Terrible Television?!

[Sproutstick]

Is it me or does there appear to be absolutely NOTHING at all on terrestrial television at the moment!??  I am fed up of feeling as though I am consistantly being pressurised into purchasing a 'freeview box' (or whatever the heck it is they are called!?? They put adverts on for decent programmes, get you all excited, and then tell you that they are being screened on ITV3 (or whatever channel you do not have access to!??).  Does anyone else feel that television is deliberately terrible on terrestrial channels so that everyone will buy a 'free'view box?

[maggsy69]

not being funny but just buy skydigital! every programme you could want is on there and you'd never moan about tv ever again!

[Ralph]

Or give in and get a Freeview box, they're less than �40 these days and the quality improvement is like going from a 10 year old vhs tape to a DVD. I'ts not DVD quality, but a VAST improvement on regular telly. That's if you can get it where you are of course.

[Lucas2]

Having said that, does anyone else ever feel like there's nothing good to watch on Sky either??  Hundreds and hundreds of channels, but so much of it is rubbish........

[Sproutstick]

I do understand what all of you are saying, but it's the principle of the thing that annoys me!  What is the point in having 5 channels that are all awful and paying for a TV license.  It just shouldn't happen!!  It might only be �40 per box, but times that by the number of people in Britain who own a television and you have a tidy profit indeed - someone's making money!

I think that a box is a good idea for those who wish to increase the number of programmes available to them.  It is unfair if people feel 'bullied' into purchasing something because all the other options have been removed from them.  I was perfectly happy with my 5 channel until they started trying to use dictatorial persuasion in order to affect my choices.  It's frankly ridiculous!

[Ralph]

I don't work for them, whomever 'they' are before you start wondering! Simply put, they are trying to get everyone over to digital because they have set a date to turn the analogue signal off. I think it might be 2010. After that, all new tellies will be the IDTV digital type, all older tellies will need one of those set top boxes they're trying to sell you!

[Ralph]

PS: your license fee only pays for two awful channels, the other three are awful for free!

[Robinia]

I'm with you Sproutstick (love the name!) - I tried a freeview box but it didn't work too well, & was told my aerial needed upgrading - more expense.

Unless I'm not feeling well, when you tend to stare at anything, I now only watch a few programmes. I get square eyes in front of my computer instead!  8-)

[Sproutstick]

Hurrah!!!  I thought I was going mad!!!  TV is rubbish!

[andy hughes]

I think TV, like the culture of which it is a part, is constantly evolving and changing. Beware imagining a golden age of TV - it was golden at the time, but if you look back with our modern sohphisticated tastes and appreciations, you can see how creaky a lot of it was. TV fights an increasingly hard battle for the attention of its viewers in a climate of competition from other providers, and other leisure activites, with a consequent increase in the need to provide 'value for money' to advertisers and licence payers. As I have mentioned previously, I have made a concious effort to cut out all viewing which is not based on pointing and laughing, or gasping in abject horror, and if you do that, a large proportion of current television becomes off limits. I would not agree that TV is 'deliberately terrible', the current market forces would not support such a subtle method of increasing digital uptake. I think 'we' get more of what 'we' watch, so avoid it, and do your bit to increase the quality.

[Sproutstick]

I take your point: "Beware imagining a golden age of TV - it was golden at the time, but if you look back with our modern sohphisticated tastes and appreciations, you can see how creaky a lot of it was."  but I am only 24 years of age.  If I have noticed a rapid deterioration in quality I dread to think what people of my parent's generation feel on the subject.  I also enjoy Classic FM, but I do not believe this makes me old-fashioned.  &nb sp; Instead, I feel that it is an indication that I appreciate a variety of things and I have an open-minded approach to differing styles.  Even with my young open mind I find it difficult at times to enjoy the 'delights' that television has to offer.  I have to say though, I am looking forward to 'Rosemary and Thyme' this evening.  Light-hearted humour with no gratuitous scenes of sex and/or violence.  If I wanted that on a Friday night I would just visit a nightclub in any town in Britain on a Friday evening!  :-)

[georgit79]

I don't think they do it deliberately, I just think that we need to improve our tv programmes!

Although, I have Sky, and last night, for example, I couldn't find anything decent to watch out of about 200 channels, so...

[KittyGlitter]

Having watched some dreadful TV in various countries abroad, I vowed never again to complain about British TV! I do believe we produce some of the best TV in the world, even though sometimes we get fed up with what's on. Yes, don't give into buying a freeview box unless you really want it. I take the view that the more channels there are, the more likely 'one' thinks they are missing something better on another channel and then spend most of the time channel hopping.

[Merlin]

Sproutstick. I absolutely refuse to pay anything more than the license fee for the 5 terry's terrible channels. I have Classic FM on too - the 'Gold' stations are all being taken over by a franchise company, or might all be the same programme - now and then they mention 'your' town.

Judicious use of the video recorder usually provides just enough viewing for the week, especially if there are some decent films on (Matrix was on last week) - look out for classics on during the day.

Otherwise, learn to read.