You're not really missing anything.
I should know. I write half of it.
Yeah. I noticed.
The quality has gone down big time recently.
Not of you in particular, I mean the Forum generally.
It's descended into a "chat to your pals" and in-jokes forum.
At least you try to start threads more in keeping with the original forum.
The rest is "How crap is the 11 o'clock show" or more and more of the EVEL CLOWNE.
But what is there to write about? We've already done "South African comedy series" a few weeks back, so we really have scraped the barrel clean of relevant topics, unless current TV itself gets more interesting.
We can still talk about radio. How about a strand about the new "Sunday Format"?
Or how about reviving "Worst comedy series ever"?
Or how about talking about your worst studio audience experiences?
There's always local programmes. I don't think we've had a thread on that yet. But I doubt anyone will want to add a message to it.
*Sarcasm meter explodes*
That sort of illustrates my point.
OK, it was funny(ish).
But ever since SOTCAA was attached to the TV Forum, it's become more and more about wannabe comedians/writers.
The continual EVEL CLOWNE comments about idents etc have actually more or less stopped that side of this forum. Now the same thing is happening with local television programmes.
OK, it is anoraky and a bit sad. But isn't that what's so wonderful about the Internet?
It allows you to indulge your anorak side. EVEL CLOWNE etc have used comedy as a powerful weapon and actually effectively censored this Forum.
The whole thing did make me laugh for a while, but aren't these just classic passive aggressive tactics?
Hang on... I thought the point of the forum was to be about TV. During the SOTCAA period it got slanted towards comedy, but there were always subjects carrying on. Now I suppose it's TV in general again.
Unlike C4 forums, subjects aren't censored, they just fall out if no one's interested. So the threads that survive reflect what people want to write about. And local TV is still way ahead at #1.
The top 5 is:
#1: local TV
#2: Dr Who
#3: gay life in the North-West
#4: TGP
=5: the 11OCS
Sorry, that should have Suiii&co. equal at 3 with 11OCS, and TGP trailing at #5.
Yeah, but I haven't read any of those threads for weeks, as far as i can help it. There are a few marginally interesting threads on here (Black Books/Animated Spitting Image/Blue Jam CD etc.) but I agree, there's not as much as there could be.
I expect it was better on the radio.
My favourite thread today is Any news about Iannucci's C4 show?
Yeah, I love it as well. It reminds me of the threads I once started about Weekending and saturday Night Fry. Nobody else posted on them either.
>Yeah, I love it as well. It reminds me of the threads I once started about Weekending and saturday Night Fry. Nobody else posted on them either.
Start them again, I for one would be interested.
Also, TVOD, for newcomers, could you give us a taste as to what the Forum was like before Sotcaa? Just so we know
"Start them again, I for one would be interested."
Fair enough. Will do tomorrow.
>Or how about reviving "Worst comedy series ever"?
Good idea
>>Yeah, I love it as well. It reminds me of the threads I once started about Weekending and saturday Night Fry. Nobody else posted on them either.
>
>Start them again, I for one would be interested.
>
>Also, TVOD, for newcomers, could you give us a taste as to what the Forum was like before Sotcaa? Just so we know
About three people used it, all of whom discussed local tv programmes and nothing else.
I'm sorry, but I *really* don't believe people who are interested in local TV, IDENTS, etc would be put off posting because of EVIL GAS BOTTLE and all that jazz. Passive aggressive behaviour? Come on! Anyway - most of the ident crew are floating around, RB, C@T, Richard - haven't seen Jase for a while, but I can't see him being put off by a few comments in caps lock.
Besides, this cry of 'the forum's getting boring' seems to go up every month or so, then there's a flurry of activity, then there isn't. It is an open forum, after all. If someone wants to post a thread about 1960s graphic design on arts programmes they can. I'm sure the power of EVIL CLOWN can't extend that far.
My favourite forum thread is the one discussing forum threads.
I'm going to start my own thread discussing it.
Would anyone like to start a thread discussing whether this new thread would be a good idea?
My favourite forum thread is the one discussing forum threads.
I'm going to start my own thread discussing it.
Would anyone like to start a thread discussing whether this new thread would be a good idea?
Well Al, I'm afraid I have been completely put off by this forum. I've been here 4 years, but I'm sick of it now. It's become crap and boring, not because of any one reason, I just think it's come to the end of its life. I vote it should just be quietly shot, frankly.
Well, I'd miss you. You were a gent.
Oh, and how many times does it need to be said? I'm not part of the ident crew. I care about a once-proud local institution which has gone to the dogs. However, it is becoming increasingly obvious that no amount of moaning is going to help the situation, so it's time to move on.
>Oh, and how many times does it need to be said? I'm not part of the ident crew. I care about a once-proud local institution which has gone to the dogs. However, it is becoming increasingly obvious that no amount of moaning is going to help the situation, so it's time to move on.
Sorry - didn't mean anything demeaning. Just using it as a catch-all term for those interested in the institutional side of TV: ownership, presentation, graphic design, etc. No offence meant.
I personally don't think our caps lock friends are doing much harm. If anything, they are helping to lighten matters a bit and remind us all that this isn't 'real'. They were certainly a godsend when Yoakum was around, and after the closure...
None taken Al, sorry for being a bit sharp. I'll lurk around here for now, but it's turning into once or twice a week. Later...
Maybe I was a bit OTT talking about censorship. But I do think it's a serious issue.
Whenever anyone started talking about idents recently, we've had the IDEANTS joke. I think that has certainly inhibited the people interested in idents from talking about them.
To complain would cast the ident-lover in the role of the humourless (about the worst insult you can throw in this country apart from boring, which was the implicit meaning behind ridiculing someone's interest in such a narrow subject).
If he complained strongly, he would then be cast as the aggressor. "Can't you take a joke?"
This never happened, of course. So maybe I am making a mountain out of a molehill. However, I'm sure the threat must be lurking in the back of the ident-lover's mind.
When SOTCAA joined the Forum, Rob S said he saw no reason why the comedy-types and the more general TV types should not co-exist.
I think that could easily hold true still.
But, and this was touched on recently in the thread about rats leaving the sinking ship, I do feel that some people feel they are being pushed to the outside on this forum and are thus leaving it. I could name names at this point, but I wouldn't want to without their permission.
Just seen the worst local tv thread and found that a lot of what I meant to say on the last posting has been said, and much better.
TVOD - I see your point, but I think I speak for most of the 'comedy types' when I say that all the IDENTS stuff isn't intended as nasty, just a harmless joke that it seems may have somehow got out of hand. Myself, I don't have a problem with the ident brigade, and the only time that I have felt any genuine animosity towards any of them was when I tried to stir up some debate about the Out Of The Trees situation, and looked at the thread later that day to see that, to my displeasure, someone had, for reasons best known to themselves, attempted to turn it into a discussion about whether Newsroom South East would get a new logo or something. This annoyed me intensely at the time, but it's all forgotten about now.
Come back, ident boys...
Group hug everyone?
Hmmm. I come back to see what's happening round here, and find I seem to have opened up a can of worms. There's no need for a group hug because the 'group' hasn't broken up, at least as far as I am concerned. I've just had enough. It's not because of the jokes (at least not as far as I'm concerned).
Anyway, I'm not supposed to be here, am I? Tara...
Actually I enjoy reading the snippets of broadcsting stuff here - and they've been kind enough to put up with my constant complaints about the lack of quality in local broadcasting, and occasional fury over the drive to make news shows *style over content*. I came across here originally because I was hacked off with the way the C4 forum was going (and stiil am).
There is generally a better level of debate (and humour!) here, hence the reason why I've stayed. This is the only forum about UK tv I know that has such a wide range of views and opinions, which was why I was gutted when it got closed.
IMHO, I think we'd ALL like to see an improvement in standards in television - whether it is local output or comedy, and I do understand the frustration Jase, espically as broadcasters have their eye more on the numbers, mergers, business ventures, and less on the qaulity control, or the concerns and opinions of viewers. It amounts to sheer arrogance, and we ALL lose out, as the effects ripple through the system.
>IMHO, I think we'd ALL like to see an improvement in standards in television - whether it is local output or comedy, and I do understand the frustration, espically as broadcasters have their eye more on the numbers, mergers, business ventures, and less on the qaulity control, or the concerns and opinions of viewers. It amounts to sheer arrogance, and we ALL lose out, as the effects ripple through the system.
Seconded. Anyone want to print this out and send it to some suits? (Cast your minds back to the faked "consultation" the Beeb went through when they decided to mangle GLR for an example of just how far this attitude spreads.)