One type of programme we did not have in the 70's was the sneering, right-on retro-documentary. Adrianapolis, Prismark 10, and BJManchester's comments are spot on. So British television was different forty years ago. So what? The commentators did not know what they were talking about, and many excerpts were shown out of context. For instance, 'Butterflies' with Wendy Craig. When she said she wanted to be raped, she did not mean it literally. The show was about a woman trapped in a boring marriage. When she said it, she was only articulating her frustration. Anyone who has seen the entire programme will tell you that she instantly regretted saying the words the moment they left her mouth. The 'Doctor At Large' clip was equally misrepresented. 'Dr.Upton' did not lust after schoolgirls. He regarded them as nuisances. 'Dr.Collier' did though, but he was in his early twenties, not much older than the girls were.
Beauty contests were considered naff viewing back in the day. Holding them up as an example of 'bad 70's T.V.' really does not wash.
In an ideal world, casual racism, sexism and homophobia would not exist. They do, alas. These days, you're more likely to find them on the internet than television. How many people have committed suicide as a result of cyber bullying? Yet social networking sites continue to thrive. Television has a duty to report what happens in the real world, no many matter how unpleasant it may be. Bravo to 70's T.V. for doing just that. If television companies are 'putting more thought' into their programmes, why the hell are many of them so bad? The 'f' word was never used on 70's T.V. When the late Jade Goody insulted Shilpa Shetty on 'Celebrity Big Brother', it was more offensive than anything screened in the 70's, so no sanctimony please, Channel 4.
Recently, the B.B.C. have screened one-off remakes of some of its best-loved comedy shows, and these were generally welcomed. It seems odd to condemn 70's audiences for laughing at mention of Mrs.Slocombe's pussy when 2016 audiences have been doing exactly the same thing.
There is a great deal of snobbery about the 70's in general, and in my view it is just plain wrong. Instead of making programmes like this, it might be a good idea to work out just what went wrong with British television back in the 90's, and try to put it right.
My response to 'It Was Alright In The 70's? To quote the much-missed Sid James: "Knickers!".
Beauty contests were considered naff viewing back in the day. Holding them up as an example of 'bad 70's T.V.' really does not wash.
In an ideal world, casual racism, sexism and homophobia would not exist. They do, alas. These days, you're more likely to find them on the internet than television. How many people have committed suicide as a result of cyber bullying? Yet social networking sites continue to thrive. Television has a duty to report what happens in the real world, no many matter how unpleasant it may be. Bravo to 70's T.V. for doing just that. If television companies are 'putting more thought' into their programmes, why the hell are many of them so bad? The 'f' word was never used on 70's T.V. When the late Jade Goody insulted Shilpa Shetty on 'Celebrity Big Brother', it was more offensive than anything screened in the 70's, so no sanctimony please, Channel 4.
Recently, the B.B.C. have screened one-off remakes of some of its best-loved comedy shows, and these were generally welcomed. It seems odd to condemn 70's audiences for laughing at mention of Mrs.Slocombe's pussy when 2016 audiences have been doing exactly the same thing.
There is a great deal of snobbery about the 70's in general, and in my view it is just plain wrong. Instead of making programmes like this, it might be a good idea to work out just what went wrong with British television back in the 90's, and try to put it right.
My response to 'It Was Alright In The 70's? To quote the much-missed Sid James: "Knickers!".