just put this post up 2 seeif anybody as any thoughts on the state of british tv at the moment. in my opinion tv at the moment is at an all time lowsimply because of the constant churning out of diy progs, antique progs, property progs,and the usual cooking progs. it dosnt seem 2 matter which channel you put on your bombarded with this continual crap. also 2 top it all now big brother as started again and 2 be honest ive never reallu got it why this is so popular.another point is when these people on these shows are not doing there so called entertainment there on every other advertisment, anybody agree.

Switch off the telly and put on the radio.
Radio 4 - TV for grown ups

:)

thanks 4 that well thought out reply, take it changing rooms as just gone off as your posting time would indicate.

Well brooksy, I agree, with a few minor exceptions TV is dire and is a mostly wasted medium.

The TV diet seems to consist of sitting watching people do stuff you could be doing yourself, washing, tidying, decorating cleaning stuff out, buying clothes etc. All the time people are trying to sell you something, either instant tea granules (wtf?) or another way of life entirely.

Or we sit and watch other people experience their lives come crashing down for the entertainment of thinking "I am better than you because I can sit here seeing where you have gone wrong"

But like cols said, I switch off the TV and tune into radio burble (this is not an actual radio station) - it doesn't insult your intelligence as much as the pap put out on TV, and you can get on with other stuff when your listening, instead of sitting mesmerized by a flickering screen.

I dunno up TV for grown ups, but R4 is entertaining to say the least. Although the daily pantomime on the Today program does get a bit long dull after a while, but that is made up for by stuff like I'm sorry I haven't a Clue, the Reith Lectures and the ever so poetic shipping forecast.

Right now the thing we watch most on TV is DVDs, followed by C4 news, Newsnight and kids stuff in the early morning.

Brooksy
I know you're teasing me.

Just to put the record straight....
I've never watched Big Brother
Ditto Eastenders
Last watched Corry when Elsie Tanner was in it (my mum had it on)
Don't have Sky/Freeview
Can't stand any reality/makeover shows

I buy Radio Times and mark the half a dozen programmes each week that I want to watch and that's it. Tonight for example I've scrubbed "Yes Minister" and that's all I'll watch. Too many people whinge because they put the tv on at 5:00pm, switch it off at 11:00pm and expect to be "entertained". Instead, they vegitate.
To them I say "Get A Life"

:)

yes cols i was , u get my point tho. by the way whos elsie tanner? only kidding .

Phanerothyme
And I thought I was the only one who enjoyed "I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue" - the best comedy on radio/tv.
I went to The Lowry in Manchester last Thursday to watch the live recording of "Sorry..." and it was the best thing I've seen in years. Listen out for me in the audience in 5 weeks time.

Col

I had a mate say to me the best thing he ever did when he moved house was not get a new telly. You have so many other interesting things to do but we get so reliant on being constantly entertained..its rotting my brain. I'm off to read poetry and 'find myself'

Spot on with Radio 4 phanny, even better with the listen again option on the web thing. Just bought 2 collections of ISIHAC for our drive to Italy next month.

I scour the TV listings each week in the hopes of finding something worth watching and apart from the occasional new whodunnit am usually disappointed.

I'm sorry I havent a clue is EXCELLENT! Just please God don't try and convert it into a TV format! Also good is Jeremy Hardy Speaks To The Nation and the radio version of Deadringers - and rather longer ago Hitchikers guide To The Galaxy are both far better than the TV versions. I have cable at home but still find that quite often Cartoon network has the most intelligent and eddifying programming! That being said though sometimes the odd bit of mindless trash (so long as its the right mindless trash - think Bravo rather than any soap / big brother) where you can turn your brain off after a day of meetings are you are feeling frazzled is good - but this should be about 5% of the viewing NOT 95%

Off topic here - but where the hell did all the good science programming go????

If it wasn't for cable channels showing documentaries there'd be nowt worth watching as far as I'm concerned. My heart goes out to those who rely solely on BBC1 + 2, ITV, Channel poor and 5.

Originally posted by evildrneil
I'm sorry I havent a clue is EXCELLENT! Just please God don't try and convert it into a TV format!
They did - "Whose line is it anyway?" was the TV version

:o Did it still have Samantha the scorer?

No, Clive Andeson hosted it for about 10 years, and regulars like greg proops, ryan stiles, josie lawrence, john sessions, etc made up the panel.

It wasn't bad, and involved a lot more physical action than the radio show (unsurprisingly)

Clive Anderson made up the score as he went along.

I don't think "Whose Line Is It Anyway" was anything like "Clue". Whose Line originated from the Comedy Store in London who used to hold "improv" nights. Similar in parts maybe but different beasts.
By the way. What's your favourite part of "Clue". Mine is the Lionel Blair intro to radio charades. Sometimes it reduces me to tears (a bit dangerous when I'm listening when driving :)

Col S

PS. Hate to break the bad news but Samantha (or Sven) doesn't exist.

Forgot to mention......
Listen out for Jeremy Hardy singing "pick up song" when the Manchester show is broadcast. Normally he's excrutiating but they had him singing "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" and he gave an excellent rendition of the song. When the applause had died down he said that if word gets out that he can sing, his career will be in ruins.