BBC Programme - The Queen Mary:Greatest Ocean Liner

Apologies to those of you who can't access the BBC iplayer but I thought this might be interest to those who can.

The Queen Mary:Greatest Ocean Liner

Apologies to those of you who can't access the BBC iplayer but I thought this might be interest to those who can.

 

The Queen Mary:Greatest Ocean Liner

Many thanks ,watching it now.

It can also be found on YouTube.

This is being shown on BBC4 at 9pm this evening if anyone missed it first time.

Will be watching tonight, my dad sailed on her and the Nieuw Amsterdam in the 40's.

But they were both troopships at the time! I still have a card of the NA he sent me from Durban

The Smithsonian Channel in the U.S. premiered a show last evening titled "Mighty Ship at War: Queen Mary". As it turns out, this show is essentially the same BBC programme "Queen Mary: Greatest Ocean Liner" mentioned in this thread with some adjustments made for the American market.

The version on the Smithsonian Channel has been shortened by cutting some segments to accommodate commercial breaks for U.S. television. The missing segments are mostly some of the reminiscences of past passengers and crew. The narrator is American instead of British and some minor adjustments have been made to the script for American audiences. For example, a reference to the Queen Mary's turbo-generators being able to deliver enough energy to service a city the size of Brighton in the BBC version has been changed to refer to a city the size of San Diego in the Smithsonian Channel version.

Anyway, for those who do not have access to the BBC but do receive the Smithsonian Channel, you might want to check out "Mighty Ship at War: Queen Mary". It will be shown several more times this week.

Regards,

John.

We just watched it. Although the ship is not one we have seen in real life, it was so familiar.

A great show but I am now left wanting to book a transatlantic on QM2 :)

A very good programme overall. Good to get the memories of those who sailed on her in both peace and war.

Excellent film footage, although given that she still exists to be filmed, I was surprised there wasn't more film taken on board.

Although many of her public rooms have been changed or destroyed, many survive or have been recently restored; it would have been good to see some of them.

If this film had been about the Queen Elizabeth or the Normandie, then they would have had to rely on archive film. But Queen Mary is still with us to film and show on a tv programme; a lost opportunity I feel.

Also, whilst there was no mention of her near-sister Queen Elizabeth... odd... they showed many overhead archive film shots of the Queen Elizabeth at sea... whilst talking about the Queen Mary!

Next time it's on, I'll watch it again, if only for the memories of those who sailed on her (I've only visited in Long Beach sadly).

The Smithsonian Channel in the U.S. premiered a show last evening titled "Mighty Ship at War: Queen Mary". As it turns out, this show is essentially the same BBC programme "Queen Mary: Greatest Ocean Liner" mentioned in this thread with some adjustments made for the American market.

 

The version on the Smithsonian Channel has been shortened by cutting some segments to accommodate commercial breaks for U.S. television. The missing segments are mostly some of the reminiscences of past passengers and crew. The narrator is American instead of British and some minor adjustments have been made to the script for American audiences. For example, a reference to the Queen Mary's turbo-generators being able to deliver enough energy to service a city the size of Brighton in the BBC version has been changed to refer to a city the size of San Diego in the Smithsonian Channel version.

 

Anyway, for those who do not have access to the BBC but do receive the Smithsonian Channel, you might want to check out "Mighty Ship at War: Queen Mary". It will be shown several more times this week.

 

Regards,

John.

Thanks for the heads up, bluemarble! Looking forward to seeing this even if they did cut and paste it.

Apologies to those of you who can't access the BBC iplayer but I thought this might be interest to those who can.

 

The Queen Mary:Greatest Ocean Liner

A good and interesting documentary. It left me feeling sad that so far there is no prospect of the QE2 ending up as a hotel/museum in a similar manner to QM.

I also very much enjoyed the program. My mom was in the lst group of war brides who sailed on the Queen Mary in early 1946 so I was glad there was a segment on them............Mom and I sailed in the 50's, early 60's to visit my English grandparents and for me, it was a marvelous experience........We were in tourist class but everything seemed so grand.......in those days you had a deck chair assigned to you with a steward, he would wrap a blanket around your legs, serve tea,.............we were in bunk beds in our tiny cabin, but a treat for me, I got top bunk!....on the last voyage in l962, we had access to the lst class lounge for the church service, I had use of the lst class swimming pool..............I agree with Pepper that there should have been a mention of the Queen Elizabeth as she was also instrumental in the war effort..............So glad we have the Queen Mary 2 - will be on board again for the November Caribbean voyage, can hardly wait.......................

I also very much enjoyed the program. My mom was in the lst group of war brides who sailed on the Queen Mary in early 1946 so I was glad there was a segment on them............Mom and I sailed in the 50's, early 60's to visit my English grandparents and for me, it was a marvelous experience........We were in tourist class but everything seemed so grand.......in those days you had a deck chair assigned to you with a steward, he would wrap a blanket around your legs, serve tea,.............we were in bunk beds in our tiny cabin, but a treat for me, I got top bunk!....on the last voyage in l962, we had access to the lst class lounge for the church service, I had use of the lst class swimming pool..............I agree with Pepper that there should have been a mention of the Queen Elizabeth as she was also instrumental in the war effort..............So glad we have the Queen Mary 2 - will be on board again for the November Caribbean voyage, can hardly wait.......................

I agree with all you say above, esp the section about the war brides.

I too am on the November 26th QM2 Caribbean Cruise; there is an active roll-call here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2211404&page=8

you'd be made very welcome if you wished to join it :)

Best wishes to you, hope to meet you on board QM2 in November :)

I also very much enjoyed the program. My mom was in the lst group of war brides who sailed on the Queen Mary in early 1946 so I was glad there was a segment on them............Mom and I sailed in the 50's, early 60's to visit my English grandparents and for me, it was a marvelous experience........We were in tourist class but everything seemed so grand.......in those days you had a deck chair assigned to you with a steward, he would wrap a blanket around your legs, serve tea,.............we were in bunk beds in our tiny cabin, but a treat for me, I got top bunk!....on the last voyage in l962, we had access to the lst class lounge for the church service, I had use of the lst class swimming pool..............I agree with Pepper that there should have been a mention of the Queen Elizabeth as she was also instrumental in the war effort..............So glad we have the Queen Mary 2 - will be on board again for the November Caribbean voyage, can hardly wait.......................

What a wonderful history to have! Fantastic programme too.

Despite the fact that the American narrator could not pronounce "Cunard" properly, I very much enjoyed the show. I only wish I could remember more about my crossing on her in 1962.

Despite the fact that the American narrator could not pronounce "Cunard" properly...

Perhaps because he's Scottish?:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iain_Glen

There was a different narrator for the American version. I tried a quick Google but I couldn't find out who it was.

There was a different narrator for the American version. I tried a quick Google but I couldn't find out who it was.

Just for the record, the narrator of the American version is Corey Johnson. His voice is familiar to me from other documentaries shown on several different American television channels, but I didn't know his name until I checked the credits. I don't know for sure if he is the same Corey Johnson found here on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corey_Johnson_(actor). If so, he has UK connections but is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana.

Regards,

John.

Thanks bluemarble

Caught up with it at last.

Great programme and so glad I took the opportunity to get on board when visiting Los Angeles on board Queen Mary 2