Too Much TV. Too much sycophantic claptrap. Make it stop

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Too Much TV. Too much sycophantic claptrap. Make it stop

March 05, 2016 - 16:33
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I wish I was as daringly outspoken as the caustic critics who are giving it both barrels on BBC2’s hard-hitting new show Too Much TV. Too much more of this nauseatingly sycophantic tosh and I’m going to be sick…

Aled Jones and Sara Cox

I wish I was as daringly outspoken as the caustic critics who are giving it both barrels on BBC2’s hard-hitting new show Too Much TV. Too much more of this nauseatingly sycophantic tosh and I’m going to be sick…

There was me thinking that so many programmes are wall to wall crap when it turns out I was totally wrong… they’re all absolutely brilliant.

For the record, Aled Jones is one of the good guys. I know... I know him. And deep space Northerner Sara Cox is an extremely likeable broadcaster.

But as the fawning hosts of a simpering series that isn’t going to work because people aren’t stupid, they might like to take on board that not everything on the box is an unmitigated triumph…

On Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway… Sara: “It’s fantastic!” Aled: “It’s brilliant! Absolutely brilliant.”

On ITV drama Churchill’s Secret… Aled: “So good!” Sara: “I think they could just pop a little Oscar in the post for the entire cast. Completely brilliant.” (Memo to Sara: Oscars are for films not television) Aled: “Awesome.”

But our thanks to Aled for this pop fact. Guess who played veteran thespians Michael Gambon and Lindsay Duncan’s son in the 2001 BBC drama Perfect Strangers? Aled (in a conspiratorial whisper): “Michael Macfadyen.”

Sadly, they could only get little known Matthew Macfadyen to play their son in 2016. Too Much TV… not just fearlessly acerbic but also amazingly informative.

But on to The Night Manager. Sara: “Oh yes! Hugh Laurie, he’s fantastic.” Aled: “He’s brilliant. Absolutely.” Cut to a tweet by Pointless guy Richard Osman: “Loved The Night Manager.” Brilliant.

Enter weather girl guest Carol Kirkwood with her no-holds-barred verdict on BBC Breakfast’s new main man Dan Walker: “Dan was brilliant. He’s just brilliant.”

And, as a matter of interest, what did Carol think of Bryan Adams’ slot on Ant & Dec’s “brilliant” Takeaway? “He was just brilliant,” she declared. “I’ve seen him in concert and he’s brilliant.” So let me get this straight… Bryan’s brilliant.

But a warm welcome to Outnumbered bozo Tiger Drew-Honey. Sara: “It’s awesome to meet you. I’m a huge fan of Outnumbered.” Why am I not surprised?

These days, Tiger is starring in Cuckoo, the hilarious sitcom no one watches on online BBC3. Aled: “I’m loving it!” No sh*t. Sara: “It’s really fantastic. Genuinely hilarious.” Gosh, who’d have thought it?

Never one to leap to conclusions, Sara didn’t let a little thing like not having seen it cloud her judgement about ITV’s mindless celebrity travelogue Davina McCall: Life At The Extreme. “It looks great,” she assured us. “It’s going to be incredible.” Sadly, I have seen it. And it’s bollocks.

But fascinating to compare and contrast our acid-tongued heroes’ reviews of BBC2’s The People Vs OJ Simpson: American Crime Story. Aled: “It’s really good.” Sara: “It’s really good.” Really good then.

And now, my intelligence (such as it is) duly insulted, here’s my review of Too Much TV… it’s really bad.

There is 1 Comment

GeordieArmani's picture

Yup I heard about this show via Saturday Kitchen, why would anyone want to watch it? we have you to tell us what to watch and what not too!