Like many parents, I fear for The Boy watching crap on TV - violent, instant gratification, foul mouthed (I saw the Simpsons "Movie"
) low aspirations, "I wanna be a celebrity" idiocy. It is pernicious, degrading and, in particular, the BBC ought to know better. I recall Val Singleton, John Noakes and Christopher Trace doing Blue Peter. They looked like idiots in those jumpers, but we knew no better.
Watch it now, and all you get is some acting school chavs (reported in the papers to be shagging Abbie Titmuss and also taking drugs) doing "cool" PC stuff. OK. I am sure that Noakesy and Shep had a dodgy relationship, but it wasn't stuffed down our throats. The rest is American cartoons.
Well, I have just found him enthralled by some old B&W Norman Wisdom film with slapstick and compassion in it. He also gets out M. Hulot's Holiday (fab film) and rolls around. Gentle humour.
The BBC could save money be digging out all the tapes of Blue Peter c. 1964 (see also: Raymond Baxter) and sacking the current presenters. And Spiderman should be made illegal. And the Simpsons (till after 10.00 p.m.)
All kids should be compelled to collect milk bottle tops (if we stil have those) or used stamps
Signed
Mr Increasingly getting like a retired Colonel Nick
