British/UK TV Shows - Discussion

I'm very sad to learn that Ceefax will close later this year.
A few years ago they gave it the catchy title of The Red Button Service.

I have enjoyed it for three reasons: I can read it whilst waiting for the BBC's adverts to finish. Secondly I can read the news etc without recourse to the computer and finally it's only two pages per item so they have to be concise.

Years ago there was a version on independent television which included a music section called Planet Sound run by a chap called John Earls. In those days reading through them all together could take as long as an hour per day. It was my newspaper. The independent service ended not because it wasn't popular but because a suitable business model couldn't be found.

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An unfortunate sign of the times.
I have sent many hours over the years getting all kinds of information from the service,
Another case of the BBC cutting services so that they can pay so called stars and staff higher salaries?

I too will miss the Red Button text service, although most of it was just cribbed from the crappy BBC News website, and updated regularly if you were lucky (often not).

Fucking hell Escape to the country Some old git with a 30 year old russian wife

Another service the BBC should be forced to keep! It is about the only worthwhile element left, and is a valuable information gathering tool! Why are we now seemingly disinterested bystanders, while the corporation gets away with making unilateral decisions that impact upon the value of the BBC to many of us?? Not much value, but still!!!.....

As others have posted, dispense with some of the so - called 'stars' and their high price salaries, and get back to investing in what you are there to provide BBC!

Still no proper scrutiny of the DG's pronouncement that they would be heading down a more populist route!! Not with a compulsory license fee they don't!! Shame Johnson doesn't see this issue as a pressing one, alongside his naval gazing 'pet project' If they don't keep the red button service, how will they service - at all - those whose interests they see as being unimportant enough to hide behind the main channels?? Are we all to be banished to our tiny computer screens and the internet?? while paying to provide a tv service for the chosen ones??

This might make things a bit clearer.

https://www.rxtvlog.com/2019/09/bbc-to-e...-text.html

(02-10-2019 22:51 )hornball Wrote:  Still no proper scrutiny of the DG's pronouncement that they would be heading down a more populist route!! Not with a compulsory license fee they don't!! Shame Johnson doesn't see this issue as a pressing one,

Why would he oppose the BBC becoming more populist? The BBC has been going downhill in the last 10 years, especially when Cameron was PM. Hence the current rubbish state it's in.

(20-08-2019 18:56 )GMach1 Wrote:  Three lost scripts of Dad's Army were found recently and a cast assembled including Kevin McNally(Pirates of the Caribbean), Robert Bathurst(Cold Feet) and Kevin Eldon(Dangermouse) to recreate the long-lost episodes. They are transmitted by GOLD on Sunday - Tuesday at 8pm.

I did finally get these watched. I was sceptical, but especially compared to that awful film, these were really well done. Some were overdoing their impressions (stand up, Eldon) but then some were underplaying it altogether (Mathew Horne). I wouldn't really want them to get carried away and do any more, but as a one-off, really a jolly good show

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I haven't seen the remakes yet, but glad that they appear to pass muster with some here! They couldn't be any worse than the abomination that was the remake of Yes Prime Minister:huh:annoyed!r! A crime against the genius of P Eddington D Foulds and N Hawthorne! I was astonished they were written by the same team that penned the original, that was until it dawned on me that they were reluctant participants to begin with, so perhaps were determined to ensure they would not have to repeat the project! The casting - for a start - was all wrong!!

(03-10-2019 15:18 )hornball Wrote:  They couldn't be any worse than the abomination that was the remake of Yes Prime Minister:huh:annoyed!r! A crime against the genius of P Eddington D Foulds and N Hawthorne!

I too was appalled by the Yes PM revival on Gold

I haven't bothered with the Porridge/Open All Hours revivals. I know new sitcoms are often dire, but it's no excuse to go "well, here's some old ones redone instead".