In the mid-90s there was a TV programming on late night LWT that was one of the finest TV shows ever made. It was called In Bed With Medinner and took the rise out of old and usually cheaply-made TV documentaries. It was a great shame when it ended.
In one particularly memorable episode the programme showed something that had gone out live to celebrate LWT's twentieth birthday some time in the 80s. It was excruciating. Nigel Dempster did a piece to camera where in a set-up piece he happened to ‘bump into' 60s model Cathy McGowan. As he did so he said:' It's Cathy McGowan! A star of the 60s and an even bigger star of the....'. And then he stopped. Because he couldn't pretend that she was.
The reason for this rather long and rambling introduction is that I was reminded of the scene when I read a story about AOL partnering with astrologer Russell Grant to launch a horoscope channel. Russell Grant? The last time I saw him on telly I was off school ill, TV-AM existed and both him and I think General Galtieri was eyeing up the Falklands.
According to AOL, the deal showed that the company was committed to working with ‘the world's leading content providers'. Surely that's one of the biggest overstatements going. AOL should have taken Dempster's advice.
