The Reassembler (On iplayer now)

[KruJoe]

James May: The Reassembler (BBC4)

 

All on iplayer now:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b076nwjz/episodes/guide
 

 

Ep 1/3:

 

"Lawnmower"

 

New series. James explores the intricacies and engineering of various objects by putting them together again from a pile of their component parts. In the opening instalment, he is faced with the 331 pieces that make up the Suffolk Colt, a 1959 petrol lawnmower.
 

[fairkens]

James May: The Reassembler

 

BBC4 9pm - 9.30

 

Lawnmower New series. James explores the intricacies and engineering of various objects by putting them together again from a pile of their component parts. In the opening instalment, he is faced with the 331 pieces that make up the Suffolk Colt, a 1959 petrol lawnmower.

 

Cheers! Looks good that

[doobietoo]

Cool good man I do like a bit of May...

[KruJoe]

Aye, I saw a trailer, looks alright...

[KruJoe]

I enjoyed that. A pleasing lack of daft music and against-the-clock melodrama.

I'm sure it'll be ont' iplayer if you missed it.

 

He's back again tomorrow, same time:

 

 

The presenter continues in his quest to put history back together again one piece at a time by tackling a 1957 Bakelite dial telephone, a challenge involving 211 pieces.

[Tamworthbay]

Hmmm, ok I suppose but a bit train spotter. Will watch the next one and see how it goes.

[Guest Lord Sward]

I was a bit disappointed actually.

[Pillock]

I've recorded it, as it clashed with the thing about the London Underground.

 

It's proper off the hook in my house, I tell you.

[Guest Lord Sward]

The underground programme was much better.  It makes you feel glad not to love on the south.  Then again, watching that mower go back* together, I'm glad I've got a Honda Izzy.

[Pillock]

Aaah, I watched the Underground thing because I love the tube, it fascinates me.

[KruJoe]

Catch-up:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b076np2b/james-may-the-reassembler-1-lawnmower

[HH-R]

I'm not really a fan of May, he seems a likeable chap then ruins it by having some sort of "smash things up" compulsion on every programme.

[KruJoe]

This was exactly the opposite of that

[hairnet]

taped it as was busy

[Pete-M]

I enjoyed that.

[Barry Cade]

I need to watch this- that was my first job when I left skool. Lawnmower mechanic- 95% of them being Suffolk Punch and Colts. Learned a lot about a 1 cyl, 4 stroke engine, then just multiply by 2,3,4,5,6,8,10,12,16 to get a car lump.

[smellypoo]

I just watched this on iPlayer, I missed it last night - not a bad way to pass 30 minutes considering the dross they could schedule instead... I wonder what it would have been like if it were 60 minutes long, suppose it's the balance between being detailed and the average audience losing interest...

[dollywobbler]

I enjoyed it. It was like a warm, snuggly jumper of a programme. Didn't keep you on the edge of your seat, didn't pander to OMG PAN ZOOM EXCiTE production standards that drive me mad these days. Reminded me a bit of the Secret Life of Machines, but needed to be longer, with better explanation of some bits - like the carburettor. 

[fairkens]

Agree, but by the same token there was a level of assumed knowledge which I quite liked, they knew who their audience would be and made it for them

[andy18s]

taped it as was busy

Taped? As in VHS ?

Or glorious Betamax. .......

 

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

[xtriple]

I thoroughly enjoyed that. Soft, gentle viewing. I like May's delivery and it's very obvious the man likes a good tinker.

[junkyarddog]

Very enjoyable,

Mr May is the most likable of the top gear three.

 

Just wished it was an hour long,wanted more in depth tinkering

[seth]

I felt a bit sorry for the production crew who were probably bored witless.  I thought it quite nice that it wasn't overly restored and while some parts had some fresh paint others were in their natural state.  Also felt like a complete lack of script and he just made it up as he went along.

 

He should buy some piston ring pliers though.

[barefoot]

My fair wife was less than impressed.

[jonny69]

I enjoyed that. It felt calming like a Sunday afternoon in the shed. I like to spend a free Sunday afternoon in the shed. Just a shame I don't ever have free Sunday afternoons these days. Or a shed. Bollocks.

[cms206]

Just sat and watched that myself in the office, a most enjoyable half hour. 10/10.

[dollywobbler]

My fair wife was less than impressed.

 

My fair wife reckoned it should have been an hour long.

[forddeliveryboy]

taped it as was busy

 

There's an idea for another episode, he could take apart a Betamax and VHS and compare.

 

Am looking forward to watching, I've get_iplayer'd it. 

[JohnDeere]

I wondered if it was really his shed, or a studio set up to look like a shed.  (Given that it was made by his own production co., it's probably his).  He had an impressive set of clamps on the side wall, and a great looking compressed air set up on the wall.

[Matt]

Also felt like a complete lack of script and he just made it up as he went along.

 

May's good at this. I can't imagine many other programs where the presenter wouldn't get their fingers wrapped for talking to the crew or where they would deliberately show the crew as they did here. He spoke to a camera operator on Man Lab too, both very informal programs.

 

I wondered if it was really his shed, or a studio set up to look like a shed.  (Given that it was made by his own production co., it's probably his).  He had an impressive set of clamps on the side wall, and a great looking compressed air set up on the wall.

 

If it's not his shed then I imagine he had a lot do to with the stuff that was in it, if it's not all his that is. The lighting must have been a professional set up though.