George Orwell BBC Arena Part 2 - Road to Wigan Pier

[@sebastianmelmoth7331]

Back when we had great TV documentaries.

[@kathleankeesler1639]

Wonderful entertainment during our COVID stay at home, stay safe, save a life, winter weather, here in Lacey Washington. I thank you kindly Mr Alan Ruben.

[@TommyFoolery-ep3xh]

completely brainwashed, what safe and effective jab are you up to now 9, 10 guffaw

[@taylorharbin3948]

These are incredible programs. Imagine how many of these people would never have been able to share their knowledge unless the BBC had found them? And the footage of the built environment where they lived is amazing. The lack of background music and clever editing makes me think I'm in someone's living room.

[@tonysuffolk]

Yes, we should fight to maintain the BBC. It has it's faults but still the greatest educator and informer.

[@benwinter2420]

Can't say too much about the BBC . . three full screen in increasing threatening language 'notices' by YT

[@MrBobgillan]

Thanks again for putting these documentaries up. They're much appreciated!

[@debyte]

Many, many thanks for posting this glorious series of programmes.

[@thepostnearlyman]

Truly wonderful viewing. I'm itching to see parts 3-5! Thanks ever so much.

[@rupertpitt4]

They should make TV like this now.

[@andydixon2980]

@Julius Agricola There's always been shallow numbskulls around, it's just they cater for them more these days.

[@dickvarga6908]

@Julius Agricola most of us are addicted to entertainment , including me, andtoo few have very little interest in reality .

[@samsum3738]

A very good documentary . Plus so many that were actual witnesses to seeing Orwell

[@simontaxihall]

‘the post-war development of cheap luxuries has been a very fortunate thing for our rulers. It is quite likely that fish-and-chips, art-silk stockings, tinned salmon, cut-price chocolate, the movies, the radio, strong tea, and the Football Pools have between them averted revolution……The thing has happened, but by an un-conscious process - the quite natural interaction between the manufacturer’s need for a market and the need of half-starved people for relaxation ’. (The Road to Wigan Pier. Orwell, G) 1936

[@helentucker6407]

That was priceless as a document of Orwell's document. Thank you very much.

[@sportstrader2175]

The working class citizens featured in this doc come across very very well AUTHENTIC no nonsense, no superficiality. Salt of the earth

[@user-hi9cv1sc2i]

I loved this documentary series.

[@morp8047]

Fascinating documentary. Pity their is no video footage of George Orwell talking.

[@electricleg207]

I don`t think he ever spoke in front of a camera ,only a mic when he worked on the radio doing broadcasting for the BBC during the war.

[@mikedouglas9863]

This video claims to show Orwell at the Eton Wall Game of 1921. I'm sure that one day a recording of his voice will turn up. One of the numerous broadcasts made by Orwell during his time with BBC must to be out there somewhere.

[@jimisi7424]

Arena was on a different level. If this is your first Arena documentary. I strongly suggest expanding your collection

[@aucourant9998]

He tried his best and succeeded to some degree in tapping into something genuine.

[@joesix-pack4022]

"To some degree", yes - but he was never really accepted or trusted by the working class people he wrote about - he went to Eton, for God's sake! And I can't read Orwell without cringing now and again at how easily upset he is by dirt and smells - and by poverty and working class life generally - and by how self-conscious a lot of his writing is, and by his silly stereotypes and oddball theories - "Like all people with dirty hands, he..." Orwell is always saying things like, "All middle-aged women believe that..." or, "Like all school teachers, she..."

[@seanriley007]

@@joesix-pack4022 I don't know how you can feel comfortable saying he was never accepted by the working class people he wrote about. He wrote about good many working class people and knew a lot more than made it into his writings.

[@joesix-pack4022]

@@seanriley007 Perhaps some of them accepted him, but in that very class-conscious time most working class people would have felt uncomfortable with a 'toff' who'd been to one of the most expensive schools in the country. In Spain, where Orwell fought alongside factory workers and farm labourers against the fascists, it was different - Orwell put his life on the line just like them and it's obvious they respected him for that.

[@jonharrison9222]

@@joesix-pack4022 He didn’t need to be. All he needed was to write down what he saw - and the miner’s daughter confirmed his accuracy. You do seem to think that coming clean about received prejudices - and overcoming them - is somehow worse than doing the opposite. It isn’t. And Orwell never said ‘he came from Wigan for God’s sake.’ Spotted your predicament?

[@rafikbouaouni1880]

Lot of people know only 1984 and animal farm

[@jozefserf2024]

31:01 All of the wealth and glory of the British Empire never made a jot of difference to the vast majority of its own subjects. So where did the money go?

[@rexterrocks]

Orwell wrote some remarkable work but I find 'Down and out in Paris and London' and 'The road to Wigan Pier very reminiscent of Jack London's writing. When I first saw the book 'The road to Wigan pier' I was only young and thought ' How can Wigan have a pier, it's nowhere near the seaside? :-) When I read it I had to look up what 'Tripe' was. I think those books really bring that era to life brilliantly.

[@electricleg207]

He certainly `borrowed` from Jack London ,The Iron Heel was one of the many influences on 1984.

[@jonharrison9222]

He admired London’s own tramping journeys and modelled Down and Out on his template. But it’d be a tad daft to claim he borrowed anything from him other than a concept.

[@mfr58]

Just read The Road... It bares much analysis as it provokes much thought ( or should do!) and challenge to opinions. Very insightful, yet flawed- as most polemical works are.

[@goodyeoman4534]

32:13 passages like this is why Orwell is unsurpassed

[@FrederickBowdler]

Beechill estate was brandnew when Orwell visited but he was not really impressed by a beautiful house 😊 with an indoor toilet

[@SimonaIrinaCantuniari]

Please, where can I watch The Road to Wigan Pier - 1973, a musical documentary by Frank Cvitanovich? Thank you so much.

[@stevendouglas3860]

Very clever guy . Ahead of his time.

[@Kevo216666]

Anyone know what the intro music's called?

[@worldpeace8299]

Brian Eno "Another Green World"

[@MilesBellas]

15:30 He's alive.

[@HenryMcGuinnessGuitar]

Damn, Orwell was good! I never liked Road to Wigan Pier - it's too grim, and just the thought of that family with all the dirty tripe makes me ill - but he has this knack for hitting the nail on the head. Bit too negative sometimes, though.

[@kabukikommandofourthworld5266]

The reality of the English at the time was not crumpets and tea at Buckingham Palace, I'm sorry to say. You sound overly coddled and pampered with remarks such as these. You must be quite the ninny. 👺✨🗡👺

[@HenryMcGuinnessGuitar]

@@kabukikommandofourthworld5266 oh look, the "mute" option! I wonder what it does...

[@kabukikommandofourthworld5266]

@@HenryMcGuinnessGuitar Go ahead, ninny. 😝

[@jonharrison9222]

Life isn’t Sunday school. Wigan at the time was like that.

[@cinnamonwarrior148]

deliciously dull

[@unkleskratch]

vultures picking a corpse.

[@frederickbowdler8169]

Wigan was a pollution hot spot smoky from industry dirty from the mines .miners were in general big drinkers and well paid lots of other workers were poorly paid. Facilities in the town were poor, in the sixties and very poor since the 1850 a legacy of poverty not addressed by parliament.

[@TomTremayne]

Contrary to popular belief, Orwell was not a fan of the Labour Party.

[@gofmjhhytgr2129]

How can the BBC make even George Orwell seem boring?

[@jonharrison9222]

?

[@bookaufman9643]

I have this connection in my mind between George Orwell and Pink Floyd. There is something about their cynical view of the world that radiates in George Orwell's cynical view of the world. Obviously Orwell inspired Pink Floyd and not the other way but the two do seem to go hand in hand for me. There's something that is profoundly negative in both of their readings of the modern world and though I'm not going to say that that's an incorrect reading it is at times a useless one.

[@jonharrison9222]

How? No one ever put something right without first noticing something was wrong.

[@bookaufman9643]

I did say "at times." I think you have to be both cynical and open in this world and if you can't do both at the same time then you have to make room for both.

[@Poemsapennyeach]

RE Working Glass jobs...not available...it's all blokes/men so called suffering. Women seeked work too!

[@keithparker1346]

Im 58 and I recall when I was a kid my mother didnt really need to work at all and families could survive on 1 wage..almost impossible nowadays

[@58christiansful]

Interesting, perhaps, from a sociological point of view - oh but how tedious and depressing. And one cannot really blame capitalism exclusively for the awful lives of these people. Low IQ, ingrained prejudice, lack of ambition, lack of opportunities - all that plays a part. Anyhow, it was Orwell who put Wigan on the map.