101 Ways to Ruin a TV Gameshow

Today is pretty much a repeat of Friday unfortunately. As expected, I surfaced at around about 3pm unable to concentrate on anything really. The internet was being painfully slow again - something we may have to look into if it continues like this. When there are five or six people in the house, we are looking at speeds of less than that of the 56k days which is wholly unacceptable in this day and age. Either that or I shall be spending considerably more time in the library this coming year!

I did manage to watch episode three of 101 Ways to Leave a Gameshow which I have found to be a nice way to pass an hour or so. I don't know what it is about the TV shows lately but there seem to be ever increasing numbers of time filling links in the programme. I can somewhat understand the need to use them on channels with advert breaks to encourage users not to change channels during the interlude but when it is a BBC show and the 'coming up next' item is directly after the link that tells you what is coming up next, there really is no point. As I see it, the only point of these bits is to fill the time slot in the show when it is running slightly under. 101 Ways to Leave a Gameshow could easily be condensed down into a 45 minute programme if Steve Jones knew how to count down from five - something that currently takes him almost half a minute - and if they stopped with the stupid sections where they have to talk to each contestant about their answer. More than anything, it just ruins the pace of the show which should be quick and exciting.

Another way to improve the whole thing would be to cut out the revealing of the wrong answer altogether and simply catch them by surprise. What's the point in telling them that they are about to be plunged 100 feet into the water? That gives them time to brace themselves whereas simply doing it would be far more entertaining (for the viewers that is). The show is, in essence, a rip off of total wipeout. It is filmed in Argentina (again probably to overcome the health and safety restrictions in the UK), features water and contestant getting wet and humiliated. The main difference is that Richard Hammond has been replaced by Steve Jones who can actually be bothered to fly out to Argentina to present the show and Nemone replacing Amanda at the poolside. They could quite easily save themselves her wage and remove her from the show altogether. For the three minutes or so of total screen time she receives, is it really worth it?

Okay so maybe not 101 ways but in the current economic climate, I would much rather see my licence fee money given to a more worthy drama series than have it wasted on this. It's almost as if they tried to spend their entire budget - although who can blame them, I would probably do exactly the same thing.

Onto my single of the week and this week we are taking a trip back in time to the late 1970s and a band from the Midlands informally known by the letter ELO. I refer, of course, to the Electric Light Orchestra and their single Mr Blue Sky. Incredibly, this song has had it's own entry on this blog but didn't make it into my selection for single of the week. I have recently gotten hold of their Light Years double CD greatest hits collection from my parents and have fallen in love with most of their songs. They have an immediately recognisable theme to the songs and despite regular changes to the line-up have consistently released tune after tune. As I was trying to find the release year of this song, I discovered - to my horror - that a cover had been done by Lily Allen, I strongly advise you not to seek out this appalling cover if you have any fondness for the original as it ruins everything that makes this song so good. Enjoy this in all of its original glory.

Free music - Mr. Blue Sky