Welcome To The View From My Television

This article was originally published in The Courier on 23rd August 2013.

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/lifestyle

WELCOME TO THE VIEW FROM MY TELEVISION

Paul Whitelaw

Whenever I tell people what I do for a living, their usual response is, “That must be fun!” followed quickly by, “But you must have to watch an awful lot of rubbish.” To which the dual-pronged answer is: “Yes. And no, not really.”

Despite what people who don't actually watch TV may tell you, its wealth and variety mean it's very easy to avoid drivel if you keep your eyes peeled.

Granted, one of the most glaring side-effects of our multi-channel age is there are more repeats on TV than ever before. But if this increase allows the dedicated channel-hopper swift access to old episodes of Bob's Full House, Cheers and The Sweeney, then it's hardly the crime of the century. If you love TV, then you'll always find the good stuff.

There's a downside, of course. Channel 4 and its pointless offshoots E4 and More4 – imagine two Andrew Ridgeleys flanking a past-his-prime George Michael – are now a knackered flotilla steered by endless repeats of Come Dine With Me. The tragic decline of C4 is a nagging bugbear of mine. If you also find yourself staring aghast at what it's become over the last decade, then I'm sure we'll get on famously.

I promised myself I'd remain positive during this article, but let's take a moment to clarify why C4, that former bastion of innovative and experimental television, currently represents everything that's wrong with British culture. Its recent glut of nasty, reactionary, benefits-bashing documentaries are little more than sneering government propaganda. In this time of deep recession and life-destroying cuts, they're howlingly irresponsible.

But they're indicative of a general malaise at C4, where leering 'body-shock' documentaries and point-and-laugh shows about travellers are deemed perfectly legitimate. It's only a matter of time before it abandons programming altogether, in favour of rolling 24-hour coverage of benefits claimants and gypsies being pelted with spoons.

And yet despite its otherwise tawdry demeanour, C4 still has one saving grace: drama. Recent highlights such as Complicit, The Mill, Southcliffe and mesmerising French import The Returned are among the best TV of 2013. The latter may have been a blatant attempt by C4 to jump on BBC4's European drama bandwagon, but who cares when the rewards were so gratifying? Wouldn't you rather it devoted more time to programmes of such quality and distinction, rather than yet another dismal Gordon Ramsay vehicle in which he pretends to care about the fortunes of a Dingwall tearoom? I know I would.

Meanwhile, ITV should be cautiously applauded for its efforts to rescue its tarnished reputation. It may still be home to the inexplicable Paddy McGuinness, but at least it's trying to improve its drama slate with the likes of Broadchurch. And regardless of what you thought of them, Vicious and The Job Lot signalled an encouraging new commitment to prime-time sitcom.

But what of the BBC? Although it increasingly resembles a desperate academic struggling to keep control of an endangered department, dear old BBC4 is still a reliable source of pleasure. Aside from showing the acclaimed likes of The Killing and The Bridge, it continues its noble pursuit of producing documentaries on absolutely any subject, no matter how arcane. BBC4 has always been secure in the knowledge that someone, somewhere will be interested in watching programmes about Jacobean armchairs, Lieutenant Pigeon, and Jonathan Meades declaiming adjectives in car parks.

Sadly, this relatively niche channel has been battered by budget cuts. As part of the government-induced Delivering Quality First cost-saving strategy – dwell on that irony all you like - BBC4 recently axed its successful sideline of showbiz biopics, although at least it bowed out with Burton and Taylor, one of its better efforts.

It's also unlikely that BBC4 has enough petty cash to produce more underrated gems such as quietly scathing NHS comedy Getting On. Big mainstream hitters such as Mrs Brown's Boys and Miranda are all very well (I suppose), but I hope the smaller, more distinctive shows don't fall through the the cracks.

As an unabashed comedy nerd, I'll doubtless be peppering these pages with deranged attacks on ubiquitous bête noires such as Jimmy Carr, Noel Fielding, Keith Lemon and practically every failed effort coughed up by BBC3. Please accept my apologies in advance. But I'll also be celebrating the superior likes of Peep Show, Fresh Meat, Outnumbered, Would I Lie To You?, Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle, It's Kevin, The Graham Norton Show, Parks and Recreation, and My Mad Fat Diary.

Attacking a dreadful piece of TV can be cathartic. A perverse pleasure is gained from casting an appalled eye over the likes of bewildering Saturday night game show I Love My Country, which provides a terrifying glimpse of what a totalitarian regime governed by Micky Flanagan might look like. But every Saturday in the Courier I'll always find time to highlight stuff you might enjoy. Life's tough enough without dwelling on the dregs.

Highlights over the next few months include the Doctor Who 50^th anniversary special, in which the outgoing Matt Smith is joined by John Hurt and previous incumbent David Tennant, and also Mark Gatiss' keenly anticipated drama about the origins of the show, An Adventure In Space In Time. Oh, and some Scottish-Italian bloke is taking Smith's place at Christmas, apparently.

Also coming soon are BBC1's Saturday evening family adventure Atlantis, BBC2's European acquisition Generation War, which has been described as a German Band Of Brothers, and, on dear old Channel 4, Shane Meadows' This Is England '90. They may not all succeed, but they'll all deserve scrutiny. TV is an eternally maddening, enriching and fascinating medium. Let's have at it.