Post #293,203
9/19/07 6:22:11 PM
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Re: Smart quiz shows are popular
I guess my original question was whether there was some distinct cultural difference that gives the UK a show like QI and the US a show like Deal or No Deal.
My other thought is that it might have to do with the government (via the BBC) producing so much of the content. Although if Washington was in charge of TV, we'd probably have the 24-hour 'Red Dawn' channel.
(Though "Mock the Week" is not in the same intelletual weight class as "QI", it still requires a grasp of current events and world politics that you don't see much over in these parts.)
Tom Sinclair
Kaylee: Wash, tell me I'm pretty.
Wash: Were I unwed, I would take you in a manly fashion.
Kaylee: Because I'm pretty?
Wash: Because you're pretty.
- "Heart of Gold", Firefly
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Post #293,266
9/19/07 10:56:51 PM
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It's interesting what exports and why.
I believe I mentioned "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth-Grader?" which I saw when I was in the US. It was obviously an original, smart and actually entertaining gameshow - more obvious by the fact that it's sometimes referred to as "Mark Burnett's AYSTFG?". This tells me only a successful TV producer can get something this original on US TV.
I don't think a show like [link|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Einstein_Factor|The Einstien Factor] would be popular on US TV (partly there are no prizes), but the Brits might like it. OTOH, the US Survivor rates well here - yet when we tried to make one ourselves, it failed badly. Apparantly Australians don't have the sense of competitiveness necessary for the US format to work. Yet the Australian Celebrity Survivor worked... Hmm. For comparison, Big Brother rates well here: but it was invented by a European TV company not an American one, so that may help explain it. Plus we customise it considerably (but all BB franchisees do) and they put a lot of work into choosing the housemates.
Wade.
Is it enough to love
Is it enough to breathe
Somebody rip my heart out
And leave me here to bleed
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Is it enough to die
Somebody save my life
I'd rather be Anything but Ordinary
Please
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-- "Anything but Ordinary" by Avril Lavigne. | · my ·
· [link|http://staticsan.livejournal.com/|blog] ·
· [link|http://yceran.org/|website] · |
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Post #293,274
9/20/07 1:32:52 AM
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Re: Australian TV
Is there an equivalent to the BBC or are all the production companies private?
Tom Sinclair
Kaylee: Wash, tell me I'm pretty.
Wash: Were I unwed, I would take you in a manly fashion.
Kaylee: Because I'm pretty?
Wash: Because you're pretty.
- "Heart of Gold", Firefly
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Post #293,299
9/20/07 10:18:52 AM
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The former.
The [link|http://www.abc.net.au/Australian Broadcasting Corporation|http://www.abc.net.a...sting Corporation] is similar to the BBC, in that it is funded by the Government, but has a charter of independance and is seen as a service. One of the two major differences as I see it is that the BBC gets a lot of funding from the TV licensing, but Australia doesn't have that. The other is that the BBC was sole broadcaster for a long time, whereas the ABC had commercial stations (and later networks) alongside it from the beginning.
We also have a quasi-government broadcaster called SBS which was setup to provide TV programming for ethnic groups and was also funded by the government. However, some years ago, SBS began accepting advertising and whilst this gave them a lot more money for production, it also made them more commercial. They still have a lot of imported non-English content, but they have a lot of purely commercial stuff, too. Two of the best examples are Mythbusters and South Park, but they will also buy programs along similar commercial lines the other three networks wouldn't consider viable.
Both SBS and the ABC have in-house production for many things, but will contract out, too. The other networks do the same.
Wade.
Is it enough to love
Is it enough to breathe
Somebody rip my heart out
And leave me here to bleed
| |
Is it enough to die
Somebody save my life
I'd rather be Anything but Ordinary
Please
|
-- "Anything but Ordinary" by Avril Lavigne. | · my ·
· [link|http://staticsan.livejournal.com/|blog] ·
· [link|http://yceran.org/|website] · |
|
Post #293,291
9/20/07 8:16:41 AM
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Anti-intellectualism and isolationism
The British value knowledge and education for its own sake more than the Americans. This doesn't stop the UK running low brow shows, such as its own version of Deal or No Deal or anything by the presenters known as Ant and Dec.
As for government programmes, the government has no control over programmes at all. It can change the governing board of the BBC and exert political pressure but it makes no decisions about programmes. Rather, the BBC considers itself independent but is fairly establishmentarian.
The funding of the BBC does influence its programming - it can afford to be more elitist and egalitarian. This discourages the commerical channels from producing too much mindless rubbish. Except for Sky.
As for current affairs, are you telling me that people don't read the newspapers, even heavily biased and innuendo-filled tabloids?
Matthew Greet
Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pishing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourself. Choose your future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?
- Mark Renton, Trainspotting.
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Post #293,302
9/20/07 10:40:00 AM
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Current affairs knowledge
I'm frequently stunned by how little knowledge my fellow Americans have about current affairs (and some of them are journalists). Newspapers and most TV news shows are heavily filtered and contribute to the problem
The thing that impressed me about 'Mock the Week' was that they showed a good grasp of affairs outside of the UK.
Tom Sinclair
Kaylee: Wash, tell me I'm pretty.
Wash: Were I unwed, I would take you in a manly fashion.
Kaylee: Because I'm pretty?
Wash: Because you're pretty.
- "Heart of Gold", Firefly
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Post #293,320
9/20/07 7:34:22 PM
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I don't know how to answer that
I don't know how to answer that without calling the American populace a nation of idiots.
Matthew Greet
Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pishing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourself. Choose your future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?
- Mark Renton, Trainspotting.
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Post #293,338
9/21/07 1:22:06 AM
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I appreciate your discretion
Tom Sinclair
Kaylee: Wash, tell me I'm pretty.
Wash: Were I unwed, I would take you in a manly fashion.
Kaylee: Because I'm pretty?
Wash: Because you're pretty.
- "Heart of Gold", Firefly
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Post #293,450
9/23/07 12:36:17 AM
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Better answer to that
Comment not necessary for this link:
[link|http://www.bi30.org/wordpress/2007/09/21/im-with-stupid-stupid-over-here-stupid-over-there-suddenly-were-surrounded-by-idiots/|I'm With Stupid]
Tom Sinclair
Kaylee: Wash, tell me I'm pretty.
Wash: Were I unwed, I would take you in a manly fashion.
Kaylee: Because I'm pretty?
Wash: Because you're pretty.
- "Heart of Gold", Firefly
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Post #293,670
9/26/07 4:37:41 PM
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I was pondering something the other day...
considering how poorly funded our public schools are, and of course how this was affecting the students. I began to wonder if the rich leaders of this country were keeping the funding low to keep the low and middle classes stupid so we would accept the word of our leaders easier. I figured the rich send their children to private schools where they could get a proper education, and keep the chain of leadership among themselves.
Then of course I remembered our president, Bush, is rich... I guess that blew that theory!
~~~)-Steven----
Stapp's Ironical Paradox:
"The universal aptitude for ineptitude makes any human accomplishment an incredible miracle."
Col. John P. Stapp - Decelerator 'Test Pilot'
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Post #293,685
9/26/07 5:44:26 PM
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You are right - in a way
He's part of the Skull and Bones Society. They pull/hold lots of strings when it comes to power in this country. I think you might be on to something (cue mysterious organ music)
Smile,
Amy
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Post #293,693
9/26/07 6:58:33 PM
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Bush supports your theory
If education for the middle and working classes was comparable to private schools, Bush would have had competition with many more capable candidates and would have lost. The great thing about an anti-intellectual culture and entrenched elitism is that potential usurpers can even be wiped out by transparent lies.
Matthew Greet
Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pishing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourself. Choose your future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?
- Mark Renton, Trainspotting.
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Post #293,698
9/26/07 7:49:17 PM
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Only one flaw
it can't last forever.
Smile,
Amy
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Post #293,738
9/27/07 2:53:23 AM
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Nothing lasts forever. What's your point?
Matthew Greet
Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pishing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourself. Choose your future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?
- Mark Renton, Trainspotting.
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Post #293,769
9/27/07 1:29:15 PM
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Sorry, should have been a tad more specific
o anal one (and I mean that with affection);-)
While it's true that the US is fraught with idiots, our intelligencia cannot allow our nation to wallow in stupor. Yes, we've seen decline for nearly a decade. Some would say even longer. But from where I sit, the feeling is that we've had enough. It's time for a change. So, when I said it doesn't last forever I meant that it can't last very long at all. Trying to dumb down a society won't work. It may have worked when there was less technology and less communication, but there's too much information available today. Besides, our economy depends upon an educated workforce. We can't afford to be stupid. (don't get me started on outsourcing, btw :-) )
Smile,
Amy
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Post #293,823
9/28/07 10:33:29 AM
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Good point. Pity about the budget.
I have to agree. You can't base an economy on semi-literates spending money they can afford forever. Learning and entrepreneurship will have to be back on the agenda. However, education costs money in incentives, propaganda and lost taxes whilst not working and the federal budget is a disaster. Has to be done, as you say, so expect dramatic cuts in spending in everything but education.
An interesting side effect will be politicians telling the religious nutters to STFU and stay away from education boards. Might even see convoluted tax rules for churches so only the larger, more mainstream and saner, churches can avoid paying excessive tax.
Matthew Greet
Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pishing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourself. Choose your future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?
- Mark Renton, Trainspotting.
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