What has happened to the quality of British television?

[TW]Fox

[TW]Fox

[TW]Fox

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17 Oct 2002
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Has it always been this dire, or is it just me?

Just taken a glance at the TV listings. On the five main terrestrial TV channels, at 8.30pm we have..

BBC1: 'Just the Two of Us'
ITV: 'Soapstar Superstar'
C4: 'Celebrity Big Brother'

Thats more than HALF of the terrestrial TV channels, showing celebrity reality television votey something orother shows at Prime Time on a Friday night.

Surely this is excessive? Why so much dross? Where are the quality dramas? The actually half intelligent programming?

Instead we have a programme where famous people sit in a house, and do nothing, a programme where famous people compete to see who is the best singer and a programme where famous people - oh what a suprise - compete to see who is the best singer.

Dear me.
 
Its all aimed at the pre-teens and mid-teens. And girls that like that crap.

If it gets the ratings there's going to be more of it.

God bless Planet Earth on UKTV History, and Friends on E4.
 
Agreed Fox, its pretty diabolical these days. Very few good dramas, series or documentary progs (with the exception of the excellent natural world/nature progs recently).

Even the films are old repeats.
 
It's very rare for me to watch TV any more now, occasionaly watch things if I know they're on (like the Green Wing Special last night), and a few things over xmas, but thats the most use my TV has had in the last few years other than gaming.
 
thank god we spent the majority of xmas of the mother-in-laws (Sky) as xmas terrestrial TV was appauling. A few good shows on but not like it used to be.

We've just been given a freeview box and tbh its not much better :(
 
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Slightly off topic but I was watching Torchwood for the first time last night (its very good :))

Now to me its a british show, set in London, featuring a mainly british cast, made by the British Broadcasting Corporation yet they called the 4x4 thing they have an SUV.

Maybe its just me but I always thought that was the American term.
 
Your right, it is all crap reality shows now or if your lucky some dire american comedy.

But the tv execs have found a way to make shows that not only bring in viewing figures, but also make money from phone/text votes. Why are they going to spend loads of money on decent dramas/comedys and make nothing back when people continue to watch drivel on telly now and the morons that waste money voting on them all.

I'm just glad I have Sky+ as at least I can record the decent stuff on during the week and watch it when I want.
 
It doesn't help that Sky seem to be getting the rights to more and more series now days too, and to get the interesting channels you have to buy one of their expensive (/ripoff) packages.
 
I can't really blame ITV and C4 for putting such rubbish on. If people want to sit and stare at a Z list celebrity, in bed asleep, then well, I guess thats their choice and ITV and C4 are both businesses at the end of the day, driven by profit.

But the BBC? The BBC is not a business. It is a public service. Therefore viewing figures and ratings wars should not be whats top of its agenda. Cheap, crap television for gormless people is not what the BBC should be putting out as a public service broadcaster.
 
Pho said:
It doesn't help that Sky seem to be getting the rights to more and more series now days too, and to get the interesting channels you have to buy one of their expensive (/ripoff) packages.
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Well SkyOne get all the good stuff now. But you get that on even the cheapest package. Its just the Movies and sports that are an absolute ripoff.
 
TheMagicPirate said:
Slightly off topic but I was watching Torchwood for the first time last night (its very good :))

Now to me its a british show, set in London, featuring a mainly british cast, made by the British Broadcasting Corporation yet they called the 4x4 thing they have an SUV.

Maybe its just me but I always thought that was the American term.
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Can't have been paying too much attention, the show is based in Cardiff. :)
 
To be honest, sky isn't all that good though is it. I can happily watch documentries on your national geo's and discovery etc, but once you've seen the programs all you'll see is that they're repeated over and over again week after week so all you end up doing is watching the same things time and time again.

Sky One has a massive amount of carp programs it's just poor most of the time. The price, what is it? £43 roughly for films you've seen a million times before that are repeated millions of times before they show something else which is just as bad.

I have Sky for one reason and one reason only, sport. But seeing as Sky seem to have sold a lot of their rights to Satanta for the upcoming seasons (anyone who could clarify and offer more details on this is appreciated) I think I'll just rid myself of it and get back to doing more interesting things, better than sitting down and watching poor television. Going out of the house, believe it or not, is more fun :p

On a positive side, looking forward to the Liverpool Vs Arsenal match tomorrow lol,
 
wizard91 said:
Well SkyOne get all the good stuff now. But you get that on even the cheapest package. Its just the Movies and sports that are an absolute ripoff.
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Thing is, I'd find that I want the movies too, which would require another package and maybe sport as well. :)

I wouldn't mind paying for Sky if you could lease it for your whole house; having to pay an extra £10 for each additional box in the house (if you want to watch different channels) is a joke. Providing you buy the boxes yourself I don't see why you can't have it on all your TVs. Add in SkyHD too and you're looking at a lot.
 
I just don't watch UK TV at all now apart from MotD.

I just watch all the good US shows, 24, Lost, Heroes, Prison Break...

I won't say anymore, as I will be breaking the rules.
 
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