Things I Hate about TV

I watch a LOT of television - news, sports, drama,. comedy, movies, documentaries, etc. But there are certain things that drive me up the wall, especially on satellite/cable stations.

1) The amount of time given over to commercials, including those for their own programs. Terrestrial TV in the UK either has no ad breaks (BBC) or a strictly limited number. Non-terrestrial stations however have seemingly endless commercial breaks. And they definiutely coordinate when they're on, so you can rarely find a channel that is not also showing ads at the same time. Which brings me to . . .

2) The quite disgraceful content of so many of the ads. Satellite channels are full of ads for "Pay Day" loans (with annual interest rates of thousands of percent), ambulance chasing lawyers ("If we don't win, you pay nothing"), insurance companies and insurance search sites, and currently lawyers wanting you to sign up with them to get back missold PPI (when the best advice is you do this yourself without having to pay a fee to anyone). I can't help thinking of how much money these people must be making off the gullibility and desperation of others.

3) News and sports anchor people who so often say at the end of an interview "We'll have to leave it there". Just say thank you and move on. Also . . .

4) Reporters - or whatever you want to call them - who ask victims of some tragedy "How do you feel . . . " This also goes for asking this question of triumphant sportsmen and women.

5) Endless "reality TV" shows. I quite enjoyed Big Brother in its early years - and made some great new friends of other fans in the process - but later it - and the contestants - became too self aware for it to represent even the semblance of "reality". The Apprentice still hangs on to some credibility, but it's a close run thing. All other of these shows that have appeared since should go into Room 101.

6) Sports announcers who try to make the event they're covering exciting, when we can see perfectly well whether it is or not. Some of them raise their voice in mini-orgasms 50 times a match for 2 or 3 really significant moments only.

7) Documentaries which clutter themselves with irrelevant images and recreations and/or talk down to the viewer. BBC used to be immune from this disease, but it's definitely creeping in.

8) Watching "Civilisation" recently, I noticed again that Lord Clark walked and talked, but NEVER at the same time. Nowadays presenters are forever in motion. It's distracting and completely unnecessary.

9) Newsreaders who end a pre-commercial segment by announcing that "after the break" they'll be talking about something, then don't actually do so until one or two additional commercial breaks have occurred. It's transparently aimed at keeping you watching through as many ads as possible, and I find it disingenuous and very irritating.

10) Lots more that I can't think of at the moment.

But I still love TV, even with all its flaws.