BJJManchester
Tony Hancock,Dennis Potter,Monty Python,Upstairs Downstairs,The Saint,Callan,Richard Dimbleby,Fawlty Towers,Morecambe and Wise,The Two Ronnies,Dad's Army,Only Fools and Horses,The Prisoner,Ronnie Barker,Steptoe and Son,John Cleese,Porridge,David Frost,Rising Damp,One Foot In The Grave..........yes,just some of the programmes and names that have been associated with British TV over the last fifty years or so which has given the country a justified reputation for the best TV in the world.But it was perhaps sadly inevitable with the natural demise of all and more of similar above individuals and TV shows that new replacements would have to be found in future generations.At the beginning of the 21st Century,some bright spark thought that a new and exciting concept called "Reality TV" was the answer to all these problems;it would be cheap to produce,featuring members of the public with secretly placed cameras around a specially built set,picking up all the various interactions and conversations,with the added bonus of assigned tasks and games,plus a public phone vote to evict various people until the last one left,who would be deemed the "winner".To be fair,this was a mildly interesting idea at it's inception,and would've been just about acceptable for one series.But such has been the dumbing down of UK TV,and indeed seemingly British society as a whole in the new millennium,that the powers that be at CHANNEL FOUR have elongated this woefully thin concept to at the time of writing,an eighth series.What is disturbing is that this has led on to other tawdry reality shows springing up on other UK TV channels (I'M A CELEBRITY GET ME OUT OF HERE,LOVE ISLAND,THE FARM,CELEBRITY WRESTLING,even CELEBRITY DETOX,CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER,etc,etc,etc...)like unplanned illegitimate sprogs,with the British viewing public acting as unprepared,unwilling parents.The aforementioned programmes are virtually as tedious,dreary,lazy,banal and pointless as this one,but BIG BROTHER is wholly deserving of the lowest possible vote because it is possibly the main cause of the shallow brainlessness pervading most of UK popular culture in contemporary Britain.For example,the only so-called "celebrity magazines" at the turn of the century were the highly resistible OK and HELLO!,whose sickly,ghastly and vomit-inducing sycophancy to various public figures (most with very minor talents) was initially mocked by comedians,satirists and journalists,but even this mickey-taking soon became passé as it didn't seem funny to mock something which was already too unintentionally amusing to begin with anyway.Since then,there has been an explosion of similar publications,perhaps not quite as cringingly oily to the so-called famous as the aforementioned terrible twins,but if anything even less intelligent and brainless,with similarly garishly coloured photos thrown in for good measure.I am sure there are still plenty of talented writers,actors,singers,comedians,dancers,etc. that are still out there in Britain,but the TV executives today do not seem to agree,or they are not bothered at finding and encouraging new talent.They are happy now to let talent-free non-entities appear on this show,and others,to create,Frankenstein-like "celebrities",which is rapidly becoming the dirtiest,most foul word for disgruntled UK citizens like myself in this day and age.This word "celebrity" has almost taken on a new meaning from previous generations;it was usually tagged on in the past to famous people,but those who had mostly obtained their fame through talent,sheer hard work and years of struggle."Celebrity" now is synonymous in describing those who have no talent at anything accept appearing on shows like BIG BROTHER.The amount of people who have earned a career,and a lucrative one at that,from this programme since it's debut has been astonishing.Brian Dowling and Kate Lawler are just two examples,but the most remarkable was that of Jade Goody,who didn't even win the series she appeared in.She came a cropper in 2007's CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER after her misguided behaviour towards Shilpa Shetty.Now having sadly passed away after a battle against cancer,it is arguable that unscrupulous media types exploited her naivety and inarticulacy (which was in no way particularly her fault) when she was not especially conscious of such events.It seems not to matter,however,as others will take her equally dismal place as long as the top brass in British TV keep providing money to produce BIG BROTHER and it's various imitations.The house guests this year,if it really matters,consist mainly of young attractive women,with a few assorted males (apparently mostly homosexuals) added for the ride.But they seem as uninteresting,inarticulate,stupid,dull,self centered,unpleasant,egotistical and hopelessly fame seeking as most other house guests have been in previous years.It is the ultimate indictment that the most interesting parts of the programme are when we see everybody asleep in the house's bedroom!BIG BROTHER has been the main reason why the UK has gone downhill in it's popular and artistic culture in the 21st Century;there have been other factors,but those seem themselves to have been inspired by this odious,interminable,offensive,shallow and exploitative programme. If this and other programmes of it's ilk are allowed to continue,then we can well and truly say that the great days of British TV will be gone forever,and that if you have no talent whatsoever,rather than vice versa,you'll become famous thanks to the brain free writings in UK tabloid newspapers and magazines,describing the numbingly unexciting events in these "reality TV shows",the most unwelcome media development in history.A disturbing trend that has to stop sooner rather than later.Rating:1 out of 10.(Lower than that really.0 if it was allowed!)
