Marc's X7, C3 Aircross, Rants, Raves & Everything Else

[GiveMeABreak]

That'll be me over analysing it and missed the obvious one then

Don't think I'd be any good on a Lancaster bomber!

[mickthemaverick]

That would depend on which seat you were in!!

[GiveMeABreak]

Bomb bay doors knowing my luck - with the knackered parachute.

[myglaren]

What are the comparative rates for the commercial stations though?
I do agree that those salaries are unwarranted for disseminating trivia, like all the sports 'personalities'.

[GiveMeABreak]

It's the same for sporting events - they pay millions and millions for TV rights, to pay the players hundreds of thousands a week in salaries whilst all we get is reruns of Gilligan's Island. Money squandered - If you want all that then get Sky or BT sports and subscribe.

The only thing I do watch is the Tennis and the Rugby - for how much longer though I don't know...

[Hell Razor5543]

Bomb bay doors knowing my luck - with the knackered parachute.

This comment reminded me of a joke, which I have now posted.

[mickthemaverick]

I expect I'll regret joining in on this particular discussion as I have a different view. I use my television as a pair of ultra long range binoculars allowing me to watch things that are real and actually happening rather than as a home entertainment unit. Thus I watch a hell of a lot of live sport, mainly on Sky and BT but this evening I have BBC2 on with the world athletics championships when I could have chosen to watch a live football match on BT. As such I am quite happy to pay £32 a month for a huge range of live action which I simply could not get to to watch at the events. If I could get there I certainly couldn't afford the total admission costs it would involve with premiership football games costing anything from £30 to £85 per match and on average I watch 4 or 5 a week making 20 ish for my £32 plus all the F1 practice, qualifying and races, darts, snooker, cricket, golf and other less common events like sailing and skiing. For my BBC license fee of £12.50ish a month I get Wimbledon, the athletics, the news and various political specials like election coverage, conference speeches and parliamentary proceedings when shown. I consider that to be good value in every direction and have no complaint about the license fee at all. However I do agree that the varying salaries in both sport and TV are out of kilter with real life and perhaps would benefit from some sort of realistic appraisal and equalisation with regard to actual skills/responsibilities involved in each area!!

[Hell Razor5543]

Sometimes having a big name celebrity front a program can bring in a lot more viewers than would otherwise happen (and, if the program is any good, keep them and attract more). I do know that Bruce Willis used his persona to get up and coming film workers noticed. He would star in a major film (such as a "Die Hard" film), followed by a no name with people he felt were talented but not noticed (The Sixth Sense, Twelve Monkeys, The Fifth Element come to mind). He also got other known actors to help him by acting in such films.

[Michel]

I expect I'll regret joining in on this particular discussion as I have a different view. I use my television as a pair of ultra long range binoculars allowing me to watch things that are real and actually happening rather than as a home entertainment unit. Thus I watch a hell of a lot of live sport, mainly on Sky and BT but this evening I have BBC2 on with the world athletics championships when I could have chosen to watch a live football match on BT. As such I am quite happy to pay £32 a month for a huge range of live action which I simply could not get to to watch at the events. If I could get there I certainly couldn't afford the total admission costs it would involve with premiership football games costing anything from £30 to £85 per match and on average I watch 4 or 5 a week making 20 ish for my £32 plus all the F1 practice, qualifying and races, darts, snooker, cricket, golf and other less common events like sailing and skiing. For my BBC license fee of £12.50ish a month I get Wimbledon, the athletics, the news and various political specials like election coverage, conference speeches and parliamentary proceedings when shown. I consider that to be good value in every direction and have no complaint about the license fee at all. However I do agree that the varying salaries in both sport and TV are out of kilter with real life and perhaps would benefit from some sort of realistic appraisal and equalisation with regard to actual skills/responsibilities involved in each area!!

I agree 100%. You also get BBC Radio don't forget. The licence fee is *very* good value in reality.

Yes. The top presenters and actors on the Beeb earn good money. However, those that complain about this must be careful what they wish for.. the presenters are nearly all very good. There's no ads. This creates decent programming in the main. Want to scrap the licence fee? It'll degenerate badly, the presenters will all bugger off to earn more money than they do now and we will be stuck with something like Fox and Fox news.

[Michel]

Sometimes having a big name celebrity front a program can bring in a lot more viewers than would otherwise happen (and, if the program is any good, keep them and attract more).

Exactly. Gary Lineker on MOTD - people diss him as "just an ex footballer". He's actually a very good presenter, and a bright bloke. I'm sure he could earn much more at Sky - the quality of their sports presenters is dire in comparison to the Beeb, apart from Martin Brundle and Ted Kravitz on the F1 channel.

[Hell Razor5543]

I can recall two programmes where Jeremy Clarkson presented the subject matter. The first one was a series about (if my memory is correct) the top ten Great Britons, and he was championing Isembard Kingdon Brunel, and the second programme was about the Victoria Cross (and the people who earned them). In both occasions the programmes were about the subject matter which happened to be presented by JC, and were not JC presenting his case for IKB or talking about the VC (he was a presenter doing his job, clearly explaining the subject matter, without himself becoming the focus of the programme).

[myglaren]

I can recall two programmes where Jeremy Clarkson presented the subject matter. The first one was a series about (if my memory is correct) the top ten Great Britons, and he was championing Isembard Kingdon Brunel, and the second programme was about the Victoria Cross (and the people who earned them). In both occasions the programmes were about the subject matter which happened to be presented by JC, and were not JC presenting his case for IKB or talking about the VC (he was a presenter doing his job, clearly explaining the subject matter, without himself becoming the focus of the programme).

The series he did in Europe was quite good, although I think I only saw a couple of them, one in France.
But the really excellent one was about the arctic convoys - that was superb.

I don't care for TV 'personalities' in general but Jacob Bronowski was a huge exception with his The Ascent Of Man series

[Paul-R]

Sometimes having a big name celebrity front a program can bring in a lot more viewers than would otherwise happen...

And it can work in reverse where I actively avoid any programme with certain people in it.

... Jeremy Clarkson...

Case in point. Anything and everything featuring him is tainted and to be avoided as far as I am concerned.

The other two presenters are also problematic. I recall a programme with Richard Hammond crowbarred in as presenter where he was explaining science stuff. Terrible. I actually enjoyed James May as the Reassembler. It showed that actually had some nous with engineering and the like.

[Hell Razor5543]

I do not disagree with the fact that some 'celebrities' are a turn off (there are a few I actively avoid), there are others I can take or leave (Jeremy Clarkson falls into this group; he can be over opiniated, but when he is presenting something actually meaningful he reins in his opinion and lets the subject matter shine through), and there are some people I would (if they were presenting something) make sure to watch.

[myglaren]

Agreed, I was impressed with Clarkson when he wasn't being a dick.