ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2020

Zoo TV

"ITV will broadcast a fascinating all-access documentary later this year, giving viewers a glimpse behind the scenes at locked-down ZSL London and Whipsnade Zoos during the coronavirus pandemic."
 
14556 said:
Zoo TV

On the evening news just now, ZSL are looking for £25 million to "see them through to next year".

"ITV will broadcast a fascinating all-access documentary later this year, giving viewers a glimpse behind the scenes at locked-down ZSL London and Whipsnade Zoos during the coronavirus pandemic."
Click to expand...

Couple of questions -
Does that mean they've received the £25m they were asking for?
Has ITV been filming during the lock-down? - we've postponed one small scientific film-crew because it was considered 'unnecessary travel'...
 
The film crew may also have been London-based, which would have reduced any length of travel time. Some keepers have been living on-site since lockdown, so maybe the film crew lived on-site too? There hasn't been enough information given for us to speculate too much at this point
 
Andrew Swales said:
Couple of questions -
Does that mean they've received the £25m they were asking for?
Has ITV been filming during the lock-down? - we've postponed one small scientific film-crew because it was considered 'unnecessary travel'...
Click to expand...

It is a very good point! I found the Jimmy's Farm programme a bit odd for the same reason - having film crews, even very small ones, following people around to film stuff when everyone's supposed to be staying at home unless its absolutely essential to do otherwise didn't sit right with me.
 
Crowthorne said:
The film crew may also have been London-based, which would have reduced any length of travel time. Some keepers have been living on-site since lockdown, so maybe the film crew lived on-site too? There hasn't been enough information given for us to speculate too much at this point
Click to expand...
Surely short-travel times breach lock-down - unless it has been very different in London.
Unless is was wholly filmed 'in-house' the likelihood of the film-crew living on-site would be slim, at the very least.
 
Just to clarify the situation regarding filming, as I understand it, even non-essential work has been permitted if working from home is not possible.

One would hope that social distancing would have been observed but making a documentary under these circumstances is not in itself a violation of lockdown rules.
 
Shirokuma said:
Just to clarify the situation regarding filming, as I understand it, even non-essential work has been permitted if working from home is not possible.

One would hope that social distancing would have been observed but making a documentary under these circumstances is not in itself a violation of lockdown rules.
Click to expand...

This reminded me, that press and journalists reporting on coronavirus were also designated key workers, so would have been allowed to work. If this series was directly commissioned as a result of the pandemic, which it seems to be, then the film crew would have fallen under the press/journalist category of key workers

Government gives 'key worker' status to all journalists reporting on coronavirus pandemic to the public
 
Shirokuma said:
Just to clarify the situation regarding filming, as I understand it, even non-essential work has been permitted if working from home is not possible.

One would hope that social distancing would have been observed but making a documentary under these circumstances is not in itself a violation of lockdown rules.
Click to expand...

These are fair points, although I do personally think its utterly stupid. But then there are a lot of things about the way this whole crisis has been handled that I think are stupid, and this probably isn't the place to discuss them!
 
Non-essential work has been permitted when working from home has not been possible unless that place of work has been specifically instructed to close.
 
Shirokuma said:
Non-essential work has been permitted when working from home has not been possible unless that place of work has been specifically instructed to close.
Click to expand...
Not in our case it wasn't - zoos have never been instructed to close, specifically or otherwise....
 
Last edited:
Andrew Swales said:
Making what is effectively a promotional programme for screening later in the year, is pushing that definition to its limits..
Click to expand...

I wholeheartedly agree. But I'm sure ZSL (and Jimmy's Farm) won't be complaining as they will no doubt be prominent in people's minds when 'ticketed attractions' can re-open, whilst those who haven't had the luxury of their own free TV advertising hope and pray that they can get enough people through the gates to make ends meet.

Incidentally, I was fuming a few weeks ago when several people were moaning about Chester Zoo's virtual zoo tour because they couldn't hear the commentary well enough. Presumably these people think that people with professional recording equipment should be going round the zoo with the keepers to enhance our viewing pleasure... sometimes I really do despair of people!
 
Panthera1981 said:
Further grim news regarding financial help-now the President of ZSL is appealing directly for aid.
Click to expand...

Whilst accepting that ZSL are probably are in a very bad financial position right now, does an appeal from their President really indicate that things are particularly dire? I would have thought that pretty much ALL zoos were in the same position at this time, and their bosses will surely all be doing what they can to get financial support.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top