By Andy Simon @AndySimon55

Critics. Do we really need them?

Some would say they are a necessary evil, some would argue they are a total waste of time. Some have even gone so far as to call them "utter B**tards."

Personally speaking; I can take them all with a pinch of salt.

But love them or hate them, you have to admit the world would be rather dull and boring, without them.

Besides; reading reviews from various TV critics who have painstakingly and some would say, ruthlessly and even sadistically, dissected a TV programme be it a talent show, drama, soap opera or documentary, has for me at least, been more often than not, a rather enjoyable pastime.

I have often thought; particularly when watching shows like X Factor, or a dull, slow moving drama like Poldark, or a documentary that was a bit boring or even worse, a TV Soap, "Crikey that was rubbish', or "Wow, that was brilliant".

Then you come across a write-up of the very programme you were watching only the night before, written by one of those many well known and at times, frustratingly irritating TV Critics, and you've thought to yourself, "Yeah; my thoughts exactly", "I agree totally", or "What? Are you kidding? I thought it was great!."

What planet are you living on!?

And if like me you think, "I could have written something better than that", and you then go and do precisely this, posting your work on Facebook, or Twitter, then wait for all the feedback.

And nothing happens. Why is this?
Well; there's probably a few reasons.

Firstly; if you are like me, a P.P.P. (Poor Pointless Peasant) you probably may not have the big audience needed to throw your TV opinions at. Secondly; your blog, facebook or Twitter page may not be as popular as you would wish it to be, and therefore probably for now; not the best platform on earth to launch your amateur TV critic career from. Which can be frustrating.

So what's to do?

There are of course; plenty of online TV forums, chatrooms etc you could join but unfortunately, these can lead to getting abuse from a variety of small minded individuals who have no business being there in the first place, and who hide behind their aliases or weird looking avatars, posting to you un-repeatable comments that would even make the likes of Peter Kaye blush.

And as frustrating as this is, you're driven by your desire to make your voice heard, and persevere with your search to find something or someone like-minded or big enough to meet your needs.

Then; by sheer coincidence, you read a news story about well known journalist and TV critic Kevin O'Sullivan who (according to the Guardian's Roy Greenslade, and through no fault of Kevin's I hasten to add) got sacked by the Daily Mirror, only to then come bouncing back with his very own TV Critic website.

Your search has ended. Well; that was a year ago
(February 21st, 2016)

So say Hi to Kevin O'Sullivan folks, our writer's new saviour, and his new baby, 'You The Critic", who turns one year old.

As the website name suggests; "You The Critic" is an invite to anyone who (like me) has an opinion or two concerning any or all the TV shows they watch, but unfortunately have no platform in which to express them. And since it's launch, many have indeed signed up to take advantage of Kevin's generous offer to publish and promote (Free of charge) the TV reviews you write.

You could call him the Simon Cowell of TV Land!
Only without the money Cowell has?

Who knows. I could be wrong about that bit.

So providing the review you write is not libellous, does not contain any "Fake News" or falsehoods, or swearing, or indeed anything that would damage the good reputation of the site or worse, get Kevin and/or you, into serious trouble, then write away!

Personally; I have up to press written (I think) 46 TV reviews for "You The Critic", and I admit, this number is not as high as I would like. But due to work and a variety of other commitments as for me, life is full, I don't get huge opportunities to watch telly.

So I watch and write whenever I can. But be warned.

When you write a review, always check and then re-check your work before you hit that save button.

Kevin I suspect; like all journalists, can get a bit "twitchy" sometimes particularly when it comes to spelling and grammar, as his many subtle, amusing and often sarcastic "Twitticisms" as I call them, posted on his timeline, can clearly show.

He probably can't help it you know.
It's most likely in his DNA?

So be careful.

I have seen first hand how he deals with those on Twitter who do not use "You're", and "Your", correctly in a sentence, or who do not know the difference between "Their", and "There" .

Trust me; it's not pretty.

I'm just kidding here. Kevin O'Sullivan is no monster, he Is just very good at what he does for a living, which I suspect explains why he continues to show respect for the beautiful language English really is, especially; when it is well written.

And perhaps; in his own way, Kevin is asking us amateurs to do the same.

Kevin is after all, a fine journalist and also the "You The Critic" sites administrator. And let's not forget the talented Henrietta Knight, the real boss I suspect and the linchpin who holds "You The Critic" together. Where would we be without Girl Power?

Respect.

So any of you who are reading this, who've never written a TV review before and would like to, then look no further than right here on "You The Critic".

Kevin and Henrietta are experts.

They are professional journalists, and can help you get writing with various suggestions and tips on what shows to watch and review. You can even write a review on a TV show neither Kevin or Henrietta have mentioned!

It's your call. You decide.

And personally speaking, you can't get a better buzz than from creative writing. It really does give you a nice kick when it goes well, and you finally see your work, your words, your review, published on a very popular site many people, from all walks of life, and indeed, from around the world, click on to read.

So Happy Birthday You The Critic.

Here's wishing Kevin, Henrietta, and all who I'm sure work very hard behind the scenes on You The Critic, the very best, for 2017.

Let's hope the sites second year
is as good, if not better, as the first.

Critics? Yeah; we DO need them, afterall.

Thanks for reading.

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