Recommended Television Programmes

[smittims]

A short series English Furniture, on BBC4 iPlayer

In the chaotic and unecrtain age in which we live it might be hard to find a more civilised programme than this . I'd expect them to think this too too 'elitist ' for today's BBC to repeat. Maybe they're trying to calm us down ahead of the election.

[gradus]

Good to see Arthur Negus again but I wish it had been scheduled earlier as an alternative to the wall to wall football.

[smittims]

Oh, is there some football on? I hadn't noticed. Over on Radio 4 everyone was raving about someone called Taylor Swift; I thought it was a firm of dry-cleaners.

[oddoneout]

A short series English Furniture, on BBC4 iPlayer

In the chaotic and unecrtain age in which we live it might be hard to find a more civilised programme than this . I'd expect them to think this too too 'elitist ' for today's BBC to repeat. Maybe they're trying to calm us down ahead of the election.

But isn't that the main purpose of BBC4 - to show material that the prejudiced management considers might prove too much for the "ordinary" TV viewing public?

[smittims]

I suppose it's supposed to be its main purpose. But like everything esle on today's BBC that smells intellectual, it's stalked by the dumbing-down trend.

[LMcD]

But isn't that the main purpose of BBC4 - to show material that the prejudiced management considers might prove too much for the "ordinary" TV viewing public?

I think the main purpose of BBC4 is now to mine the archives. This has given us the chance to watch countless TOTPs, but if that isn't your thing there are - thankfully - also opportunities to watch some wonderful dramas such as 'Roads to Freedom', a series which I thought I'd never get the chance to see again.

[oddoneout]

I think the main purpose of BBC4 is now to mine the archives. This has given us the chance to watch countless TOTPs, but if that isn't your thing there are - thankfully - also opportunities to watch some wonderful dramas such as 'Roads to Freedom', a series which I thought I'd never get the chance to see again.

I should have perhaps made it clear that I was being sarcastic when I made that comment. I had been having encounters with incompetent outfits which I would dearly love to be shot of but can't for various reasons, and so my mood was not the best.
Yes indeed it is where the archives get a second (3rd, 4th etc airing) but that just serves to remind how things have deteriorated over the years. At least the TOTP content is now safely corralled into a Friday evening.

[gradus]

As BBC4 and its repeats (cf TPTV) is the other channel of choice for some of us perhaps the Controller could be persuaded to give us a schedule of the repeats for the coming month so that we don't have to rely on serendipity to catch a programme that we'd enjoy seeing again.

[LMcD]

As BBC4 and its repeats (cf TPTV) is the other channel of choice for some of us perhaps the Controller could be persuaded to give us a schedule of the repeats for the coming month so that we don't have to rely on serendipity to catch a programme that we'd enjoy seeing again.

BBC4 schedule currently showing programmes up until 2nd July, and probably updated daily.

[Serial_Apologist]

As BBC4 and its repeats (cf TPTV) is the other channel of choice for some of us perhaps the Controller could be persuaded to give us a schedule of the repeats for the coming month so that we don't have to rely on serendipity to catch a programme that we'd enjoy seeing again.

Chance would be a fine thing!

[eighthobstruction]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ6mdxCEIPo&t=20s The Imitation Game by Ian McEwan...dir Richard Eyres starring Harriet Waters....excellent (not what you may be expecting possibly)

[LMcD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ6mdxCEIPo&t=20s The Imitation Game by Ian McEwan...dir Richard Eyres starring Harriet Waters....excellent (not what you may be expecting possibly)

Thanks for that - added to my 'to watch' list!

[oddoneout]

Not one I can recommend sadly.

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/skint-the-truth-about-britains-economy

I had expected something of interest but was deeply unimpressed by this - a missed opportunity in my view. Or perhaps I was just expecting too much, in hoping for analysis rather than just a few graphs and the constant banging on about growth being the solution - the only one put forward*. Managing to avoid any examination of reasons for things such as child poverty, slow rate of house building, inadequate infrastructure(existing or future) was quite an achievement. The bad filming( jerky, as if the camera was running out of battery power - not as in "clever" camera effects - and lack of synch at times) didn't help. It was the kind of flabby effort that stops me from watching BBC documentaries, not what I expect from C4.
* Actually that isn't perhaps quite correct, as he did say that having a long term business plan for the country would be a better way forward than the current model of short term policies that change with change of government, or political whim. But that was still in the context of economic growth as the sole solution.

[smittims]

I've long been dissatisfied with the way TV documentaries are made and presented, but I think this is because I'd be satisfied with 15-minute Radio talk simply presenting all the information.

[Cockney Sparrow]

I've long been dissatisfied with the way TV documentaries are made and presented, but I think this is because I'd be satisfied with 15-minute Radio talk simply presenting all the information.

Yes - firstly I assume there is a redundancy of, say 10-15 minutes in a one hour slot documentary - so that a BBC programme can be sold to a channel with adverts to accommodate? And then, often,the material in general stretched to fill the hour.

Having said that, there are a quantity of programmes - I concede perhaps not strictly documentaries that hold the attention - historical etc - presented by the likes of Mary Beard, Alice Roberts and others