GOOD TV

[Stanley]

Actually I think he was. There was rivalry as well in Alexandria to get the attention of the powers that be. See this LINK for Hero who was in the same game. A man who could arrange automatically opening doors for the temple or birds that sang a tune when a coin was inserted was in great demand! He is generally credited with making the first steam driven prime mover, the Aeollopile, Not powerful to be more than a curiosity but it worked and incidentally got him into trouble with the priests because he didn't offer it to them before he demonstrated it in public. I first came across him in a wonderful book edited by Marganita Laski, 'The Patchwork Book'. Amazing how the stuff in there stuck in my head, we must have had brains like sponges at that age!

[Stanley]

Not TV but radio... If you missed Mark Steel on Berwick broadcast this morning on R4 go and seek it out. It was hilarious! (LINK)

[Stanley]

BBC2 'Who Made Us Fat' last night was good. Well researched and spot on as far as my reading on the subject goes. Worth watching and there are two episodes to come I think.

[Stanley]

Loved the first part of 'Strictly Kosher' last night, I shall be watching the second part tonight.....

[Stanley]

I don't mind a bit of tennis but am I alone in thinking that the shrieking woman (is it Navratilova?) is doing it to distract her opponents? I can'r bear to watch her. One other beef, I lost the third instalment of The Men who made you fat and last night, New Tricks because of overrunning matches. Not too happy about that!

[PanBiker]

A bit behind the times Stanley, Martina retired over 15 years ago, are you thinking of Maria Sharapova? I can see where the confusion is, she is only one of a number of shriekers that have graced Wimbledon over the years, some of the blokes are as vocal as well. I don't think it is anything to do with putting your opponent off, too exhausting and a waste of energy to keep that up if it was forced I reckon. A product of the effort put into the game.

Wimbledon fortnight does fall into the category of good TV though, it was one of the paranoia periods (along with Christmas and the FA Cup) for TV servicemen when I was in the trade. Woe betide, if the telly broke down over the duration.

[Stanley]

That's her, the experts say the same as you, still distracts and annoys me.....

[Nolic]

BBC did wrong last night. Out of 4 channels they kept Wimborden on BBC 1 all night. I lost one of my favourite programmes Casualty that had already done 3 weeks in mothballs as a result of Euro 2012. Oh and tonight football on both BBC 1 and ITV one.... the same match. Rubbish. Nolic

[PanBiker]

They could have flipped onto BBC 2 as that would have been fairer no doubt about that although there must have been production reasons why that could not have been done as it is quite the norm for play in the evenings.

It was a belting match though, the Wimbledon strict etiquette on the grounds of H&S with a finish at 11.00 pm threatening to suspend the match with only a few points to play. I was screaming at the TV! well the Wimbledon officials anyway. Good job a bit of common sense prevailed and they allowed it to run an a couple of minutes. I think it dawned that they may well have had a crowd revolution to deal with if they had stopped it on a cliff edge.

Onward and upward Andy!

[Nolic]

I'm not a tennis fan and I acknowledge that the sport gets minimal TV coverage but I think BBC's coverage last night could have been better organised. Nolic

[Stanley]

Comrade, I switched over to ITV3 and quite enjoyed two Lewis repeats, In bed at ten as usual...... I agree with you about the blanket coverage. Would it hurt the tennis fans to watch on ordinary BBC1 and run the scheduled programme on BBC HD? (Or the other way round....)

[PanBiker]

The schedule for Wimbledon fortnight is usually shared between BBC1 and BBC2. BBC1 shows the matches up to around tea time and then coverage is switched to BBC2 for the remaining evening matches. This has been the norm since the early 1970's. This regime suits most viewers. Why they could not have done that the other evening I do not know. Top and bottom of it is though, it is very popular viewing and has a massive following particularly with the ladies, that was my experience in over 20 years in the TV trade anyway. Come to think of it Wimbledon fortnight would probably be one of the first leaders in proper daytime TV. There wasn't much else on during the day in the 70's. Just as an example at 8.45am every Monday we had "Mondays Newcomers" on ITV which featured all the new adverts that would be shown during the week, gripping stuff!

[Whyperion]

Not everyone has HD , and BBC3/4 seem to share digi airspace with CBBC/C Beebies.
In the 1970s , and much missed , ITV Horse Racing with Brough Scott , ITV Looks Familiar ( Barry Cryer, Roy Hudd , Gloria Hunniford and Others ) , Crown Court , BBC Pebble Mill at One , Schools Programs , (BBC2 not that our set had it , Watch, Play School ).

[Stanley]

Ian, can't you just imagine the uproar if they did that these days! Life was much more simple then, most of us were hard at work anyway. I can remember how lucky I was if I got home in time to watch Casanova at 9pm! (Racy stuff in those days!)

[PanBiker]

Even "Mondays Newcomers" was a better bet than some of the drivel that passes for daytime TV nowadays. How anyone can watch what basically amounts to a gladiatorial contest without weapons between two or more individuals based solely on personal and relationship issues is beyond me. The devils advocate role is only there to chuck fuel on the fire, often resulting in spontaneous physical violence for the cameras. The likes of the Jeremy Kyle show make me heave . It's a poor do when the program has to employ security guys to keep the protagonists from killing one another and DNA testing often features in what huge amounts of daytime viewers regard as good TV.

At least the adverts had a purpose.

Sharapova may well have exited from the tennis Stanley but I did notice yesterday that we have another contender waiting in the wings who has prevailed to the next round. She is not a grunter or wailer but seems to be a "weee'er" if you get my drift. Victoria Azarenka is the lady in question. Serena nicely through but a self confessed hard match.

[Nolic]

Ian, I have to confess that I took an interest in Wimbledon after seeing that young lady after seeing her jiggling up and down listening to her iPod in the reception area before going back on court. As a punishment I then watched a few minutes of the tennis and noted Miss Azarenka screech when she hits the ball.
I do remember a debate about this some time ago but I'm sure its a planned tactic to put off opponents - it put me off watching any more!! Nolic

[Tizer]

Nolic, I thought that `young ladies jiggling up and down' was the sole reason men watch tennis and pay extortionate fees to attend gyms!

[PanBiker]

The days of frilly knickers for the ladies seem to have long gone. Most now seem to wear shorts under their mini's and I have even seen some in leggings. I think Miss Azarenka favours this attire. The ultimate eye candy sport must be Beach Volleyball I would imagine, its along way ahead of anything you will see on centre court anyway!
I'm watching the tennis anyway, honest

[Stanley]

Serena had plum coloured knickers that matched her headband..... Glad I'm not the only one put off by the screeching. Enjoyed the BBC4 prog on fishing and then the ITV 'Bomber Boys'. I thought of my mate Bob Jacobsen, 33 missions with 100th Bomber Group as a tail gunner..... He was 19 years old.

[PanBiker]

What a good match in the men's semi-final at Wimbledon. Andy is through, the first Brit in the final since 1938. We will now see what Mr Federer has to say about it!

[Stanley]

I'd recorded the Gareth Jones story and watched it last night. Good programme about an obscure foreign correspondent. Well researched and cast light on the 1930s.
'The Men Who Made You Fat' third and final episode knocked out of the schedule by Wimbledon on June 28th is to be screened tonight. I shall be watching!

[EileenDavid]

Anyone watch the programme on going back to work at over 65? Eileen

[Big Kev]

Anyone watch the programme on going back to work at over 65? Eileen

I saw it advertised. Was it any good?

[Tripps]

Yes - really interesting. I didn't think there were any factories like the chocolate one except on Emmerdale. I assumed everyhing was done by machine. Amazing that it was economic to pack them by hand in Preston! Quite ironic to watch this as not so long ago I had a major battle to stay at work for an extra year, rather than be made to retire at 60. I won in the end, and told them they were swimming against the tide. Interesting how well the 70+ builders did, though how long could they keep it up for? A bit cruel for them to be measured against fit 30 year olds, and be made to keep to their production levels.
I think it's on again tonight.

Don't miss Twenty twelve. Best thing on TV at the moment - This business about calling in the troops at the last minute could be an extract from it.

[Wendyf]

It might be worth watching "The Bank of Dave" tonight on Channel 4 at 9.00pm. David Fishwick, a very local business man attempting to set up a bank in Burnley to help small businesses in the area.