What annoys you most about TV programmes?

@ Malcom….Couldn’t agree with you more, but you missed out the latest prevalent start to an answer: “I mean”….sometimes “Well, I mean”….which indicates the clarification of a previous statement, but just replaces an ‘umm’ or an ‘er’.

I can’t stand the modern abbreviation ‘uni’ for university but I suppose ‘varsity’ sounds a bit stilted these days.

To me the age of British TV occupying the top spot in documentaries-serious programmes is well over , Germany is now number one in this . Difference – no stupid “personalities ” – no music – real hard facts -no patronising “talking down ” to you , the way English documentaries of the 30,s /40,s/50,s-and into the 60,s once were and made them world renown . Now its more –I am a “personality ” so focus on me not the subject as many people now have short attention spans from watching soaps etc. Set up your sat dish for Astra 19 degrees East and watch it like it used to be here , deep scientific investigations , intense investigating of people in different countries with ZERO political bias. Worldwide subjects ,zero low brow. Try it and see.

Rosie, in days gone by England had excellent documentaries by well known articulate and well loved commentators , also plays were presented -“as is ” taking it as granted you have the visual and vocal perspective to understand and even philosophize on the action taking place . This required an internal vision of life itself acquired by book reading or other physical means of acquiring intellect and a broad perspective of human actions by associating with the general public . Nowadays its down to playing with apps in your bedroom and “talking ” on social network websites which limits the mental range of young people , they now need to be “talked to ” to get the overall picture of a situation. Its restrictive and narrow and I blame the primary school teaching that doesnt expand in great detail the taught English in all its various aspects. Thats why I love the old English B+W films with great characters actors who ooze tradition and perspective showing up the modern so called “actors ” as pale imitations of how it used to be. I am in that aspect truly a “Romantic ” of , to me , the greatest era of English Film History.

Running commentaries annoy me too.

Watching the Olympics gymnastics routines to music was completely ruined by commentators. Do we really care if they are doing a double toe…..whateveryoucallit? We can see if they do a bad landing, do they really need to tell us?

BBC had a channel on Sky that showed the Olympics opening ceremony without commentary… what a relief to just enjoy the spectacle without the usual inane ramblings. Wish they would do that more often.

I agree Alfa , the weight lifting was completely ruined by a commentator constantly commented on the techniques of the lifters so much so I re-tuned to German satellite TV and watched it there .

Well said Duncan, I think that you got it spot – on.
On the subject of old old films I feel that something like “Hobsons Choice” might be a bit of a mystery to young people, more’s the pity.

Funny you said that Rob , if you turn on your TV to – “Talking Pictures ” Hobsons Choice ” is playing as we speak.

I am with you there Rob , those two US “ragmen ” on TV look more like “rip-off merchants ” . My wife watches the series and is very happy when , mostly Texan owners of antique items tell them where to go. And yes spot on with whats happening over here , there are various antique shops in the next village to me and one was visited by an extremely well known antique “search program ” by an equably well known Scottish female antique dealer . This was a small one woman business owned by a local woman who was brow beaten constantly by the dealer to sell her item at a loss immediately after buying it the dealer boasted to the viewers how much of a bargain she had obtained , by implication making out the local was a “country bumpkin ” , this got round the whole village and that programme was hated from that moment . The same applied to the dealer who has a series on TV of going round the country buying bargains , refurbishing them ans selling at a vast profit. He visited a defunct RAF naval air base near me and bought certain light fittings dirt cheap selling them at 100,s of times the buying price. This is what I go on about when I talk of the changing face of society in this country , I usually get condemned for saying so but at least one person understands what I am getting at in the way of reduced and perverted social values ,imported , as far as I am concerned for “overseas ” as the “wise ” (sly ) way to live your life .

I tend to agree that the craze of trying to get something for nothing, striking a bargain, and haggling over prices is being fed by silly TV programmes – but they are not compulsory viewing and I see them as entertainment. It is unfortunate if an antique dealer is brow-beaten to sell at a loss, but that is quite a rare occurrence I would say; the price at auction will be the judge of that anyway.

The curious thing is that these tendencies can’t be linked to the recession or austerity because the articles in question are not essentials by any stretch of the imagination. I suppose society has always had its scavengers, and TV is now one of them – making rubbish viewing out of others’ discards.