Having a rant

[Taffycat]

Huh! Who was the bright spark who ever thought that "regionalising" TV was a good idea..? We're not big TV watchers, but there are a few offerings that we really like to view, "Dexter" being one of them. Anyone else like that one...?

Anyway, Season 2 of the show was trailed weeks in advance of it's start, and having enjoyed Season 1, we looked forward to watching. The first two episodes aired on two consecutive Thursday nights then, last night when we tuned-in to watch the 3rd, we were presented with a so-called "Welsh arts and culture" show called "The Wales Show" aaarrrgh!

Feeling peeved, I emailed the Duty Officer at our local ITV (all very polite, but asking what had happened to the prog) and received an answer this morning, which stated:

The Dexter series no longer runs on ITV1 Wales due to the local programme ‘The Wales Show’ taking its slot. Dexter is repeated on ITV4, however I realise, as you mentioned, you do not receive digital channels. I have registered your comments on our daily report to senior management and programme schedulers.

There are still quite a lot of places here, where we cannot get Freeview, Channel 5 etc., due to the topography (,,,hills getting in the *%^£$#* way of the signal!) So the "free" channels which others enjoy, simply by a bit of re-tuning and maybe a bit of aerial adjustment, can only be accessed here, if you buy a dish. Some can be accessed via the legal "catch-up" facilities on the internet (which is what we sometimes do.)
But "Dexter" is not available for "catch-up" - something to do with licencing or whatever.

What really makes me so mad, is that they couldn't even tell us in advance, that only two episodes would be shown before transferring the prog to a different channel, which is not accessible to some in this TV region! How would a sports fan feel, if they couldn't see the second half of a match, because another show had suddenly "taken its slot" ...?

Okay, I know it's not important when compared to famine/wars or other horrors going on in the world, this is just one little "Wales-based" irksome annoyance. Yes, I'm a native of the place, but doh...! Don't get me started!

Deep breath, there, TC is back to her normal, tranquil self again.... sorry about that, but the steam was making a whistling noise as it came out of my ear-holes, so had to vent

 

[Madxgraphics]

No need for appologies...We all have to let off steam at some point...Whats going to make t worse though is this programme that is replacing Dexter will probably never get watched...

 

[itsme]

Yep your correct TC.

It is a complete mess Freeview my arse, where I live I can see the main mast direct the areal at it?
And still cant get BBC1 BBC2 CH5.But I can get ALL the pay channels they bloody make sure of that???
I is glad I have Virgin + box TV that way I can watch what I want and when I want to.

 

[Ian]

That's a bit stupid how they show two episodes and then scrap the rest

It's not ideal, but if you want to get better TV there are "freesat" boxes available that should get a signal anywhere. I don't know much about them, but I saw a box + self install dish in Argos for about £90. That's a lot just to watch one TV programme, but if you feel you are missing lots it might be worth looking in to : http://www.freesat.co.uk/

 

[Taffycat]

Thank you for the replies guys

Whats going to make t worse though is this programme that is replacing Dexter will probably never get watched...

I agree, to many, the replacement will be about as interesting as watching paint dry - although naturally, there will always be some who would prefer that to "Dexter's" blood and gore

It is a complete mess Freeview my arse

Yes and I will add my - er - (_,_) to that also!

It's not ideal, but if you want to get better TV there are "freesat" boxes available...

To be honest, we bought a TV a few months ago, which has a Freeview box on-board. It wasn't an expensive one, because we didn't know what to expect, it is one of ASDA's flat-screen jobbies (about 17" screen I think.) Anyway, we set it up, but it could only manage the terrestrial channels. (That was using a signal booster thingy.) But it does have a DVD slot built-in too, so it's useful as a sort-of "portable" DVD player, which we can use in the kitchen or bedroom.

Thank you for the link though I expect we shall get a proper dish at some point.

Meanwhile, I've just ordered the "Dexter" DVDs from Amazon... only slight drawback, is that the current series won't be available until March 30th. But that's okay. It gives me a sense of making rude gestures to the ITV company

 

[Waynos_Face]

edit : Can you PM TC please instead

 

[floppybootstomp]

oi you - that's a bit naughty - use a pm, you bad boy

I'll leave it to Ian to decide whether to let these posts stand or not.

edit (Ian) : Yep, I think that's a good idea

 

[itsme]

Anyway, Season 2 of the show was trailed weeks in advance of it's start, and having enjoyed Season 1, we looked forward to watching. The first two episodes aired on two consecutive Thursday nights then, last night when we tuned-in to watch the 3rd, we were presented with a so-called "Welsh arts and culture" show called "The Wales Show" aaarrrgh!

Ok don’t get me wrong here, I am Welsh through and through but! The way we run most things is just not acceptable? The majority of Welsh people don’t even speak the language, I for one don’t need to as I could not obtain a book and or anything related to what I want to read in Welsh anyways so what’s the point, as you have said before TC the signposts in Welsh and English why? The ones who speak Welsh also speak English? Then why waste money on the things they do, it would benefit a more needy cause spent on the NHS/Crime prevention for an example.
Shyte you got me going now RANT RANT

 

[Abarbarian]

I got a satellite dish and box set up from ALDI for £60. Works fine and I can get all the ITV and BBC regional programs along with 500 or 600 other stations from 6 pre set satellites. A one of payment and the quality is great.

 

[Taffycat]

Itsme, hee hee, I didn't mean to cause a Welsh uprising... but yes, I think it is quite mad whenever I hear of the vast sums being spent on un-necessary forms of bilingualism. If people want to use the language to chat and communicate, then fine, but it produces a heck of a lot of waste, when bills or other "paper communications" are automatically printed in both English and Welsh.

So okay, we have a TV channel (S4C) which is dedicated to all things Welsh - it only shows a few of the programmes shown on Channel 4, and those are often shown at peculiar times. I wonder why the Welsh culture show thingy couldn't have been aired on S4C, where it might actually have found an appreciative audience?

Makes one feel like sneaking across the border to invade England!! Lol

I got a satellite dish and box set up from ALDI for £60. Works fine and I can get all the ITV and BBC regional programs along with 500 or 600 other stations from 6 pre set satellites. A one of payment and the quality is great.

That's interesting... we've got an Aldi quite nearby. If it isn't a daft question, how do you know which way to point the dish (or do you just look at the way everyone else's is pointing?) Also - again, hope it's not too daft - does it have to be positioned above a certain level from the ground? Most around here, seem to be on roofs or fairly high up the pine end.

 

[itsme]

Itsme, hee hee, I didn't mean to cause a Welsh uprising

I did

... but yes, I think it is quite mad whenever I hear of the vast sums being spent on un-necessary forms of bilingualism. If people want to use the language to chat and communicate, then fine, but it produces a heck of a lot of waste, when bills or other "paper communications" are automatically printed in both English and Welsh.

Yes and I throw the Welsh version away bin it man bin it

So okay, we have a TV channel (S4C) which is dedicated to all things Welsh - it only shows a few of the programmes shown on Channel 4, and those are often shown at peculiar times. I wonder why the Welsh culture show thingy couldn't have been aired on S4C, where it might actually have found an appreciative audience?

I never watch S4C its crap I cant understand what they say

Makes one feel like sneaking across the border to invade England!! Lol

Ummm yes we did that once both of us

 

[nivrip]

Makes one feel like sneaking across the border to invade England!! Lol

Please don't, TC. We would all have to watch the Welsh Culture Show

And probably have to learn Welsh.

 

[Taffycat]

Oh Niv, as if I'd subject you to that which I'm escaping from

 

[Abarbarian]

Oh Niv, as if I'd subject you to that which I'm escaping from

Nivrip, don't trust her, she 'll seduce you with her lava bread and then whack you with her leeks.

 

[cirianz]

(sorry, OT I know, but) I have to agree with itsme as well on this one too, we are busy doing the same thing over here with the Maori language/culture thing. A LOT of taxpayers dollars spent on things that no one (not even most maori, except unfortunately, for the outspoken, politically active and perpetually offended minority) really gives a sh*t about, now they're trying to institute a 'parallel legal system' and don't even get me started on that one!
One of the things I find personally funny though is all of those politicians, in random outbursts of tokenism, trying to be politically correct and kiss maori voter (_,_) can't even get it right. They keep trying to change Otago and all things otago back to their 'original' maori spelling of Otakou. Completely ignoring the fact that, unlike North island maori, South island maori does have a "g" in it and Otago is the correct maori spelling. You can imagine that SI Maori are just thrilled to know just how much the govt really cares about them and are rushing out to vote for them in droves lol.

 

[Taffycat]

Nivrip, don't trust her, she 'll seduce you with her lava bread and then whack you with her leeks.

Who grassed me up??

Hi Cirianz - isn't it just typical - something similar happened here at the end of last year, when someone got the road signage translation from English into Welsh all wrong. I think "tokenism" describes it perfectly.

 

[Abarbarian]

Who grassed me up??

Hi Cirianz - isn't it just typical - something similar happened here at the end of last year, when someone got the road signage translation from English into Welsh all wrong. I think "tokenism" describes it perfectly.

This "tokenism" is that the same as "Tolkienism" over in NZ ?? I'm confused

 

[Taffycat]

This "tokenism" is that the same as "Tolkienism" over in NZ ?? I'm confused

Oh yes, it is when it incorporates the Ents

 

[Abarbarian]

(waves white flag) and runs away from the Ent friend.