TV These Days

[Simster]

You can pay up to £40 a month to get a million channels these days, yet I swear TV was far more watchable back in the days we only had 3 or 4 channels to choose from.

The only aspect of TV that has improved over the past 15 years IMO is that you can now pay to watch live sport whereas it was previously very limited in the past. But even that has a flip side; you can't watch a test match or county one day cricket without paying for it - and the football that is available on free TV is now on at ridiculous times.

Am I alone in thinking things were better in the days when we had less choice? I can honestly say I hardly watch it these days, although that's probably more to do with having a garden to design and a house to decorate.

 

[Hannibal smith]

The problem is that if you live with a bird viewing becomes polarised. I want to watch 20/20 cricket, she will want to watch SATC season 5 on the Paramount comedy channel. Back when we had 5 channels we ended watching some crap documetary on Channel 4 that neither of us were that intersted in.

The one thing that I find particularly shit recently is comedy. My Family and the like is about as funny as a history of Auscwitz. Harry Hills TV burp shows that you can make pre watershed good comedy but it is the only thing that I can think of which makes me laugh and isn't some kind of comdey panel show of which there seem to be hundreds.

 

[Mendoza]

I hate the fact the channel 4 and E4 had most of the shows that I liked and watch, only for them to be replaced by Big Brother - Live, Big Brothers Little Mouth, Big Brothers Uncles Sister, Big Brother My Mum is my Dad, Big Brother Big Mouth, Big Brother Medium Mouth, Big Brother Mini News, Big Brother Watch People Asleep and Big Brother Highlights

 

[Questions]

I want Dixon of Dock Green brought back. That was BBC crime drama at its gritty best.

 

[Buttinhams]

Probably watched about 40 hours of TV in the last 4 months. Even the documentary channels are becoming boring.

 

[algie]

What annoys me about sky the most is the amount of adverts and repeated programs.I hardly ever watch tv now days unless it's about history or a good documentary.Discovery channel is good also

 

[RM-Taylor]

Some good news for TV though, Spooks is back in October

 

[algie]

Even to much football gets on your tits.Unless it's the Albion of course.

 

[Bozza]

Don't watch a huge amount at all - only have Freeview and use the series record feature of the Humax PVR so it merrily records the few things I want to watch and then I can just watch them whenever I want to.

 

[Napper]

I think the amount of Adverts in cable / Sky is frustrating, a full 5 mins worth every 10 mins.
Although I read the other day ITV + C4 have done a deal to increase the number of advert breaks from 2009 or something

 

[RM-Taylor]

Even to much football gets on your tits.Unless it's the Albion of course.

As much as I love football, I 100% agree with you, who wants to watch Middlesborough v Bolton with Andy Gray screaming his head off.

 

[Simster]

Even to much football gets on your tits.Unless it's the Albion of course.

I tend to agree. I keep meaning to watch the bigger matches but I'm always busy doing something else. And in all honesty, I couldn't care less about most run of the mill matches in whatever division.

The best thing about Sky is the increasing variety, although I'd like to see some more NHL & MLB and less crappy football.

 

[Bozza]

I think the amount of Adverts in cable / Sky is frustrating, a full 5 mins worth every 10 mins.
Although I read the other day ITV + C4 have done a deal to increase the number of advert breaks from 2009 or something

Another reason to use a PVR - whizz straight past them.

 

[Simster]

It's not all bad news though. I came in from the garden at 10pm last night, quick shower and settled down with a bowl of cereal just as The Mighty Boosh was starting on BBC3.

 

[Seagullible]

find the tedious repeats of the same show all week is a bit much

 

[Box of Frogs]

Quality rather than quantity please!

 

[Mendoza]

BBC 3 has some of the better shows on TV at the moment, especially with re runs of Gavin and Stacey, Family Guy and Im starting to like Touch me Im Karen Taylor, though why im not sure, but keep watching it

TV adverts annoy me, especially the timing of them, some about 2 mins after the opening credits, or about 5 mins before the end of the show.

The worst was in the Brazilan Grand Prix last year when the footage was of Lewis Hamilton coasting along in 2nd place on course to become world champion, then it cut to an advert break, and when it came back Hamilton was 8th all of a sudden

 

[clippedgull]

Another reason to use a PVR - whizz straight past them.

Oh yes. The only way.

 

[coventrygull]

I have virgin TV but hardly watch it. Its dire the only good thing on it is the blue square matches

 

[Badger]

The only extra freeview channel I watch regularly is Dave, there is usually something on in the evening which I'm quite happy watching. The Channel 4 channels are just Big Brother or some rubbish American show. The extra Five channels are just rubbish American drama shows, ITV rarely has anything watchable on.

As for adverts, watching TV in the US makes our ad breaks look really short and spread apart, if we ever end up like them then I will only watch the BBC or use my PVR to fast forward through them.