Has Saturday Night TV ever been this bad

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  • LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,623
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    BBC4 only worth watching again :)

    BBC4 is almost worth the licence fee on its own.
  • bgtensionbgtension Posts: 764
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    A.D.P wrote: »
    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;):p
  • comedy89comedy89 Posts: 1,556
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    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
  • hallchallc Posts: 199,173
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    comedy89 wrote: »
    Cemetery Junction is a pretty good film on BBC 2 at 9:45

    Just Set it to record...
  • AlbacomAlbacom Posts: 34,578
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    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.
  • marxavlenmarxavlen Posts: 851
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    wizzywick wrote: »
    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 LoverFM Lover Posts: 50,645
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    jda135 wrote: »
    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.
  • PosyPosy Posts: 1,946
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    Britain's Brightest was an excellent show
  • bgtensionbgtension Posts: 764
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    That day again, and tonight's is even worse than last week:eek::mad:
  • hallchallc Posts: 199,173
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    World Without End on CHannel 4 looks promising, I like those type of dramas
  • MiresiaVertetaMiresiaVerteta Posts: 1,242
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    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?
  • MayfairBlueMayfairBlue Posts: 593
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    ftv wrote: »
    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.
  • lalalala Posts: 21,175
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    Tassium wrote: »
    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? :confused:
  • lalalala Posts: 21,175
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    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
  • MRSgotobedMRSgotobed Posts: 3,851
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    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.
  • ftvftv Posts: 31,668
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    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
  • guy60guy60 Posts: 719
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    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.Rich Tea. Posts: 22,048
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    guy60 wrote: »
    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.
  • elfcurryelfcurry Posts: 3,232
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    LostFool wrote: »
    Fantastic stuff. Who would have guessed that a subtitled drama about Danish coalition politics would be unmissable Saturday night TV?
    (my bold)
    lilirose wrote:
    This. I absolutely loved it.
    Servalan wrote: »
    This is easily the best drama airing on British right now. Which says quite a lot about British television drama
    david1955 wrote:
    Fantastic couple of episodes last night. Some really unexpected twists.

    Comments made on last night's Borgen thread.
    (BBC4 9pm Sat, repeated Tuesday 11pm).
  • bgtensionbgtension Posts: 764
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    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:o:eek:
  • MayfairBlueMayfairBlue Posts: 593
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    ftv wrote: »
    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.
  • MayfairBlueMayfairBlue Posts: 593
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    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.
  • TassiumTassium Posts: 31,639
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    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.
  • MayfairBlueMayfairBlue Posts: 593
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    Tassium wrote: »
    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!:cool:
  • TassiumTassium Posts: 31,639
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    There is one thing that is very different and might not be apparent from looking at schedules from 30 years ago.

    Programming was more cross-demographical, in other words one particular programme would be intended to be watched by a large cross section of society.

    Contrast that with today and the extreme narrowness of programming, it's rare to have a programme that is intended to be watched by a wide social group and both men/women.


    I think it's this narrowness that is killing TV. Spreading out the available audience so fewer and fewer people are watching the same thing of an evening.
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