I must be watching a different national tele' or summat? Have terrestial + Freeview .. there are excellent documentaries on e.g. Dick Gaughan?? ; watched (ITV) LOTR .. for free and handy tea breaks every 20 mins or so, BB2 new David Attenborough insect docu .. if you like that sort of thing .. BBC1 Bleak House is superb.. (but, Rome's script is rubbish, even if the set and screening is fab)... BBC4 "The Lost World of Mitchell and Kenyon" (archive cinematic footage from 1890s) ... Channel 4: Ian Hislop's new documentary about WW1, brilliant, poignant and timely .. The Culture Show .. University Challenge, Making Slough Happy ... Alan Yentob's Arts prog about Elgar .. African Queen is on tomorrow (not seen this yet).. Louis Malle's "Le Feu Follet" .. even light relief with "QI" and the Late Show with Marcus Brigstocke (brilliant handling a few months ago of the rabid Stephen Green)... Dr WHO is back soon too.. and Gervase on this evening?

For less than three quid a week, I think that's excellent!!

TV WAS going depressingly downhill up until a year ago, but with Charter renewal the BBC have had to pull their socks up .. ITV have realised that drama is where it's at, ditto Channel 4 have realised that it's pointless scheduling "yoof" programes for hip, young, things - they're out at clubs, and it's us older and somewhat more discerning viewers who actually watch TV! Even Channel 5 is getting in on the "culture" act... the broadcasters are picking up on national trends for more people visiting the cinema, theatre, wanting "cultural holidays", reading (or at least buying) more books, etc - and generally being more demanding of and for culture. (These are all verifiable statistics btw)

Get a life? No, get a "Radio Times"!!

(And then you can plan in the digital BBC radio stations through Freevieew and do the ironing at the same time...)