Is it me or has TV gone wrong?.

[Eggmundo]

Game of Thrones

 

[CorgiRegisteredFriend]

any thing involving members of the public
any soap
any show involving cooking

That would be everything thats on then.
Totally agree though. I live on box sets and rarely watch anything in real time.

 

[CorgiRegisteredFriend]

Can we add Sports Aid

 

[Leekbrookgull]

You're much better off listening to the radio - apart from all the great sport & music stations Radio 4 has some excellent drama and comedy programmes. Much better than the brain numbing bilge on the TV./QUOTE]

Awful lot in what you say catfish the radio in the kitchen is a must for us. As for T/V why on earth can we not have more decent good comedy like Only fools & Steptoe the list is endless. I have tried to watch some of these 'new' comedies and i just don't get them at all. Look at some of the seriuosly good drama's like Prime Suspect why not more like those ? I never really saw the first showing of Upstairs Downstairs i am watching it now it wipes the floor with Downton etc Hudson, Mrs Bridges excellent stuff.

 

[vegster]

I couldn't stomach Grandma's House because I believe Simon Amstel to be one of the holy trinity of ***** (the other two being Russell Brand and Ricky Gervais). He's not funny, just a spiteful child who gets nasty. God I hate those three, and can't watch ANYTHING with them in it!!

Are you my long lost brother ?

 

[Lady Whistledown]

What's most insulting is the way in which TV executives seem to think we'll watch any old shit so long as it has a so-called celebrity in it. All these semi-famous parasites get sent off all over the world for free to film weak travel documentaries, because the poor, slow-witted British viewer can't possibly be expected to grasp the scenic nuances of the Panama Canal, the Peak District or the Dordogne without Joanna Lumley, Caroline Quentin or Ben Fogle to explain it to them.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Can we add Sports Aid

Harsh but fair. The Soccer Aid thing that's on right now is dreadful TV, and yet more evidence of the ludicrous and brain-dead celebrity culture that pervades today. Sorry guys...if I want to donate money to a charity, it's not going to be because some fat washed up boy band reject (hello, Robbie Williams and his Close Friend Jonathan Wilkes) kicks a ball round and ponces around for 90 minutes.

 

[BadFish]

What's most insulting is the way in which TV executives seem to think we'll watch any old shit so long as it has a so-called celebrity in it. All these semi-famous parasites get sent off all over the world for free to film weak travel documentaries, because the poor, slow-witted British viewer can't possibly be expected to grasp the scenic nuances of the Panama Canal, the Peak District or the Dordogne without Joanna Lumley, Caroline Quentin or Ben Fogle to explain it to them.

Judging my the continued broadcasting of the dross that hits the screen I think it is obvious that they are right 'the public wants what the public gets'. Unless we start to make more discerning about what we watch we will continue to be served up the same shite.

Personally I refuse to watch reality TV, any kind of talent show, anything that uses exciting music and cuttin teachniques to increase the tension. Basically i watch very little sport, documentaries, comedy and series that I enjoy I watch at my leisure.

However everybody at my work is constantly talking about, the voice, my kitchen rules and the one about people losing weight.

 

[Norman Potting]

Shit you are right. Just found this, pure gold.

Goodbye Gene - Gene Hunts finest quotes - Pictures - Tvradio - Virgin Media

This is even golder - sound clips

Huntisms

I came across this several years ago - a police officer friend of ours had the "..armed bastards..." clip as a ring tone and allegedly played it over the loudspeaker of his van during a particularly dull training exercise he was involved in.

 

[father_and_son]

Big Bang Theory (even all the E4 repeats are worth watching!)

Game of Thrones

Walking Dead (albeit, only a few episodes made so far!)

Grimm

Touch

 

[NickBHAFC18]

Storage Wars is da shiiiiiiit

 

[Badger]

I see Big Brother is coming back again next month, flogging a horse that died many many years ago.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Just finished the box set of Life on Mars and wow how good was that programme.

There is absolutely nothing on worth watching other than sport. Or am I wrong?

My top 3 pants tele.

Eastenders (any soap).
The Voice
Everything that involved Cock Face Cowell (apart from Zig & Zag).

I used to be thankful that our TV was so much better than that in the US, but now it's pretty much the same, unfortunately.

Personally, I (almost) never watch BBC1 (HIGNFY Is the only thing I can think of), never even look at the listing for ITV1. If it wasn't for Sky sports, I doubt if I'd watch very much at all.

 

[KZNSeagull]

Telly started going seriously downhill when Sky came along. Before that, as there were only 4 channels, something had to be pretty good to get on the Telly. Now, any old turd is made because there are so many channels to fill up. Reality TV is cheap to make and whilst it continues to be popular, that is what we will get.

Have Sky actually made any decent series themselves?

And whose idea of top telly is "Dating in the Dark", "Don't tell the Bride" and "My Big Fat Gypsy Arse/Wedding"?

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Telly started going seriously downhill when Sky came along. Before that, as there were only 4 channels, something had to be pretty good to get on the Telly. Now, any old turd is made because there are so many channels to fill up. Reality TV is cheap to make and whilst it continues to be popular, that is what we will get.

Have Sky actually made any decent series themselves?

And whose idea of top telly is "Dating in the Dark", "Don't tell the Bride" and "My Big Fat Gypsy Arse/Wedding"?

Are you saying that the Beeb & ITV had to compete with Sky, so dumbed down completely to reality shows (which are mostly on BBC1 & ITV1) ? It's certainly true that with so many channels to fill up, that the vast majority of it is going to be cheap-to-make programming, and therfore probably rubbish.

 

[KZNSeagull]

Are you saying that the Beeb & ITV had to compete with Sky, so dumbed down completely to reality shows (which are mostly on BBC1 & ITV1) ? It's certainly true that with so many channels to fill up, that the vast majority of it is going to be cheap-to-make programming, and therfore probably rubbish.

I would say that certainly ITV had to because of advertising revenue. Why the beeb did, I can only guess that they were losing audience share and therefore finding it harder to justify the licence fee.

From the generally awful selection we get over here, the best shows recently have been Luther, Sherlock and Body Farm which I think are all BBC. We also get Spooks, Silent Witness, Waking the Dead, QI and Top Gear, which I think are also all BBC. From that, if I am right, I would say the the Beeb has not dumbed down as much, but may be wrong!

Was surprised that Downton Abbey was an ITV production until we watched it, then decided that the story lines were not very BBC!

 

[MattBackHome]

You are all wrong. TV is still WONDERFUL.

Exhibit A:

 

[matthew]

game of thrones and watch quality series online like Lost and Prison Break!

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I would say that certainly ITV had to because of advertising revenue. Why the beeb did, I can only guess that they were losing audience share and therefore finding it harder to justify the licence fee.

From the generally awful selection we get over here, the best shows recently have been Luther, Sherlock and Body Farm which I think are all BBC. We also get Spooks, Silent Witness, Waking the Dead, QI and Top Gear, which I think are also all BBC. From that, if I am right, I would say the the Beeb has not dumbed down as much, but may be wrong!

Was surprised that Downton Abbey was an ITV production until we watched it, then decided that the story lines were not very BBC!

Admittedly Sherlock was watchable - I generally save my disdain for BBC1 rather than 2, so QI is exempt for me (love it). Silent Witness and Walking the Dead are ok (although probably gone on too long). Top Gear is extremely dumbed down these days - one of the worst, and so obviously completely scripted is unwatchable.

 

[DTES]

What's most insulting is the way in which TV executives seem to think we'll watch any old shit so long as it has a so-called celebrity in it. All these semi-famous parasites get sent off all over the world for free to film weak travel documentaries, because the poor, slow-witted British viewer can't possibly be expected to grasp the scenic nuances of the Panama Canal, the Peak District or the Dordogne without Joanna Lumley, Caroline Quentin or Ben Fogle to explain it to them.

I think you're coming at this from the wrong angle. Sadly it is all entirely about ratings. This is understandable - BBC aside, TV broadcasters are a business, and need higher revenue; higher viewing figures = higher revenue. Therefore putting a 'celebrity' at the front of a show is better as you will get:

a) People who look at the TV guide / see the advert for the show and think "Ooh, a show about the Panama Canal, I'll watch that, and
b) People who look at the TV guide / see the advert for the show and think "Ooh, Ben Fogle's in that. I like him, so I'll watch that". Sadly there are plenty of people who fall into this category.

There are countless channels available even on Freeview, so if those shows still get millions of people watching them (as opposed to either watching any of the other channels out there or just refusing to watch such drivel and doing something other than watch TV), why would the broadcasters change their tactics? A lot of it is absolutely terrible, I agree - but throw the blame at the idiots that lap it up, not the broadcasters that buy it because of those idiots.