I have absolutely no objection to Hugh Laurie or anyone else doing exactly what they want to do as long as, it doesn't frighten the sheep.

One of the greatest bits of programming about the blues that I ever saw was very many years ago, when BBC2 dedicated almost a whole evening to the music. It was called "Blues Night" and lasted, if I remember correctly, about 6 hours. It was hosted by John Walters and BB King and showed the most wonderful films of people like Lightning Hopkins, Leadbelly, etc., plus a great film about Chicago in the 1960s, a film of Broonzy playing in a Parisian cellar, Studs Terkel chatting with a blues pianist in a bar, Eubie Blake - and many others.

What was very interesting was that John Walters was trying to make the point that white people couldn't sing blues like black people, quoting Elvis as an example - and BB King immediately contradicted him, saying Elvis was a real blues singer. Great stuff!

Now - that was programming!