Where's The Remote?

[on:]

One for all you British PEELers here, what is your favourite terrestrial channel?

You can vote on any reasoning you want, but please, don't avoid Channel 4 just because of Futurama.

I like BBC2 or Channel 4 the most out of the 5.

BBC 2 seems to be good at picking up decent shows from the US (24 for example) and normally has something worth watching on. A lot of the BBC comedy is on it too, except for Friday night.

Channel 4 has a good range of documentaries and other programmes that i often watch. Normally the documentaries are good quality too, but what puts me off voting for them is their love of reality TV.

[Reply #1 on:]

Unfortunately, I'm gonna have to vote ITV, because they have Formula 1 coverage.

[Reply #2 on:]

I totaly agree with you aslate, BBC two do have some of the really good US shows but for comdey they really don't suttle me funny bone on fridays

where as Channel 4 is the best, but your right they are a lil crazy about reality TV, which was ok for starters now is just really anoying.


ITV usally have some desent shows and Formula 1 i watch sometimes, and channel 5 is just plain old crap and rejects.

but i thinks i have to go for Channel 4 but not because of the reality TV shows but for the comdey

[Reply #3 on:]

I think that the BBC needs to sort out BBC 2.

They over-did robot-wars, over-did the simpsons and over-did Malcolm when it was last on.

I agree that Friday night is BBC1 and C4's night though, but that's to be expected in some ways. Why have the decent comedy on 2 when everyone's going to be watching it for one night? May aswell have it on BBC1.

[Reply #4 on:]

I voted Channel 4 because they have the most bollocks out of all the terrestrial channels, although that's sadly not really saying much. I have a paperback copy of their annual review also, which was magnificently drawn.

 Aslate, BBC not only over-did Robot Wars, but they under-did it as well at one point, giving practically every other programme on their roster precedence over Robot Wars when required. Also, it's a shame that cynical old Jeremy Clarkson's replacement came in the form of over-excited, cartwheeling jackass Craig Charles, which kinda stopped Robot Wars from ever being taken seriously. In a way, that's a good thing 'coz we're not having excessive techno-speak crammed in our ears, but in another way it's a bad thing 'coz Craig's warm, family friendly demeanour gives the show a whiff of novelty and a hint of trying to cater for a bigger audience.
 
 *breathes in* 

 As for ITV, I'm not even going there. Lowest common denominator entertainment and the ITN news is a joke. 

[Reply #5 on:]

BBC 2 - basically for 24, The Simpsons, and showing arty films late at night, even though they are usually cut to pieces by censors - even at 2 in the morning!

But who can forget the evening channel 5 did a nude night, with Keith Chegwin hosting?     

[Reply #6 on:]

Knowing Channel 5 they proberly did, ewwww, not gona sleep now,

[Reply #7 on:]

I don't really watch much terrestrial TV these days, but it's between BBC2 and Channel 4. BBC2 has the Simpsons, Buffy and 24 (the only terrestrial show I watch regularly), but channel 4 is better at showing good British shows (Black Books, Teachers etc.). I'll vote for BBC2, though. C4 has Big Brother, 'nuff said.

[Reply #8 on:]

I almost forgot to mention QI, that's on BBC2, woo! A good example of high-quality C4 programming would probably be the "Hitler, The Rise Of Evil" that was 2/3 weeks ago, that was very well made and is useful as we're doing the rise of Hitler for GCSE History.

Having Freeview i only watch:
24 a week ahead (BBC3)
QI a week ahead (BBC4 - The only BBC4 show i've watched)
UK History
BBC News 24
Most of the rest is rubbish.

[Reply #9 on:]

Personally, in terms of what I watch (on terrestrial), I rank them thus:

1. BBC2
2. BBC1
3. Channel 4
4. Channel 5
5. ITV

ITV seems like a very amateur channel to me. The only things I've ever watched on it are the Bond movies (most of which I have on tape, anyway). The BBC gets major plus points for not having any adverts. Channel 4 also has some good movies and "Bremner, Bird and Fortune". And Channel 5 (despite the rubbish terrestrial reception), also has some good movies.

But ITV has very little - it seems to be all soaps and sports. (Not that that's a slur on anyone who watches those programmes, I just don't.)

[Reply #10 on:]

Time to troll-out my oft-used catchphrase:

ITV is the station that, when it comes to quality, stops at nothing.

This was a toss-up between BBC2 and Ch4, and seeing at Ch4 has never repeated Spaced, I'm going with BBC2.

[Reply #11 on:]

I think I like BBC1 better because it showing the new Absolutely Fabulous. ITV can be ok sometimes. I only watch Pop Idol on it. Right now I am watching X men on this channel.

[Reply #12 on:]

I genuinely don't know where my remote is. It's been lost for months now!

Anyways, I voted for Channel4, as it's the channel that I would have on in the background if I did have the remote. Plus, it gave us BrassEye, Spaced and Black Books. Good things. Also, it had the best Teletext bar none, back in the days when Digitiser was around.

[Reply #13 on:]

BBC 2 gets my vote but I dont watch that much terrestrial anymore having sky.

[Reply #14 on:]

QI was on last night, a great show and a good reason to vote for BBC2.

Did you know the banana herb moves 40cm in it's lifetime? They have to plant fields with space so they can move.

[Reply #15 on:]

I voted for BBC 2. Its got most of the best programs like Time Comanders and Top Gear. And if I remember correctly it also had Band of Brothers which is on of my my all time favourite TV show. My Band of Brothers thread

[Reply #16 on:]

Definately BBC 2. Of all the 5 terrestrial channels, BBC 2 has the biggest percentage of decent shows (about 10% probably). Time Commanders is a great reason to vote it if you have an interest in history, or at least amazing computer generated battlefields!

[Reply #17 on:]

 

Originally posted by Dose_Me_Up:


But who can forget the evening channel 5 did a nude night, with Keith Chegwin hosting?     

I would like to forget about it

It was a toss-up between Two and Four as to which got my vote, Two won due to its lack of adverts breaks.

[Reply #18 on:]

Time Commanders is rubbish. It's a computer game and it does not deserve/require 1 hour on my TV. It's too slow and boring to watch anyway.

[Reply #19 on:]

It's a computer game that sure as hell wouldn't run on my computers! I agree it is a little slow at the start however, I normally start watching after the people have been introduced.

[Reply #20 on:]

I just think it's incredibly boring. It's one of those things that i may find interesting doing it but i would/do find it boring to watch.

Woop-de-doo, it's a basic war-strategy game with slightly bumped up graphics on TV. It's poorly managed and badly done. I found the whole show slow and completely uninteresting. The presenter isn't interesting and we spend the show hearing half-baked commands being passed back and forth. The "re-construction" of how the battle should've gone is also poorly done. They just throw glass bricks around on a map!

[Reply #21 on:]

I probably only find it interesting because I talk about it with my dad who has an interest in history. If I'm going to be watching it on my own I don't bother, so I can see your point.

[Reply #22 on:]

 

Originally posted by Ka-Boom:
...and if I remember correctly it also had Band of Brothers which is on of my my all time favourite TV show. My Band of Brothers thread

Yes it did, Band of Brothers was a great series (and another US import BBC 2 gets).

Wife swap on C4 has been interesting, appart from seeing some relationships break down, it's weird/fun to compare other people's lifestyles to yours.
Oh, anyone that's seen the most recent one, apparently the dog drowned in the pool. The film crew had previously fished him out, but on the last few days with everyone packing up no-one noticed he'd jumped in.

[Reply #23 on:]

BBC Two wins hands down. It has not only some of my favourite programs but also the least amount of rubbish aswell.

Channel 4 isn't bad either, but it over does Reality TV and loses out with the ad breaks. Gets plus points for Countdown.

Channel 5 does do some very interesting programs and has a large number of films on so it gets plus points for me.

BBC One seems to show the lowest common denominator stuff most of the time which I'm generally not so interested in.

ITV, no comment. Probably has 3 good shows worth watching, and the F1 coverage, which BBC did a better job of too I might add. Despite having TWO TV channels to put the coverage on, the Canadian and Japanese qualifying was STILL not shown live despite that fact it wouldn't interfere with any popular programming.

[Reply #24 on:]

You know that the F1 coverage is produced by Mach3 for ITV, which under another name is known as BBC Resources?  Funny that.

[Reply #25 on:]

Wife Swap? Are they even trying to stop reality TV shows from being quite unbelievably stupid television? As for Channel 4, it shows The Salon, therefore no vote.

[Reply #26 on:]

Unfortunately, for Channel 4 to remain a "foward-thinking, ground-breaking channel", they have to appeal to a mass audience too in order to keep themselves financed. Hence reality TV and Richard & Judy. 

[Reply #27 on:]

Tonight's programming was:
Kenyon Confronts: I think it's a well-written and investigated programme with some ground-breaking investigations.
Curry Documentary: Don't remember the name but was a good and sometimes funny programme, worth the watch.
The Funniest Adverts Ever...Possibly: The first one was better but was still an interesting watch. I'm looking forward to the next one, Ads they had to ban.
Grand Deisgns: Surprisingly interesting for what it is and i/parents seem to enjoy it.

Now note they are BBC1, BBC2, C4 and C5, no ITV there