June's a turn-off for me ...; Saturday slot.
Byline: PETER GRANTTHIS isn't your time, I'm afraid, if you are a Royalist, if you hate Big Brother and if you can't abide football.
It is broadcasting brainwashing and there is no get-out clause. And TV bosses haven't even put on the film The Great Escape for some light relief.
Those with only terrestrial television will find June a TV turn-off.
These timely subject matters have, like the proverbial buses or bobbies on the beat, all come at once.
Those with Sky and cable can happily turn to any of the channels available knowing there's something that will take their mind of anything the rest of the nation is talking about.
But back on the Big Five channels, it's hard to keep track of anything remotely controllable that won't feature the current three graces of media hype.
The Queen is already a crowned head above the rest. The Bank Holiday screens awash with a feast of tributes.
Alastair McGowan is alternating between his majestical mimicry and World Cup wigs. This poor overexposed man has no time to be himself.
For some of us there's just too much of a good thing.
Channel 4 has also been cheeky with a theme night dedicated to Queen - the rock group, that is.
Meanwhile, The World Cup is with us from morning to midnight and morning again. The best place to avoid Royal watches and footy ironically would be to spend it in the Big Brother House.
This is a couch potato festival the likes of which we have never seen before in this country.
TV ratings are already going through the roof - as are drinks sales and packets of every kind of TV nibble imaginable.
Exercise routines and diets are all on freeze-frame.
What's the alternative for BB haters, anti-monarchists and bad sports who loathe soccer? A sunshine break - but where in the world can you go?
There was, of course, one simple solution to such saturation. Channel 5 could have become free of any of those subject matters, transmitting classic TV drama and documentaries.
Terrestrial telly bosses have given a lot of people Christmas prezzies early, leaving all viewers, however, to pay the price ... even more summer repeats than usual when the couch-a-thon is over.
 Printer friendly
 Cite/link
 Email
 Feedback
| |
| Title Annotation: | Comment |
|---|---|
| Publication: | Liverpool Echo (Liverpool, England) |
| Date: | Jun 1, 2002 |
| Words: | 374 |
| Previous Article: | Street puts flags out. |
| Next Article: | Letter: Doing the continental. |