Why is TV still rubbish?

[Dave Laurie]

I assume it must still officially be part of the Christmas - New Year Holiday season as TV is still crap. I've ignored the usual festive offerings of war movies, ITV's reruns of all the Jurassic Park series, and we're now in a Carry On marathon. One day last week 3 different channels all had a Carry On film on. Last night I had the choice of 3 different channels to watch Celebrity BB Live on. I mean if it's live(-ish) why would I need 3 identical choices?

Tonight at 9 o'clock I had to choose between watching Van Helsing (again), Get Over It (again), or Independence Day (again). Thankfully I was saved, or so I thought, at 10 o'clock when I could switch to BBC 3 for Family Guy. It was fine for 16 minutes then we went into freeze-frame. I assume some work placement graduate they've left in charge tonight has knocked one of the buttons on the BBC's DVD player as he/she/it was on the way out for some more coffee. It is currently 32 minutes later, I'm still looking at the same still of Brian and Stewie on the phone. Of course I can't now watch anything else as I have to wait and see how long it takes for anyone to notice.

That is of course if anyone is there to notice. The greedy bar stewards who have bought all the freeview channel licenses are all trying to run extra channels without employing extra staff. So we get to watch whole series with a pre-recorded programme announcer using the same words for every episode.

As it's now been 45 mins. I'm beginning to suspect someone has broken the transmitter. But the same as above still applies. Only this time it'll be some spotty geek straight from school who's spilled his coke into the equipment, probably "to see what would happen". There probably wouldn't have been anything good on anyway...................

p.s. My medication is working fine.

 

[Dave Laurie]

Just a quick update. Now 23-46, been off now for one and a half hours.

Thank God for ANALOGUE!

Am now watching Porky's (again) but at least I'm watching something!

 

[Cop]

TV is rubbish, I agree, I was told that "Survivors" was the thing to watch, and with a lot of it filmed around my neck of the woods, I decided to watch it...

"Dumbed down gash" is all I can describe it as, I was so poor. British TV is very naff at the moment, especially at Christmas as the Execs must only assume Children watch at this time of year.

 

[Dave Laurie]

Some of the childrens' progs. were the only things worth watching.

Wallace and Gromit are the new Morecambe and Wise according to the Christmas Day viewing figures.

p.s. I'm slowing down a bit now, the medication is wearing off so it must be bed-time.

 

[Gorf]

...I could switch to BBC 3 for Family Guy. It was fine for 16 minutes then we went into freeze-frame. I assume some work placement graduate they've left in charge tonight has knocked one of the buttons on the BBC's DVD player as he/she/it was on the way out for some more coffee. It is currently 32 minutes later...

I was watching "Assault on Precinct 13" (again) a week or so ago- somebody must have hit "cue" (fast forward). It was very funny. It was like that for a couple of minutes before going to the "Technical difficulties" card, so either Channel 4 have better-quality work placement people than BBC3, or that's what it does when it gets to the end of the film and there's nothing ready to follow it.

I didn't have your patience, though. I just switched off.

 

[Chris Finch]

Yep I stopped watching Survivors because it became pretty weak. Just posted a blog about recent tv.

 

[Booth]

Tonight at 9 o'clock I had to choose between watching Van Helsing (again), Get Over It (again), or Independence Day (again). Thankfully I was saved, or so I thought, at 10 o'clock when I could switch to BBC 3 for Family Guy. It was fine for 16 minutes then we went into freeze-frame. I assume some work placement graduate they've left in charge tonight has knocked one of the buttons on the BBC's DVD player as he/she/it was on the way out for some more coffee. It is currently 32 minutes later, I'm still looking at the same still of Brian and Stewie on the phone. Of course I can't now watch anything else as I have to wait and see how long it takes for anyone to notice.
That is of course if anyone is there to notice. (snip)

As it's now been 45 mins. (snip)

I hate to break potentially annoying news but it sounds like your digi box crashed. All you have to do is power it off then back on again. Or if it has a reset button press that.

 

[Dave Laurie]

It did chime back in later - I can't remember how much later!

And don't get me started on Digi-boxes. When they were first introducing the "digital revolution" to the great British public, it was "all you'll need is a digital set-top box".

Then "You may need to upgrade your aerial".

Followed by telling us our VCRs are next to useless now as we can only record the channel we're actually watching.

Anything else on the horizon I'm going to have to re-invest in?

 

[Gorf]

Um - possibly a new digi-box. Ours certainly seems to have a problem with recent changes.

 

[Booth]

I've found Virgin Media to be quite reliable, cheaper than Sky too and the broadband service has been solid for me.

 

[Chris Finch]

Anyone remember The Children of Green Knowe? I seem to remember this being excellent viewing when I was a kid!

 

[Chris Finch]

No way! I just found out that the director directed the first ep of corrie I was in!!!

 

[Joanna]

Who's the director, Chris?

 

[LovelyLaura]

I've found Virgin Media to be quite reliable, cheaper than Sky too and the broadband service has been solid for me.

We're with Virgin Media too, we've got the TV/phone/broadband package and have found them to be quite reliable too. Except when they had that dispute with Sky....not that I watch Sky 1 anyway but it's nice to know it's there if needs be! I was a little more excited than I should have been when they announced it was coming back to VM lol.

Laura xx

 

[LovelyLaura]

No way! I just found out that the director directed the first ep of corrie I was in!!!

Awww, if only you'd known at the time!!

I vaguely remember The Children Of Green Knowe, but I think I must have only been 3 or 4 at the time so probably a little bit before I started to properly watch TV and take it in lol.

Laura xx

 

[Chris Finch]

The director is called Colin Cant and I believe him to be a scot.

 

[Joanna]

Cheers. I was thinking I'd recognise the name...but I don't! And I see he's also been a director/producer on Grange Hill. Small world, eh?!

PS: Don't know if this is what you've seen, Chris, but there's some good info (synopsis/cast credits/production info) on your Colin Cant-directed episode HERE. (Btw, your 'police officer' credit is 4th from the bottom of the 'regular cast' list...though I obviously went to check 'guest cast' first!)

 

[Strawbs]

Anyone remember The Children of Green Knowe? I seem to remember this being excellent viewing when I was a kid!

I remember that. Funny, I was talking about it with someone else just the other week. I was saying how 80s and very early 90s kids shows had a special little charm about them as they were caught between being made with traditional TV filming techniques and cutting edge special effects for the time. Especially BBC made shows. Things like The Chronicles Of Narnia, Box Of Delights, The Moondial and 5 Children & It.

 

[Dave Laurie]

I've now decided it's not now totally rubbish. As of this week TV is officially now just a bit rubbish. Looking at my original Profile where I listed my 4 favourite TV shows, 3 of the 4 are now showing back-to-back on one of the C4 conglomerate channels.

Thursday night on C4/E4/More4/What4/Where4/? now has My name is Earl followed by The Big Bang Theory, then new Skins.

Add this to Tuesday's BBC3/4 (?) repeats of Early Doors and I'm now a pig in clover for a couple of days a week. And on the subject of Early Doors, has anyone any theories as to why it never really caught on? It had a great cast, loads of characters and not caricatures, gentle observational Northern humour. Maybe that was it. Was it too Northern , or too subtle? Or just a victim of poor scheduling? Answers on a post-card please.........

And it reminds me of All Quiet on the Preston Front which also had an awesome cast and served as a career kick-start for many of them. Anyone else here like/remember it?