What do you get when you bring together a set of very intelligent, articulate and seasoned reporters over a cup of tea and allow them to freely discuss the ’’events that affect our world’’ - Dateline London is this and more.
The program is one where ’’Foreign correspondents currently posted to London look at events in the UK through outsiders’ eyes - and how the issues of the week are being tackled around the world’’ - with time it seems it is second part of that description that seems to dominate the program, thus making it relevant to an international audience. The program which by its definition should have a primarily British audience, has grown into one with an international appeal.
The primary attraction of the program is its very conception - the idea of bringing in people from different cultures, backgrounds, countries and languages that makes the end result a delightful experience. And the fact that the people involved are not ’’experts’’ makes the language accessible and the perspective very real and close to the viewer. This is not the boring monotone of an expert delving deep into his subject and mouthing statistics, but the opinions of people who feel strongly about the subject of discussion.
I come from a small town called Ooty with a laidback and slow lifestyle. One of the more enduring memories of my childhood were the early morning, before school assembly discussions - the topics of which could be as varied as cricket, tennis, elections, weather, the days headlines ....Dateline London transports me back to those sessions every time I see it.
The beauty of the program is in its informality - mugs of tea/coffee on the table and newspapers scattered all around it. The discussions are carried out in leisure and every one gets to have their say in length.
Two things that stand out in the program - the first is its very ’’british’’ participants. The colours are different, the accents very much so but immaterial of their country of origin everyone of the participants refers to Britain as their home and it is always ’’we’’ and ’’they’’. The second striking aspect of the program is the humour - understated and irreverent. You get some gems such as this one from a French reporter discussing Condaleeza Rice’s visit to Paris - ’’the upper most question in the french people’s mind is, why can’t the world’s most powerful woman afford a good hair dresser?’’
The success of a program such as this obviously rests ultimately on the host, and Gavin excels at his job. In choosing the topics, in choosing the guests and moderating the discussion with a good mix of intelligent comments, provoking questions and ability to control someone who goes out of hand. But his biggest asset is his ability to keep quite and encourage HIS GUESTS TO SPEAK - and it is this quality that stands out in comparison to its NDTV equivalent ’’Foreign correspondent’’ where Ajay Shukla, in keeping with the traditions of NDTV, invites experts onto his show and gives them (and the viewers) an opportunity to listen to his views
The trailer for Dateline London has Gavin ask you for a ’’few minutes of your time’’ for which he promises that ’’we will give you the world’’
True.