6 GOOD THINGS ABOUT BRITISH TV

Have you watched more television during the Covid-19 pandemic? I’d have to guess that most of us do. Stuck at home during a cold, dark winter, the long evenings were difficult to fill. No concerts to attend, friends to visit, places to go, or things to see and do. They say Netflix has seen an astronomical rise in revenue, and it’s no wonder. However, after watching so much TV, you become a bit more discerning. And many of us have found that we prefer watching British shows. Here are 6 good things about British TV.

The writing is better on the shows. It’s geared to a higher intellectual level. Not PHD’s but not aimed at the sixth grade mentality, either. The BBC produces 30% of all British TV . BBC mission statement is “to act in the public interest, serving all audiences through the provision of impartial, high-quality and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and entertain.” Since BBC isn’t dependent on commercial advertising, they don’t have to worry about pleasing sponsors like Procter and Gamble or Astra Zeneca.

2. Older people are more often major characters. And they aren’t cast as stereotypical seniors (crabby, saintly, sickly, frail). They’re strong men and women who have talents, abilities, enjoy sex, and are flawed in some way.

3. The characters aren’t as good looking as in America. They’re apt to be overweight, wrinkled, or sort of plain. Actors are cast for their talent, not their looks.

4. The females don’t wear as much makeup. They don’t all look like fashion models. They seem more like the women we see every day.

5. .The characters are more restrained. They behave in a rather formal, dignified manner.

6. British accents. Having lived in a small Indiana town, I had never heard a real English accent until I moved to Chicago after college. The best companies hired women with English accents . There are hundreds of different English accents, but all of them are easier on the ears that the flat American way of speaking Even if they use poor grammar, the British accent still sounds posher than an American of a similar social class.

As the pandemic hung on, we found Masterpiece Theatre and other British shows more entertaining than the typical American TV shows, thrown together with predictable plots, and cardboard characters. By this time next year, we’ll surely be watching less television than we do now. But we’ll appreciate the 6 good things we’ve learned about British TV.

April 22, 2019April 22, 2019

SHAVED HEAD, GELLED HAIR? NO THANKS.

I know I’m going to sound like an old lady, but here goes. On a news discussion program that we watched the other night , the representative of one political party may have made some valid comments. But I can’t remember a word he said, because I was too distracted by his hair style. Shaved head, gelled hair? No thanks.

A news reporter with "regular" hair gains my respect more than one with a strange hairdo — NEWS REPORTERS WHO WEAR STRANGE HAIRDOS AREN’T TAKEN SERIOUSLY

A man from the opposing political party also sported gelled hair, spiked up in sort of a dome. This wasn’t quite as arresting as the shaved head guy, but It make you wonder what they have against what we used to call “regular.” haircuts.

I can’t take a person with a shaved head on one side, and gelled hair on the other side, as seriously as I take someone who looks like what my generation would call “normal.”

I can remember the evolution of many men’s hair style fashions. After World War II, the GI’s came back with burr cuts and for a long while, that was all the rage. Before Elvis Presley left for service, most young men were sporting a copy cat “duck tail,” hairdo. That was pretty sexy. For a couple of years in the late fifties, men went back to “regular,” haircuts. And then, in the sixties, young men started protesting the Vietnam War, and they identified themselves as hippies by their long hair and occasional beards. More recently, those wishing to make a statement against the status quo wear dreadlocks, the man bun, or shave their heads completely for the bald look..

nEWSCASTERS WITH REGULAR HAIRDO'S GARNER MORE RESPECT — GELLED HAIR STRIKES SOME PEOPLE AS AN AFFECTATION

During all these hairstyle changes throughout my lifetime, most television newscasters and journalists remained pretty staid. They wore suits and ties, black shoes and socks, and “regular” hairstyles. While we may not have always agreed with their comments, we respected them.

David Muir on ABC Is my favorite evening news anchors . Who can resist that dimpled smile and dynamic delivery?

Recently, I noticed David’s hair sticking straight up on one side, and thought maybe he had been caught in a windstorm. But since it’s begun to look that way every night, I have to believe he’s using gel. That’s not too bad. But please, David. Don’t shave your head.

October 31, 2018November 10, 2018

MEN, WOMEN & BEAUTY ON TV

What is the most important asset a major network news reporter can possess ? Apparently, it depends on whether you are male or female. Men are allowed to age gracefully. But there is a double standard for men, women and beauty on TV.

How often do you see a female newscaster on CNN, ABC, NBC or Fox News who does’t resemble a fashion model? Typically, they have cascades of long, wavy hair, sparkling white teeth, glowing skin, lash extensions and perfect makeup. You can’t quite concentrate on what they’re saying, because you’re wondering if they have dental implants.

Women must look beautiful on television — Beautiful Woman

Just for fun, I clicked on the website for all the major network news reporters and journalists. And guess what I saw? Many ordinary looking men, some quite old, with thinning hair. Conversely, there were few women who didn’t qualify as the stereotypical Pretty Woman. And of course, female reporters must be model thin and wear designer clothes.

There’s a refreshing change when you turn to Public Broadcasting. One of our favorite Indiana news review programs features men and women who probably wouldn’t win a beauty pageant . Even though the participants don’t try to look like twenty somethings, they are neatly groomed and well dressed. What’s most appealing is the fact that these people are remarkably well informed and knowledgeable.

Why must all major network female reporters and journalists strive for the appearance of youthful beauty?

It’s like aging is a disease. Even Andrea Mitchell, who must be in her seventies, has bleached hair, theatrical make up, and appears to have had surgical help. Saw Martha Raddatz tonight on ABC. She’s pushing fifty, but still has long, blonde hair curling around her shoulders like a college girl. Leslie Stahl wears slathers of bright, gooey, lipstick. Sadly , if these women decided to look their age, they would probably be banished from television.

There is a double standard for successful news reporters. Women must be beautiful, and the men may or may not be handsome, but they aren’t there because of their looks. Women reporters haven’t come as far as they would like to believe. They’re still judged mainly on their appearance, and they won’t get very far on television if they look like Eleanor Roosevelt.