The Simpsons And The BBC

There is no doubt in my mind that many – if not most - of today’s TV programs are designed for a viewer that is held in low regard by TV company bosses. They seem to think that viewers are mostly dim, easily-fooled creatures who would rather live in a woo-woo world than face reality.  No doubt they would cite the necessity for programs to please the masses so that advertising revenues can be maximised, as the reason for the production of so much crap.

Well, I suppose I agree with them to some extent, but the percentage of bad programs seems out of proportion to the number of dullards out there so maybe there’s another hidden agenda at work here. In any case, it’s not true that programs have to be silly or dim-witted to attract viewers and therefore advertisers.

“The Simpsons”, is the best program on American TV; this is my opinion and the opinion of thousands of others, indeed, a strong case could be made that it’s the best program on TV anywhere! Let’s analyse it a little. There is no question that to get the most from The Simpsons, a certain degree of intelligence is required, it’s full of political undertones and topical nuances that would be lost on certain people and yet there it is, voted the best cartoon series ever. So it seems that we are not as dumb as TV bosses think and they would do well to learn a lesson from that bunch of yellow characters. Incidentally, what does it say about us when TV’s best show doesn’t have a single human being in it?

I’m often complaining about the BBC whose standards have plumbed new depths in recent years, and now I see they want the license fee increased so they can carry out ambitious future plans. I hope these plans don’t include more of the nonsense they’ve made recently! I was really annoyed when I found out that they spent £1 million per month on, wait for it…taxis! How the hell can they justify spending our money to the tune of £12 million annually on taxi fares?

When David Attenborough was the boss, the BBC made some of the best TV programs ever and was the world’s best broadcaster by a long way…we need him back but sadly, it won’t happen. I despair when I think of how things could be had we had the sense to use the power of TV to educate and inform as well as entertain, but it’s too late, we’ve gone too far down the woo-woo road and there’s no way back.