[Sam Solitude]

Casualty returns after it's 3 week hiatus on BBC1 tonight,so there'll be about 4 million watching that.

[Mr&MrsRR]

At least no X-Factor karoke show!

[Frood]

Originally Posted by ftv

ITV Saturday night schedule June 4, 1994:

5.20 Bullseye
5.50 Baywatch
6.45 Stars in their Eyes with Matthew Kelly
7.30 The Brian Conley Show, guests Level 42.
8.15 You've Been Framed ! Jeremy Beadle
8.45 News with Carol Barnes
9.00 Film: Narrow Margin, Gene Hackman
10.45 Big Fight Live from Cardiff: Steve Robinson v Freddy Cruz
11.35 Film: Kojak
01.30 Hollywood Report

With the exception of the boxing I would consider that to be awful.

[Thrasymachus]

Originally Posted by Frood

With the exception of the boxing I would consider that to be awful.

Likewise

I wouldn't watch a single minute of any of those shows

[RichmondBlue]

Originally Posted by Tassium

The problem really is that increasingly TV is at two extremes.


One extreme:

A History of Art in Three Colours
Borgen

the other:

Richard Hammonds latest trash vehicle
Lottery Game Show
Splash
Take Me Out
--------------

TV for either dimwits or professors, where's the middle ground?


I don't want to think too much on a Saturday evening but the intellectual level of much of BBC1/ITV1s output is far too low.


Methinks television executives have come to have a very low opinion of the public.

Without any basis since you only have to look at the ratings for the trash telly to realise most people think it beneath them.

I wouldn't consider Borgen to be particularly highbrow ?
The subtitles might discourage some people, otherwise it's just a political drama, easy to follow and quite entertaining.

[elfcurry]

I know high-quality non-US drama isn't to everyone's taste but you should try this. As someone above said Borgen is Danish West Wing! BBC4 has created a niche for quality Nordic Noir on a Saturday night where most other channels are reduced to shite.

And I know not everyone's spoken Danish is up to following the dialogue but if you can read, and can enjoy things without violence, car chases or vampires, you should try it.

Originally Posted by LostFool

Series 2 of Borgen is starting tonight on BBC4! What more do you want?

Subtitled Danish drama and football highlights. That's my Saturday evening sorted.

No football for me thanks but Merlin from the beginning on BBC3 and maybe the Dr Who following it before a double helping of the new series of Borgen will suit me perfectly.

I gave a small cheer when I saw the schedule. An excellent evening's viewing in prospect!

[Starry Eyed]

Originally Posted by owlycherries

But BBC3 are showing series 1 ep 1 of Merlin at 7 tonight! So I will be watching that of course.

I think I might watch Merlin from the start again as it seems like ages since I saw the early series of it. I think some shows are repeated too quickly though. They should give the viewer a chance to miss them rather than rush the repeats.

[tinkie]

Oh dear, OH put TV on 5.30 and we were presented with Celebrity Mastermind, that was a laugh, who were they? This was followed by Animal antics with Tim Brooke-Taylor with someone dressed as a dog, hilarious I don't think and following that the over exposed Richard Hammond's *I used to like him* with a very unfunny Secret Service and then Clare Balding, also over exposed, Britain' s Brightest :sleep

[Rich Tea.]

Originally Posted by Jason100

I often find myself watching Challenge on a Saturday night these days because it reminds me of better times. In the last few weeks we've had the pleasure of Strike it Rich, Play Your Cards Right, Catchphrase and Take Your Pick.

None of this nonsense where you have to humiliate yourself to in front of 20 women to get a date.

I accidentally came across Challenge and noticed that it was featuring Stars In Their Eyes at that particular moment, but as ever it was on an ad break, and I was anticipating Matthew Kelly and got a sharp reminder when it came back that he was not the original host, and the edition was the Grand Final of 1991 hosted by Leslie Crowther, who I had completely forgotten did the shows at the start, and would needless carried on doing them but for his serious car crash between series 3 and 4. I actually remembered the winner, Nat King Cole though! What really struck me was how dated the show looked even though it was from as recent as just 1991.

[Flat Matt]

It's been a very long time since weekend TV was any good.

The weekend schedule is just full of mind numbing drivel, which I can only assume is aimed at people with a very low IQ.

[PhilH36]

When I first saw 'Splash' listed without any description I thought at first ITV were starting to show movies again on a Saturday evening.........

[jimbo1962]

it has been this bad for a VVEERRRRYY long time.

[Mambo Italiano]

Originally Posted by PhilH36

When I first saw 'Splash' listed without any description I thought at first ITV were starting to show movies again on a Saturday evening.........

That actually would have been my chosen viewing - I love a good 80s romcom.

I'm watching Merlin. Mainly for the eye candy.

[StressMonkey]

Awful - we 've ended up watching Conan on one of the Sky movie channels.

If this goes on for much longer we may have to spend Saturday evenings at the social club - socialising!!

[Tassium]

I think for many people what is lacking from TV is the social telly programmes

Programmes that everyone can watch and you know everyone's watching.

The stuff from ITV/BBC/Ch4 is just too moronic or narrowly focussed.



The quasi-highbrow BBC4 stuff is hardly suitable, although of course it's well made.

[Wulfster]

I'm just glad I've got Tivo. Very rarely watch any TV "live" now.
I'll be catching up with the Channel 4 Mash-up shows tonight then, and seeing what the Discovery Channels got on...
Saturday nights have been unbearable for me since X-Factor and Strictly took over the schedules...

[juswotmawatchin]

Originally Posted by Tassium

I think for many people what is lacking from TV is the social telly programmes

Programmes that everyone can watch and you know everyone's watching.

The stuff from ITV/BBC/Ch4 is just too moronic or narrowly focussed.



The quasi-highbrow BBC4 stuff is hardly suitable, although of course it's well made.

That was the opinion of everyone I spoke to at christmas. Yud Think at least one channel would put on a LIVE event programme that brought the nation together in REAL time christmas. The Old folk in the village for example could at least watch TV and feel part of the national christmas feeling as it happens.

AS for Saturday night ......moronic moronic moronic cretinous drivel. and constant repeats on a loop ( again all that was xmas TV).

The 1994 schedule posted earlier ....remember there was NO competition as such ...(4 channels)

Now there is huge multichannel competition and the quality (perversly ) hits rock bottom. Proving greater competition breeds moronic TV programmes and repeats.

[BellaRosa]

Originally Posted by Mr Jazzman

It's always been shit

But never this shit

[archie2000]

Lobotomy TV at its worst.................

[Walter Neff]

I am going to watch "The Many Faces of Stanley Baxter" on BBC2 at 8pm.

A well deserved tribute to the brilliant entertainer who's lavish shows were the highlight of the weekend in the 1970's.

[Atlantic]

Originally Posted by StressMonkey

Awful - we 've ended up watching Conan on one of the Sky movie channels.

"Conan! What is best in life?"

"To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women."

Classic!

[juswotmawatchin]

Originally Posted by Walter Neff

I am going to watch "The Many Faces of Stanley Baxter" on BBC2 at 8pm.

A well deserved tribute to the brilliant entertainer who's lavish shows were the highlight of the weekend in the 1970's.

ta for the tip. ( another BBC repeat )

[Walter Neff]

Originally Posted by juswotmawatchin

ta for the tip. ( another BBC repeat )

The Radio Times usually puts an R next to it if it is a repeat, but they haven't for this. I will soon recall if I have seen it before as I have most of his shows.

[hyperstarsponge]

BBC4 only worth watching again

[aliaslotte]

It does seem particularly bad tonight...

We've ended up on BBC3 so far, with Merlin [I'd not seen the first episode before, so it was quite good] and now Dr Who [which is sadly a more recent repeat].

After Dr Who, I think I'm going to dig out a film to watch on DVD or something... :/