21.12.14 Today's Television

Channel 5 is rarely responsible for any decent (or responsible) broadcasting, and generally serves up shit on a shovel for viewers silly enough to arrive at its tuning frequency.  Nevertheless, it does at least act in an up-front manner in clarifying its intentions when airing a sequence of films starring the same lead actor.  Thus, there is design in the schedule that sees Clint Eastwood (even if the guy gets a ludicrous amount of special attention) featuring in a fun of films.  Thus, Channel 5 is showing Space Cowboys, Gran Torino and Unforgiven tonight.

Over on Film4, which never succumbs to evenings of a sole lead actor taking precedence over supposedly good films being show, we have a rather pointless schedule that commenced at 4.35pm, when Dear John commenced, starring Channing Tatum, a most unusual and annoying name, you'll no doubt agree.  This is followed by Step Up, again starring the oddly names bloke, ahead of Magic Mike at 9pm, with, yes, Channing Tatum.  Two days ago, Channel 4 was showing 10 Years, starring Channing Tatum, which I watched. I am a bit fed up with Channing Tatum and so will be avoiding Film4 today.

ITV4 has opted for Spartacus this afternoon, consuming 3 hours and 50 minutes of the schedule.  The main channel (ITV) thinks it appropriate to give us a "Christmas Special" of Vicious.  This horrendous act is simply outrageous, but there is a single mitigating factor - it is on at 11.15pm, when I'll NOT be watching.

The remakes, repeats and refuse littering the TV listings meant that very little can be deemed 'viewable'.  The three-hour joviality line-up on 5* is hardly attractive.  From 9pm until midnight, there's a chance to see Autopsy, and Whitney Houston's Last Hours, then those same last hours in respect of Michael Hutchence, ahead of the final in which Anna Nicole Smith shared (posthumously) her last moments alive via a documentary.  A dead loss.

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