. This is the kind of car that was around.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43It is so different from modern cars
0:10:43 > 0:10:46and, if I am honest, so much worse.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00So, it is not just belt up but eyes front, Justin Rowlatt.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Now, subtitles have proved a valuable addition
0:11:03 > 0:11:06to help viewers with hearing issues
0:11:06 > 0:11:08get greater enjoyment from TV programmes.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Audio description is a similar service
0:11:11 > 0:11:16designed to help those with impaired sight follow proceedings on screen.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30If you are finding your television programmes are narrating themselves,
0:11:30 > 0:11:34what you have probably done is turned on the audio description service -
0:11:34 > 0:11:36a service for the blind and partially-sighted.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48Hi, my name is Scott, and basically I am an audio describer.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52It is a service primarily for visually impaired and blind people.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54When no-one is talking,
0:11:54 > 0:11:57we provide a commentary of what is happening on screen
0:11:57 > 0:12:00to help them understand and follow the programme.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03A young knight with wavy black hair
0:12:03 > 0:12:06swings his sword at Arthur in the training ground at Camelot.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Well over 10% of all the programmes
0:12:09 > 0:12:12on the main television channels is audio described
0:12:12 > 0:12:14and that ranges from prime-time drama
0:12:14 > 0:12:17to documentaries, to children's programming.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19If this is a service you don't require,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22there are a number of websites with information on how to turn off
0:12:22 > 0:12:25and on the service, such as the BBC and the RNIB.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29If you are still having difficulties, the best thing to do
0:12:29 > 0:12:34is either to refer to the instruction manual for your TV or set-top box,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37or to speak to your television service provider.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39If it is a service you think you might benefit from,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42then please do turn us on.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46I hope you find it useful and enjoyable.
0:12:46 > 0:12:47So, now we know.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49Audio description is a valuable service
0:12:49 > 0:12:51for large parts of the audience and,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54if you accidentally switch yours on and don't want it,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57simply switch it off. You have made a mistake.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59For once, the programme-makers haven't.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02However, I'm sure there are plenty of other things to comment on.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04So if you want to, do write to us.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08Here is the address:
0:13:08 > 0:13:13YOU are also more than welcome to email. The address is:
0:13:13 > 0:13:19Or you can jump on to our very lively messageboard which is at:
0:13:19 > 0:13:21and you can still phone us, of course.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25The number is charged as a local rate call from a landline.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Here it is for you.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32Oh, and before we go, a quick apology to our weather friends
0:13:32 > 0:13:36after a spot by David McIlwaine last week.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Now, as Brian Hughes and Carolyn Dee have pointed out,
0:13:39 > 0:13:43there is indeed a small town called Jacksonville in South Carolina,
0:13:43 > 0:13:44as well as one in Florida.
0:13:44 > 0:13:49So we end where we started, in those swing states. Goodbye.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd