New Documentary BBC4
 

To air on January 9th, 9pm on BBC4. After that will be available on iplayer after it airs.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04xdrrb

It would be nice if they used this new documentary to promote and anounce the airing of the R&C concert TV registration :twisted:

Sounds really good and BBC4 are a bit more in depth than most other channels here these days.

Might actually mention the 80s albums which, according to BTM, "sold well in ENgland and Europe"

Awesome, thanks for sharing Monstro :D

Will have to catch this.

:twisted: Sounds interesting :)

look forward to it

Meat Loaf: In and Out of Hell BBC 4 Friday 9pm
 

Documentary About Meat Dont you Dare Miss It :::::roll:

An only child beaten by an alcoholic father; superstardom to super-bankruptcy; divorce, mental illness and a phoenix-like rise back to acclaim, wealth and glory. This reads like an opera plot but it is the life and fortunes of Meat Loaf. The producers of this biography do not avoid the theatricality – even the font used to caption contributors is as gothic as the one on the Bat out of Hell album cover. Mr Loaf looks old, tired and unwell – until he takes to the stage, where the rock opera behemoth is at his monstrous best.

ABOUT THIS PROGRAMME
A profile of the rock star's life and music, reflecting on the music that propelled him to fame and charting his journey from an overweight, bullied child to his larger-than-life persona and icon status. Featuring an interview and performance by the singer, as well as backstage footage from a Las Vegas concert. The film also revisits the Dallas of Meat Loaf's early years and includes insights from high school friends who reveal where the unusual moniker really came from.

CAST AND CREW

CREW
DirectorMatt O'Casey
EditorGeraint Reynolds
Executive ProducerSiobhan Logue
ProducerMatt O'Casey

time for me to contact these people about raw concert footage

That includes Me
 

Im the Promoter

This was suppose to be March but the BBC have brought it forward

I get BBC America though Time Warner but apparently BBC UK and BBC America are two different channels.:(

*Wishes I had cable again*

Hopefully this appears online somewhere or is purchaseable online! ;)

Looking forward to seeing this on Friday :)

Meat posted this on his Facebook page today as well ;)

You've not exactly been flushed with success in this department recently. :lol:

looks old, tied, and unwell? thats nice

Do you honestly think they'll be willing to give you the footage if they still had it?

If so I want to know how you manage to do it. ;)

I can't believe someone would use that as MARKETING.

Yeeeeeesh....

very odd way of putting it, cant see the big man being happy with that?

BBC in the UK is a network and is made up of several different channels so I'd imagine that BBC America will show a selection of what has aired previously on these channels or something like that.

I'd hope that the rest of the world is able to see this at some point and if not, that there will be ways to watch it online or something.

There is a site where those outside the UK will be able to watch it . someone very kindly posted the link on Meat's page many times. Unfortunately I cannot remember it, and Meat (when trying to change the picture posted with his initial announcement) managed to delete the entire thread ;) But it's worth doing some research if you're outside the UK. I recall Vicki thanked Rachel who posted it .. perhaps she has saved the link and could post it here?

One way that international fans could watch the iPlayer videos from outside of the UK would be to use a VPN to change your IP address. There are a number of services available and the free ones are usually limited in some way but one recommended by one of my computer magazines is tunnelbear.com

A free account limits you to 500mb of data per month which won't be enough to watch the show but a paid account giving you unlimited access on three devices would only be $4.99 a month.

I used to use these kind of services to watch the Celebrity Apprentice preview videos and extra footage from NBC's site a few years ago.

looks like a good documentary, BBC usually do a good job on these type of programs. was most likely being kept to go with the new albums release in march!!!. but its good to get it early

Lorraine Crosby and Bonnie Tyler are in the documentary from what I've read on Lorraine's FB :cool:

There is a (free) Firefox extension (May work with other browsers as well) called Hola that I've used in the past, and it worked very well. You just download, install, and then "change" your country location.

Somebody has reposted the link on Meat's page which is available outside the UK. I think this is easier than trying to fool BBC by changing your IP address etc. Haven't checked it out in detail .. but it seems it may be free

http://www.filmon.com/

Thanks Caryl :)

For anyone hoping to use a VPN, I pay for one called private internet access which works very well. It's only $3.99 a month (Canadian dollar)

There's also a chrome extension that seems to have worked well for some friends, I forget what it's called though. Can anyone help with that one? :-P

Meat did post in his new FB post that it will be shown in the US but has no ideal when. That's good, I'll be looking forward too it.

I thought VPN was visible panty l......
Oh! Maybe not. LOL
Roll on Friday. Looking forward to the programme.

By the looks of it the service allows you to watch programmes from over 600 TV channels for free (ad-supported). Not all TV shows are available to watch on demand but BBC4 is available to watch live so to be sure of catching this documentary you'll have to work out what the air times would be for your timezone.

The show airs on BBC Four at the following (GMT) times:

Friday 9th January - 9pm
Saturday 10th January - 1am
Sunday 11th January - 11:30pm

If you're registered and logged in it looks like you have the option to record once the show has started to watch later but I don't yet know if these will be available to download to your own computer.

Filmon, is very good

Here's a little article I found about one of the crew member's experience of making the documentary: http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co...ail/story.html

Cheers Jenna, nice little article

tell me about it

There is a 3 minute trailer on the BBC4 website if you want a taste of tonights show.
UK viewers only.....I think?

Well done M. Spot on. :0)

Thank you and Guy both very much :D The clip actually played here in the USA !!

Really l

I added this extension to my Google Chrome last night :

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/d...mflld?hl=en-GB

and now I can watch anything I want on the Iplayer :up: Fingers crossed it'll work for the show tonight, and for others in the USA as well :D

I've got almost pre-concert nerves going on here! Very odd!

You been queuing at your front door since last night?

Andy just opened the doors, got my barrier spot!

Have to say a bit of me doesn't want to watch it...going to be some serious Loaf blues afterwards!

Ooking forward to this

Thanks again Jenna. Ya it looks like you can "PVR" 10 hours for free. So, once you login (only requires an email/password to register), go to BBC4 and click record below the video area. Hoping this works. I've asked Leetah to record it for me since i'll be at work for the first two showings! eek.

I'm having to miss it tonight as I'm at that Steve Steinman 'Vampires Rock' show. What's the odds that I'll get a dose of the Loaf blues when they start TTW or BOOH? ;)

Ok, not a Meat Loaf documentary but BOOH documentary then

Who Needs The Young CONFIRMED.

OH MY THE LAST HALF HOUR HAS BEEN AMAZING

Seemed like mostly a good program to me and was good seeing Meat interacting with a fan towards the end and his thoughts and feelings on his fanbase. Had a discussion at home why most artists will never reach the highs as that of Meat Loaf. Sure some of it is luck, having the voice, an original concept and being at the right place and the right time, the right songs etc. But really MOST of it I think is hard work and still think that's what Meat did to have such a long and successful career. It's easy to dish but for most impossible to replicate because they are too lazy. Simple as that.

Maybe I'm missing something. I was using the Google Chrome extension ... I registered and when I tried to download the show but couldn't get it to work. I'll have to go back and try again, but at this point I'm just thrilled that I was able to see it :D I love technology !!!:D

BOOH -heavy but then it was always going to be...completely brilliant though, brilliant footage, brilliant contributions, just brilliant.

I loved it! I hope Fireball gets back soon to this place, well, he might to read the comments on this film. So in that case...

Meat, it was great! Way too short, cause there's so much more to tell. Maybe there will be more documentiaries in the future, I like 'em!


Who else watched it and what do you think?

:up: :up:

Glad you all enjoyed it! :D

Question...Do you get to hear any of Meat's performance? :P

Recently you mean? Little to nothing...
Earlier years, yup!

Those early performances in HD were immense!

*I should say on my hd tv....please don't pull me up on footage formats because I have no idea! *

Thanks Tina! Yup thats what i was wondering. Just trying to gauge how soon I'm going to watch it once I get home :P :P

Great documentary, with some excellent archive footage, would love to see more of the video shot during the Midnight recording sessions (I can hear Wario implode from here)

Great to see some familiar faces from days gone by interviewed as well.

Shame it was only an hour, and very Bat heavy, skipping over the last 30 yrs of Meat's career in about 15 minutes, but overall a very well made documentary.

Brilliant documentary! Cannot wait for this new album.

Agreed on all points ;) Certainly well made .. bound to be BOOH heavy I guess, but I'd have liked to see a little more from the last 15 years ;) It needed another half hour to really do his career justice, but it did him justice I thought. Showed him very clearly as the decent, gracious, grateful man he is as well as his talent, drive and tenacity. Loved Brett Cullen's input .. insightful comments from a close and loving friend :)

I watched it (Hola worked like a charm); I didn't really learn anything new, but it was well-made IMO. I thought the last 10-15 minutes were the best.

I can't speak for the Chrome extension as I don't use Chrome but when I had a look around the FilmOn site earlier in the week it looked like you had to wait until the show had finished broadcasting before the recording was complete. I don't think the recording is downloadable but I'm not 100% sure on that one.

I started welling up when Meat got emotional at the end. I cannot stand seeing our man cry, it really gets to me!

Oh ok ... thanks Jenna :D

Good documentary, a bit rushed at the end. But all in all some nice stuff

It was an amazing documentary. Loved Meats good friend. It was a little BOOH heavy but I was not surprised at all by that. The footage of Vegas totally took me back to March/April 2014. And now I miss Meat more than before. The final part...yeah I had tears running down my face..how could you not. Meat is very very loved. Actually, I think he is a pretty damn special person and awesome! :)

Me too! :yep:

THOUGHTS ON MEAT LOAF BBC4 DOCUMENTARY...
 

Here are my personal thoughts:
- Well produced documentary with lots of insightful interviews with Meat, friends and colleagues.
- Great to see Meat still passionate about the music and his fans.
- Documentary focused too much on Bat out of Hell and not enough from the 1990's onwards. As a result the documentary felt rushed in the last 15 mins.
- Shame there was no Steinman interview - I wonder why he presumably refused to give an interview? I am worried this means that Steinman's involvement in the new album is very limited.
- Shame there was no Patti Russo interview - a major player in Meat's comeback in the early 1990's.
- What did Meat mean when he said Steinman went off with somebody else after Bat out of Hell causing him to have a nervous breakdown? Who did Steinman go off with?
- In general it was great to see some fresh material and a great way to spend Friday night whilst drinking a bottle of red wine!

What did others think? And if you can answer anyof my questions...great!

nightinr - I just don't think Steinman enjoys being in front of the cameras these days. I don't think his lack of participation in the doc reflects a lack of participation on the album. Talk to the guy on FB, I have, he's engaging, witty and the singular man he's always appeared to be.

I would have been absolutely shocked to see Patti, I think she's essentially being airbrushed from ML history now despite having been the most recognisable face and voice to accompany him in the last 20 years if not his entire career, as far as concert-going fans are concerned. I have far too much respect for Meat as a performer and a man to ever say he was carried by anyone, but having attended the two Amsterdam gigs he considered the worst of his entire career and a Manchester show in 2003 where he was clearly struggling fresh off heart surgery only one time did I see him truly flounder and it was the one with Aspen. If Meat has ever leaned on anyone on stage to help get him through a rough night it is Patricia Russo, he knows it, I know it and it is very saddening to me that as a gracious and humble man, which he most certainly is, he doesn't feel the need to see her contribution to his career recognised in this kind of retrospective. Marion Raven and Lorraine Crosby were mentioned, yet she wasn't. It's complete bullshit, but to be expected. The fans who have been buying tickets for the last two decades know what the score is.

I would assume the 'Steinman going off with someone else' thing referred to Bonnie. I can't think who else it could mean, and a clip of Bonnie discussing Total Eclipse immediately followed.

Nicely produced doc that mostly covered all bases. Didn't add much new, but then we're the diehards, we know most of what there is out there. Surprised to see Kasim and he appeared to be damning with faint praise a little to me to be perfectly honest, but maybe that's just me. Nice interviews with Meat and good to see some of his hometown compadres. Glad the forthcoming album got a plug although it would have had far more impact if we'd had, say, a 30 second clip of the lead single ;)

I think your first point answers the other two. Like Michael, I don't think a lack of an interview with Steinman should indicate anything more than his possible reluctance to give interviews generally, plus the limitations of time.

I too initially felt the documentary was BOOH heavy, and that I'd have liked to have seen more of his recent work. I would still like to see the latter ;) .. but on reflection, given the programme makers' objective was to explore the kind of iconic status he has achieved and one that few other artists have, it needed I think to devote its attention to two things in the main; the album that was his launching pad to worldwide recognition, and what drives the man who has managed to stay a household name for nearly 40 years, and in an hour I think they managed to achieve that pretty well.

Nearly all those interviewed were people with some direct association with the landmark album that was the launching pad of an icon or those who have been friends with Meat in his personal life. One would expect some comment from those in the music business, and finally from Paul who is producing the new album.

I think Meat came across as the gracious and humble man he is, and that setting foot on any stage is about one thing only .. each and every person who has bought a ticket.

I thought it was rather poor. It didn't cover any new ground and I would've liked to hear more about the making of Meat's other albums. I know the Bat Out Of Hell story already. I'm puzzled as to why the BBC flew a camera crew to film the Rocktellz show and then featured so little of it. Either they're saving it for something else, or they didn't want to use the footage. :shrug:

I thought Meat came across well though.

I loved what did make it into the show but must admit I thought there'd be more of the recent stuff.

It was the same when I read To Hell And Back, Bat II onwards seemed skimmed over at best.

I'd love a documentary, or a sequel to the book, covering 1993 to now.

I think their angle was to focus on what has contributed to Meat being an icon for so long, and in this respect I think they did more than cover the BOOH story, particularly for a wider audience. They shot footage with Meat in Vegas that contributed significantly imo to giving a perspective on what it is in his drivers and beliefs that contribute to his continued success.

Absolutely! Well worth taking that crew to Vegas ;)

So did I .. until on reflection I considered their objective and the balance made more sense .. though another 30 minutes would have enabled them to use his recent work to illustrate another factor in his staying power .. that relentless drive to explore and keep creating musically.

IN SPADES!!! ;)

my bottom lip twitched

Be brave man. Your not watchin WW
; 0)

Like several others, I thought that the documentary was very heavily focused on BOOH and from a personal point of view that was a little bit disappointing. However as Caryl has said, they met the objectives of the documentary very well and gave the viewer a taste of what has made Meat the iconic performer that he is.

It was nice to hear about how Meat has overcome difficulties and stumbling blocks in his life to have got where he is today and I admire the guy's strength of character and hard work ethic. Given this and his love and respect for his fans, it is no wonder that he has such loyal fans and I think that he's a positive role model for some of the newer artists coming on to the scene.

A particular highlight for me was seeing how he interacted with the fan at the M&G. From seeing this and remembering from my own experiences of meeting him, he showed the same genuine kindness and consideration that a friend would and there was no sign of the ego you might expect from a 'celebrity'. Our Meat is a special kind of guy.

Wow, brilliant documentary! Loved every minute, but I have no words for the last part! Love you, Meat!

I thought it was very well made and showed exactly what makes Meat so unique and awesome. I do think it could have spent an extra 1/2 hour on the newer albums, but other than that I like it.

I saw.

It's uploaded and available through a YouTube like video site. Not sure if I'm allowed to post the link here for those who weren't able to see it...

I watched it today and like most thought it was too short could easily have been 2hrs long. I would have liked to have heard more on Bat3 and all that had happened during the making of that bad or good and a little bit more of a build up to the new album. In the end I was happy to have something new to watch about Meat but over all I was a little disappointed. Is it Spring Yet?

I'd err on the side of caution and say no seeing as it's unreleased in places as of yet.

Wouldn't want to advertise the fact it's on YOUTUBE, available to anyone who cared to search for it

OK The documentary felt half finished.

The first like 40 minutes were fantastic, then i looked at the timecode and realized there was only 15 minutes left and they rushed everything at the end.

Lots of establishing shots and silence in places that ate up too much time. I love the shots of the albums on the posts, but they held on them too long.

Ive always loved the idea of creating a three hour documentary of Meat's life and career with hours and hours of archive footage to play with.

A newer version of classic albums really.

Bats back in the UK top 100

dont be disappointed in what you didnt get, be pleased you got something new

That's a much better way of looking at it. :D

Although a little on thr short side, J absolutely loved the whole program. luv cx

Although a little on thr short side, I absolutely loved the whole program. luv cx

Ehhhhhh Ill agree to disagree.

Needed to be two hours, Looks like the Vegas footage thatll air at somepoint right?

We watched it and though we knew his back story, it was great to see interviews from his friends of the time. I gave a bit more perspective.

Like others thought, the first part was BOOH heavy but then, that`s what made his name. It would have been good to have as much time again on the later years and especially the Vegas sessions, as they were a different style.

However, through it all, Meat's dedication to producing the best work he can, for his fans, shone through and showed how humble he is and what the fans mean to him.

All in all, a great documentary but far too short!

Whether people like it or not, Meat Loaf is always going to be defined by BAT. Everything else pales in comparison.
The quote lightning in a bottle is very apt and no matter what Meat has done he will always be remembered more so for BAT than anything.
I know, I know he has recorded some other great records and done other great things.
Absolutely true.
But nothing touches BAT.
And we have to remember that BAT was a unique collaboration between Meat and Jim. They made that album what it is through their partnership and dedication to making it the best they could and they enjoyed the success.
Neither one has ever done anything like that by themselves.

I agree .. and if you are setting out to try and explain what has made him such an icon and for so many decades, BOOH has to be a significant part of this plus his drive to get it into the world and to keep it visible. And I think this programme made far more effort to explain the background to that energy and drive, that focus and commitment, and to what sustains it still as it has done for 4 decades, which was so beautifully captured in the final words from Meat

I was not that impressed by the documentary. I understand Bat is a major subject when it comes to Meat Loaf, but 45 minutes in a 59 minute documentary was just too much. How many times do we need to hear the same stories in different words?

Once it seemed to get interesting they had to cut it short as they went out of running time. Such a waste :(

The BBC has provided us with one of the best Meat Loaf documentaries in the past with the 1994 'Marketing Meat Loaf'. With that one in mind I just hoped for something better. Meat doesn't get too much airtime on TV. So it would be nice if it wasn't always the same ole' story :roll:

I wonder if the BBC is doing a TV registration of the Vegas show(s) they recorded. With the (mnimal) footage that they used, I'm worried it's not going to happen.

The footage they did show seemed almost audience-shot too, not from a professional set-up, so I'm certainly not holding my breath.

I don't blame anyone though, I mean if the show is coming to the West End there's not much point in showing more or less the same gig on TV beforehand.

it looked far better then the Guilty Pleasures DVD

Interesting documentary, but not that much new to learn. It would have been interesting to know just how Meat went from being locked out of his home to going back on the road touring. It was was nice to see Meat meet the woman after the Vegas show as I will never forget meeting him after the Royal Albert Hall show in 2006. Really what you learn from these programmes is that your hero is really just a normal person behind his huge talent for entertaining.

BAT jumps from 91 to 57 in the uk albums chart. ( documentary perhaps )

what would be the delta in sales between 91 and 57? and how many units does it take to make the top 40?