Darby on TV - All Comments

re: Booze Britain isn't all bad according to C4

Grazia — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:10:26 GMT

I live most of the time in France, where a bootle of drinkable wine (if you just want to get drunk) costs around 1.50 Euros. But we don't see hoards of people roaming the streets completely bladdered.

Price has nothing to do with it and, just like cigarettes, people who want to get bladdered will do so whatever the price.

Look at Scandinavia - the Norwegians do regular booze cruises to places like Newcastle to get drunk and buy cheap booze. Having high prices hasn't stopped any Scandinavians from drinking and alcoholism is still rife.

Prohibition didn't work either.

If it's part of a culture, as it is in the UK to go down the pub, that will never be stamped out, no matter the price.

And, in the UK countryside, locals are extremely important as somewhere to socialise and not be isolated - it's not always about the booze.

re: Booze Britain isn't all bad according to C4

Jeremy Lee — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:30:05 GMT

I saw it too and I agree it was quite touching in parts. Pubs are very important socially and culturally. The Boat in Berkhamsted is probably my favourite.

re: Disrespect to Simon Cowell, Strictly and X-Factor

Andrew Bent — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:04:16 GMT

Yeah, popular TV, I can see why people in advertising would hate it. Especially if the public really take it to their heart and get themselves involved in it. Yeah I can totally see why people in advertising would see that as such a bad development.

re: Disrespect to Simon Cowell, Strictly and X-Factor

jacqueline steel — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:22:42 GMT

What irritates me is how these TV Talent Shows self-perpetuate our supposed obsession by becoming 'real' news items ... or is that just me?

re: The BBC could learn something from Silvio Berlusconi

Alan Malarkey — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:48:04 GMT

What a spurious comment John. This piece doesn't talk about dismantling the BBC but keeping it in check. And who is doing that right now when it's scheduling Strictly against X Factor?

re: Gregg Wallace : Wet Lettuce

Grace Kale — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:42:54 GMT

To recap: you don't like Greg Wallace deferring to Michel Roux and professional cooking looks like hard work. Trenchant.

re: Gregg Wallace : Wet Lettuce

James T Kirk — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:11:56 GMT

I have been enjoying this series - the programme makers are clearly chuffed to have Michel Roux jnr on board - to the extent that they let him send his scary sous chef to judge the first round. And I did get a bit sick of the fact the number of clips with contestants saying how honoured they were to cook for the great man. Gregg did disagree with Michel over a cheese sauce last night, but apart from that he did seem cowed by the presence of God as a co-presenter.

re: The death of the football pundit

Chris Worsley — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:31:55 GMT

if it helps get Andy Gray out of my life I'm all in favour of it

re: The death of the football pundit

Ian Darby — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:40:01 GMT

Better class of commentator in rugby. Stuart Barnes' piece on Keith Floyd in the Sunday Times yesterday is well worth checking out online for people who missed it.

re: The death of the football pundit

Jeremy Lee — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:50:47 GMT

Yeah footballers don't make great pundits as they are a pretty thick bunch by and large. It's a different story in rugby, of course, and think Sky do a great job with Lazenby, Barnes, Greenwood etc. Bayfield's good on ITV4 too

re: The BBC could learn something from Silvio Berlusconi

John Gallen — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:48:41 GMT

Is it me or does everyone in the UK love throwing the boot into the BBC? Is the BBC only appreciated outside of its ad free / licence fee paying isle.

People, it's a world leader.

You'll be pissed off rightly when you've nothing left but commercial tv and everything goes the route of US television.

By then you'll be screaming for the likes of a UK version of HBO and will have to pay ten times what it costs for the paltry licenece fee... c'mon, big picture and longer term thinking.

re: The BBC could learn something from Silvio Berlusconi

Darren Davidson — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:00:34 GMT

I was surprised by the righteous BBC reaction and reports of Peston getting angry up in Edinburgh. Do they only consumer their own media because only that could explain how badly they've misjudged the public mood? As for Berlusconi, i wouldn't mind spending my holiday next year at his villa.

re: The BBC could learn something from Silvio Berlusconi

Jeremy Lee — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:46:21 GMT

Thing is that the BBC is already EXACTLY like Berlusconi except his media monopoly is in Italy.

re: The BBC could learn something from Silvio Berlusconi

Ian Darby — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:24:38 GMT

£83 million (BBC3's 2008 budget) would save more than a few local newspapers.

re: The BBC could learn something from Silvio Berlusconi

Chris Worsley — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:42:00 GMT

the BBC won't save that much money by shutting down BBC3, it doesn't cost much to repeat Gavin and Stacey, 2 pints and Little Britain over and over again.