Tuesday, July 08, 2003

But last night the plans of a future war/Was all I saw on Channel Four

I've never considered myself to be much of a TV watcher, more so now that cable is well beyond my budget. But there are times when an hour or two in front of the idiot box (four channels or no) becomes the perfect way to pass the time.

When I first arrived here, I was less than impressed with the British offerings available. But as time has gone by, I've found myself enjoying my BBC and Channel 4 more than I thought I would. I suppose if you are exposed to something long enough...

Anyway - here are five things that I love about British TV:

1. BBC Documentaries
What is it about the British accent that can bring credibility to even the most ridiculous subject matters? Ditto for the BBC production values that make the driest of history seem exciting.

2. Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles
I do love retro cartoons on Saturday morning. And coz over here, they're more than ninjas - they're HEROES!

3. BBC is Commerical Free
This is mostly a good thing. But have you ever tried to watch a movie on TV with no commercials? There are no pauses, so prepare yourself for a two-hour sit. If nature calls, tough decisions must be made!

4. Big Brother
Confession time. I have become hooked on Big Brother UK. And for all the wrong reasons. Apparently this year's edition is the "worst ever" because all the housemates are so boring. But I think this is the reason I love it so much. I feel like I'm watching average blokes on TV doing a whole lot of nothing rather than characters of a "reality television programme". And how does this make it better? It doesn't. On a positive note though, I can now identify Liverpool, Newcastle and Orkney accents with little trouble.

5. Graham Norton
The concept: A talk-show where the host is flamboyant and spouts double-entendres, gets A-level celebrity guests and ignores them in order to play games with the crowd. Works for me!

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