NationStates Jolt Archive

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1760061.ece

And if it does suck, does it suck for the reasons this aged astronomer says?

* hmm, does an astronomer have any expertise in knowing good TV from bad TV... *

Well..

Sir Patrick said: “I was in hospital once and I watched a whole episode of EastEnders. I suppose it’s true to life. But so is diarrhoea – and I don’t want to see that on television.”

I agree - EastEnders sucks.

Then again, I did like Absolutely Fabulous, and that was made by women.

So I don't think it's the women, but having endured six months of BBC, I can agree that 99 percent of it sucks.

Wasn't it a guy who started the whole Big Brother thing?

All I know is the BBC gave us the office, and for that, applause.

Nope, it most definitely does not.

Wasn't it a guy who started the whole Big Brother thing?
On a different channel.

On a different channel.

True, but this isn't about the BBC so much about Patrick Moore's unfounded animosity towards women.

I never really liked the guy anyway.

The BBC - that bring us Chris Moyles in the morning, followed by a bit of Ken Bruce (and popmaster) on the other side. Then a bit of topical discussion with annoying intonation with Jeremy vine, and The Big Show with Steve Wright on the way home?

You is a fool.

Not to mention Countryfile on a Sunday, and TOP GEAR!

Little Britain, the Vicar of Dibley.....

Oh good lord, what a sexist git.

Oh good lord, what a sexist git.

Do not insult the 'GamesMaster'.

I can see his criticism, but I can't see how it's women's fault. I love the bbc, advertising free programming is a great idea.

The BBC is responsible for Doctor Who.

Thread over.

The BBC sucks but I don't think women are to blame.

The BBC sucks but I don't think women are to blame.

I think old gits are to blame :eek:

The BBC is the greatest for one simple reason, it has no adverts.
Unlike shitty american channels where you have an advert break every 3 minutes.
Plus Patrick Moore is about 87 and nearly dead, so who really cares what he thinks, maybe women are shit, we'll never know.

Wasn't it a guy who started the whole Big Brother thing?

tell who it is plase so i can hurt him for the idea of his as we are on our seventh BB here

The BBC gave me one of my favorite comedies ever, a comedy the US tried to copy and fucked up so badly it ran for one show and was canceled--Coupling. Anyone who gives the public the genius of Jeff Murdoch cannot, by any definition, suck.

Its a Dutch guy, the company is called Endemol i think, i'm up for hurting him too :sniper: blam

What a sexist old cock he's turned into!
I used to like Patrick Moore for being an ace astronomer (and for his bit-part in GamesMaster), but he has now gone way down in my estimation.

There are still plenty of decent programs on the BBC (although I agree that Eastenders is not one of them). Dr. Who, Torchwood, Waking the Dead, Top Gear, etc. We need more stuff like this though.

However, the BBC is going a bit downhill because of the pretentious fuckwits who think programs like "strictly come dancing" are a good idea. The BBC has also demonstrated that it is not immune from the infectious disease which is "reality TV".

Oh good lord, what a sexist pig.You are just saying that to turn me on :fluffle: :D

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1760061.ece

And if it does suck, does it suck for the reasons this aged astronomer says?

* hmm, does an astronomer have any expertise in knowing good TV from bad TV... *

Well..



I agree - EastEnders sucks.

Then again, I did like Absolutely Fabulous, and that was made by women.

So I don't think it's the women, but having endured six months of BBC, I can agree that 99 percent of it sucks.

Meh. I don't believe that the BBC 'sucks', but that's mainly because I rely on it for pretty much exclusively news (and Doctor Who, but no TV channel with that can suck, even when they're pornography channels), and even then I use the RSS feed to the website as opposed to actually watching the news.

I kind of agree with you and I kind of don't. I mean, stuff like Eastenders, Strictly Come Dancing and all them gay documentaries are really boring. I can't believe that Eastenders is as popular as it is. I mean it's just crap. But then, on the other hand there are the comedies like Deadringers, Little Britain, Catherine Tate Show and Ruddy Hell! It's Harry And Paul. Then CBBC with has got less cartoons than ever nowadays. I like some things on it though.

Oh, and by the way, here is a song I made up ages ago.

It's a parody on Micheal Jackson's ABC it's as easy as 123

ITV! It's better than BBC!
ITV! It's better than BBC!
ITV! It's better than BBC!
ITV! It's better than BBC!

ITV! BBC! One's better than the other and so is me!

Teh End.

What a sexist old cock he's turned into!
I used to like Patrick Moore for being an ace astronomer (and for his bit-part in GamesMaster), but he has now gone way down in my estimation.

There are still plenty of decent programs on the BBC (although I agree that Eastenders is not one of them). Dr. Who, Torchwood, Waking the Dead, Top Gear, etc. We need more stuff like this though.

However, the BBC is going a bit downhill because of the pretentious fuckwits who think programs like "strictly come dancing" are a good idea. The BBC has also demonstrated that it is not immune from the infectious disease which is "reality TV".
It gets on my nerves too, but they do have to compete with ITV. Frankly, the idea of privatising it and having another two channels of reality TV crap, all sponsored by something with ads every 10 minutes is horrifying. It does a damn good job.

You are just saying that to turn me on :fluffle: :D
Yep ;)

eastenders is moronic. i'm trying to think what i actually watch on the bbc tv and i can't think of anything. used to watch the simpsons back when that was on 2. the bbc is good for internet news though. i pretty much only watch films on tv now though, or the occaisional episode of scrubs or friends, so i'd say that the bbc is no worse than any other bradcasting corporation.

Maybe it has deteriorated. I don't really know, seeing as I'm 12 and I don't really watch the BBC except for Doctor Who, and Life on Mars when that was on. But if you think it has deteriorated, or was just bad anyway, don't watch it! Do something else. You don't need to start a conversation about something you don't like, when you can start one about something you do like. You'll probably get a better conversation out of it. If you're not sure if you like it or not, make your mind up, or do something you know you like.

BBC is somewhat useful when it comes to online news, but then nowadays so are many other sites. Euronews does the job in 5-10 minutes. For detailed editorials and opinions, I don't bother with newstations. It occasionally airs some good entertainment. Overall, I am not too fond of it.

True, but this isn't about the BBC so much about Patrick Moore's unfounded animosity towards women.

I never really liked the guy anyway.

Not women. Just women not in their rightful place.

Bar HBO or possibly PBS, most US television pales in comparison beside the BBC.

For investigative material I prefer Channel 4.

Meh. I don't believe that the BBC 'sucks', but that's mainly because I rely on it for pretty much exclusively news (and Doctor Who, but no TV channel with that can suck, even when they're pornography channels), and even then I use the RSS feed to the website as opposed to actually watching the news.

Unintended joke alert...
I can't believe I was stupid enough to miss it.

The BBC is one of the best things to come out of TV.

No ads.

Genuinely good programmes (when was the last time ITV trumped out Blue Planet, Doctor Who or Top Gear, do tell).

The news is pretty good. Channel 4 are probably better but for that difference I'll take the ad-free BBC (OK it advertises it's own programmes and stuff but not as pervasively and not in the middle of the fucking show).

They get to do stuff that isn;t really commercially viable but IS pretty damn cool. Open University for example.

Plus their sports coverage is good and wideranging. Darts, Snooker, Tennis, Football, Rugby. It's got the lot and the best commentators to boot.

I kind of agree with you and I kind of don't. I mean, stuff like Eastenders, Strictly Come Dancing and all them gay documentaries are really boring.

Can you please refrain from using gay as an adjective to decribe something stupid? It's offensive.

The Leage of Gentlemen was an awesome show.

Bar HBO or possibly PBS, most US television pales in comparison beside the BBC.

For investigative material I prefer Channel 4.


You MUST have forgotten The Discovery Channel and Comedy Central.

You MUST have forgotten The Discovery Channel and Comedy Central.
Well, PM did say most, not all. ;)

You MUST have forgotten The Discovery Channel and Comedy Central.

I am always fascinated by what the Yanks choose to show on BBC America. Are You Being Served? and The Benny Hill Show are shown all the time. Keeping Up Appearances is one of the better shows they bring across, although that still maintains a pretty unglamorous stereotype of the British.

But in general, almost everything the BBC puts out is better than what you see on American TV. The best shows here tend to be BBC-inspired (The Office is a prime example) or actual BBC shows (Extras is superb). Notable exceptions would be Curb Your Enthusiasm (funniest thing since Seinfeld), CSI (the original), The Sopranos (fantastic final series now showing), The Daily Show and The Colbert Report (political satire at its best) and Lost (although this suffers from the US obsession with ad breaks of increasing length and drawing out a story line for too long in order to keep the Neilsen ratings high).

How many of these US shows do you guys back in the UK get to see? And which channels buy the rights?

Well, PM did say most, not all. ;)

My bad. :(















:p

How similar is the BBC to the CBC?

I like the CBC :)

Shows like Top Gear and Little Britain etc make it a decent channel (s)

However two things make the BBC a great channel (s)

Jeremy Paxman

Have I Got News For You

However regional news and other shitty drivel may bring it down a notch

I am always fascinated by what the Yanks choose to show on BBC America. Are You Being Served? and The Benny Hill Show are shown all the time. Keeping Up Appearances is one of the better shows they bring across, although that still maintains a pretty unglamorous stereotype of the British.

But in general, almost everything the BBC puts out is better than what you see on American TV. The best shows here tend to be BBC-inspired (The Office is a prime example) or actual BBC shows (Extras is superb). Notable exceptions would be Curb Your Enthusiasm (funniest thing since Seinfeld), CSI (the original), The Sopranos (fantastic final series now showing), The Daily Show and The Colbert Report (political satire at its best) and Lost (although this suffers from the US obsession with ad breaks of increasing length and drawing out a story line for too long in order to keep the Neilsen ratings high).

How many of these US shows do you guys back in the UK get to see? And which channels buy the rights?

I've never watched BBC America. I keep meaning to catch The Office but I watch so little TV that I just never find the time, besides not knowign what channel it's or what anything about it's schedule.

I LOVE BBC World News though. Plus, liek I said earlier, I love that show The Leage of Gentlemen. As someone mentioned earlier, Absolutely Fabulous was pretty funny. If it's not comedy, news or a documentary I usually dont watch it.

Bar HBO or possibly PBS, most US television pales in comparison beside the BBC.

For investigative material I prefer Channel 4.

Channel 4 does these days beat BBC television for news (and broadcasts Time Team) but overall would go to BBC radio 4 and BBC World Service Radio for my news and current affairs. Following up by exploring the web for myself

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1760061.ece

And if it does suck, does it suck for the reasons this aged astronomer says?

* hmm, does an astronomer have any expertise in knowing good TV from bad TV... *

Well..



I agree - EastEnders sucks.

Then again, I did like Absolutely Fabulous, and that was made by women.

So I don't think it's the women, but having endured six months of BBC, I can agree that 99 percent of it sucks.

Eastenders and absolutely fabulous make up about 0.001% of BBC1. Think of all the best British shows that have ever been made, they were most likely aired on the BBC. From documentaries like planet earth, panorama to the comedy classics of Monty Python, Fawlty Towers etc...

Racstz;12624213']The BBC is the greatest for one simple reason, it has no adverts.
Unlike shitty american channels where you have an advert break every 3 minutes.
Plus Patrick Moore is about 87 and nearly dead, so who really cares what he thinks, maybe women are shit, we'll never know.

or the the fact that you can get free television in the USA with much better quality.

there are plenty of commercial less stations in America that you can pay for. but if its free tv then of course you have commercials

or the the fact that you can get free television in the USA with much better quality.

there are plenty of commercial less stations in America that you can pay for. but if its free tv then of course you have commercials

Not entirely true, the TV stations we pay for often have adverts too. Cable and satellite both charge for basic channels but advertise them to death.

The BBC will suck slightly more if this (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6595591.stm) story comes true. A programme demonstrating the concept of failing so hard you loop back to win if ever there was one.

The BBC gave me one of my favorite comedies ever, a comedy the US tried to copy and fucked up so badly it ran for one show and was canceled--Coupling. Anyone who gives the public the genius of Jeff Murdoch cannot, by any definition, suck.

"I love the word 'naked.' It's brilliant, isn't it: 'naked'. When I was a kid I used to write the word 'naked' on a bit of paper hundreds of times and rub my face in it!" :D

Not to mention Countryfile on a Sunday, and TOP GEAR!

Some say his left nipple is shaped exactly like the Nurburgring.

Some say he's an MI6 experiment gone wrong.

All we know is, he's the Stig.

Patrick Moore is a bit of an idiot really, BBC shows generally better programs than the other channels, alot less of a reality tv shows that plague ITV and channel 4 (plus their offshoot channels). I like the absence of adverts on BBC.

True, but this isn't about the BBC so much about Patrick Moore's unfounded animosity towards women.

I never really liked the guy anyway.

Patrick Moore is funny!
He's just so eccentric and hilarious in a no-nonsense kind of way.

True, he has animosity towards women, but what else would you expect from an eighty four year old, xylophone playing British astronomer who is also a former Flight Lieutenant?

Back on topic, East Enders is, to put it politely, the mose dire load of shi*e I have ever had the displeasure of viewing. All the characters are either old or fat, and no one does anything more with their life than run a damn market stall or filthy shop. It's the most depressing thing the BBC has to offer, and I cannot fathom why anyone with a reasonable IQ would want to watch it.

As far as the BBC itself goes, though, I think it's not a bad network. It runs many, in my opinion, high quality dramas and comedies. From serious dramas to comedy, I think it's really quite good.
BBC News is also the only new I watch, usually.

And another note; the BBC does not show nearly as much of the bad kind of reality TV (Big Brother, Cast Away, Celebrity [Insert Sexually Provocative Noun here] Island, etc) that only stupid and cretinous people watch. The few pieces of reality television that it does air are of acutal value, like "The Apprentice".

This in my mind puts the BBC in a better position, in terms of quality and intelligence, than most other channels/networks.

HEY!!

Dont be taking the piss out of Patrick Moore...

He's a british institution...as british as Fish and Chips

and if he says females are ruining the BBC...then they are...so ner :p

Since all people currently residing in Manc speak the truth, I decree that Beeker is correct. And, as a by-product, I'm also always right. Ah well, what a shock...

I don’t think the question is whither the BBC "sucks" or not, because it is without a doubt the best English speaking broadcasting corporation in the world. But is it worth the ever increasing licence fee of around £135 per year per household?

I don’t think the question is whither the BBC "sucks" or not, because it is without a doubt the best English speaking broadcasting corporation in the world. But is it worth the ever increasing licence fee of around £400 per year per household?
WTF the fuck? It's £135.50, nowhere near that ridiculous sum.

WTF the fuck? It's £135.50, nowhere near that ridiculous sum.

Edited

WTF the fuck? It's £135.50, nowhere near that ridiculous sum.

What the fuck the fuck?

What the fuck the fuck?
Indeed. Everyone knows that redundancy emphasises your point most eloquently.

I like aunty, and I think the beeb provides a huge variety of services for the budget it recieves.

I seem to remember finding bitesize quite useful.

For investigative material I prefer Channel 4.Oh, I think that's one of the areas where Channel 4 has declined in recent years. C4 used to have a lot of integrity, but has become sensationalist in its documentaries recently, and perhaps not all that factually accurate. I saw an advert for 'Animal Farm' the other day. It talked about animals and genetic engineering. It then showed pictures of glow in the darks pigs (yep, that's genetic engineering), and then a picture of a mouse with a human ear attached... wait... what? I'm sorry, but that has nothing to do with genetic engineering. The ear is human, the mouse is a mouse. The ear was surgically attached to the house and derives sustinance from the mouse so that it can survive.

Bah, if my Dad was still working freelance for the indie companies that make the C4 documentaries then none of this would have happened (okay, so maybe I have a little bias here).

Patrick Moore...really should just keep his reactionary Edwardian sexist bullshit to himself.

Patrick Moore...really should just keep his reactionary Edwardian sexist bullshit to himself.

Oh, come on, he's an old timer, cut him a little slack!
In his generation, there wasn't any women's rights movement or anything like that, so it can be excused.

And I think his life accomplishments can serve to excuse his sexism.

Hitchhikers. A BBC production - nuff sed.

Hitchhikers. A BBC production - nuff sed.

A BBC radio 4 production originally - nuff nuff said

A BBC radio 4 production originally - nuff nuff said

Which is, of course, what I was referring to.

I prefer the BBC to pretty much any other channel or media outlet, especially the news, sport and radio. For entertainment, to me it has always been really close to channel 4, but I'd say that BBC has the upper hand just now with Have I Got News For You and Top Gear. Channel 4 shows better films though, and seems to get more premieres.

BBC = British Bullshit Crap.

A BBC radio 4 production originally - nuff nuff saidThing is, you don't have to pay to listen to Radio 4. Reminds me of the saying 'the best stuff in life is free'.

Red Dwarf!

HEY!!

Dont be taking the piss out of Patrick Moore...

My considered opinion on Patrick Moore: fuck him and his xenophobic, sexist, right-wing bullshit. Not exactly to the right of Hitler, but certainly to the right of Norris McWhirter. Need we mention the UCP?

Oh, come on, he's an old timer, cut him a little slack!



How come people like Pete Seeger manage to be 88 without spewing out similar sexist bile? Age is no excuse.


In his generation, there wasn't any women's rights movement or anything like that, so it can be excused.

Be a darling and remind me when women got the vote in the UK would you? Obviously the suffragetes weren't a 'women's rights movement', and I have been misinformed all these years.

I think Patrick Moore's angst was a result of the 50th anniversary of "the Sky at Night" being broadcast in the early hours of the morning. OK it is dark and you need that for star gazing. For what is possibly the BBC's longest running progrmme this was not great. It is a fine programme which does strangely survive in the age of broadcasters seeking the greatest mass audience. This bit of griping I can understand his attitude towards women stinks however.

For what is possibly the BBC's longest running progrmme this was not great.

Nope. It isn't the BBC's longest running programme, that honour goes to The Archers which is into its 56th year.

Which is, of course, what I was referring to.

Great we agree :)

Thinking about it however the Sky at Night is a programme Radio 4 could not do well

Oh, come on, he's an old timer, cut him a little slack!
In his generation, there wasn't any women's rights movement or anything like that, so it can be excused.

And I think his life accomplishments can serve to excuse his sexism.

Suffragettes?

So if I was a multi winner of the Noble prize I could get away with murder? I don't think so.

So if I was a multi winner of the Noble prize I could get away with murder?

If your name is Henry Kissinger*, yes.





* technically a single Nobel prize winner, rather than a multi, but I'm sure you get my drift.

If your name is Henry Kissinger*, yes.





* technically a single Nobel prize winner, rather than a multi, but I'm sure you get my drift.

yeah....I sorta cheated...thats why I said multi ;)

I also wholeheartedly agree with your comments regarding Moore. He really is an odious fuck.

HEY!!

Dont be taking the piss out of Patrick Moore...

He's a british institution...as british as Fish and Chips


Bah, give me fush and chups!

Patrick Moore plays the xylophone *humms tune*

He's a british institution...as british as Fish and Chips

One of which comes from France, and the other comes from outside Britain (unless they've started serving freshwater fish in the chippies round your parts)...

Patrick Moore plays the xylophone *humms tune*

Xylophone/xenophobe. Whatever.

Nope, it most definitely does not.

'nuff said.

One of which comes from France, and the other comes from outside Britain (unless they've started serving freshwater fish in the chippies round your parts)...

I always thought the chippy was a East End thing...and mentioned by Dickens in Oliver Twist....???

Nope, I think the BBC's pretty good.

One of which comes from France, and the other comes from outside Britain (unless they've started serving freshwater fish in the chippies round your parts)...
The fish in most chippies was caught in British waters, which is part of Britian. French fries and British chips are completely different.

Xylophone/xenophobe. Whatever.

Weebls Stuff - Patrick Moore:

http://www.weebls-stuff.com/toons/patrick+moore/

The fish in most chippies was caught in British waters, which is part of Britian. French fries and British chips are completely different.

We all know that french fries are now liberty fries even though they originally came from Belgium (afaik).

One of which comes from France, and the other comes from outside Britain (unless they've started serving freshwater fish in the chippies round your parts)...

not to mention the fact that the combination was created by Portugese Jews.