Category: TV

BBC Charter Renewal

BBC published it’s future proposals today. The pdf and interesting quote can be found here – BBC affirms Creative Archive in Charter Renewal plans. From DG Mark Thompson…

We want to builld a digital world based on universal access, open standards and unencryption. Encryption, subscription and other forms of digital exclusion lead to widespread welfare losses. They may have a role within the total broadcasting ecology, but the idea that they can successfully replace free-to-air public service broadcasting flies in the face both of economic theory and real-world experience.

The online creative archive sounds amazing but would surely grow to a huge undertaking even for a public broadcaster like the BBC?

BB 5

What the feck’s going on? Could there be a more vain, vile and vacuous group than we saw on the new Big Brother? First there was the annoying queen, then the token asylum seeker (ex), then the weegie ned with the thong. Oh dear. Other highlights were the glamour queen who liked porn, the gay guy who only did straight men, the more man than woman transvestite and the off-the-peg socialist – it was as if she’d shopped at Harrods for the latest left wing tag to add to her hate list.

Worse was her entrance, with Divina (looking fine by the way) turning all Derren Brown and predicting that she would turn back and that she was looking for her girlfriend before it even happened. That was sooooo staged (that has to be said in annoying queen accent while clapping like a 5 year old at the same time).

But I’ll watch it tonight to see who doesn’t get their suitcase and no doubt I’ll catch some highlight programs over the next week. By that time I’ll be hooked…..what a saddo.

Chancers

Just watched a BBC Scotland documentary called Chancers. The programme follows the Airborne Initiative which tries to help persistent young offenders and change their ways. What struck me was the determination and faith that some of the Airborne workers had and just how difficult their job is. I thought my day-to-day job offers challenges and problems – theirs is an absolute nightmare. Constant abuse, threats of violence, persistent drug-taking and a total lack of discipline and respect yet throughout the course they must show they have belief in the offenders. And looking at the Airborne website I’ve seen the salaries offered – that�s a low wage for the stress they go through.

More desperate are the offenders themselves. Even though they are in last chance saloon they still push their luck taking rules to the extreme. Some of the behaviour……can’t put it into words.

But what�s left me confused is how best to deal with the offenders? Lock up and throw away the key? More initiatives like Airborne? Just don’t know which is why it’s so difficult to fix.

The West Wing

Just watching last weeks episode. And by the way before I start on the praise its a woo-hoo to Graeme for recording it for me and a boo for Channel 4 for dumping the last series in a graveyard shift while at the same time pumping shite like The Games all last week.

Anyway….enough of the digression. The West Wing is the best prog on TV at the moment. Even a poor episode is better than most of the other drivel on at the moment. Its only flaw is that everyone that works in the Whitehouse is good and has no real flaws….apart from lying about their health. Add a few darker characters within the administration and it would be top smart.