Brighton Lights: Keeping Time

Richard Shayler is a modern-day Time Bandit…

Time is a funny guy. Sometimes he’s good to me, but more often than not he’s awkward and annoying. He always runs away from me and I never seem to have him when I need him! But despite all this, I can’t get enough. Whenever he’s around I always want more, and when he’s not there I always wish he was.

You see, when trying to ensure Brighton Lights is as fantastic as it is, you need time to be on your side. (That’s why I rarely shout at him and I always give him his space… and time.)

Brighton Lights goes out four days a week. We have two guests per show, and two entertaining video inserts, too. We have a resident band/musician every week and, if we have time, will invite comedians, dancers or performers onto the show. No easy feat. Especially when you don’t save your spreadsheet containing all the information of the hundreds of guests, VT inserts and bands you’ve completed and confirmed. Thank god for back up hard-drives! And coffee. And stressballs.

This week though, I really thought I’d run out of time. I found this strange, considering how the entire Latest TV crew and myself have been clocking in 15-17 hour days for a few weeks now. (Note to self: manage time better.)

Anyway, we had two huge shoots. We filmed the Brighton Lights launch party special and we also filmed the first four episodes of the weekly half hour shows.

The launch party was a hugely ambitious shoot, combining four different set areas to record in, 18 guests, a sixteen piece choir, an audience of sixty and of course, incontinence pads. I think you’ll need to watch the show to find out more about that one.

Everything was ready to go. We were about to start recording. The floor manager silenced the audience. The director counted down. Everyone held their breath. Someone dropped a penny. Every-one heard it. And then it happened. Not the show; the internet. The internet went down! This meant all of the technical equipment couldn’t communicate, which meant we couldn’t film.

And this required time, which we didn’t have.

We were waiting for a computer to update. It was taking longer than a tortoise in a hare and tortoise race. We waited, and waited, and yes… we waited some more. In the end, time got the better of us and we knew we had to make do and start recording. Guy Lloyd took the bull by the horns, or in this case the script by the staple, and just got on with it. I think I heard the phrase, “The show must go on!” more times that night than I ever have in my entire life. And most of those utterances came out of my own mouth!

Hoorah! We pulled through, the show was great and everyone on the crew still speaks to one another. Well, William and the producer had a few awkward silences (again) but they were seen to kiss and make up afterwards.

After this incredibly difficult shoot, filming the relatively simpler weekly Brighton Lights show seemed like a walk in the park. Amazing guests, brilliant interviews, and guess what? We filmed it all in the allocated times we were given!

Will Brighton Lights stand the test of time? I suppose only time itself will tell… and he did tell, dear readers; I asked him. He looked at me with a beaming face and demanded that the show have more airtime! Let’s all keep in time together. Wednesday 3 September at 7pm; it’s time you started watching…