Anyone else fed up with......

I find it difficult when I hear stars bleating the hardship case of their colleagues and then they seem to be on tons of radio and tv shows themselves. Certainly over exposure in some cases and I find that mean spirited. Incidentally, I think I heard somewhere that Jane McDonald's husband had died so maybe we could cut her a little bit of slack. I'm no great fan but..... y' know....

I have been away for a few weeks and don't have access to anything but Freeview (which I know would have seemed like a huge luxury just a few years ago?).

There is nothing whatsoever that I want to watch most evenings, and Saturdays are worst of all. If it's not some couple in a motorhome or barge, it's an ancient and sycophantic documentary about the Royal Family, or US sitcoms and cop dramas. Obviously there is the Olympics, but I'm not really interested in sport.

Today's films were High Society and Meet Me In St Louis. It was raining, so I was tempted, but managed to resist.

The summer season is usually a bit hopeless, though - they bring out some decent drama in the Autumn, as a rule.

Yes, agree it's all a bit mundane. I have taped the Merton campervan programme which presume is a series. As I did get fed-up of watching Bradley + son going travelling in their absolute "Massive" campervan. The size of it being A ton of money - being the price of a house, no doubt. HOw the other half Live.

Don’t know if it’s already been said but Michael Ball only sang one song at the end of each programme, with various welsh choirs.

I agree. Too many but thanks for mentioning the Richard E Grant ones. We've watched two today. They were great.

Tv is just full of reality tv aimed towards the young these days, and half of these so called celebrities I wouldn’t recognise if I bumped into them in the street.
It’s just cheap, lazy TV they get enough in license fees to give us better than this

Yes enjoying most of them. Programme makers have been very limited in what they can produce during the pandemic for obvious reasons. Period dramas would be somewhat challenging to film due to social distancing and the relentless need to isolate. The UK has some wonderful scenery so why not showcase?

One thing to note is that the BBC commissions private companies like Paul Merton's company to produce these programmes. This explains why we constantly see the same faces on the television all the time. It's almost like a private club. Also of course there is some acting. Paul Merton finding someone playing a strange musical instrument as he gets off his motorhome is not a happy coincidence. I completely agree this is cheap television which enriches the few in the club. This is an article about making documentaries.
www.independent.co.uk/voices/bbc-david-attenborough-nature-documentaries-fake-a8291961.html

yes very fed up with this

It's summer. There is never anything engaging on TV in August. Wait until the autumn and all the good stuff will come back.

True, if not having a jolly, there is usually a book in the pipeline

All those travels with a celebrity and repeats of things I didn’t watch in the first place have been good for my health. Except for during the Olympics, some of which I’ve enjoyed on various programs, the TV isn’t on but then . . . Back came Only Connect and University challenge! Hurray! That’s Monday evening taken care of. We’ll just have to wait for autumn for the rest of the week to catch up.
If I really want to sit around, then watching Nothing to Declare reminds me what not to do when I visit Australia.

Living in the middle of the country, in a county that must win an award for the fewest visits let alone mentions from Countryfile, it would be quite nice to have a travel programme about this area!
But I must admit that I have learnt something different from most of the coastal programmes !

I agree they are just doing it for cheap tv. We have had that and sport non stop. where are the decent plays to watch.? Even if they are not showing new plays there must be plenty of recorded good plays for today etc that they have and if we must have repeats at least they might be worth watching. Plays with good actors in and not just police dramas!

I record what I want to watch as I am out at work all day but what I really hate is the barrage of funeral plan advertisements! We know we are going to die, we would all like to have everything paid for and sorted in advance but do we have to be constantly reminded of our own mortality when things are tough enough at the moment? I watch TV to relax for goodness sake.

I do enjoy countryfile.
At least nobody sings!

Interested

One thing to note is that the BBC commissions private companies like Paul Merton's company to produce these programmes. This explains why we constantly see the same faces on the television all the time. It's almost like a private club. Also of course there is some acting. Paul Merton finding someone playing a strange musical instrument as he gets off his motorhome is not a happy coincidence. I completely agree this is cheap television which enriches the few in the club. This is an article about making documentaries.
www.independent.co.uk/voices/bbc-david-attenborough-nature-documentaries-fake-a8291961.html

Kate Humble's husband, Ludo Graham, is a TV producer and director as well as cameraman.

Keep it in the family.

I like watching the programmes about the different places in Britain but have often thought it would be good if the people who were 'travelling' were not celebrities but ordinary people who have never had the chance to explore their country and for whom it would be a brand new, exciting experience. I, for one, would be a most enthusiastic visitor to beautiful areas and would be fascinated by local history, nature or past and present working practices. I would do it for free!!

Things I've seen more than enough of on TV:-

Sheep, so many, many sheep being born
People in white suits tending bees
Celebrities going down that zip line thing in Wales
People whittling wood in woodland shelters
Wetsuit wearing 'stars' having surfing lessons - paddle paddle flipping paddle.
Dry stone walling
Couples who have escaped the rat race to brew artisan gin using 'botanicals'

I recently really enjoyed Living Wild: How to Change Your Life presented by the inspiring Sophie Morgan. Definitely not the usual indulged talking head churning out scripted lines on a run of the mill tour.

www.channel4.com/programmes/living-wild-how-to-change-your-life

I enjoyed exploring Northern Ireland with Siobhan McSweeney last week and will continue to watch the series.

Don't be coy, which area do you live in? I might live in it too.

Added to your list MM -

Making cider
Splitting slates
Cheese making and testing
Old weaving machines
Demo of creating dry stone walls
Demo of creating hedges

Maybe I just watch too much tv!!

If I really want to sit around, then watching Nothing to Declare reminds me what not to do when I visit Australia.

Mollygo I don't watch much TV but I have seen this and it totally fascinates me. One had a Chinese family with about five suitcases stuffed with food of various sorts because they were staying in a hotel and didn't want to pay for meals. And some of the things they find in the mail - snakes, scarab beetles, drugs of all sorts.

Yes, Michael Portillo hiking around North Cirnwall last night and being so arrogant about not having to worry about nature if you live in a city. Really condescending he was and not doing himself any favours. And I used to quite like him.

Looking forward to the new series of A House Through Time with David Olusoga. It is on BBC2 at 9pm next Tuesday. Have enjoyed the previous series and hearing about all the previous occupants.