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Old 04-16-2012, 10:41 AM   #1
hoverfly
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: East of England
Posts: 1,567
Default What do you like watching on TV?

Since I am admining a documentary forum I guess it doesn't take that much figuring out what I tend to watch.

That being said, I am interested largely in conservation, hence my voluteer work for the Essex Wildlife Trust (EWT) where I live. Anything with living creatures in it and about their adapting environments is therefore right up my street you might say.

Other science based programmes are of general interest, always good to at least have heard about what research is going on and where it stands. For this I would unhesetatingly recommend the BBC programme 'Horizon'. Always on the forefront of science since 1964.

Being, what you might call a 'child of Apollo', the moon rocket that is, I became an avid stargazer over the years. One great benefits of being involved with the EWT is that I get to see all the really secluded and therefor dark spots, which are increasingly difficult to find for amateur astronomers. A win-win situation. This is then my other great fascination with TV. Like watching 'The Sky at Night' with Sir Patrick Moore, another series that has been running for, was it 50 or 60 years now, I forget.

If there is anything on the BBC, Russia Today or the English language Al Jazeera reporting from Africa I will usually tune it. Both RT and AJ are much underrated TV broadcasters that tend to be far less prejudiced then is generally asumed. AJ certainly is not the inofficial Taliban channel some would have us believe but rather an relatively objective station with sometimes different views on world affairs, quite apart from them not solely reporting on major famines and desasters in Africa, which does make a change for the usual. Again I strongly suggest at least giving them the benefit of the doubt. AJ has an excellent series looking at the ongoing development across Africa, something the west be well advised to keep an eye on or chances are that we are leaving the economical fields purely to the Chinese and we'll regret that bigtime one of these days.

I love a good laugh. So, when there is the occassional decent witty comedy on TV, I am at least inclined to have a bash at it. Here's the giveaway clue to my age I guess, when I say that I love Sid James, one of the great British comedy actors. Some of his appearances in the 'Carry on...' series of movies are simply spectacular.

For some unknown reason I always find it hard to get my head around US comedies. Yes, the Marx Brother of course, Mel Brooks, brilliant but after that I am seriously struggling to recall much fascination with US TV or movies, though there are probably a few that will come to mind at some point or other.

As far as Brit comedy is concerned, not everything, I don't find some of those stand-up comedians funny at all. Johnny Vegas was brilliant in 'Sex Lives of the Potato Men', now here's one that you too might enjoy, especially if you find silly, sexually abusive jokes, etc. funny. Certainly tickled my fancy enough to make me go out and buy the DVD, which is quite rare.

Love the 'Two Ronnies' for those who know about them. Ronnie Barker (RIP) and Ronnie Corbett, two of the most gifted comedians ever if you asked me. Ronnie Corbetts Blackberry skit is still an all time favourite of mine.

TV series are not my thing at all, with the exeption of two. Red Dwarf and Doctor Who. Red Dwarf is currently recording a new season to be aired in October in the UK channel Dave. Definitively looking forward to that. There too seems to be a faction out there that preferst the first 6 seasons, regarding the later ones with Chloe Anett as Kochinsky (did I spell that right?) as rubbish. Naw, just because the writer team of Doug Naylor and who was the other chap split up and went seperate ways didn't discourage me at all. Still think they are funny as anything. This is the another one that I would recommend highly if you can get a laugh out of a computer exclaiming such wonderful things as: 'The only thing that keeps me from going space crazy is the friendship I have with my singing potatoes' or when in the episode called 'Queeg' he strides into battle against the spaceships backup comuter, aptly named Queeg 500. All this to the sound of some John Wayne movies soundtrack. Go for it, I never regretted it for a second.

Why on earth there will be no Doctor Who episodes until September this year beats me but that is my all time favourite. I have every episode ever from 1963 onwards. Even the Loose Cannon reconstructions of those early episodes that fell victim to the BBCs tape erasing machine.

Doctor Who is of course quitessentially British, especially the early years which were never much intended for viewing outside the UK. This obviously changed over the years when the BBC discovered that more money could be made if adapted to suit a wider audience. Now, some people claim that only the old Doctor Who is the true Doctor Who, something I've been at loggerheads with for years. Admitted, the style of the programmes has changed over the years but it is still the Doctor, no deniying. Was a bit annoyed that whatshisame, the one before David Tennant only did one season, I liked him better then Tennant. Still, not really complaining too loudly.

Anything else? Yes and no. Being German originally I have a great liking for German satire programmes, which unfortunately are not available in any English version. A great loss really, especially with some of the finest political satirists being German. Wilfried Schmickler, Bruno Jonas, though I believe he may actually be Austrian, Volker Pispers and of course morbidly obese Otti Fischer, a brilliant actor and satirist are just a few of my favourites. Thank goodness for internet TV, at least that way I can watch some of that on the odd occassion.

Oh, SciFi movies I like, so long as they do consist of a little more then just exploding something-or-others. A little bit of a plausible storyline goes a long way.

That being said, 'Paul' with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, does have a bit of a weird story but it still is brilliantly funny I think. You easily see that the two of them are very close personal friend, having shared a flat together in London for years. Both fine actors and writers.

Right then, that pretty much sums me up I guess. Sounds a lot but isn't at the end of the day. I tend to not watch telly at all during the summer month, much rather be on the beach or in my very own private jungle out the back of the house.

Right, before this turns into a full-blown novel I best call it a day for now.
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Last edited by hoverfly; 06-24-2013 at 11:15 AM.
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