Jonathan Miller's Brief History of Disbelief, BBC Four If you, like me, are of the opinion that the only documentaries that make it on to TV these days are those overloaded with oft-repeated CGI sequences and which re-state their meagre...
Posts from October 2004
Documentaries the Old-Fashioned Way
Blind date
BBC reality show turns children into matchmakers Recently it was stated by BBC bosses that the intention was to move away from "reality TV" towards programming that reflected real life issues, hence the axing of Changing Rooms (which was nearing...
John Peel
BBC News: Legendary radio DJ John Peel dies Goodbye John Peel - without doubt one of the greatest broadcasters of our time....
A Tale of Two Sky Offers
BBC News: Sky launches 'freesat' digital TV Media Guardian: 'Sky in a box' targets Freeview In its relentless push to make us give them a sizable amount of cash each month, this week Sky slipped out two new packages. The...
An English Overture
Best Of British Light Music (5 CD set) One of the best things about growing up in Somerset in the 70s was being able to watch the incredible Westward Television colour start-up each morning. The visuals were beautifully shot -...
ITV gobbles up its breakfast
Media Guardian: ITV tightens grip on GMTV The concept of a seperate franchise owning the 6-9:25am slot on Channel 3 is one wedded in history - a time when television wasn't the 24/7 experience it is today. The desire therefore...
When good programming goes nowhere
BBC digital channels 'poor value for money' Evidently I am one of not very many people, as the channel I watch most of all is BBC Four, criticised today in a report commissioned by Tessa Jowell from Professor Barwise of...
Grumpy Old Ex-DGs
Former DG... blames 'dumb' programmes on women execs Much as one can admire Alasdair Milne (left, in a photo from some time ago) as a programme-maker (eg Tonight in the 50s) and for standing up to the Government (over coverage...
Throwing out the toys
Children's TV is more than kids' play ITV may soon decide to sell its childrens' programming slot to Nickelodeon, since for various reasons it cannot fully exploit the commercial possibilties that seem to be related to children's programming nowadays. Of...
So long... and thanks for all the Fish!
BBC News: Walking into the sunset Michael Fish says goodbye on his final forecast. The weather just won't be the same....
