How bad is locally made tv?

professor_frink · 31 May 2006

Well it's official folks, Australian television has hit rock bottom. "the wedge" started on channel ten last night after being heavily promoted recently, it was even worse than I thought it would be. Every unfunny sketch was topped by the next, hitting an extreme low point when hotdogs from big brother made a guest appearance.
Have network executives taken to snorting so much cocaine that they honestly think that it was a good idea to show this kind of **** on tv? I think this show will probably last for another couple of weeks before channel ten pull it off air(or move it to an 11.30pm timeslot) so if you missed it last night and want to find out how bad it is, get in quick, because it won't be here long!

So to the poll question, how bad do you guys think Australian tv has become? Were you repulsed by shows like the wedge, cooks, headland, big brother, let loose live, etc? Or do you think local tv is great and I'm the one snorting too much cocaine?

sam76 · 31 May 2006

professor_frink said:
Well it's official folks, Australian television has hit rock bottom. "the wedge" started on channel ten last night after being heavily promoted recently, it was even worse than I thought it would be. Every unfunny sketch was topped by the next, hitting an extreme low point when hotdogs from big brother made a guest appearance.
Have network executives taken to snorting so much cocaine that they honestly think that it was a good idea to show this kind of **** on tv? I think this show will probably last for another couple of weeks before channel ten pull it off air(or move it to an 11.30pm timeslot) so if you missed it last night and want to find out how bad it is, get in quick, because it won't be here long!

So to the poll question, how bad do you guys think Australian tv has become? Were you repulsed by shows like the wedge, cooks, headland, big brother, let loose live, etc? Or do you think local tv is great and I'm the one snorting too much cocaine?

I really want to hurt Gretel Kileen (?) from BB. She trys to be too "hip" and when she had a go at latest evictee Michael when he was correct with his assumption about "clever editing" (refering to his "gay kiss") well, that was the last straw.

She should have won the Australia's most annoying celebrity competition and she certainly has that "charlie" attitude.

And yes... I watch BB

visual · 31 May 2006

Professor,
nice poll
maybe you should have included a positive option,as it is the only result can be bad,reallybad or really really bad.
the only positive option seems to be a drug induced opinion,
what about the panel,thats not bad,or rove its got its moments,or border security,now thats a good comedy,
Yesterday I actually understood why so many Australians keep on smuggling drugs overseas, so many people get lucky at our aiports they must truly believe that their luck stretches all the way around the world.

professor_frink · 31 May 2006

sam76 said:
I really want to hurt Gretel Kileen (?) from BB. She trys to be too "hip" and when she had a go at latest evictee Michael when he was correct with his assumption about "clever editing" (refering to his "gay kiss") well, that was the last straw.

She should have won the Australia's most annoying celebrity competition

And yes... I watch BB

I'm not going to air my thoughts on gretel in this forum-don't want to be accused of threatening people. The thing I find funny about big brother is that they have a whole days worth of activity to condense down into a half hour highlight show and it still sucks. The people must be really bored in there!

It's alright sam, you don't have to ashamed about watching BB, it doesn't make you a bad person!!

Visual, what would be a good positive option to put in? Can I change it now that it's been posted?

visual · 31 May 2006

Oh geez professor,you are asking me how to change the poll,
thats funny,
completely and totally computer illiterate

professor_frink · 31 May 2006

maybe joe can add in another option later for me

"I still watch free to air tv because it's not all bad"

Or something like that

Yezzy · 31 May 2006

The only show I watch on free to air TV is Survivor. Although I generally watch ABC & SBS for news/documentries. Other than that, Comedy channel all the way

blueroo · 31 May 2006

Hey Prof

IMHO option 2 could do with a bit of reworking.

Why would anyone go from bad Aussie TV and pay good money to receive a product even worse? Namely Foxtel or Austar. :swear:

Maybe there could be an option as follows:

Aussie TV is so bad, I rarely watch it.

professor_frink · 31 May 2006

Yeah definately should have given the poll more thought!

I think foxtel is better, but only just! For the $100 or so you have to pay for all the channels it's not really worth it, especially when you can get most tv shows via bittorrent these days. Being a big soccer and golf fan, the sports channels are pretty good value, some of the documentary channels are interesting, but that's about it for me. The obvious plus side of foxtel, from a male perspective, is that it takes you alot longer to surf through every channel before you realise that there's nothing good on

blueroo · 31 May 2006

professor_frink said:
The obvious plus side of foxtel, from a male perspective, is that it takes you alot longer to surf through every channel before you realise that there's nothing good on

Good point! That had escaped me up until now. Thanks.

But seriously, Aussie TV has been degenerating for some years now and the Govt. wants us to spend thousands updating to plasma, lcd, hdtv, etc for whatever purpose?????? Surely they have no hidden agenda on this!

I bought a small LCD TV to watch from the cot and other than the 16:9 format, I don't see any difference. Am I missing something

krisbarry · 31 May 2006

I think Aussie TV is pretty damn fine, we get the best of Aussie talent and all the US/Canadian/English programming all for free. Go overseas, and you get jack for free and have to pay for it all.

We should be proud to be Australian, and show off our cultural differences to the world!

We may cringe at a skit with Shazza and Dazza, but there is a Shazza and Dazza in every neighbourhood, or workplace.

To be quite honest the U.S. bring out some awesome tv shows, but plenty of trash too!

By the way I have had many friends come out to Australia from overseas, and they love our TV shows.

Prospector · 31 May 2006

Now you mention it, the shows I really enjoy are on the ABC and SBS. Favourite local programmes - Denton, Australian Story, The Wednesday night comedy programmes. Has anyone watched the Soccer Team on SBS on Friday at 7.30pm - now that is excellent comedy stuff.

I surf Foxtel and rarely find a thing to watch, or if I do, I start to watch it then realise I have already seen it - so many repeats!

Favs at the moment - love Desperate Housewives, Commander in Chief, Prison Break, House, Close to Home, usually Survivor (although current one is boring) Lost and The Apprentice.

Not much sports happening there :

Couldnt answer the poll because local TV isnt a complete write off!

professor_frink · 31 May 2006

Unless I'm mistaken prospector, aren't most of the fav shows on your list american?

edit:agree with you about abc and sbs though. When will the commercial networks show better local shows?

bvbfan · 31 May 2006

I only watch Neighbours and Home and Away and considering the production schedule the acting isn't too bad, shame the storylines aren't they greatest.

BB and some of the other crap is just well I won't say what I was going to say as I would offend.

The Mint Man · 31 May 2006

that 'Answered By Fire' on ABC the other night was good.

dreilly · 31 May 2006

apart from most of australian productions seems to be some sort of knock off of some formula that has worked in some other part of the world. What makes me cringe is that no matter what it is they are trying to copy just plain sucks real bad with sky high cheese factors.

Im sick of seeing the same old bad actors in "new" shows that are no different from the last piece of garbage that they were in.

If paytv didnt exist i would not watch any TV at all, cept for the occasional DVD.

Australian made cabletv productions seem to suffer the same problem. however their problem seems to be with the really ****ty casting of really bad presenters.

krisbarry · 31 May 2006

I personally think it is really sad that we are attacking our own people, and our own talent etc.

Given half the chance could any of you do any better?

No I very much doubt it!

Many of these actors/actress/costume designers/script writers/ stage hands/producers/directors etc have spent many hard years learning the ropes.

See the funny thing is that when you leave Australia, and travel overseas, you realize how much other countries love/crave our talent.

You only have to look at Neighbours, screened twice a day in the UK.

Now we are the first ones to knock our own talent, but just get over yourselves and your egos and look at what the rest of the world craves, and that is the simplistic aussie drama/tv soap/and a good old aussie yarn!

You have no idea how much the rest of the world wants to be where you are sitting right now!

Far out stop knocking your own!

krisbarry · 31 May 2006

Just for the record here are a few Australian TV shows and films I have loved, and are proud to be Australian:

Films:

One Perfect Day
Rabbit Proof Fence
Little Fish
Somersault
Look Both Ways
Swimming Upstream
Beneath Clouds

TV:

Secret Life of Us
Comedy Company
Full Frontal
Kath & Kim

Julia · 31 May 2006

professor_frink said:
maybe joe can add in another option later for me

"I still watch free to air tv because it's not all bad"

Or something like that

I think my summary of Australian TV would be pretty much as follows:

A few programmes are excellent, viz.

The 7.30 Report
Insight
Four Corners
Denton
Australian Story (sometimes)
Border Security
The Insiders

Also quite like some of the cooking and travel programmes.

Programmes to avoid:

A Current Affair
Today Tonight (or whatever it's called)
Any commercial channel news
Rove Live
All those shows where some unbelievably skilled bloke knocks up a house in
five minutes and makes it look really easy.

A couple of memorable and outstanding Oz films:

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Picnic at Hanging Rock

If you all get cranky about Australian locally made TV, just take a quick trip across the Tasman and spend a few nights looking at the Kiwi stuff. You will come back feeling very grateful for what we have here.

All up, though, I much prefer ABC Radio - far better entertainment all round.

Julia

Claudius · 31 May 2006

"Thank God You're Here" tonight on 10.

To quote Rove's well worn line, "What the...?"

Absolutely horrendous.

Why is it that nobody can do comedy in this country?

There are 20 million of us, you'd think there'd be at least one person who could write a joke.

How bad is locally made tv?