Wednesday 23 May 2007

Being Over Sensitive

I don't watch over much TV.
One of the fews things I do watch are CSI, Law and Order and the like. I do like these American Crime dramas. They are a lot more advanced and entertaining than the drivel this country produces. Otherwise, it is only really documentaries and politics programmes that I watch.

It is interesting the number of times in the last week I have heard that 'the scheduled episode will not be shown tonight'.

It's usually not hard to figure why the scheduled episode may have been postponed.

Yet why is a drama programme that may allude to events that ressemble actual events in the media more likely to cause offence than the endless ghoulish media circus that actually surrounds the events?

It's amazing how we can be so sensitive to these things in an era when TV find new lows to plummet to in an effort to keep audiences high, by exploiting the shock factor.

Which ties in nicely with tonight's post. Which isn't by me.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

All events in these kinds of dramas resemle events in someones life -apart from Dr.Who-obviously. What if you have cancer and there is a Casualty episode about cancer or abortion or whatever.

Anonymous said...

Surely you must also love Columbo? I don't trust anyone who doesn't...

Anonymous said...

It's simply to do with receiving negative press in the tabloids if they don't pull the programme. TV makers have never been concerned about upholding values or offending anyone who doesn't agree with their vision of the world.

Remember Jerry Springer the Opera?

Anonymous said...

Mutley, this is my point.
There's always SOMEONE who is going to feel some hurt at a TV programme, because it resonates with a recent pain they are feeling.

For example, by this logic, shouldn't all War films be postponed till we're out of Iraq?
Might be a few years without Kelly's Heroes...

David, I do like Colombo yes.
Streets ahead of Kojak.
Not quite so gone on the later ones they did in the nineties.

Best one was the one with the guy who used subliminal photographs.

Anonymous said...

I am glad you did this post on tv for I was thinking about your views on tv just last night.
Now, I have to admit , I go months without watching tv at all, and only really ocassionally watch if there is something in particular I want to see. I love the BBC documentaries! No one does it like them ( not even in the USA)...however , I wonder if really all the actually programming is the fluff for the commercials they want to use to subliminally brain wash us?
maybe the actual programming is irrelevant and it is the commercials( and perhaps subliminal overtones) we should be paying MORE attention to!
One shudders to think where it could lead.
On another note, I find this country resembliong a "police state" more and more and one of heavy censorship that most ppl ( when I mention this) laugh at and think me mad.
Kitty Kelly, for instance, wrote a thoroughly researched expose on the royal family years ago and ( obviously,the institution thatis them had it banned in this country) IN THIS DAY AND AGE!
From what I have seen, GREAT Britain does not have the same freedom of speech that North America does.The ppl don't even realize this....much less question it.

Anonymous said...

Miss Uber, I'm sure I've posted on this very point. Or did we discuss this topic the other night?

That certainly, is EXACTLY how I view TV.
It is designed to keep everyone tied to a one way medium which 'entertains' and 'instructs' them.
That is how the party system is maintained.
And consumer spending.

The favourite toy of the system...

Anonymous said...

Yes, we briefly discussed this but it made me think in greater length.

Anonymous said...

Totally agree. The drama series are as nothing to the "insensitive" and surely sometimes libellous coverage of the "real" events by the very same media.

Anonymous said...

Yes, but perhaps by NOT showing the programme, they heighten your awareness of it.
And it then justifies the media coverage.
Which keeps news off...
other things.

Anonymous said...

You get to watch only documentaries and politics programmes ? Lucky you !

I have to endure East Enders and Casualty - then there's kids' TV too.

What I'd give to stay in on a Sunday morning and watch Breakfast With Frost alone. Instead I'm either at work or at church.