Thank God for the radio and books.
Very little to enjoy on TV.............had to sit through the most depressing Eastenders the other night to please someone else...........what a load of old rubbish.
Anyone else not happy with the so called Christmas TV?
It's total guff, isn't it?!
Give me The Archers over Eastenders any day - this year the worst disaster appears to have been a dropped bit of wedding cake.
Right load of tat ;D
Then again, I did enjoy 'nativity' when it was on ;D
I didn't watch telly at all over Christmas.. ::) Other night we watched The Goodlife ;D..their christmas..oh it was funny.. ;D ;D
And last night we watch Film..Pirates of Caribean..thats about it how exciting telly has been for us.
I've been reading and reading...and reading instead. It is sooo nice to have wood fire on..lie down on settee and put rug over the legs..dog lying on tummy like hot water bottle and enjoy all the good stories. House is sooo quiet and I've been able nap as I please...Loooovely.. ;D
Anyone been listening to A Tale of Two Cities on Radio4 afternoon play. It's things like that which make the licence fee good value, and the one's I missed I can catch up on IPlayer or podcast- and work in the garden at the same time!
We've recorded a few of the one off dramas to watch at some point but I agree, not much to feast our eyes upon this (last?) year! So fed up of looking through the channels and seeing such things as 'TVs 50 Most Shocking Moments/Magical Moments/Shocking Celebrity Splits/Cutest or ugliest celebrity babies/Funniest TV sketches etc etc etc. Please, please, more originality with our viewing times!! Aaaah, I did enjoy Downton Abbey though (even that I sky+ though as those darn adverts every 15 minutes...)
I thought "The Christmas Lectures" weren't up to scratch. as well as most of the other stuff. :-[ Cheers, Tony.
I had to sit through both Corrie and Emmerdale on Christmas day because I was round my parents and my mother did not want to miss them.
I can't believe how often the soaps are on, nearly every day.
I am just so glad of technology, I just record everything I want on my PVR and watch it when I want, so I never moan there is nothing on worth watching, as I will always have something recorded.
I also download some podcasts to my phone for when I am out walking, my favorate is 'The infinite monkey cage' but I am annoyed they only do 6 shows each series.
Must admit I do like Downton.Remember last year when they did a one off Upstairs Downstairs........that was good.
All in all though I think the TV has been a disaster.
We've resorted to Trollied which we recorded in the Summer. Very funny if you don't mind a bit of rudery ;D. It's been utter tosh over Christmas hasn't it, perhaps they think everyone is so sloshed they won't even notice :o.
Sherlock Holmes tonight!
We're with Chrispy on use of the video and catch up later, still got last Autumnwatch to watch! Thanks for reminder about Sherlock Caroline :)
We watched the lastest pirates and the kings speech, but apart from that only the news and I slept through great expectations each time it was on. I will have to watch it on iplayer. I did invest in an internet radio last year so we listened to loads of old comedies and radio dramas. I decided it was time to start writing a book as everyone has supposed to have a go at some time. Great fun, it started out as a book for the grandchildren to read, but she who must be obeyed said it was not really suitable to read as a bedtime story. So it is now a satire and I've only done about 60 pages so a long way to go before it is finished. How she can judge it by the little bit I've done, I don't know.
We have over 150 channels on the telly but most of them are on a loop, so the same thing is repeated over and over again, they all come free with the phone/internet package on cable. If it was not for that I would go back to 3 or 4 channels.
Sherlock...I love that new version..finally something to watch. I must switch telly on and let it warm up first though.. ;D
The whole Christmas/New Year Telly has been utter rubbish. Most of the programmes at peak viewing is for the children. Now who watches the children's programmes. Not the children. they are doing other stuff its adults who are hoping to sit in front of the box at night and watch something good. We have watched loads of Q1 over and over again. Downton was good as was Great Expectations. Last night I watched 'Man for all Seasons' that was OK. Tonight I will switch over for 'Woman of Substance'. Thank goodness we have Yesterday and Dave.
I have been saved by our love film subscription which has over the last 6 months allowed me to have something to watch in the evening thats NOT peppa pig or in the night garden or even top gear :)
I have got some free 2 month subscription cards if anyone wants to give it a go PM me and i send you the code :)
Over christmas we have had Gnomeo & Juliet to watch as well as Tron legacy :)
Ienjoyed Eric and Earnie the early years, but was out from time to time picking the odd family member up and taking them home ;D
Downton Abbey was the only thing I had to watch, otherwise it's been reading & playing Scrabble online.
Makes you wonder how people did entertain themselves before TV and Radio in the deep midwinter.
Quote from: betula on January 01, 2012, 20:24:13
Makes you wonder how people did entertain themselves before TV and Radio in the deep midwinter.
Yep not sure what parents did before there was cbeebies :) Only way i got harriet to eat her dinner today was to put the goggle box on to one of her programs :(
Great Barrier reef is AMAZING!!!
Betula , i agree with you total utter rubbish on tv now i have been watching things i have sky+. love the blue planet even if i have enjoyed them once already.
Who does all the Christmas planning for TV, i think they should be MADE to watch it all then see how they feel.
Well back to me crossword book again!!!.
Save the licence fee, get rid of the box and read instead. Much more fun.
Had to resort to watching Only Fools and Horses..................
Are you allowed to do that when you have a computer with access to TV programmes? ???
Do you mean allowed to get rid of the box, Betula? Yes you are! Google about TV licensing it's all there. Not that I watch iplayer either, myself!
Quote from: small on January 01, 2012, 22:16:13
Do you mean allowed to get rid of the box, Betula? Yes you are! Google about TV licensing it's all there. Not that I watch iplayer either, myself!
Problem is more and more people are watching tv up the broadband, which as you say means you dont need a Tv licence, and licence revenue is dropping. Bearing in mind there are now three times more computers than TV's in the country, it wont be long before the governement sees it as a cash cow and starts making you have a computer licence instead or as well as a TV licence. The White paper on this has already been circulater.
Seeing the programmes this Christmas I am wondering what they are spending my licence fee on. The best offering was Downton Abbey and that was ITV.
Have enjoyed a few bits of Morecambe and Wise?
I have caught up with the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian. Far too violent for my taste.
There must be some better old programmes lurking somewhere.
I have even got tired of Hastings saying 'I say Poirot'
I'm already halfway through the Crosswords for Gardners book I got for Christmas - for lack of TV programmes which interest me. I watched Downton Abbey and Great Expectations. Yesterday afternoon I enjoyed Pride and Prejudice which I had missed earlier and today the weather was too awful to go for a walk so it was spent reading for the most part.
At least I no longer have to pay for the TV licence!
Tricia
There wasn't much. I enjoyed Outnumbered, 2 new Ab Fab episodes, Michael McIntyre's Christmas special at the Apollo and I've just watched Adele in concert at the Albert Hall which was brilliant.
I enjoyed Downton Abbey, recorded and then watched an hour later so I could skip through the adverts. I sent away for the DVD of Downton Abbey Series 1 which arrived midweek and we have been watching it for the past two days. Just as well as there has not been much else of interest to see.
I also watched The King's Speech, Great Expectations and Mansfield Park.
My TV is now only used as a games machine and for watching video - either on PS3 or via Apple TV. I cancelled my sky subscription and then my tv licence. We never watch live TV and quite frankly I resent underwriting much of what the BBC is now producing. I also abhor the salaries they can afford to pay many of their managers and so-called celebrities.
I now read the newspapers (mostly online, mostly Guardian and Glasgow Herald) and listen to the radio for news.
We nearly always watch things on playback. watched Downton of course and Great Expectations which we both loved.
Have been following Strongest Man so that Tone can see what he has to do to enter next year ;D
Last night watched the Great Barrier Reef and A History of Ancient Britain with Neil Oliver. I just wished that he had been my History teacher because I am sure I would have learned a lot more and enjoyed doing so. he makes it so interesting.
A few days ago we watched Mrs Browns Boys for the first time and were doubled up with laughter.
We only watch telly at most for 3 hrs so we can always find something interesting.
Quote from: shirlton on January 02, 2012, 07:54:12
A History of Ancient Britain with Neil Oliver.
Must admit ive never rated Neil Oliver. My two favorite TV historians are Max Hastings and Simon Schama. Hastings boook 'Bomber Command' must rank as the definitive last word history of the RAF during WW2. And Simon Schama's 'History of Great Britain' was epic.
Christmas TV is always the same churned out rubbish, but what I did enjoy on 'Blighty' the other day was Griff Rhys Jones being jollied around this great island of ours and being paid to go up all our great peaks and mountains, :)
Quote from: Mr Smith on January 02, 2012, 10:39:17
Christmas TV is always the same churned out rubbish, but what I did enjoy on 'Blighty' the other day was Griff Rhys Jones being jollied around this great island of ours and being paid to go up all our great peaks and mountains, :)
Its interesting how ex-comediens make good travelougues, Michael Palin being another example.
If they paid us to galivant around the world I expect we could all do it as well. It is the producer that puts it together and the camera man who knows a good shot.
we have rose bowl parade on here
I am loving Mrs Browns Boys :) New series stated tonight :)
Quote from: cambourne7 on January 02, 2012, 22:00:08
I am loving Mrs Browns Boys :) New series stated tonight :)
Same here. Watched series one on DVD over new year. Loved tonight. Had me in stitches. ;D ;D ;D
Just watched it for the first time and how smashing to laugh out loud ;D
Totally daft but we'll certainly watch the next episode :)
'Trollied' is another potential little gem, written by and starring Jane Horrocks, but a bit risque.
yo ho ho
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgOWTM5R2DA
How glad I am that when we moved to France we decided not to have a tv at all! Television is simply off the radar here. We never give it a thought, and I wouldn't have time anyway. I suppose we are very lucky that we just don't need entertainment, as we make our own.
We do watch the occasional DVD on the computer, and that can be something to look forward to immensely. At the moment we are working our way (one episode a week) through the original Forsyte Saga!!! What pleasure!
We used to make our own entertainment years ago ;D But now we like nowt better than sittin in our armchairs with a beer and a glass o wine watching silly sods like Mrs Browns Boys
on Thursday channel 5 is how the build the Ice Hotel in sweden bound to be a brilliant program :)