The Curious State of British Television

I’ve been busy on the Curious British Telly Substack this week. Normally, I don’t mess about with cross-promoting across my various platforms, but a couple of these pieces have turned out exactly as I hoped for. Here’s a quick guide to them. And please click through if you fancy a proper read:

1. We Need to Talk About the Decline of British TV

Television was once patient, calm and, most importantly, better. Or was it? Nostalgia can easily cloud our judgement, and this is never more evident than under YouTube clips of Little & Large. But the truth is that British TV isn't in decline. It's just a world away from what we grew up with.

2. What Modern British TV Is Missing

Yes, British television is now very different. The quality, however, remains. Nonetheless, there are certain elements that I miss. Each loss chips away at intimacy and delight. It's unlikely that they'll ever come back, but it's important we remember them and what they added to the viewing experience.

3. When Television Said Goodnight — And Meant It

Once, British television had a bedtime. Screens faded to black, announcers quietly sent us off to bed and programmes had breathing space to settle in your mind. Then we shifted to 24 hour broadcasting. The ritual of the closedown is no more, but we have much more convenience and choice. So, are we better off? Or did we need that full stop to the day?

The Books of Curious British Telly

Just a quick reminder, for those newly arrived at Curious British Telly, that there are two Curious British Telly books to be found on Amazon.

Both The Curiosities of British Children’s Television and More Curiosities of British Children’s Television rummage through the attic of children’s television. In particular, they focus on programmes that time has politely forgotten or that were barely written about in the first place.

This means, yes, there are chapters on not only Codename Icarus and Rowan’s Report but also that grand oddity which is Treasures of the Mindlord. Many sound so improbable you might assume they’re invented, yet every one of them genuinely flickered across British screens for the nation’s curious young eyes.

Best of all, I managed to track a surprising number of the people involved, so this means the books are peppered with first-hand insights from such luminaries as Derek Griffifths, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Bill Oddie and Joy Whitby. It lends the books a pleasing authority, and also demonstrates the strength of their memories for work they completed several decades ago.

I don’t plug the books very often these days, and it’s unlikely I’ll write any more, but do have a look and, if tempted, consider taking one home.