What is the official currency of the USA?

This is about the dumbing down of UK television.I first started seeing it on Sky, but it’s been creeping on othe channels, even the good old BBC.

The first thing I noticed, was the practice of interrupting the credits at the end of a program with a trailer for the next program. I was  watching a very moving drama, with a very poignant ending. The closing music was stunning and thought provoking. Except the bastards interrupted the music with some inane drivel about ‘coming up next on Sky 1’.

I know why they do it. They don’t want you channel hopping, so they try to keep you interested in what’s coming next. One can understand commercial TV stations doing it, but when the BBC started doing it, it was the thin end of the wedge.

Another complaint is introduction of sponsorship of TV programs. It’s been going on in the US for years – it’s sad to see it her in the UK. Coronation Street, (ITV1) sponsored by Cadburys – what’s the connection there then? Grand Designs (Ch4), sponsored by B&Q – there’s a bit of logic there. Vampire Diaries (ITV2), sponsored by Mentos is quite amusing and apt (Series 1, anyway). And you can’t help wonder about the irony of The Biggest Loser (ITV1), a weigh loss game show being sponsored by Subway, a fast food company.

The title of this missive is taken from an example of the “quiz” at the end of some programs on Channel 5. This one is was from The Mentalist tonight (but has been used on other shows too.) CSI is the worst though. The quiz question is so stupidly simple, something any viewer will know if they had been watching the last 5 minutes of the program. It’s all a means of getting thousands of stupid viewers to call an 0900 number and make pots of money for Channel 5.

Come on, TV execs. Show us viewers some respect. We are intelligent people. Y ou want us to watch your programs. Don’t drive us away by providing a shoddy product.