The One Show
BBC Work Experience / Day Runner
Project Summary:
BBC’s The One Show is an evening magazine show that runs Monday to Friday, airing at 7 pm after the 6 o’clock news. The format of the show follows two core presenters who change daily on rotation, 2–6 guests and 2 pre-filmed VTs, which are small edited videos usually around a topic or story, between 2–5 minutes. The guests are usually coming onto the show to promote an event, show or story.
My 2 weeks in the office and studio were split as such: week one with the Studio Production team. This included shadowing the Studio Production Assistant and Studio Runners. Week two: I spent time with the Editorial team, shadowing the Assistant Producers and Researchers. I was also lucky enough to watch the show from the studio floor and the gallery. I asked to be able to spend time across the whole team to gain a greater understanding of all aspects of the show and see the workflow through the teams.
My Role and Responsibilities:
Shadowed, creating production documents to track guests and teams during
daily studio shoots
Helped prepare dressing rooms, transport, and facilitate guests
Shadowed scripting, researching, and guest briefing
Conducted my own research for an upcoming show, finding ways to connect guests
Observed rehearsals and live broadcasts from the gallery, gaining insight into large-scale broadcast operations
My Experience and reflection
Over my two weeks, I didn’t have many independent tasks or learning experiences. A lot of my learning came from observing situations and thinking about how I would solve them. However, here are some of the independent development opportunities I did experience.
During my time with the Studio Production team, there was a large VT planned to celebrate and build buzz for The Traitors final episode. This required the SPT and the special projects team to collaborate with one another. . This meant that the team had more tasks to think about. I took this as an opportunity to be proactive and offer to help with the regular show. In response to my offer, the PA asked me to get started on next week’s call sheets and movement orders. This took one job off their to-do list, and it allowed me to show my proficiency in the role.
During my time as a runner, I experienced a multitude of experiences, but the one that stood out to me most was when a member of a guest’s entourage had asked for a first aid kit for something. This was mentioned to me as I took the guest and their team to their car after the show. This being my first day on the job, I firstly showed my concern and apologised on behalf of the team. I unfortunately was not aware of where the nearest first aid kit was, so I spoke and asked on the comms. During this situation, I took the initiative. Even though I didn’t have all the answers, I offered the help I could and asked for backup. This situation taught me that although I was not the most knowledgeable person on the floor at the time, I was the first person to be told and I had a duty to help. I also learned that when starting a job on set or in a studio, to ask simple questions like what to do in a medical emergency.