Media Forum

Re: Do you feel disenchanted with TV?

Chris Gosling — Sun, 03 May 2009 20:07:03 GMT

A major part of the disenchantment probably comes from the increasingly stylised and monotonous presentation that the major broadcasters have adopted.

The inability to feature a presenter whose teeth are less than perfectly veneered, the improssibility of showing subjects which are likely to attract a less than an X million audience, even for the smaller stations, and the continuing commitment to spending tariff rates which encourage slick at the expense of interest, are all contributory factors.

As the producer of some of the very rare original ultra-niche programme content on some satellite channels, I know just how easy it is to engage with real, ordinary people by being a real ordinary person on TV - one broadcaster who spent a day on my (provided free by the organisers) stand at the NEC was stopped in his tracks after counting the 500+ individuals who hunted us out to shake my hand and thank us for producing the programme!

RE: Do you feel disenchanted with TV?

kirsty stevenson — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 08:12:14 GMT

I'm not disenchanted by TV, but I'm starting to look fondly at adverts. What I'm getting disenchanted by is less than subtle product placement. If the ads start gradually disappearing and being replaced by products in the shows, I think then I won't be able to watch for cringing every time we see an over-close up of a watch when a character checks the time, or we close in on the make of car he's driving. I'm going to think up a way that it can be less awful.

RE: Do you feel disenchanted with TV?

Gordon Macmillan — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:25:29 GMT

Errr maybe when you get tired of reading. Just a guess.

RE: Do you feel disenchanted with TV?

Gordon Macmillan — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:25:16 GMT

Errr maybe when you get tired of reading. Just a guess.

RE: Do you feel disenchanted with TV?

Jacquie Bowser — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:38:20 GMT

Hello Alex!

RE: Do you feel disenchanted with TV?

charlie robertson — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 06:02:49 GMT

who needs SKY+ when you can read a book?

RE: Do you feel disenchanted with TV?

Wooly Walnut — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:15:59 GMT

Who needs ad breaks when you've got Sky+?

RE: Do you feel disenchanted with TV?

JOANNE HUGHES — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:02:31 GMT

There are a few specialist digital channels that still make watching TV worthwhile. The terrestrial channels haven't improved the quality of their content much in the past few decades, but the channels that cater for niche audiences with special interests are a great refuge. Long live Horse & Country TV - I don't mind sitting through a few ads for Chudley's dog food if they support programming for horse riders.

RE: Do you feel disenchanted with TV?

Alex Donohue — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:34:44 GMT

Hello Susan,

For what it's worth, ITV Wales is just as pants as its other regional counterparts. As for S4C, Pobol y Cwm has definitely gone downhill since my student days tsk.

RE: RE: Do you feel disenchanted with TV?

Susan Billinge — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:40:40 GMT

I watch many programmes on demand these days via the internet. There are a few serials I follow but I never manage to watch them all at the desegnated time so I'll download them and watch them when it's convenient for me.

Have to say though the quality of some of the downloads leave a lot to be desired (especially the first Shamless series on 4OD) is this on purpose?

Hello Alex :-) !

RE: Do you feel disenchanted with TV?

Alex Donohue — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:01:56 GMT

That ads are needed to support programmes being made is a given, most viewers know a transaction is being made and are happy to go along with it providing the ads don't become excessive.

It's the frequency of them that's the problem, the way they completely break up the flow of that programme you're completely engrossed in, or worse, when it's a sporting event you actually miss some of the action! Satellite channels are the worse offenders for this no question...

Hello Brand Republicans btw :)

RE: Do you feel disenchanted with TV?

Mark Smith — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:57:58 GMT

Sadly not everyone in the UK has a Sky + box. What about the elderly and low income viewers? And scheduling is still important in terms building audiences, channel identities, programmes like the news etc etc

RE: Do you feel disenchanted with TV?

James Walters — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:29:32 GMT

Scheduling is not even an issue anymore. Other than the odd footie match there is nothing i want to watch live. Everything else is recorded on Sky +, which means in essence that multiple TV channels that i might sample content from become increasingly less relevant as brands.

While some channels i have a really good impression of, and feel for them, some i don't. That is certainly the case and if it wasn't for House and Sunday/Monday Night Baseball I wouldn't ever see it.

RE: Do you feel disenchanted with TV?

Mark Smith — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:13:59 GMT

Bad scheduling is my biggest gripe about TV these days. Entourage - midnight ITV2. Great show but why bother if you don't give anyone a chance to watch it at a normal hour. Pushing Daisies - Saturday night is wrong wrong wrong. Midweek at 9pm is sensible. Match of the Day - Saturday night when many football fans are out socialising and then repeated early Sunday morning. The only people up to watch it on Sunday are those that went to bed early enough to catch it the previous evening. I could go on.

RE: Do you feel disenchanted with TV?

Sarah Lambe — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:06:28 GMT

I watch programmes because they're good, simple as that. But, having said that I never normally even look at ITV or Five (as they generally seem to show complete tosh and they're not on my 'favourites' flick-through list) - so I guess that is a kind of channel loyalty to BBC and C4.

Also, while I think software like the iPlayer is great, I would never go that step further and watch TV on my mobile. Why on earth would you want to squint at a tiny 3inch screen when you can just wait & watch it at home, in HD, on an enormous screen with surround sound. Are we really in that much of a rush that we have to see it now now now?