As those of you who are enthusiasts of Channel Four’s Escape to the Château are already aware, Château Bois Giraud is now one of the stars on the new series, Escape to the Château DIY. The first of the four editions was screened on Monday 9th April and one of the many fascinations of viewing the show was being able to once more appreciate the work of the film crew. Those of you who have been involved in a television production will be immediately familiar with the length of time that the professionals need to make the finished programme.
In fact, you could compare the process of making the series that finally went to air as akin to watching a mallard duck on a mill pond on a summer’s day – the scene may appear placid at first glance but 90 per cent of the effort takes place beneath the surface. And here I may speak from personal experience from my brief career as a TV extra from 20 years ago, when my fellow crowd artistes and I had to be on hand for an eight-hour day for a 30 second scene that took an hour to film. Some cynical viewers doubted if my time was well-spent but there will always be those who fail to appreciate true thespian talent.
However, Escape to the Château DIY looks exceptionally polished (not that I am biased, you understand) and in the initial programme there were some cameo glimpses of Bois Giraud; I will give my further impressions on how the chateau is depicted on screen as the series progresses. What is immediately conveyed to the viewer is both the vision and dedication of so many owners in maintaining these properties – and the many delights of the Loire Valley, from the landscape to the sheer quality of the light. As to my own favourite building in the show – I could not possibly comment…