Are you being served? Return to BBC

[*Bob*]

If there's one area I think yesteryear was really, really good and trumps 'these days' - it's kids TV. Obvs there's a bit of nostalgia mixed-in here, but I think a lot of that stuff at the time was genuinely great, innovative, exciting, imaginative - and actually more sophisticated in many ways.

I look at a lot of what 'our kid' (and his friends) watch (given free choice in the matter) and I'm a bit dismayed. I can appreciate this is what 'the kids' do these days, consumption and delivery of this stuff is also different, but unfortunately I think a lot of it contributes to a lazy, short-watch, quick-hit, no concentration-required attitude which pervades.

They don't miss what they never had of course - but to me, they're missing out.

[????]

..I loved Tiswas too

[Alan Medic]

I pretty sure I've set Till Death Us Do Part to record. Not sure when it's on. I loved the original and am curious how 'Alf' will deal with politically correct comedy. No Pakis, Micks, Paddies or coons this time. I suppose Scouse git might be allowed or maybe not.

[*Bob*]

Is 'Mind Your Language' getting a revamp as well? Let's hope so.

[Nigello]

I miss Play for Today, BBC2 Shakespeare and Moliere (with big stars, or soon-to-be stars) and those other, one-off plays (like Brick is Beautiful). TTTT, good as The Fall and Happy Valley/Broadchurch are, I am sick of murder and crime.

[Jules-and-Boo]

Jah Lush Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Utter fecking dogshit for morons. It was a

> pathetic excuse for comedy 40 years ago. All these

> remakes are for feeble minded old dingbats.

I'm with Jah

if we're not creative enough to be original, can we at least copy something that was good first time around?

It's like copying someone's homework when they got an E

[Otta]

Jeremy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I'm too young to remember the 70s... I'm a child

> of the 80s really. Don't remember much in the 80s

> or 90s which could stand up the best stuff around

> today. Apart from sitcoms maybe (which seemed to

> have their heyday in the 90s with stuff like

> Seinfeld and Frasier). But dramas... not really.

> Maybe Twin Peaks..

I Claudius was amazing and still is. Obviously looks ancient next to HBO's Rome, but the writing and acting were brilliant.

And in terms of sitcoms / satire, Yes Minister / Prime Minister stand the test of time way better than "The Thick of It" will IMO.

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> But, although everyone's far too cool to admit it

> now, the first 1 or 2 series of Big Brother Plus

> the pre x-factor (with Gates and Young) , were

> compulsory watches - i watched the final of the

> latter in a pub in Hackney surrounded by

> pre-hipster 'hipsters'

I never really watched the early pop stars stuff, although I do remember them being big news and being on in the pub.

But yeah, Big Broker series 1 was a huge deal. But the actual show was also more interesting in some ways, because they had things like psychologists talking about the behavior of the housemates and how it was affecting them. I watched at least some of the next couple of series (there was one in about 2003 which we'd all watch above the CPT after closing every night, so great excuse for late drinking). But it became a victim of it's own success and got very shit, plus spawned countless unwatchable reality shite.

[Jeremy]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Big Broker

10 stock brokers in a house, with no contact with the outside world. The public get to vote on which ones get clean drinking water, and which ones must survive on bottles of urine.

[Help-Ma-Boab]

The Life and Loves of a She Devil.

Still occasionally think about it as it happens.

[????]

was re-run just recently somewhere HMB - saw some, was still quite good!

[red devil]

The Singing Detective, Boys From The Blackstuff (Giz a job), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy...

[red devil]

From the 90's, Our Friends In The North, fantastic cast, virtually unknown at the time...

[ianr]

I'd like to see The Roads to Freedom again. I seem to have missed a BFI screening, in 2012, but at least that means there's still a copy around somewhere.

[numbers]

Jeremy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> numbers Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > what TV is better now?

>

> I'm thinking of the (mainly imported) on-demand

> stuff on Netflix/Amazon - if you consider that to

> be "TV". All the obvious stuff... House of Cards,

> Breaking Bad, Stranger Things, etc etc. Far better

> than anything I remember from when I was growing

> up.

>

> If we're talking specifically about free-to-air

> broadcast TV, then I almost never watch it these

> days.

yeah that's the problem Jeremy I need to update my viewing habits (I don't watch TV much but always feel I am missing out).

Started watching breaking bad but got a bit tired of it half way through. I am definitely getting netflix.

(Alan Johnson the Post Office and me is on BBC Four now - very good) :))

[Help-Ma-Boab]

Triangle.

Still occasionally think about it as it happens.

[????]

Kate OHara(?) in that Bikini HMB?

[Help-Ma-Boab]

*puts one index finger on nose, points other index finger at ????'s*

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Kate OHara(?) in that Bikini HMB?

[BrandNewGuy]

One brilliant 90s comedy drama was "Tears Before Bedtime", about a bunch of uptight Islingtonites and their nannies. With Samantha Bond, Lesley Manville, Adrian Rawline, Peter Howitt and a young Jessica Stevenson.

http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7d7891d9

Presumably the BFI have it, but it's never been repeated on the box, bafflingly. Streets ahead of "Cold Feet", which sort of covers some of the same terrain.

[Alan Medic]

Alan Medic Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I pretty sure I've set Till Death Us Do Part to

> record. Not sure when it's on. I loved the

> original and am curious how 'Alf' will deal with

> politically correct comedy. No Pakis, Micks,

> Paddies or coons this time. I suppose Scouse git

> might be allowed or maybe not.

Watched the episode with we were told the original script. No pipe for Alf or fags either. Didn't quite do it. What was the point?