You posh types with BBC4 - talk about the Alan Clark diaries here

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*grumble grumble this would be on proper telly in the old days*

Has it even been on yet? I don't know. Is it any good?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 19 January 2004 16:44 (twenty-two years ago)

It has been on - started this week. I totally forgot about it. It just got the highest rating for any digital show ever I think...so I imagine a transfer to terrestrial won't be too far away.

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 19 January 2004 16:47 (twenty-two years ago)

they are broadcasting a prog abt prog one of these days.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Monday, 19 January 2004 16:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I grumbled about not being able to watch this. Then thought: do people who pay their licence fee but don't own radios/can't get radio reception complain about paying for BBC radio output?

― Archel (Archel), Monday, 19 January 2004 16:54 (twenty-two years ago)

I grumble about repeats of Keeping Up Appearances being shown on BBC1 when there is loads of new stuff being shown on channels that no one watches.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 19 January 2004 16:55 (twenty-two years ago)

do people who pay their licence fee but don't own radios/can't get radio reception complain about paying for BBC radio output?

Um? These are hypothetical people, or moles, right? Everyone can get radio reception, and there are about 3 radios to each human in the UK.

― Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 19 January 2004 16:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Total thread-hijack stupid question:

If you have a radio in your car but not a TV in your house, do you have to buy a TV licence? (this doesn't apply to me, I just wondered)

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:01 (twenty-two years ago)

You don't need a licence for a radio. It was abolished many years ago.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Thanks. Anyway, the Alan Clark diaries. Has anyone actually read them, or is it just the idea of an easy dramatisation to watch that is fuelling the interest here?

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Genuine letter printed in the Evening Times on Saturday:

Not again

HOW can the BBC justify wanting an increase in the licence fee? All that is ever on are repeats.
R**** J****
via email

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:05 (twenty-two years ago)

if you have no computers/internet access though you may be miffed about all the stuff that's on BBCi that you've paid for. Of course everyone reading this now has.. got.. internet access.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:07 (twenty-two years ago)

I haven't! This is all being relayed to me by the medium of dance.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Can I stop doing this 'u r all gay' step now, please?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Only if you're ready to do do do the funky cockfarmer.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:11 (twenty-two years ago)

I resent BBC4 in that not owning an outside arial ( I rent ) I can't catch it. Does seem wrong. Also it's a ghetto in a bad way, because it distorts what it *does* show into this horrible cosy world of snobbery (cf Richard Eyre in the Guardian last Saturday, prime example thereof) and awful columnists barking up all the wrong trees. Up against regular TV it'd have to check itself.

― Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Landlords who won't invest a poxy £60 in installing a rooftop aerial should be railed against weakly.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Everyone can get radio reception, and there are about 3 radios to each human in the UK.

I have lived in many basements where you can't get radio reception. But I suppose I did mean hypothetical people. It was just that I realised that to watch digital channels you're paying for the equipment rather than programming, so I shouldn't moan about public service broadcasting and my license fee etc.

I don't understand about not owning an aerial.

― Archel (Archel), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I didn't watch it as brand new ER was on E4.

― leigh (leigh), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:17 (twenty-two years ago)

I saw it, it was quite funny, I guess. You can a digital box in Woolies for sixty quid.

― jel -- (jel), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh wait you have like a portable TV. Sorry.

― Archel (Archel), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Landlords who won't invest a poxy £60 in installing a rooftop aerial should be railed against weakly.

That's after he's installed a shower, damp-proofed, fixed the leaky washer, of course...

― Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:19 (twenty-two years ago)

our NTL box was knackered when the first ep was on, but I may well watch the second, mind you Jonnie didn't seem too impressed with it.

― chris (chris), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:20 (twenty-two years ago)

I must test and see if the digital box works on a portable TV.

― jel -- (jel), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:21 (twenty-two years ago)

If it relies on an outside aerial then how is 'digital'?

*puny brane can't understand the science to be fair*

― Archel (Archel), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:23 (twenty-two years ago)

No I have a fuck-off big widescreen beast. But no outside arial because I live in a boatyard. I dunno the ins and outs of how 'digital' comes thru an arial, but it does.

― Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:25 (twenty-two years ago)

TV should come first, Enrique! Rabbit ears are all right for analogue TV if you're in a good reception area and only watching on a portable, but otherwise they drive me nuts.

I can't get AM radio in my office, which is very annoying at weekends when I want to listen to the football. I'm not underground, but our whole building emits some kind of probably brain tumour inducing interference that completely drowns out the signal. I get the same thing on my radio walkman when I pass the dental school. Hmm...

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:25 (twenty-two years ago)

The outside aerial receives a digital signal rather than an analogue signal. I don't have an outside aerial but i do have cable, it's nice to have a crystal clear picture after having to make do with a crappy inside aerial for so long.

― leigh (leigh), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Archel - in the same way that modern mobile phones, or bluetooth, or wi-fi can be. (ie. I don't know exactly but some zeros and ones are broadcast on a particular frequency or sommat)

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Thx that helps.

― Archel (Archel), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:27 (twenty-two years ago)

oh, the clear picture is my one complaint about digital, and DVDs for that matter. It's too much, I like a bit of analogue grime, same goes for music.

― jel -- (jel), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:28 (twenty-two years ago)

My indoor arial works fine for terrestrial as it goes (i have very poor eyesight). But apparently it wdn't work for digital.

― Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:28 (twenty-two years ago)

I can't even get channel fucking five down here. Damn Frenchies and their interference. Nor the BBC digital radio stations apparently, but of course that's what the internet at work is for.

― Archel (Archel), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Because of the compression ratios used, the picture on digital is actually worse than it is on analogue with a decent aerial, jel.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I guess it's all subjective :)

― jel -- (jel), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:33 (twenty-two years ago)

oh, the clear picture is my one complaint about digital, and DVDs for that matter. It's too much, I like a bit of analogue grime, same goes for music.

TS: (CD vs Vinyl) VS (Analogue TV vs Digital TV)

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Monday, 19 January 2004 20:40 (twenty-two years ago)

i saw the first ep last night, we taped it as i was karaoking at the time. it's OK, although it starts with him becoming a minister (no idea how far the book goes back), lots of nice "yes, ministerish" type touches and hurt does a v good job. lots more maggie from next week i think.

PROG PROG (ie programme about progressive rock) on in 5 mins!!

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Monday, 19 January 2004 21:53 (twenty-two years ago)

The prog rock prog was horrid, the music was much worse than i feared.

― leigh (leigh), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 11:29 (twenty-two years ago)

leigh- but it had radiohead in it!!!

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 17:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I caught John Hurt on BBC2’s The Daily Politics. He said that BBC4 couldn’t afford to finance the show themselves and so had to accept help from BBC2, and therefore, and I quote, “It will be shown on BBC2 in… May, I think.”

― Charles Hatcher, Wednesday, 21 January 2004 13:52 (twenty-two years ago)

the prog rock prog was rub because of too much maconie...

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 14:23 (twenty-two years ago)

he only said a couple of things carsmille, which is a change from all those 'I love...' type progs where they really overuse him.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 14:26 (twenty-two years ago)

I can pick up a digital signal with a coathanger, so as long as you have okayish reception is shouldn't matter.

Not seen it yet, BBC4 is grebt though. Take Care Of My Cat was on last week, and The Man Without A Past is on this weekend (along with umpteenth Belleville Rendezvous repeat).

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 14:32 (twenty-two years ago)

they've got their "world film awards" as well.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/cinema/film_award/vote/index_shortlist.shtml

is amerikey not in the "world" then?

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 14:37 (twenty-two years ago)

BBC 4 can be OK but much of it puts me off. They screen lots of good movies and had a doc on harry partch, loved the footage.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 14:40 (twenty-two years ago)

they've got their "world film awards" as well.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/cinema/film_award/vote/index_shortlist.shtml

is amerikey not in the "world" then?

Boo-yah. I nommed fer this, despite not having BBC4. None of my choices made it. World cinema!= world music in that it includes Yerp and Asia.

― Enrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 14:43 (twenty-two years ago)

The prog rock programme was rub b/c I didn't present it haha.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 14:44 (twenty-two years ago)

I think in general world = subtitled.

What did you nominate for it? (Springtime In A Small Town?) I thought it was a nice if obv shortlist, though as mentioned above I think I would have added Take Care Of My Cat/ Broken Wings/ Sympathy For Mr Vengance.

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 14:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Can't remember, but yes 'Springtime,' 'The Son,' 'Crimson Gold,' erm, jeez... forgotten. But 'City of God' would have made it anyway, so not that. As with all end-of-year things (this was November) the long long list didn't include 'Ver Trilogy' which I didn't see till mid-Dec anyway. These things are always a bit silly.

― Enrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 14:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, lists are stupid. Wait with baited breath for my top 40 of 2003 and even better the Freaky Trigger poll of the Top 100 films of ALL TIME. Coming soon...

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 15:02 (twenty-two years ago)

The ALL TIME one sounds fun, I love reading lists of course. But 'of the year' is a bit meh. Forty is like loadz. Doubt I even saw that many new ones.

Although. Slavoj Zizek put Delmer Daves' '3.10 to Yuma' in his best EVAH list in S&S and BBC2 (or maybe C4) are helpfully showing it next week, one afternoon.

Late night BBC1 often shows old shit DTV US rubbish that no-one sees. WHY DON'T THEY PLAY BACK TO BACK MARLENE DIETRICH FILMS???

btw I gave up smoking on Saturday night. HENCE THE CAPS!!!

― Enrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 15:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, the year one will be meh, but I like doing it(I saw 160 new films last year so happy to perm). The all time one is, how you say, very idiosyncratic, possibly due to the methodology used.

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 15:10 (twenty-two years ago)

160!! Crikey. I'm very impressed. More than 3 a week. I definitely see more'n 3 films a week (well, maybe not, these days), but not new ones. I.e. can't even find the will to see 'Gerl Perl'.

― Enrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 15:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I heart trash. I see a few oldies around that as well, nice to see Tokyo Story again last week.

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 15:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Enrique you will love the 100 Best Films Of All Time As Voted For By Freakytrigger Mentalists.

Pete, when is the list going to be up for public consumption?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 15:20 (twenty-two years ago)

pete: where is tokyo story playing at? NFT?

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 15:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I heart my 'projects,' which at the moment are Powell/Pressburger and Renoir. Some of these are perfectly trashy (P/P's 'The Spy in Black'). I like some trash, more than the BBC4 schedule in truth (it's a bit cozy, but I want it anyway).

I'm psyched about this list! I didn't get 'Tokyo Story' mind.

― Enrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 15:22 (twenty-two years ago)

It will be going up in blog form (one or two a day) starting soon, possibly with contributions from voters. It might get its own Popular style blog.

Julio Tokyo Story is on as the NFT regular and The Other Cinema too.

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 15:27 (twenty-two years ago)

thanks.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 15:35 (twenty-two years ago)

enrique, the 100 best films ever is really not worth getting excited about.

it was compiled using the ewing method (see NYLPM somewhere, can't find the link)

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 15:55 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.freakytrigger.co.uk/nylpm/2003_11_01_nylpm_archive.html#106969131175524184

except replace "album" with "film" and "staff" with "20 mentalists that have been in the pub since 3pm"

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 15:56 (twenty-two years ago)

That sounds better than the S&S method (=ask a completely random selection of critics and some undie film-makers) since there is, I hope, the possibility that 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' might appear.

― Enriquee (Enrique), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 15:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Or, indeed, Nuns on the Run.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 15:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Tarantion chose 'Dazed & Confuzed' *and* 'Where Eagles Dare' for his S&S top ten -- so I'm repping him 4evah.

― Enrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 16:02 (twenty-two years ago)

'posh' types ? u realise that the basic cable tv package is four pounds a week ? that's the price of a cd single !!

― piscesboy, Wednesday, 21 January 2004 18:38 (twenty-two years ago)

It's not about money, darling. BBC4 is mostly associated with the Freeview classes who wouldn't want a satellite dish on their grade I listed house, probably live outside cable areas and only want a few extra arts documentaries.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 22:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I watched this last night, it was fantastically funny, and let me do my John Hurt impression all the way through, much to Vicky's annoyance.

― chris (chris), Friday, 23 January 2004 10:05 (twenty-two years ago)

My telly has a digital receive innit.

Watched. Larfed. Jenny Agutter needs more action though. Odd seeing Julia Davis pop up, I ph34red her turning into Nighty night Jill, but was equally dry and funny. The timing ofn the "There'll have to be a reshuffle" after the Brighton Bomb was classic.

― Pete (Pete), Friday, 23 January 2004 10:11 (twenty-two years ago)

yes, that was great.

― chris (chris), Friday, 23 January 2004 10:24 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm trying to remember how he stopped being MP for plymouth and became Ken&Chel (NO SPOILERS PLZ ;))

was the first ep longer than last night's or am i going funny?

still enjoying it, althoguh the maudlin bit in the middle ws a bit meh...

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Friday, 23 January 2004 11:16 (twenty-two years ago)

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