allan broadfield

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Neighbours is an Australian soap full of needy and anx ridden people living in the same cul de sac. All amenities - hosp, police, cafes, bars, schools, appear to be within walking distance, (as in most soaps to be fair) so everyone is in each others pockets - accounting for the anx, perhaps. Consequently there’s lots of talk about feelings and commitment, like they’re reading from a self help guide. Incidentally what is it with soaps and people spending so much time in coffee bars? I haven’t done that in years. Since it was cancelled from channel 5 then renewed I’ve been watching it on my tablet as I don’t have the necessary app on my TV. Why bother? Because I’ve followed it for years, and they almost seem like family, so as a family member I have to say, Karl - have a shave, the face fuzz isn't a good look. Got to say that some of the ‘relationship’ scenes get a little creepy - I like you guys but not that way - and less of the toe curlingly embarrassing ‘boy-lescue’ type shows ladies, I’d rather the blokes kept their daks on, thanks!

Bargain hunt has been meddled with too much by the producers over the years, and is becoming increasingly infantilised as contestants are encouraged to perform a sort of twisty jump to introduce themselves then squeal with delight at the sight of their ‘experts’ and everyone talks in puns ; a model plane, “that should fly”, a picture of a cat “ that should claw a profit” - hilarious stuff. The voice overs sound a bit patronising, and cringy, to be honest Philip (done and done!) Serrell is a favourite and seems to come up trumps with the most basic rubbish. (Pile of orange crates? Bargain!) Got to say I do enjoy Charlie Ross presenting. He’d make someone a great uncle I think. Don’t get me started on “close those peepers” when the bonus buy comes on and the whooshing noise is incredibly annoying when zipping from scene to scene, which all adds to this kiddies hour type show. Surprisingly, they aren’t above disqualifying items, despite the fact that it’s because their expert wasn’t doing his/her job properly in the first place! Looking at the reviews I’m surprised the show has survived! PS I’ve been watching the old editions with Tim Wanacott on Challenge Channel, a breath of fresh air, minimum gimmicks and still plenty of fun. Why was he ‘let go’, one wonders? Too adult, perhaps. At any rate at least get rid of the stupid whooshing noise !!! PS. Just of late (2024) they have been cobbling together bits of old shows to fill the schedules, and I do believe dating them as new. Shame on you!

I like ‘Doctors’ and never miss an episode. Some people ridicule the fact that they’re seemingly available to their patients almost at a moments notice and dropping in for a chat with the doc is a common thing, but if they based it on my local surgery it would be as boring as heck, (I’ve forgotten what my doc looks like) so just go with the unlikely flow! I hear it’s going to be cancelled, while even more unlikely dramas like Eastenders continue (how can there be so much hatred in one little square?) I watched for a while ‘classic doctors’ on one of those odd channels - even though the episodes are a quarter of a century old, and the current doctors would have been in short pants! I like most of the current cast, but probably favour the Haskey character the most, he should perhaps have his own series! However in the last months before its demise it seems to have become rather ‘woke’ in its outlook, with the new doctor shouted down for feeling uncomfortable with men who like to be called ‘she’ etc. Perhaps the series intends to go down in a controversial way?

I wasn’t keen on this show originally, Nigel with his white trainers and Simon the expert, with the flat cap (a la Jay Blades) seemed a bit odd, but gradually got into it. The rather loud lady bidder who often says “oh my days” goes over the top a bit, but on the whole it’s enjoyable, and I always watch with my daughter when she comes around. The amounts of cash some people seem to think junk is worth is amazing really. I could sometimes do with more shots of the item and less of the people looking at them, and like some other viewers I try to avoid looking at preview shots at the start of the programme which spoils the surprise later. Why do they do that? I was worried at how bad Aidie’s mathematical skills were in one particular episode with an ancient calculator - what’s ten and ten - twenty one? On the whole though, a pleasant afternoon’s viewing, if you can ignore the rather desperate puns that come thick and fast from the dealers. PS a spin off from this show (The vintage French farmhouse) moved the crew to France where they compete for the highest profit selling absolute rubbish for eye watering prices. (Watering can with holes? Quick polish and it’s a priceless relic from yesteryear!) Good work if you can get it!

After watching the latest incarnation of the doctor I cannot see how this can be looked upon as anything but a sort of Monte Python send up. The dr, briefly returned played again by David Tennant, doubted his sexuality (no wonder, he was Jodie Whitaker a few months ago!) there’s a super hero in a wheel chair, and of course he’s now changed race and kissing another chap in one scene, so all the politically correct boxes have been ticked, thank you very much, though perhaps difficult to explain to the kids who thought they tuned in to watch their sci fi hero’s adventure, instead they got a different sort of ‘adventure’! Rather sad, as I used to watch with the kids in a more innocent age, when the idea was a rather unlikely adventure series in space and time with the minimum of messages (if any), now it’s trying to compete with the cinemas super hero films but in a twee auntie BBC sort of way so-as to please everyone and not get sued by the ever offended folk. The very latest incarnation? Poverty row Star Wars mixed with an xmas pantomime. What a pity. While the Beeb obsesses with being politically correct, I suspect historians will look back on this particular era with some amusement and disbelief.

Antiques Roadshow (not to be confused with ‘Antiques Road Trip’) is a pleasant enough hour with Fiona Bruce to jolly us along with a plethora of experts valuing people’s goods, so they can consider flogging their treasured family items off in hard times while assuring the disbelieving viewer that they could not possibly let them go! (Granddad dodged bullets to get this medal so perhaps I can flog it off to get that new loo.) There are so many antiques shows that it’s easy to get confused in the rush. The experts are generally amusing and sometimes plain potty (Mark Hill, guaranteed to go over the top). Not as many puns per sentence as the other antiques shows, which is a good thing. Worth a watch on a Sunday evening as you await the latest classic serial the BBC chooses to ‘update’.

The premise of this show is that people are prevented from dumping their rubbish into the corporation tip by a nice BBC presenter who gets it recycled and sells for surprisingly high prices and produces a profit, which they present to the original dumpee on their doorstep. It’s a little embarrassing when they’re asked what they’re going to do with said profit, and they usually blurt out a local charity (of course!). To be fair the skilled experts do amazing things with the items, though furniture tends to be covered in paint, wallpaper, or graphics. Sometimes just a polish would seem to suffice. Don’t they like the look of actual wood? A nice metalworking couple and a chap in Scotland do all sorts with iron, with his tending to resemble flowering plants and octopi, but rather sharp to the touch? Alternatively ‘shabby chic’, is a favourite, which to me is lazy and an eyesore of an excuse for cutting corners. The buyers seem quite pleased to pay rather exorbitant prices for recycled stuff, and probably sell them on at even more exorbitant prices! (My opinion) Arthur Smith keeps us jollied along with his witty narration (a plethora of puns), a good time has been had, and later in the afternoon it’s time for ‘The Repair Shop’, which is sort of the same thing, but with heart warming stories.

I strangely get some entertainment from these channels, even though making greetings cards isn’t really my thing, as I usually buy a box of 50 (which I assume people appreciate). I suspect that the main appeal is in making the cards, but I would be rather annoyed if I called around and the recipient had binned the card I’d sweated over! However, the presenters are generally amusing and it has a comfy feel away from antique shows, and the same adverts repeated endlessly on those news channels. You want to get away from adverts every ten minutes? Then watch an actual advert channel! Not sure about Xmas in July though!

The premise of this show is that Paul Martin, antiques guru, shows a couple of would be dealers how to make profits from buying antiques in a serious but ever so nice fashion. There is a commentary by Mark Curry that jollies us along with many a quip like we’re about six years old or possibly moronic, and by the end of the show one of the contestants may have even made some cash! Unfortunately the presence of the cameras, and constant changes of angles makes reactions awkward and too staged for people actually trying to make a deal. Entertaining, and patronising all at the same time.

Excellent programme that showcases the incredible skills of those taking on seemingly impossible repairs for people who hold their items dear through their association with often deceased relatives. The cynic in me sometimes cringes a bit as one sad story follows another but they all seem sincere, even when the experts say that it’ll be an honour to repair this or that item, when perhaps they may be actually wondering what they’ve let themselves in for. Some say Jay Blades just wanders around like a typical boss but we know from other shows that he is skilled in furniture repairs. All in all a nice show, but I sometimes tend to flip through the sad stories, which makes me bad I suppose.