TV's greatest hits (rpt)
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.It is all very well the rest of us thinking the Seventies was the golden age of television. The jokes were funnier when we were younger - we even thought Morecambe and Wise singing "Bring Me Sunshine" was funny because there was not much else to laugh at then. And novelty was more novel when it was still new - Big Brother is most diverting, but The Family paved the way for reality television decades before the term was invented.
It is all very well the rest of us thinking the Seventies was the golden age of television. The jokes were funnier when we were younger - we even thought Morecambe and Wise singing "Bring Me Sunshine" was funny because there was not much else to laugh at then. And novelty was more novel when it was still new - Big Brother is most diverting, but The Family paved the way for reality television decades before the term was invented.
It is when the people who run British television today think the Seventies was the golden age that we should worry. In a survey of television's top people, the chosen favourites included single dramas such as Abigail's Party and The Naked Civil Servant, and the comedies Dad's Army and Fawlty Towers - not one of which was made after 1979.
But these nostalgic critics - Michael Grade, Sir Christopher Bland and the rest - are responsible for today's output. If they think the Seventies was the decade of innovation, why don't they produce some ground-breaking work themselves? Perhaps they don't watch enough telly to realise that the schedules over which they preside consist mainly of reruns of The Likely Lads and remakes of Crossroads.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments