TV over Christmas and January

Posted by: Rainbow

22nd Jan 2013 02:36pm

Did you know that over Xmas and in January, the TV networks stop measuring how many people watch their shows? So you might have noticed that the type of programs that are on change from the usual ones during this time, until they start measuring ratings again in February. During this holiday time programing, what did you think of the quality of TV content? Did you even care what was showing as you were on holiday? Or did you use this time to relax in front of the 'box' and flick between channels? Perhaps it was convenient for you to keep your kids entertained? Maybe you have Pay TV and didn't even watch the 'mainstream' channels? Did you find it 'Christmassy' enough or do you think the networks just don't bother with that these days?

iain_lmta

23rd Jan 2013 07:17am

Well, I read the first two of the eleven pages of comments with mixed feelings. Maybe we should accept what we get and deal with it.

(1) My two needs from TV are information and entertainment.
There's plenty of quality news on many channels for all levels of intellect. I prefer ABC and SBS sources. There are offerings from around the region and the world including several hours per day of the excellent Aljazeera News.
There's also new and old educative programs: "Big Ideas", "One on One", etc. I also got to see a run of new documentaries at prime time after the visiting grandkids were in bed.
There were several new movie offerings (and good repeat movies) on many free-to-air channels. My wife and I caught two movies per week from mid-December to now.
First run drama was nigh on impossible to find ... not unusual considering that so many people are enjoying summer holidays. As usual, a couple of gems arrived on ABC.
I also got to watch six weeks of Darran Brown's social experiments on SBS and they were excellent. I learned so much about how we interpret via our senses.
For those who care for sports, there was new tennis and pyjama cricket. A couple of test matches occurred in the summer break too. Three London Premier League clubs have nine hours of real football on ONE-HD every week.

(2) Like most Aussies, I can't justify the huge investment in Pay-TV. I don't have a budget of $2-$3 per day nor the time to manage watching it to get value from my $$$. I would like to see some newer ex-cinema movies and some extra documentaries but I really lead too full a life to go that path.

(3) It costs a lot to make quality TV and we are a small market. We spend about $550k to make an hour of Australian drama. In the USA it's between $2.5 and $4.2 million. We give good bang for our buck.

(4) I'd rather spend time talking with my grandkids over summer. I like to pass on some old pastimes and home entertainment.
We play cards and board games. We read in the shade on hottest days. We play outdoor games and go to the local indoor pool. We cook together.
TV has a place but the personal touch says more.

(5) If you don't like what you are getting, interact with the TV stations. Write letters or emails. Mention positives and negatives on their social media pages. Be blunt with the commercial channels. Tell them you will not buy what they advertise if they dish up poor viewing.

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