Opportunity Knocks again

[graduate_owner]

I just turned on the TV - 'The Planet's got Talent' was on. Turned over immediately and 'the Voice' was on. Reminded me of Opportunity Knocks which some of you may remember from the late 50's / early 60's. It was pretty grim television but at least it was fairly new then. We now have the same old, tired programmes being revived with glitzy backdrops and trendy presenters, X Factor, Britain's / America's got Talent (and now it seems, the planet's got talent) but still the same old idea. Cheap TV. Almost as bad to my mind are the cook off / bake off / sew off drivel that seems to be all pervading now. They can all bu@@er off as far as I'm concerned. There's even an allotment challenge now - grow off / grow up / grow a pair / grow a pear? Whatever.

I posted some comments about TV programmes a few weeks back. Oh well, here I go again, moan moan. Time to press the OFF button, and the TV has only been on for about 15 minutes.

K

 

[artie]

I heard Katie Price won big brother.

I mean what could be easier than standing around with your **** out.

Yip sitting around with your clothes on.

 

[No skills]

I watch more youtube than tv, pick and choose what you want to watch - plenty of crap on there but also plenty of good as well.

LOL at Artie.

 

[mailee]

I couldn't agree more, TV is rubbish. What about Gogglebox! who the hell want's to watch someone watching TV?! I am convinced that all of the TV companies share the same programs for a minimal cost and just swap them from one channel to another all for a budget of about £100! I guess the reality, cooking, celebrity, opportunity shows are very cheap to make and can fill a full evening of viewing for the brain dead! OK, rant over back to the internet. :lol:

 

[Phil Pascoe]

As I said on another thread - on today's prices every penny I pay for a TV licence from when I was 26 until I'm 75 will pay Graham Norton for one day.

 

[artie]

As I said on another thread - on today's prices every penny I pay for a TV licence from when I was 26 until I'm 75 will pay Graham Norton for one day.

Is it worth it.?

 

[wellywood]

We don't have a licence fee but we get the same rubbish as you guys. A minimal TV crew (paid) filming an eager, non-paid, front-of-camera public demonstrating their cooking/house renovation etc. skills (or lack of) so they can have their 15 minutes of fame. Cheap as chips telly.

What happened to quality drama when viewers were happy to sit in front of the screen for 90 mins or more?

Now TV caters for short attention spans and/or thrill-a-minute viewers.

Bah! Humbug! Thank heavens for DVD's.

 

[graduate_owner]

I'm glad it's not just me then.I thought I was getting over-critical and over-grumpy in my old age.

K

 

[doctor Bob]

To be honest I have mellowed as I've got older. If the TV is crap, so what, there are plenty of alternatives these days, hobbies, mates, dog walking etc, I run a lot as well. Having said that I have sky for the sports channels so I do seem to have lots of channels and often struggle to find something decent.
I'm always out on a Sat night as well so never really get to see X Factor, BGT, the voice. Don't think I'm missing a lot, I did watch the first series of these and from what I can see the format is exactly the same.

 

[Terry - Somerset]

BBC aside, commercial TV simply strikes a balance (largely) between programme costs and advertising revenues. Proliferation of channels - Freeview, Sky etc - means revenue and hence costs/quality per hour of broadcasting has reduced massively. Additional revenues are made through selling programmes and franchising ideas to other networks, the latter of course has no language barrier.

My big gripe is with the BBC who seem to be following the commercial channels in dumbing down programming. As a publicly funded broadcaster I hope when their charter is renewed there is far more emphasis on quality vs volume!!

However with a cheap laptop and broadband connection we can all access a much wider range of personalised content - films, videos, forums, sport etc - so perhaps traditional TV will ultimately be a minority interest as radio has largely become.

 

[Biliphuster]

I stopped my license fee and haven't missed television at all. I knew the end was nigh when even Attenborough documentaries had obviously fake drama edited into them - eventually the false jeopardy shoe-horned into everything in a desperate attempt to ratchet up tension just became wearisome. I took particular pleasure in my decision when I learned about the shenanigans concerning F1's move to Sky

If something decent does come on, iplayer is just as good, and much more convenient, and you can even skip the dull bits. In the meantime I am free of these endless twee and cheap realitythons designed mainly to cash in via phone lines.

 

[dzj]

TV these days is full of Hollywood-type drivel, nice looking young people with overinflated egos and little else... So I don't watch it much.
From time to time I run into something interesting on Youtube, like this guy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1pJIVqCC1E

 

[bugbear]

Almost as bad to my mind are the cook off / bake off / sew off drivel that seems to be all pervading now. They can all bu@@er off as far as I'm concerned. There's even an allotment challenge now - grow off / grow up / grow a pair / grow a pear? Whatever.

I guess interest depends on your hobby. There was a post on here praising a one hour(!!) video on cutting wood.

I'm sure cooks, dressmakers and gardeners would find that bone achingly dull.

BugBear

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Terry - "so perhaps traditional TV will ultimately be a minority interest as radio has largely become."
I wonder. I know more people now who listen to the WIRELESS regularly than watch the TV - certainly for many more hours.

 

[Alex H]

an interesting development here http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/...-a-set-as-shows-go-on-iPlayer-for-longer.html

Householders could be required to pay the television licence fee even if they do not own a television, under proposals being discussed by the BBC.

Lord Hall, the BBC’s director-general, wants to extend the £145.50 annual fee in response to the growing popularity of iPlayer, which enables viewers to watch programmes on home computers, mobile phones and tablet devices.

The news came as the BBC announced it will make programmes available to view on iPlayer for 30 days after they are first broadcast, instead of seven, later this year.


Poll tax riots anyone?

 

[Graham Orm]

As No Skills posted You Tube is the way. It's under rated I reckon. There is masses of entertainment there that you can fine tune to your liking. There are 100 hours of video uploaded every minute!!! I've been off sick for a week and a half now and it's kept me going. Learned masses about Sketchup too.

If you're struggling for good TV, find the two most recent Guy Martin shows. 'Our Guy in India' aired on Sunday 1st & 8th on Channel 4.

 

[bugbear]

There are 100 hours of video uploaded every minute!!!

And at least 99 hours of that is dross.

(see also Theodore Sturgeon )

BugBear

 

[whiskywill]

We don't have a licence fee but we get the same rubbish as you guys.

The same but upside down. :wink:

 

[Graham Orm]

There are 100 hours of video uploaded every minute!!!

And at least 99 hours of that is dross.

(see also Theodore Sturgeon )

BugBear

Sweeping statement that BB. I certainly haven't been watching dross for the last 10 days and have been far better entertained than if I only had my Virgin TV.

 

[bugbear]

There are 100 hours of video uploaded every minute!!!

And at least 99 hours of that is dross.

(see also Theodore Sturgeon )

BugBear

Sweeping statement that BB. I certainly haven't been watching dross for the last 10 days and have been far better entertained than if I only had my Virgin TV.

I stand by my statement.

If you think carefully, it states that it's possible that 1 hour
of non-dross might be uploaded every minute, which would be marvellous
if true.

BugBear