R2OK!

R2Icon · Joined: 10 Sep 2009 Posts: 1444

There's a really interesting set of programmes on TV this week . BBC Four at 9pm... tonight they take a group of people through 30 years of upgraded technology one year at a time over 30 days. Last night it was about the downside of upgrades ( mainly phones but covered TVs and Ipods etc) - a brilliant programme, really well thought out and jolly interesting. Tonight should be even better cos a lot of the gadgets ( in the trailer anyway)I had or knew someone that did. Proper telly. Why don't they put programmes like this on BBC1?

MadeinSurrey · Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 4:10 pm Post subject:

Indeed. Why not scrap all the crap that's on BBC1 and 3, and just leave us the progs on 2 &4. Except Snooker & Darts, obviously, ehich can go to Sky.
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MiS

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

Far too interesting to be on BBC1, especially at that hour.

I daresay it will get a repeat on BBC2 - they have to justify BBC4's existence, which is why you get some (not a lot) jolly good original stuff on there.

I had to endure Blue Murder (ITV) last night, but I might be lucky tonight (watching Electric Dreams, I mean).
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Ron

R2Icon · Joined: 10 Sep 2009 Posts: 1444

How cool was that.... they did only the 70s last night, looking forward to the next one.

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

I enjoyed it. I have a sneaking feeling it was entertainment more than factual documentary, though.

While the house décor was bang up-to-the-70s minute (I don't believe the average household had that snazzy wallpaper in every room) they were distinctly late in being provided with some other features, and that car would certainly have been replaced at least once during the ten years.
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Ron

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

I've now had a chance to view Monday night's programme, Upgrade Me.

The presenter, poet Simon Armitage, is a wonderfully soft-spoken, laid-back kind of guy, almost at odds with all the super-technology. I liked the way he called everything "gadgets", which seems very old-fashioned.

The school class where every one had a mobile phone, all but one a digital camera, and most an mp3 player! In my day we made do with a sheet of graph paper and a pencil to play Battleships, and a few of us were fortunate enough to have our own fountain pens (proper ink out of a bottle, not cartridge!).

Next week they look at the life and death of a mobile phone. It's only 30 minutes long - the programme, that is.
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Ron

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

A reminder of two programmes tonight looking back at designs and gadgets, both on BBC4

8pm Designing the 80s
9pm The Life And Death Of The Mobile Phone

I shall probably have to record or rely on i-player Wink

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Ron

R2Icon · Joined: 10 Sep 2009 Posts: 1444

Last night's phone thing was quite interesting ... looking forward to the 80s tonight. Smile

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

Watching the mobile phone programme I felt embarassed for all those people whose lives seem to be ruled by the things. I never have mine with me when I could do with it, and even if I do the chances are the battery will have run out. And as for texting Rolling Eyes

Last night's Electric Dreams was fun. The wallpaper was easier to live with but the Laura Ashley furnishings weren't. We've still got the Genie phone they had in the bedroom (and everyone sounds much clearer on it and its line than on all the digital cordless wonders elsewhere in the house).

The kids were suitably unimpressed with half of Ultravox popping in to demonstrate the keyboard (well, they would be, wouldn't they?)

I wonder how much of that microwaved chicken they actually ate.
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Ron

R2Icon · Joined: 10 Sep 2009 Posts: 1444

I use my mobile only for outgoing calls and texts, the ringer is always off, so if anyone does ring I don't hear it. I'll once in a while switch the ringer on, if I've arranged with someone to call me, or if I'm expecting hubby to be calling.

Yeah last night was a fun programme, some of those gadgets I had myself, that Simon thing for one; hubby was banging on about the ZX Spectrum until I fell asleep; it seems that it was the 80s where it all started to go wrong for family activity.

Microwave Chicken... oh yummy. Very Happy

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

At the time, there were a couple of blokes at work who used to chatter on about the ZX Spectrum all through the lunch hour. Wouldn't have minded quite so much if it did anything useful. I used to go out whenever I could, but we seemed to have far more rainy days (or lunchtimes) during the 1980s!

Back to the programme. Why did they supply them with a Betamax tape for the VHS video?

Presumably wanted them to break the thing to demonstrate the point that tv/videos were notoriously unreliable. Actually, they weren't but some people (like my mum, dad, brother) were impatient and heavy-handed when it came to buttons and controls; if anything went wrong it was always because they'd pushed something too hard, or tried to force it. The father last night was right - keep away from my hifi! Smile

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Ron

SantaFefan · Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 5:01 pm Post subject:

I remember a good thump would often mend our TV.. Laughing

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Johnnie Walker read out my message on Pirate Radio! Very Happy

13/8/07
I have heard how radio should be.