[alcockell]

I;m recording both Cas and Cemetery Junction... and filed complaints about the Beeb's early evening output on 1..

[LostFool]

Originally Posted by hyperstarsponge

BBC4 only worth watching again

BBC4 is almost worth the licence fee on its own.

[bgtension]

Originally Posted by A.D.P

Three out of the four shows you quote haven't ever been shown as yet, now I personally am going to reserve judgement until I actually watch them rather than pre judge it.

I assume you have been able to see the advance tapes of all of the new three shows and that why you have started this thread, but for me at least we are seeing the Channels actually trying something new, its far better than hours of soaps the same thing day in day out midweek.

I see my predictions have been well and truly ratified - without the need for advance tapes

[comedy89]

Originally Posted by Starry Eyed

The trouble is, all the shows I watch tend to start and finish at the same time as each other, so once they are all over there is literally NOTHING on that I would ever want to tune in to.

Thank God for DVDs, although it's not the same. I remember when there used to be at least one or two good films on Friday and Saturday nights at the VERY least.

Cemetery Junction is a pretty good film on BBC 2 at 9:45

[hallc]

Originally Posted by comedy89

Cemetery Junction is a pretty good film on BBC 2 at 9:45

Just Set it to record...

[wizzywick]

Animal Antics: Why the need for moronic grown men dressed as a dog? Programme itself is OK for 5.30pm Saturday teatime but really cringe at the man dressed as a dog. Are we all stupid these days?

Richard Hammonds Secret Service: Effing hell! Is this the new Don't Scare The Hare? It is downright awful. Richard Hammond has sold himself as a cretin. Get rid!

Britain's Brightest: Darn good show. Intelligent people embarking on intelligent challenges. Really enjoyable. Should be preceeded by a film though.

[jda135]

Originally Posted by wizzywick

Britain's Brightest: Darn good show. Intelligent people embarking on intelligent challenges. Really enjoyable. Should be preceeded by a film though.

Agreed. Thoroughly enjoyable show.

[FM Lover]

Originally Posted by jda135

Agreed. Thoroughly enjoyable show.

And the viewers could join in, guessing the ages was fun and I was fairly good at that.

Oh and a bit of Rachel Riley thrown in for good measure never fails to please.

[Posy]

Britain's Brightest was an excellent show

[bgtension]

That day again, and tonight's is even worse than last week

[hallc]

World Without End on CHannel 4 looks promising, I like those type of dramas

[MiresiaVerteta]

As mentioned, it's nothing but dumb-down rubbish. "Borgen" it's not to everyone's taste but it's a niche drama, and something different.

At the end of the day, why not something to grab the audience? Where is the quality drama?

[MayfairBlue]

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

This brings back memories for me. I also remember back then, they used to show Beverley Hills 90210.

[lala]

Originally Posted by Tassium

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


One extreme:


Borgen



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


.

So so called 'normal people' can't simply read subtitles then?

[lala]

I really do think the main two channels- BBC 1 and ITV1 need to bring back the old Saturday prime-time movie premier... And show good family movies again at a decent time.

Because Saturdays in my household is a movie night when I'm at home. Thank goodness for blu rays

[MRSgotobed]

I love Strictly, Doctor Who and Merlin, but when those are not on, Saturday is rubbish. Casualty and Holby drive me to distraction, but maybe my job makes those impossible to watch without wanting to hurl something at the TV. I was gutted when Lark Rise ended on Sundays.
I rarely watch ITV, but I do like Scott and Bailey,some of their weekly dramas,The Unforgiven was brilliant and Doc Martin. There is stuff I watch on Ch 4 and I think 4OD is brilliant, been watching an old comedy,'Dressing For breakfast.' Still excellent and IT Crowd.

[ftv]

BBC1 Saturday July 25, 1981:

17.10 Alias Smith & Jones (Western)
18.00 News with Kenneth Kendall
18.15 Pop Quiz with Mike Read
18.45 Carry on Follow that Camel (film)
20.20 Summertime Special from Brighton - Faith Brown,
Bucks Fizz,Lena Zavaroni
21.05 News
21.20 Royal International Horse Show from Wembley
22.30 Roots 11/13
24.00 House Calls (US comedy)
24.25 Weather,close

BBC2:

16.10 Cricket from Lord's
19.35 News and sport
19.55 Cloch - Irish sculptors
20.20 Spirit of Asia with David Attenborough
21.20 Horror Double Bill: Isle of the Dead,Boris Karloff
22.30 The Telephone Box: Spanish film
23.05 News
23.10 Cricket highlights
23.40 The Crazies horror film
01.25 Close

[guy60]

BBC1 was truly shocking last night. Finish of Strictly and Merlin and no Dr Who leaves a massive hole in the scheduling.
Other channels not much better

[Rich Tea.]

Originally Posted by guy60

BBC1 was truly shocking last night. Finish of Strictly and Merlin and no Dr Who leaves a massive hole in the scheduling.
Other channels not much better

Such a good point. Does nobody in the BBC actually have a diary, and do a bit of forward planning or thinking? Why is everything geared up to climaxing just before Christmas exactly? Here you have the darkest and coldest nights of the year in January and February, with surely the likeliest captive possible TV audience, but as soon as festivities are over, little effort seems to be made, and for BBC1, supposedly the premier channel this is shocking, and cuts or no cuts is no excuse! I watch BBC4 more nowadays. BBC1 is not filling it's remit, and is a generic unchallenging conveyor of the same uncreative output most of the time, with just a couple of exceptions.

[elfcurry]

Originally Posted by LostFool

Fantastic stuff. Who would have guessed that a subtitled drama about Danish coalition politics would be unmissable Saturday night TV?

(my bold)

Originally Posted by lilirose

This. I absolutely loved it.

Originally Posted by Servalan

This is easily the best drama airing on British right now. Which says quite a lot about British television drama

Originally Posted by david1955

Fantastic couple of episodes last night. Some really unexpected twists.

Comments made on last night's Borgen thread.
(BBC4 9pm Sat, repeated Tuesday 11pm).

[bgtension]

I can't believe I'm relying on BBC2, CH4, BBC4 for my Saturday night entertainment. The 2 main channels should be ashamed of themselves.
I even ended up watching Celebrity Big Brother last night...,although to be fair it was quite good

[MayfairBlue]

Originally Posted by ftv

BBC1 Saturday July 25, 1981:

17.10 Alias Smith & Jones (Western)
18.00 News with Kenneth Kendall
18.15 Pop Quiz with Mike Read
18.45 Carry on Follow that Camel (film)
20.20 Summertime Special from Brighton - Faith Brown,
Bucks Fizz,Lena Zavaroni
21.05 News
21.20 Royal International Horse Show from Wembley
22.30 Roots 11/13
24.00 House Calls (US comedy)
24.25 Weather,close

BBC2:

16.10 Cricket from Lord's
19.35 News and sport
19.55 Cloch - Irish sculptors
20.20 Spirit of Asia with David Attenborough
21.20 Horror Double Bill: Isle of the Dead,Boris Karloff
22.30 The Telephone Box: Spanish film
23.05 News
23.10 Cricket highlights
23.40 The Crazies horror film
01.25 Close

Pretty Random! And 1981 too! I don't know if you're trying to emphasize a point here, but in fairness, we're talking the summer though it was not at a time of the rave culture, they wouldn't be a lot of entertainment you'd imagine around the summer where TV was concerned.

[MayfairBlue]

Before the period of where every other household has Cable and SKY installed, we were obviously reliant on 4 mainstream channels and this was before even before the arrival of Channel 5. It obviously depended on generations and individual interests, but I always thought quality on the whole overran quantity.

Now it's the other way round IMHO - far too much choice and not enough quality as such to cater for all. Obviously, some programmes can't go on forever as well as those featured in it will go old and be away from our screens. There were a lot of the American series/drama the filled our screens as well as uk sitcoms and gameshows.

Nowaday's it's over saturated with fame hungry so-called celebrities, far too many soap operas/ uk dramas and of course the mainstream 'talent' based shows X Factor and SCD.

I imagine those that were around and fortunate to experience the golden era of the 90s and 80s and perhaps for some out there, the 70s are running out of patience and past caring with a lot of the rubbish that's around today.

[Tassium]

1981: Dos
2013: WIndows 7 / Windows 8 / Linux / Android


1981: Atari 2600
2013: Xbox / PS3 / PS-Vita / Nintendo DS / PC

---
To compare TV of today with TV of 30 years ago and find them comparable is saying something!

The "main" channels basically got lazy and have failed to respond to advances in technology. Advances which have given the public so many things to do of an evening, even in winter.

The idea that any old rubbish can be put out and people will watch has been proven to be incorrect, as the ratings show.

[MayfairBlue]

Originally Posted by Tassium

1981: Dos
2013: WIndows 7 / Windows 8 / Linux / Android


1981: Atari 2600
2013: Xbox / PS3 / PS-Vita / Nintendo DS / PC

---
To compare TV of today with TV of 30 years ago and find them comparable is saying something!

The "main" channels basically got lazy and have failed to respond to advances in technology. Advances which have given the public so many things to do of an evening, even in winter.

The idea that any old rubbish can be put out and people will watch has been proven to be incorrect, as the ratings show.

It's growth and dealing with change over time. You're right about the point of laziness. For me personally, I enjoyed the 80s and the 90s as it was the time of me being a kid and growing up - used to enjoy back then on a Saturday Night, shows like Big Break and Gladiators as well as a dose of Blind Date and Cilla. The National Lottery programme back then was a lot more exciting too.

Hard to explain why it's not quite the same - maybe I'm getting a little bit older in my 30s and suffering from Nostalgitis!