Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2005-05-10 07:55:32 - Graham Ellis
We gathered in the early evening - a queue to enter the Assembly Rooms in Warminster; about 30 folks when we arrived, swelling to around a hundred by the time 8 O'clock arrived and Weightwatchers moved out. A friendly lady walked along the line, checking with each of the ladies to ensure that she wasn't pregnant - something to do with the sheep in lambing season but I didn't catch whether the risk was to sheep and lambs or to the ladies. I didn't see anyone leave; I'm thinking that none of the folks in this queue was expecting ... and I think they have read and taken to heart the no smoking, no cameras and no mobile phones rules for later in the evening as they were using them (and abusing their bodies) with gay abandon at that point.
We were attending the live start of the reality show "The Farm", an event being run at a farm just south of Warminster on the old road up to the Imber Ranges. Bussed out from Warminster, our convoy turned left off the main road up the single track lane to towards the back of beyond where a fairy-tale floodlit cottage appeared as if by magic - totally out of place; we watched for an hour, cheered and clapped when we were told ... and watched the 10 "celebs" as they arrived at the Farm, were interviewed and entered the house. Truth be known, though, I'm getting old. I know Orville the Duck who came in second or third with his handler, Keith Harris ... but most of the others weren't known to me though they look a colourful bunch; a group designed to make interesting TV, I'm sure but I'm not sure how well this bunch of models, porn stars, actors and ventrilaquists will be able to milk a cow or even cook a slice of toast. No doubt we'll see over the coming weeks.
What does come through at these live TV shows is just what a well oiled machine is backing the whole thing up and how professional the back stage people and the presenters are. Fascinating to watch as they move around an reorganise during commercial breaks and film clips. There was something about the "stars" too; most of them also come across as professionals who are throwing a persona to the camera but yet you end up with a suspicion that "off set" they're more normal people doing a job. Perhaps the whole farm will be an act.