What are you NOT watching? -and why!

[Warp Coil]

I'm not really watching anything on broadcast television anymore. I ditched cable a year ago. The built-in tuner on my TV doesn't pick up a signal where I live and I haven't bothered to pay for a digital converter box or antennae to receive a signal. So when I turn on the TV, I just see lots of static. And that's fine with me.

I'm watching shows via DVD, netflix, and on rare occasion, Hulu. But it isn't much. I'm actually spending more time re-watching shows that I have already seen instead of watching new content. There's very little that interests me right now.

 

[Mary Ann]

I actually find my television viewing increasing in this last year, and finding more things of note to watch. Mind you, I pretty much restrict my viewing to BBC Four and More4 these days, with some notable exceptions.

I'm also listening to more and more radio recently. I was addicted to radio while at University.

My television viewing is also pretty much restricted to BBC Four and More4, as these two channels show the best documentaries. The good thing about hardly watching any telly is that I'm perfectly content with Freeview and have no cable or satellite fees.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

I actually find my television viewing increasing in this last year, and finding more things of note to watch. Mind you, I pretty much restrict my viewing to BBC Four and More4 these days, with some notable exceptions.

I'm also listening to more and more radio recently. I was addicted to radio while at University.

My television viewing is also pretty much restricted to BBC Four and More4, as these two channels show the best documentaries. The good thing about hardly watching any telly is that I'm perfectly content with Freeview and have no cable or satellite fees.

+1.

The only thing missing from my Freeview signal for some reason is Film4 - I don't think it'll come any time soon as our region completed its digital switch-over several months ago.

At weekends, when there's nothing much on during the day, I resort to the online catch-up services for programmes I want to watch.

 

[Jadzia]

I think you get a different selection of channels with FreeSat. I don't know but Film4 may be part of those.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

I think the variety of Freeview channels varies depending on where in the country you are. In one place we had Film4, ITV-3, ITV-4, Channel One, Dave, Yesterday, Five USA, Fiver, and the free music channels (what used to be The Hits and TMF) whereas in another place we had none of those on the Freeview signal.

 

[FordSVT]

^ Does BBT use a laugh track? I didn't know that. I'd like to look that up to be sure. I'm terribly disappointed if it is a laugh track. But i do love that show. SO very much!

It may be real, now that I've looked it up. Regardless, I find it leads to really silly pauses, and doesn't let the dialogue flow very well or have much snap to it. It's why I tend to prefer single-camera sitcoms, or shows where they play up the idea of there being an audience, like The Red Green Show.

Just out of curiosity, how do you feel about live stand up performances or plays? Do you feel having an audience is detrimental in those cases as well?

 

[Jadzia]

I think the variety of Freeview channels varies depending on where in the country you are. In one place we had Film4, ITV-3, ITV-4, Channel One, Dave, Yesterday, Five USA, Fiver, and the free music channels (what used to be The Hits and TMF) whereas in another place we had none of those on the Freeview signal.

Each channel is part of a multiplex, that is one signal containing several channels.

If each multiplex is broadcast from a separate antenna, it may be that you're getting a weak signal or interference on one of those multiplexes, so that block of channels is unavailable to you.

They do sometimes change the frequencies so you have to retune.


Multiplex 1 :: BBC1, BBC2, BBC3, CBBC, BBC News
Multiplex 2 :: ITV1, ITV2, Ch4, 4+1, More4, E4, Ch5, ITV1+1
Multiplex A :: ITV3, ITV2+1, QVC, Fiver, FiveUS, Quest, Challenge
Multiplex B :: BBC4, LazyTown, BBC Radio
Multiplex C :: Sky3, Sky3+1, Dave, Dave+1, E4+1, SkyNews
Multiplex D :: Yesterday, Film4, 4music, Viva, IdealWorld, ITV4, Create & Craft, Commercial Radio
Multiplex HD :: BBC HD Channels

It looks like you're missing multiplex A,C&D.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

I think the variety of Freeview channels varies depending on where in the country you are. In one place we had Film4, ITV-3, ITV-4, Channel One, Dave, Yesterday, Five USA, Fiver, and the free music channels (what used to be The Hits and TMF) whereas in another place we had none of those on the Freeview signal.

Each channel is part of a multiplex, that is one signal containing several channels.

If each multiplex is broadcast from a separate antenna, it may be that you're getting a weak signal or interference on one of those multiplexes, so that block of channels is unavailable to you.

They do sometimes change the frequencies so you have to retune.


Multiplex 1 :: BBC1, BBC2, BBC3, CBBC, BBC News
Multiplex 2 :: ITV1, ITV2, Ch4, 4+1, More4, E4, Ch5, ITV1+1
Multiplex A :: ITV3, ITV2+1, QVC, Fiver, FiveUS, Quest, Challenge
Multiplex B :: BBC4, LazyTown, BBC Radio
Multiplex C :: Sky3, Sky3+1, Dave, Dave+1, E4+1, SkyNews
Multiplex D :: Yesterday, Film4, 4music, Viva, IdealWorld, ITV4, Create & Craft, Commercial Radio
Multiplex HD :: BBC HD Channels

It looks like you're missing multiplex A,C&D.

That's useful to know. Thanks.

 

[FPAlpha]

Casting shows

I hate them with a passion because they are exploiting the people. Granted, everybody applies out of their own free will to become famous but being verbally abused, make it through weeks of intense competition only to have to sign a near slavery type of contract and then be forgotten a year or two after the show.. it's just wrong


Crime shows, especially the CSI themed ones (and the knock off)

I just can't bring up enough interest to watch these.. 45 minutes of looking for clues of who did it and some action in the last 5-10 minutes to catch the person.. yawn


House M.D

I love Hugh Laurie and i love the character if only the show weren't so damn repetitive.. it's like they took a basic concept (mysterious illness, everyone is guessing for 35 minutes and House has an epiphany near the end and solves everything) and do it every epísode.



Any celebrity show

Dancing with.., a german show where they dump c-list "stars" in a jungle and have them do very disgusting games etc
Who cares for these celebrieties who need some kind of PR boost for whatever reason.

 

[Canadave]

^ Does BBT use a laugh track? I didn't know that. I'd like to look that up to be sure. I'm terribly disappointed if it is a laugh track. But i do love that show. SO very much!

It may be real, now that I've looked it up. Regardless, I find it leads to really silly pauses, and doesn't let the dialogue flow very well or have much snap to it. It's why I tend to prefer single-camera sitcoms, or shows where they play up the idea of there being an audience, like The Red Green Show.

Just out of curiosity, how do you feel about live stand up performances or plays? Do you feel having an audience is detrimental in those cases as well?

It doesn't bother me in that case, because in those cases, the performers act aware-of, and often acknowledge or speak to the audience (moreso in the case of stand-up, obviously). Whereas with sitcoms that are filmed live or use a laugh track, it feels like the actors are doing their best to pretend there is no audience; more like we're just hearing a bunch of people reacting to something they just happen to be watching. I find it really, really awkward, and it often pulls me out of shows I do actually find funny (Seinfield is a good example).

So for a show that I find borderline in it's humour, like BBT, it's enough to totally kill my interest.

 

[FPAlpha]

I have developed a sort of laugh track filter.. i barely notice it anymore and had to start up an episode of BBT now to see if it's true and it is!

So after decades of US sitcoms i don't notice it anymore but i agree.. it's a silly thing from the early ages of TV and should be abandoned.

 

[Holdfast]

I have developed a sort of laugh track filter.. i barely notice it anymore and had to start up an episode of BBT now to see if it's true and it is!

So after decades of US sitcoms i don't notice it anymore but i agree.. it's a silly thing from the early ages of TV and should be abandoned.

I've never seen the problem with a laugh track. I mean, if the show is funny, it augments natural laughter neatly and adds a nice background ambience. If it's not funny, you won't care whether there's a laugh track or not, since you won't be watching it. Sure, if it's insanely loud, that would be a problem, but I've only really heard that on a small handful of shows, not the norm. Traditional sitcoms mesh well with a good laugh track; obviously more drama-comedies or non-studio comedies can have a different tone to the production that wouldn't mesh with a track.

 

[Jadzia]

I've never seen the problem with a laugh track. I mean, if the show is funny, it augments natural laughter neatly and adds a nice background ambience. If it's not funny, you won't care whether there's a laugh track or not, since you won't be watching it. Sure, if it's insanely loud, that would be a problem, but I've only really heard that on a small handful of shows, not the norm.

I have mixed feelings about canned laughter. In some programmes it adds a good mood. But if it stands out, grabbing attention, then it's bad.

Mr Bean had this problem. The performance was mostly mute with the odd bit of incidental music. Most of the sound was from canned laughter, which stood out and spoiled the humour. Laurel and Hardy was a similar concept, had no canned laughter at all, and is still very funny. That proves it's not necessary.

Another problem is if it's disproportionate to the level of comedy. If the audience is keeling over with every gesture, that's going to stand out in a bad way.

A third problem is how sharp it is introduced and faded out. Real audiences have slower build ups. One or two people in the audience will be loud and they will infect others with laughter in a steady cascade, building up volume and fading down naturally. Loose Women suffers from this, as it's canned laughter sounds far too sharp and artificial.

 

[Holdfast]

I wouldn't really disagree with any of the above; a lot of what you're saying is about the quality of execution of a laugh track, rather than its absolute presence or absence. I'd suggest that if the laugh track is treated as a component of the overall production and used with shows that suit it (rather than something just tacked on carelessly to any and every comedy), then it can actually enhance the humour.

 

[RJDiogenes]

I remember when the final episode of M*A*S*H aired, a lot of people were vaguely disappointed but couldn't articulate why. I think it was because the episode did not have a laugh track, but was filmed as if it did.

 

[Owain Taggart]

There's a candid camera style show here, only dialogue isn't actually heard and the gags are shown while music plays, and there's a laugh track, which in my opinion detracts from the nature of the show and makes it unfunny. It's as if it points at itself and says, "Laugh, damnit, laugh! I'm funny!"

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

I don't watch anything on TV because I don't have cable and don't really miss it, either.