Monday, August 20, 2007
Must-not watch TV
Twice last night I was confronted with an expensive-looking trail for a new BBC show called "The Restaurant" in which a room full of actors threw food at each other. (You can see it at the link above if you want.) If you were trying to defend the BBC against charges that it no longer held the high ground on the broadcasting landscape you'd be a bit cross about this, wouldn't you?
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Interestingly, as well as quality programming, the BBC also seems to be struggling with this new media thingy. The trailer for this waste of taste and cash is available in two formats. Neither of which seem to be compatible with the humble PC. Indeed one has the file type .RAM, of which neither myself nor my IT expert colleague has ever heard. I note the 'Listen Again' feature on the BBC Radio website has also been knackered for weeks. It's not going well is it?
ReplyDeleteAnother tiresome, overly-competitive reality show where real people get hysterical with each other for the cameras, but that will surely wilt in the shadow of Hell's Kitchen on the other side, in which Marco Pierre White shouts at famous people who have no professional cooking experience.
ReplyDeleteIsn't the new season great?
I've said elsewhere that I prefer to see cooking done well rather than badly. Surely we all see enough bad food and stress in our everyday lives. The BBC are in danger of losing the skill of making simple, knowledgable food programmes done by people who love and enjoy food. see also Kitchen Criminals
ReplyDeleteIf I were to suggest that throwing food is an act of inexcusable tastelessness would I be accused of being a bit of an old stick-in-the-mud? And would I care?
ReplyDeleteMy main complaint (other than the fact the programme will no doubt be awful) is the horrendous amount of money they must have spent on the trailer. I'm sure it probably cost as much as a great deal of far more interesting programmes elsewhere on the BBC. I love the BBC but it seems those in charge don't love it as much as me.
ReplyDeleteMr Simon James x
Yes, and when the future of BBC Three and BBC Four are under threat, spending what is not an inconsiderable amount of licence fee payer's dosh on a food fight doesn't seem at all right. If the new BBC digital channels go, however shall we all manage?
ReplyDeleteHmm, but the show might actually be very good...
ReplyDeleteI would imagine it's cheaper to buy a load of cheap food and then have unknown actors throw it at each other than it is, to say, get Jade or Simon Cowell to endorse or star in it.
Taking about complete wastes of money - UK Food are guilty! Jesus, if they don't know how to make decent food programmes... The latest Gary Rhodes thing in India is utter rubbish.
You wouldn't be accused of being a bit of an old stick-in-the-mud by me. The first time I saw it my initial reaction was: that's a waste of food!
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm old and confused but the ITV promo for Hell's Kitchen has people lobbing perfectly decent scoff at one another as well... I think.
If I may be excused a moment of geekery. Mr Anthrope - the RAM file is the format used by the Real Audio Media player which is free to use (and may even be pointed at by the BBC website).
ReplyDeleteThat aside, I agree with all of the above and would add that in the week where loutish behaviour has hit the news again, it hacks me off that the broadcaster I fund screens programmes featuring the antics of boorish subtalents. Isnt that what Sky's for? If BBC3 and 4 get axed then I will be in deep despair.
RAM - Real Audio Media? Yep, makes sense. It didn't change the fact that the clip wouldn't play though! And how long does it take to fix 'Listen Again'? I'd suggest food fights remain the preserve of 'whacky' students who think The Young Ones was a training video and who would learn a valuable lesson if Mr.H remove his stick from the mud and introduced it where the sun no longer shares its warmth.
ReplyDelete