Bizarrely, I don't think it is unsustainable. It is stupid, but surely this is the whole point of a free vote on the government side? He didn't want to extend, was allowed to say so, but now must commit to delivering the will of parliament.
And for odd political stances it is hard to top Tsipras in Greece telling his parliament that he disagreed with what he was asking them to do, that he thought it would not help, but that they must do it. Which worked, by the way. In fairness he was left with little choice
Alice in Wonderland time. See also "Following the votes, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reiterated his support for a further referendum after earlier ordering his MPs not to vote for one."
I don't quite understand the votes last night - haven't looked properly. If No Deal was only rejected by a small majority, and is not legally binding as a vote, the Government could tough it out and leave without a deal if it wanted to (i.e. there would still be a government left if it did so).
Bizarrely, I don't think it is unsustainable. It is stupid, but surely this is the whole point of a free vote on the government side? He didn't want to extend, was allowed to say so, but now must commit to delivering the will of parliament.
And for odd political stances it is hard to top Tsipras in Greece telling his parliament that he disagreed with what he was asking them to do, that he thought it would not help, but that they must do it. Which worked, by the way. In fairness he was left with little choice
Don't mention Tsipras. Bottled it, pure and simple.
Bizarrely, I don't think it is unsustainable. It is stupid, but surely this is the whole point of a free vote on the government side? He didn't want to extend, was allowed to say so, but now must commit to delivering the will of parliament.
And for odd political stances it is hard to top Tsipras in Greece telling his parliament that he disagreed with what he was asking them to do, that he thought it would not help, but that they must do it. Which worked, by the way. In fairness he was left with little choice
Don't mention Tsipras. Bottled it, pure and simple.
Interesting to compare the excellent Laura kuenssberg with the less than excellent Robert Peston who coveted the same political editor's job and on the surface seemed a more obvious choice.....
.....Never doubt Auntie knows best.
I can remember when you were reassuring us that “Auntie knew best”, and the “BBC would easily reinvent Top Gear without Jeremy Clarkson, he was just a buffoon, the format was the crucial thing, blah blah”
That prediction aged well, didn’t it? Is Top Gear even a thing any more?
Given that Clarkson didn’t do that well with Amazon, emulating Morecombe and Wise after they went to ITV, I don’t think the BBC lost anything much. Top Gear was tired. Amazon needed it more than the Beeb.
So you missed this bit then
“The trio now hosts "The Grand Tour" on Amazon Prime Video, which instantly became one of the streaming service's MOST POPULAR SHOWS as the ratings for "Top Gear" plummetted.“
I actually have some insider knowledge here. My wife’s stepmum, bizarrely, is the producer of The Grand Tour. It has been a massive hit for Prime - in terms of harvesting subscribers, which is what Bezos wanted. Bezos has used Clarkson and Co the way Murdoch once used football to boost Sky.
It varies a lot, but when they're on form they're as good as they were on the Beeb if not better, and they clearly have a bigger budget to play with. I saw a report that they're already filming the next season which will be entirely "specials" where the entire episode is dedicated to their shenanigans in some exotic locale - is that true?
I thought the latest series was the best on Prime, and almost as good as the very best throughout the BBC era, and probably more consistent. And better to watch because higher production values.
They are shifting to specials - so I am quite reliably told - just because they are bored of the Top Gear live audience format. And the specials are more popular anyway.
One of the real joys of The Grand Tour is watching it in 4k/Ultra HD.
Visually it is stunning meanwhile the BBC still broadcast in normal HD.
Interesting that Khan seems to be somewhat floundering. Puts the phrases incompetent-Tory and competent-Socialist into perspective.
Khan is utterly useless. I cannot think of a single proactive thing he has done, apart from cancel a possibly lovely bridge. He has presided over a palpable increase in crime, and various disasters at TfL, like Crossrail.
Sadly he will be very easily re-elected. The Tory hasn’t got a hope.
Interesting to compare the excellent Laura kuenssberg with the less than excellent Robert Peston who coveted the same political editor's job and on the surface seemed a more obvious choice.....
.....Never doubt Auntie knows best.
I can remember when you were reassuring us that “Auntie knew best”, and the “BBC would easily reinvent Top Gear without Jeremy Clarkson, he was just a buffoon, the format was the crucial thing, blah blah”
That prediction aged well, didn’t it? Is Top Gear even a thing any more?
Given that Clarkson didn’t do that well with Amazon, emulating Morecombe and Wise after they went to ITV, I don’t think the BBC lost anything much. Top Gear was tired. Amazon needed it more than the Beeb.
So you missed this bit then
“The trio now hosts "The Grand Tour" on Amazon Prime Video, which instantly became one of the streaming service's MOST POPULAR SHOWS as the ratings for "Top Gear" plummetted.“
I actually have some insider knowledge here. My wife’s stepmum, bizarrely, is the producer of The Grand Tour. It has been a massive hit for Prime - in terms of harvesting subscribers, which is what Bezos wanted. Bezos has used Clarkson and Co the way Murdoch once used football to boost Sky.
It varies a lot, but when they're on form they're as good as they were on the Beeb if not better, and they clearly have a bigger budget to play with. I saw a report that they're already filming the next season which will be entirely "specials" where the entire episode is dedicated to their shenanigans in some exotic locale - is that true?
I thought the latest series was the best on Prime, and almost as good as the very best throughout the BBC era, and probably more consistent. And better to watch because higher production values.
They are shifting to specials - so I am quite reliably told - just because they are bored of the Top Gear live audience format. And the specials are more popular anyway.
One of the real joys of The Grand Tour is watching it in 4k/Ultra HD.
Visually it is stunning meanwhile the BBC still broadcast in normal HD.
The greatest joy is not having to watch it at all.
Interesting that Khan seems to be somewhat floundering. Puts the phrases incompetent-Tory and competent-Socialist into perspective.
Khan is utterly useless. I cannot think of a single proactive thing he has done, apart from cancel a possibly lovely bridge. He has presided over a palpable increase in crime, and various disasters at TfL, like Crossrail.
Sadly he will be very easily re-elected. The Tory hasn’t got a hope.
Tories should stand aside to make it a clear Labour - Tigger contest.
Interesting to compare the excellent Laura kuenssberg with the less than excellent Robert Peston who coveted the same political editor's job and on the surface seemed a more obvious choice.....
.....Never doubt Auntie knows best.
I can remember when you were reassuring us that “Auntie knew best”, and the “BBC would easily reinvent Top Gear without Jeremy Clarkson, he was just a buffoon, the format was the crucial thing, blah blah”
That prediction aged well, didn’t it? Is Top Gear even a thing any more?
Given that Clarkson didn’t do that well with Amazon, emulating Morecombe and Wise after they went to ITV, I don’t think the BBC lost anything much. Top Gear was tired. Amazon needed it more than the Beeb.
So you missed this bit then
“The trio now hosts "The Grand Tour" on Amazon Prime Video, which instantly became one of the streaming service's MOST POPULAR SHOWS as the ratings for "Top Gear" plummetted.“
I actually have some insider knowledge here. My wife’s stepmum, bizarrely, is the producer of The Grand Tour. It has been a massive hit for Prime - in terms of harvesting subscribers, which is what Bezos wanted. Bezos has used Clarkson and Co the way Murdoch once used football to boost Sky.
Amazons MOST POPULAR SHOWS is not an impressive thing despite the caps. It’s the same as Morecombe and Wise cashing it in on ITV in the early eighties.
“With this in mind, The Grand Tour actually turns out to be Amazon's best show at getting new subscribers to its Prime services, with a 'cost per first stream' of $49 compared to The Man in the High Castle's $63.”
You don’t understand TV, you don’t understand streaming, you don’t understand what amazon Prine are doing, you don’t understand anything about this. You’re a loyal BBC license payer in the age of Netflix.
Says the guy bragging the other day about his BBC rights offer. I know more than you think.
Interesting that Khan seems to be somewhat floundering. Puts the phrases incompetent-Tory and competent-Socialist into perspective.
Khan is utterly useless. I cannot think of a single proactive thing he has done, apart from cancel a possibly lovely bridge. He has presided over a palpable increase in crime, and various disasters at TfL, like Crossrail.
Sadly he will be very easily re-elected. The Tory hasn’t got a hope.
Tories should stand aside to make it a clear Labour - Tigger contest.
That’s actually a good idea. An all out Remainer Tigger - Umunna? - would have a chance against Khan. The Tory doesn’t. London is a VERY Remainery place, and Khan might be personally Remain, but he is in a party led by a Leaver, so he is hamstrung.
I don't quite understand the votes last night - haven't looked properly. If No Deal was only rejected by a small majority, and is not legally binding as a vote, the Government could tough it out and leave without a deal if it wanted to (i.e. there would still be a government left if it did so).
Last nights vote was more important than tonight’s in terms if seeing where MPs really sit in terms of intentions .
Some Tories tonight realized the motion was easily going to carry and could just show their Leave credentials even though over half of those still want to leave with a deal .
Last night the government whipped against that’s when you find out just how many won’t wear a no deal .
If the government went ahead and said the policy was to leave with no deal , there’d be a host of resignations from cabinet , resignations of the whip , and defections .
Interesting that Khan seems to be somewhat floundering. Puts the phrases incompetent-Tory and competent-Socialist into perspective.
Khan is utterly useless. I cannot think of a single proactive thing he has done, apart from cancel a possibly lovely bridge. He has presided over a palpable increase in crime, and various disasters at TfL, like Crossrail.
Sadly he will be very easily re-elected. The Tory hasn’t got a hope.
Perhaps we need a Party which doesn't close Police stations to flog them off for capital receipts and a Party which doesn't actively reduce Police numbers and then makes the claim reducing Police numbers has no impact on crime.
Interesting to compare the excellent Laura kuenssberg with the less than excellent Robert Peston who coveted the same political editor's job and on the surface seemed a more obvious choice.....
.....Never doubt Auntie knows best.
I can remember when you were reassuring us that “Auntie knew best”, and the “BBC would easily reinvent Top Gear without Jeremy Clarkson, he was just a buffoon, the format was the crucial thing, blah blah”
That prediction aged well, didn’t it? Is Top Gear even a thing any more?
Given that Clarkson didn’t do that well with Amazon, emulating Morecombe and Wise after they went to ITV, I don’t think the BBC lost anything much. Top Gear was tired. Amazon needed it more than the Beeb.
So you missed this bit then
“The trio now hosts "The Grand Tour" on Amazon Prime Video, which instantly became one of the streaming service's MOST POPULAR SHOWS as the ratings for "Top Gear" plummetted.“
I actually have some insider knowledge here. My wife’s stepmum, bizarrely, is the producer of The Grand Tour. It has been a massive hit for Prime - in terms of harvesting subscribers, which is what Bezos wanted. Bezos has used Clarkson and Co the way Murdoch once used football to boost Sky.
Amazons MOST POPULAR SHOWS is not an impressive thing despite the caps. It’s the same as Morecombe and Wise cashing it in on ITV in the early eighties.
“With this in mind, The Grand Tour actually turns out to be Amazon's best show at getting new subscribers to its Prime services, with a 'cost per first stream' of $49 compared to The Man in the High Castle's $63.”
You don’t understand TV, you don’t understand streaming, you don’t understand what amazon Prine are doing, you don’t understand anything about this. You’re a loyal BBC license payer in the age of Netflix.
Says the guy bragging the other day about his BBC rights offer. I know more than you think.
Actually the BBC’s interest in ICE TWINS has been trumped by a new, much larger offer from Hollywood, who have come back for a second bite of the cherry. They have a script and a director and they want to start filming this Autumn.
We shall see. I’m not popping the champagne (well I am, because the option money is very nice, but you know what I mean),
Interesting to compare the excellent Laura kuenssberg with the less than excellent Robert Peston who coveted the same political editor's job and on the surface seemed a more obvious choice.....
.....Never doubt Auntie knows best.
I can remember when you were reassuring us that “Auntie knew best”, and the “BBC would easily reinvent Top Gear without Jeremy Clarkson, he was just a buffoon, the format was the crucial thing, blah blah”
That prediction aged well, didn’t it? Is Top Gear even a thing any more?
Given that Clarkson didn’t do that well with Amazon, emulating Morecombe and Wise after they went to ITV, I don’t think the BBC lost anything much. Top Gear was tired. Amazon needed it more than the Beeb.
So you missed this bit then
“The trio now hosts "The Grand Tour" on Amazon Prime Video, which instantly became one of the streaming service's MOST POPULAR SHOWS as the ratings for "Top Gear" plummetted.“
I actually have some insider knowledge here. My wife’s stepmum, bizarrely, is the producer of The Grand Tour. It has been a massive hit for Prime - in terms of harvesting subscribers, which is what Bezos wanted. Bezos has used Clarkson and Co the way Murdoch once used football to boost Sky.
It varies a lot, but when they're on form they're as good as they were on the Beeb if not better, and they clearly have a bigger budget to play with. I saw a report that they're already filming the next season which will be entirely "specials" where the entire episode is dedicated to their shenanigans in some exotic locale - is that true?
I thought the latest series was the best on Prime, and almost as good as the very best throughout the BBC era, and probably more consistent. And better to watch because higher production values.
They are shifting to specials - so I am quite reliably told - just because they are bored of the Top Gear live audience format. And the specials are more popular anyway.
One of the real joys of The Grand Tour is watching it in 4k/Ultra HD.
Visually it is stunning meanwhile the BBC still broadcast in normal HD.
The greatest joy is not having to watch it at all.
I watched a couple at the beginning, but it got pretty dull and formulaic quickly.
Maybe the foreigners like it, but it seems to have disappeared from UK consciousness.
Interesting that Khan seems to be somewhat floundering. Puts the phrases incompetent-Tory and competent-Socialist into perspective.
Khan is utterly useless. I cannot think of a single proactive thing he has done, apart from cancel a possibly lovely bridge. He has presided over a palpable increase in crime, and various disasters at TfL, like Crossrail.
Sadly he will be very easily re-elected. The Tory hasn’t got a hope.
Perhaps we need a Party which doesn't close Police stations to flog them off for capital receipts and a Party which doesn't actively reduce Police numbers and then makes the claim reducing Police numbers has no impact on crime.
That lets out the Tories, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Greens, and SNP.
Your remaining choices appear to be Plaid, the DUP, the Monster Raving Loonies or start your own.
Interesting that Khan seems to be somewhat floundering. Puts the phrases incompetent-Tory and competent-Socialist into perspective.
Khan is utterly useless. I cannot think of a single proactive thing he has done, apart from cancel a possibly lovely bridge. He has presided over a palpable increase in crime, and various disasters at TfL, like Crossrail.
Sadly he will be very easily re-elected. The Tory hasn’t got a hope.
I still hope Lord Sugar runs as an Independent, he is a Remainer but centrist with huge name recognition, cash, business skills and a tough reputation, he also is no fan of Khan and I think could beat him, certainly in the suburbs using the Boris doughnut strategy to win
I was round visiting my mum earlier and we put the votes on in the background. Was trying to explain to her what it meant to be voting on an amendment to an amendment to a motion, and that it was going to take the best part of an hour to work its way through. She looked at me as if I was mad.
To be honest it was hard to disagree with that assessment.
I can remember when you were reassuring us that “Auntie knew best”, and the “BBC would easily reinvent Top Gear without Jeremy Clarkson, he was just a buffoon, the format was the crucial thing, blah blah”
That prediction aged well, didn’t it? Is Top Gear even a thing any more?
Given that Clarkson didn’t do that well with Amazon, emulating Morecombe and Wise after they went to ITV, I don’t think the BBC lost anything much. Top Gear was tired. Amazon needed it more than the Beeb.
So you missed this bit then
“The trio now hosts "The Grand Tour" on Amazon Prime Video, which instantly became one of the streaming service's MOST POPULAR SHOWS as the ratings for "Top Gear" plummetted.“
I actually have some insider knowledge here. My wife’s stepmum, bizarrely, is the producer of The Grand Tour. It has been a massive hit for Prime - in terms of harvesting subscribers, which is what Bezos wanted. Bezos has used Clarkson and Co the way Murdoch once used football to boost Sky.
It varies a lot, but when they're on form they're as good as they were on the Beeb if not better, and they clearly have a bigger budget to play with. I saw a report that they're already filming the next season which will be entirely "specials" where the entire episode is dedicated to their shenanigans in some exotic locale - is that true?
I thought the latest series was the best on Prime, and almost as good as the very best throughout the BBC era, and probably more consistent. And better to watch because higher production values.
They are shifting to specials - so I am quite reliably told - just because they are bored of the Top Gear live audience format. And the specials are more popular anyway.
One of the real joys of The Grand Tour is watching it in 4k/Ultra HD.
Visually it is stunning meanwhile the BBC still broadcast in normal HD.
The greatest joy is not having to watch it at all.
I watched a couple at the beginning, but it got pretty dull and formulaic quickly.
Maybe the foreigners like it, but it seems to have disappeared from UK consciousness.
Interesting to compare the excellent Laura kuenssberg with the less than excellent Robert Peston who coveted the same political editor's job and on the surface seemed a more obvious choice.....
.....Never doubt Auntie knows best.
I can remember when you were reassuring us that “Auntie knew best”, and the “BBC would easily reinvent Top Gear without Jeremy Clarkson, he was just a buffoon, the format was the crucial thing, blah blah”
That prediction aged well, didn’t it? Is Top Gear even a thing any more?
Given that Clarkson didn’t do that well with Amazon, emulating Morecombe and Wise after they went to ITV, I don’t think the BBC lost anything much. Top Gear was tired. Amazon needed it more than the Beeb.
So you missed this bit then
“The trio now hosts "The Grand Tour" on Amazon Prime Video, which instantly became one of the streaming service's MOST POPULAR SHOWS as the ratings for "Top Gear" plummetted.“
It varies a lot, but when they're on form they're as good as they were on the Beeb if not better, and they clearly have a bigger budget to play with. I saw a report that they're already filming the next season which will be entirely "specials" where the entire episode is dedicated to their shenanigans in some exotic locale - is that true?
I thought the latest series was the best on Prime, and almost as good as the very best throughout the BBC era, and probably more consistent. And better to watch because higher production values.
They are shifting to specials - so I am quite reliably told - just because they are bored of the Top Gear live audience format. And the specials are more popular anyway.
One of the real joys of The Grand Tour is watching it in 4k/Ultra HD.
Visually it is stunning meanwhile the BBC still broadcast in normal HD.
The greatest joy is not having to watch it at all.
I watched a couple at the beginning, but it got pretty dull and formulaic quickly.
Maybe the foreigners like it, but it seems to have disappeared from UK consciousness.
It’s tired, but just about viable to milk it before it gets sad. They had a good run, but should have packed it in by now.
Interesting that Khan seems to be somewhat floundering. Puts the phrases incompetent-Tory and competent-Socialist into perspective.
Khan is utterly useless. I cannot think of a single proactive thing he has done, apart from cancel a possibly lovely bridge. He has presided over a palpable increase in crime, and various disasters at TfL, like Crossrail.
Sadly he will be very easily re-elected. The Tory hasn’t got a hope.
Khan has done nothing either positive or negative wrt. Crossrail.
He’s been an entirely passive spectator to it throughout, and totally irrelevant except politically.
Interesting that Khan seems to be somewhat floundering. Puts the phrases incompetent-Tory and competent-Socialist into perspective.
Khan is utterly useless. I cannot think of a single proactive thing he has done, apart from cancel a possibly lovely bridge. He has presided over a palpable increase in crime, and various disasters at TfL, like Crossrail.
Sadly he will be very easily re-elected. The Tory hasn’t got a hope.
Tories should stand aside to make it a clear Labour - Tigger contest.
That’s actually a good idea. An all out Remainer Tigger - Umunna? - would have a chance against Khan. The Tory doesn’t. London is a VERY Remainery place, and Khan might be personally Remain, but he is in a party led by a Leaver, so he is hamstrung.
Khan is hardly a Corbynite, indeed has been quite critical.
He will be re-elected. Maybe he is no great shakes, but after the Brexit fiasco, the Tories are going to be toxic in London.
Interesting that Khan seems to be somewhat floundering. Puts the phrases incompetent-Tory and competent-Socialist into perspective.
Khan is utterly useless. I cannot think of a single proactive thing he has done, apart from cancel a possibly lovely bridge. He has presided over a palpable increase in crime, and various disasters at TfL, like Crossrail.
Sadly he will be very easily re-elected. The Tory hasn’t got a hope.
Tories should stand aside to make it a clear Labour - Tigger contest.
That’s actually a good idea. An all out Remainer Tigger - Umunna? - would have a chance against Khan. The Tory doesn’t. London is a VERY Remainery place, and Khan might be personally Remain, but he is in a party led by a Leaver, so he is hamstrung.
Interesting to compare the excellent Laura kuenssberg with the less than excellent Robert Peston who coveted the same political editor's job and on the surface seemed a more obvious choice.....
.....Never doubt Auntie knows best.
I can remember when you were reassuring us that “Auntie knew best”, and the “BBC would easily reinvent Top Gear without Jeremy Clarkson, he was just a buffoon, the format was the crucial thing, blah blah”
That prediction aged well, didn’t it? Is Top Gear even a thing any more?
Given that Clarkson didn’t do that well with Amazon, emulating Morecombe and Wise after they went to ITV, I don’t think the BBC lost anything much. Top Gear was tired. Amazon needed it more than the Beeb.
So you missed this bit tboost Sky.
It varies - is that true?
I thought the latest series was the best on Prime, and almost as good as the very best throughout the BBC era, and probably more consistent. And better to watch because higher production values.
They are shifting to specials - so I am quite reliably told - just because they are bored of the Top Gear live audience format. And the specials are more popular anyway.
One of the real joys of The Grand Tour is watching it in 4k/Ultra HD.
Visually it is stunning meanwhile the BBC still broadcast in normal HD.
The greatest joy is not having to watch it at all.
I watched a couple at the beginning, but it got pretty dull and formulaic quickly.
Maybe the foreigners like it, but it seems to have disappeared from UK consciousness.
It has boosted Prime subscribers across the worlds, in their squillions, so yes I think we can presume it has done well - and it has done exactly what Bezos intended.
Also the first season was crap. It gets much better.
There is a larger point here. Netflix, Prime and HBO have so much money, compared to the BBC, ITV, C4, they will now dominate in the British market, and they will buy up any successful British TV shows, for streaming. This is a real and present menace to British TV ongoing. I think the BBC are aware of it, hence the Britbox ideas, but I’m not sure the BBC’s plans will work.
I can - sadly - see the BBC basically dying within 10 years. If no one watches its shows because everyone is streaming Netflix, and Prime, then there will be no justification for the licence fee. Game over.
I can remember when you were reassuring us that “Auntie knew best”, and the “BBC would easily reinvent Top Gear without Jeremy Clarkson, he was just a buffoon, the format was the crucial thing, blah blah”
That prediction aged well, didn’t it? Is Top Gear even a thing any more?
Given that Clarkson didn’t do that well with Amazon, emulating Morecombe and Wise after they went to ITV, I don’t think the BBC lost anything much. Top Gear was tired. Amazon needed it more than the Beeb.
So you missed this bit then
“The trio now hosts "The Grand Tour" on Amazon Prime Video, which instantly became one of the streaming service's MOST POPULAR SHOWS as the ratings for "Top Gear" plummetted.“
I actually have some insider knowledge here. My wife’s stepmum, bizarrely, is the producer of The Grand Tour. It has been a massive hit for Prime - in terms of harvesting subscribers, which is what Bezos wanted. Bezos has used Clarkson and Co the way Murdoch once used football to boost Sky.
It varies a lot, but when they're on form they're as good as they were on the Beeb if not better, and they clearly have a bigger budget to play with. I saw a report that they're already filming the next season which will be entirely "specials" where the entire episode is dedicated to their shenanigans in some exotic locale - is that true?
I thought the latest series was the best on Prime, and almost as good as the very best throughout the BBC era, and probably more consistent. And better to watch because higher production values.
They are shifting to specials - so I am quite reliably told - just because they are bored of the Top Gear live audience format. And the specials are more popular anyway.
One of the real joys of The Grand Tour is watching it in 4k/Ultra HD.
Visually it is stunning meanwhile the BBC still broadcast in normal HD.
The greatest joy is not having to watch it at all.
I watched a couple at the beginning, but it got pretty dull and formulaic quickly.
Maybe the foreigners like it, but it seems to have disappeared from UK consciousness.
Interesting that Khan seems to be somewhat floundering. Puts the phrases incompetent-Tory and competent-Socialist into perspective.
Khan is utterly useless. I cannot think of a single proactive thing he has done, apart from cancel a possibly lovely bridge. He has presided over a palpable increase in crime, and various disasters at TfL, like Crossrail.
Sadly he will be very easily re-elected. The Tory hasn’t got a hope.
Khan has done nothing either positive or negative wrt. Crossrail.
He’s been an entirely passive spectator to it throughout, and totally irrelevant except politically.
Interesting that Khan seems to be somewhat floundering. Puts the phrases incompetent-Tory and competent-Socialist into perspective.
Khan is utterly useless. I cannot think of a single proactive thing he has done, apart from cancel a possibly lovely bridge. He has presided over a palpable increase in crime, and various disasters at TfL, like Crossrail.
Sadly he will be very easily re-elected. The Tory hasn’t got a hope.
Tories should stand aside to make it a clear Labour - Tigger contest.
That’s actually a good idea. An all out Remainer Tigger - Umunna? - would have a chance against Khan. The Tory doesn’t. London is a VERY Remainery place, and Khan might be personally Remain, but he is in a party led by a Leaver, so he is hamstrung.
That lets out the Tories, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Greens, and SNP.
Your remaining choices appear to be Plaid, the DUP, the Monster Raving Loonies or start your own.
I can't speak for other areas but in London the Police stations were closed and the Police numbers cut by the Conservative Mayor, Boris Johnson who, as part of his power-grab, took over control of the Police.
It's not well known Boris took far more personal control for London affairs into the Mayor's office than Ken Livingstone ever did. Where I will criticise Sadiq is his unwillingness to surrender power from the Mayor's office back to the Boroughs or to the GLA.
Interesting to compare the excellent Laura kuenssberg with the less than excellent Robert Peston who coveted the same political editor's job and on the surface seemed a more obvious choice.....
.....Never doubt Auntie knows best.
I can remember when you were reassuring us that “Auntie knew best”, and the “BBC would easily reinvent Top Gear without Jeremy Clarkson, he was just a buffoon, the format was the crucial thing, blah blah”
That prediction aged well, didn’t it? Is Top Gear even a thing any more?
Given that Clarkson didn’t do that well with Amazon, emulating Morecombe and Wise after they went to ITV, I don’t think the BBC lost anything much. Top Gear was tired. Amazon needed it more than the Beeb.
So you missed this bit tboost Sky.
It varies - is that true?
They are shifting to specials - so I am quite reliably told - just because they are bored of the Top Gear live audience format. And the specials are more popular anyway.
One of the real joys of The Grand Tour is watching it in 4k/Ultra HD.
Visually it is stunning meanwhile the BBC still broadcast in normal HD.
The greatest joy is not having to watch it at all.
I watched a couple at the beginning, but it got pretty dull and formulaic quickly.
Maybe the foreigners like it, but it seems to have disappeared from UK consciousness.
It has boosted Prime subscribers across the worlds, in their squillions, so yes I think we can presume it has done well - and it has done exactly what Bezos intended.
Also the first season was crap. It gets much better.
There is a larger point here. Netflix, Prime and HBO have so much money, compared to the BBC, ITV, C4, they will now dominate in the British market, and they will buy up any successful British TV shows, for streaming. This is a real and present menace to British TV ongoing. I think the BBC are aware of it, hence the Britbox ideas, but I’m not sure the BBC’s plans will work.
I can - sadly - see the BBC basically dying within 10 years. If no one watches its shows because everyone is streaming Netflix, and Prime, then there will be no justification for the licence fee. Game over.
Netflix/Amazon are more dangerous to Sky. The BBC does have problems, but this is just the latest in a long line of things that were going to kill it.
Interesting to compare the excellent Laura kuenssberg with the less than excellent Robert Peston who coveted the same political editor's job and on the surface seemed a more obvious choice.....
.....Never doubt Auntie knows best.
I can remember when you were reassuring us that “Auntie knew best”, and the “BBC would easily reinvent Top Gear without Jeremy Clarkson, he was just a buffoon, the format was the crucial thing, blah blah”
That prediction aged well, didn’t it? Is Top Gear even a thing any more?
Given that Clarkson didn’t do that well with Amazon, emulating Morecombe and Wise after they went to ITV, I don’t think the BBC lost anything much. Top Gear was tired. Amazon needed it more than the Beeb.
So you missed this bit tboost Sky.
It varies - is that true?
I thought the latest series was the best on Prime, and almost as good as the very best throughout the BBC era, and probably more consistent. And better to watch because higher production values.
They are shifting to specials - so I am quite reliably told - just because they are bored of the Top Gear live audience format. And the specials are more popular anyway.
One of the real joys of The Grand Tour is watching it in 4k/Ultra HD.
Visually it is stunning meanwhile the BBC still broadcast in normal HD.
The greatest joy is not having to watch it at all.
I watched a couple at the beginning, but it got pretty dull and formulaic quickly.
Maybe the foreigners like it, but it seems to have disappeared from UK consciousness.
I can - sadly - see the BBC basically dying within 10 years. If no one watches its shows because everyone is streaming Netflix, and Prime, then there will be no justification for the licence fee. Game over.
I have no idea if that will be its fate, but I honestly cannot remember the last time I watched something on the BBC. I'm aware they've had some mini series which were popular, but there's just so much more available elsewhere. I get most of my news from the BBC though.
I can remember when you were reassuring us that “Auntie knew best”, and the “BBC would easily reinvent Top Gear without Jeremy Clarkson, he was just a buffoon, the format was the crucial thing, blah blah”
That prediction aged well, didn’t it? Is Top Gear even a thing any more?
Given that Clarkson didn’t do that well with Amazon, emulating Morecombe and Wise after they went to ITV, I don’t think the BBC lost anything much. Top Gear was tired. Amazon needed it more than the Beeb.
So you missed this bit tboost Sky.
It varies - is that true?
I thought the latest series was the best on Prime, and almost as good as the very best throughout the BBC era, and probably more consistent. And better to watch because higher production values.
They are shifting to specials - so I am quite reliably told - just because they are bored of the Top Gear live audience format. And the specials are more popular anyway.
One of the real joys of The Grand Tour is watching it in 4k/Ultra HD.
Visually it is stunning meanwhile the BBC still broadcast in normal HD.
The greatest joy is not having to watch it at all.
I watched a couple at the beginning, but it got pretty dull and formulaic quickly.
Maybe the foreigners like it, but it seems to have disappeared from UK consciousness.
It has boosted Prime subscribers across the worlds, in their squillions, so yes I think we can presume it has done well - and it has done exactly what Bezos intended.
Also the first season was crap. It gets much better.
There is a larger point here. Netflix, Prime and HBO have so much money, compared to the BBC, ITV, C4, they will now dominate in the British market, and they will buy up any successful British TV shows, for streaming. This is a real and present menace to British TV ongoing. I think the BBC are aware of it, hence the Britbox ideas, but I’m not sure the BBC’s plans will work.
I can - sadly - see the BBC basically dying within 10 years. If no one watches its shows because everyone is streaming Netflix, and Prime, then there will be no justification for the licence fee. Game over.
Another thing which is hitting British TV hard is YouTube.
That lets out the Tories, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Greens, and SNP.
Your remaining choices appear to be Plaid, the DUP, the Monster Raving Loonies or start your own.
I can't speak for other areas but in London the Police stations were closed and the Police numbers cut by the Conservative Mayor, Boris Johnson who, as part of his power-grab, took over control of the Police.
It's not well known Boris took far more personal control for London affairs into the Mayor's office than Ken Livingstone ever did. Where I will criticise Sadiq is his unwillingness to surrender power from the Mayor's office back to the Boroughs or to the GLA.
I can speak for other areas.
Under Labour we lost our police station, fire service and ambulance. The nearest replacements were 25 miles away along a twisty road. And that wasn't in the Highlands or Snowdonia. It was in the Forest of Dean.
So I say again - you are short of options if that is your criteria.
Edit - btw, things are similar in Staffordshire as well.
Sean - Sadiq delivered the Night Tube. Unlike Boris who kept saying he would deliver it, but failed because he couldn’t make a deal in a card room.
OK, fair play. The Night Tube. I’m not sure how much credit he can really take, it was long in the planning, but it happened on his watch so OK.
However, and for the same reasons, the very palpable rise in crime - the new nervousness across London - which you can actually sense, in places, has also happened on his watch. And I think that entirely outweighs a few trains after midnight. London is a nastier city under Khan. I still love it, but it has an edginess I haven’t known for decades.
Interesting to compare the excellent Laura kuenssberg with the less than excellent Robert Peston who coveted the same political editor's job and on the surface seemed a more obvious choice.....
.....Never doubt Auntie knows best.
I can remember when you were reassuring us that “Auntie knew best”, and the “BBC would easily reinvent Top Gear without Jeremy Clarkson, he was just a buffoon, the format was the crucial thing, blah blah”
That prediction aged well, didn’t it? Is Top Gear even a thing any more?
Given that Clarkson didn’t do that well with Amazon, emulating Morecombe and Wise after they went to ITV, I don’t think the BBC lost anything much. Top Gear was tired. Amazon needed it more than the Beeb.
So you missed this bit tboost Sky.
It varies - is that true?
They are shifting to specials - so I am quite reliably told - just because they are bored of the Top Gear live audience format. And the specials are more popular anyway.
One of the real joys of The Grand Tour is watching it in 4k/Ultra HD.
Visually it is stunning meanwhile the BBC still broadcast in normal HD.
The greatest joy is not having to watch it at all.
I watched a couple at the beginning, but it got pretty dull and formulaic quickly.
Maybe the foreigners like it, but it seems to have disappeared from UK consciousness.
It has boosted Prime subscribers across the worlds, in their squillions, so yes I think we can presume it has done well - and it has done exactly what Bezos intended.
Also the first season was crap. It gets much better.
Netflix/Amazon are more dangerous to Sky. The BBC does have problems, but this is just the latest in a long line of things that were going to kill it.
Even BBC News is now unwatchable because of the horribly onside scoop-avoider Laura K. I barely watch the channel these days.
Interesting that Khan seems to be somewhat floundering. Puts the phrases incompetent-Tory and competent-Socialist into perspective.
Khan is utterly useless. I cannot think of a single proactive thing he has done, apart from cancel a possibly lovely bridge. He has presided over a palpable increase in crime, and various disasters at TfL, like Crossrail.
Sadly he will be very easily re-elected. The Tory hasn’t got a hope.
Tories should stand aside to make it a clear Labour - Tigger contest.
That’s actually a good idea. An all out Remainer Tigger - Umunna? - would have a chance against Khan. The Tory doesn’t. London is a VERY Remainery place, and Khan might be personally Remain, but he is in a party led by a Leaver, so he is hamstrung.
Interesting that Khan seems to be somewhat floundering. Puts the phrases incompetent-Tory and competent-Socialist into perspective.
Khan is utterly useless. I cannot think of a single proactive thing he has done, apart from cancel a possibly lovely bridge. He has presided over a palpable increase in crime, and various disasters at TfL, like Crossrail.
Sadly he will be very easily re-elected. The Tory hasn’t got a hope.
Tories should stand aside to make it a clear Labour - Tigger contest.
That’s actually a good idea. An all out Remainer Tigger - Umunna? - would have a chance against Khan. The Tory doesn’t. London is a VERY Remainery place, and Khan might be personally Remain, but he is in a party led by a Leaver, so he is hamstrung.
Khan is hardly a Corbynite, indeed has been quite critical.
He will be re-elected. Maybe he is no great shakes, but after the Brexit fiasco, the Tories are going to be toxic in London.
Sean - Sadiq delivered the Night Tube. Unlike Boris who kept saying he would deliver it, but failed because he couldn’t make a deal in a card room.
OK, fair play. The Night Tube. I’m not sure how much credit he can really take, it was long in the planning, but it happened on his watch so OK.
However, and for the same reasons, the very palpable rise in crime - the new nervousness across London - which you can actually sense, in places, has also happened on his watch. And I think that entirely outweighs a few trains after midnight. London is a nastier city under Khan. I still love it, but it has an edginess I haven’t known for decades.
That edginess and nastiness is a nationwide phenomenon. I felt it recently in Bristol, Nottingham, and Leicester.
The coarsening of British life is not just a London or internet thing.
Sean - Sadiq delivered the Night Tube. Unlike Boris who kept saying he would deliver it, but failed because he couldn’t make a deal in a card room.
OK, fair play. The Night Tube. I’m not sure how much credit he can really take, it was long in the planning, but it happened on his watch so OK.
However, and for the same reasons, the very palpable rise in crime - the new nervousness across London - which you can actually sense, in places, has also happened on his watch. And I think that entirely outweighs a few trains after midnight. London is a nastier city under Khan. I still love it, but it has an edginess I haven’t known for decades.
Interesting to compare the excellent Laura kuenssberg with the less than excellent Robert Peston who coveted the same political editor's job and on the surface seemed a more obvious choice.....
.....Never doubt Auntie knows best.
I can remember when you were reassuring us that “Auntie knew best”, and the “BBC would easily reinvent Top Gear without Jeremy Clarkson, he was just a buffoon, the format was the crucial thing, blah blah”
That prediction aged well, didn’t it? Is Top Gear even a thing any more?
Given that Clarkson didn’t do that well with Amazon, emulating Morecombe and Wise after they went to ITV, I don’t think the BBC lost anything much. Top Gear was tired. Amazon needed it more than the Beeb.
So you missed this bit then
“The trio now hosts "The Grand Tour" on Amazon Prime Video, which instantly became one of the streaming service's MOST POPULAR SHOWS as the ratings for "Top Gear" plummetted.“
I actually have some insider knowledge here. My wife’s stepmum, bizarrely, is the producer of The Grand Tour. It has been a massive hit for Prime - in terms of harvesting subscribers, which is what Bezos wanted. Bezos has used Clarkson and Co the way Murdoch once used football to boost Sky.
It varies a lot, but when they're on form they're as good as they were on the Beeb if not better, and they clearly have a bigger budget to play with. I saw a report that they're already filming the next season which will be entirely "specials" where the entire episode is dedicated to their shenanigans in some exotic locale - is that true?
I thought the latest series was the best on Prime, and almost as good as the very best throughout the BBC era, and probably more consistent. And better to watch because higher production values.
They are shifting to specials - so I am quite reliably told - just because they are bored of the Top Gear live audience format. And the specials are more popular anyway.
There is, I suppose, something admirable about staying essentially the same for a couple of decades, but I got bored of them. Production values or not. And the truth is, Prime TV is a bit second rate - which doesn’t matter much alongside the free shipping.
Interesting to compare the excellent Laura kuenssberg with the less than excellent Robert Peston who coveted the same political editor's job and on the surface seemed a more obvious choice.....
.....Never doubt Auntie knows best.
I can remember when you were reassuring us that “Auntie knew best”, and the “BBC would easily reinvent Top Gear without Jeremy Clarkson, he was just a buffoon, the format was the crucial thing, blah blah”
That prediction aged well, didn’t it? Is Top Gear even a thing any more?
They are shifting to specials - so I am quite reliably told - just because they are bored of the Top Gear live audience format. And the specials are more popular anyway.
One of the real joys of The Grand Tour is watching it in 4k/Ultra HD.
Visually it is stunning meanwhile the BBC still broadcast in normal HD.
The greatest joy is not having to watch it at all.
I watched a couple at the beginning, but it got pretty dull and formulaic quickly.
Maybe the foreigners like it, but it seems to have disappeared from UK consciousness.
It has
Netflix/Amazon are more dangerous to Sky. The BBC does have problems, but this is just the latest in a long line of things that were going to kill it.
Even BBC News is now unwatchable because of the horribly onside scoop-avoider Laura K. I barely watch the channel these days.
Me too. I basically stream Netflix and Prime, and buy the odd series from iTunes. That’s my TV.
The other day I thought: what do I get from the BBC, what do I actually consume. I worked out it was Masterchef, and sometimes the news. And very occasionally a decent drama series, like Bodyguard. I never listen to the radio anymore, I stream Spotify or Amazon music if I want to hear new stuff.
It’s getting close to the point when I could quite legally say: I don’t use it. I’m not paying the fee. I don’t think older people realize how close the BBC’s model is to total collapse. Kids won’t pay for it.
And much as I like to diss the BBC sometimes, its demise would be very sad. But I don’t know what they can do.
Interesting to compare the excellent Laura kuenssberg with the less than excellent Robert Peston who coveted the same political editor's job and on the surface seemed a more obvious choice.....
.....Never doubt Auntie knows best.
I can remember when you were reassuring us that “Auntie knew best”, and the “BBC would easily reinvent Top Gear without Jeremy Clarkson, he was just a buffoon, the format was the crucial thing, blah blah”
That prediction aged well, didn’t it? Is Top Gear even a thing any more?
Given that Clarkson didn’t do that well with Amazon, emulating Morecombe and Wise after they went to ITV, I don’t think the BBC lost anything much. Top Gear was tired. Amazon needed it more than the Beeb.
So you missed this bit then
“The trio now hosts "The Grand Tour" on Amazon Prime Video, which instantly became one of the streaming service's MOST POPULAR SHOWS as the ratings for "Top Gear" plummetted.“
I actually have some insider knowledge here. My wife’s stepmum, bizarrely, is the producer of The Grand Tour. It has been a massive hit for Prime - in terms of harvesting subscribers, which is what Bezos wanted. Bezos has used Clarkson and Co the way Murdoch once used football to boost Sky.
It varies a lot, but when they're on form they're as good as they were on the Beeb if not better, and they clearly have a bigger budget to play with. I saw a report that they're already filming the next season which will be entirely "specials" where the entire episode is dedicated to their shenanigans in some exotic locale - is that true?
I thought the latest series was the best on Prime, and almost as good as the very best throughout the BBC era, and probably more consistent. And better to watch because higher production values.
They are shifting to specials - so I am quite reliably told - just because they are bored of the Top Gear live audience format. And the specials are more popular anyway.
One of the real joys of The Grand Tour is watching it in 4k/Ultra HD.
Visually it is stunning meanwhile the BBC still broadcast in normal HD.
The greatest joy is not having to watch it at all.
Sean - Sadiq delivered the Night Tube. Unlike Boris who kept saying he would deliver it, but failed because he couldn’t make a deal in a card room.
OK, fair play. The Night Tube. I’m not sure how much credit he can really take, it was long in the planning, but it happened on his watch so OK.
However, and for the same reasons, the very palpable rise in crime - the new nervousness across London - which you can actually sense, in places, has also happened on his watch. And I think that entirely outweighs a few trains after midnight. London is a nastier city under Khan. I still love it, but it has an edginess I haven’t known for decades.
That edginess and nastiness is a nationwide phenomenon. I felt it recently in Bristol, Nottingham, and Leicester.
The coarsening of British life is not just a London or internet thing.
I genuinely haven’t noticed any difference. I live in the suburbs and work in town. Still a superb city and very, very safe by any reasonable global big city metric.
Sean - Sadiq delivered the Night Tube. Unlike Boris who kept saying he would deliver it, but failed because he couldn’t make a deal in a card room.
OK, fair play. The Night Tube. I’m not sure how much credit he can really take, it was long in the planning, but it happened on his watch so OK.
However, and for the same reasons, the very palpable rise in crime - the new nervousness across London - which you can actually sense, in places, has also happened on his watch. And I think that entirely outweighs a few trains after midnight. London is a nastier city under Khan. I still love it, but it has an edginess I haven’t known for decades.
That edginess and nastiness is a nationwide phenomenon. I felt it recently in Bristol, Nottingham, and Leicester.
The coarsening of British life is not just a London or internet thing.
LBC host Iain Dale says his favourite record is Cliff Richard's 'Miss You Nights'. (And people trust his opinions on stuff?)
That is so ridiculous that one suspects irony. I mean, it's not even Cliff's best song. Both Devil Woman and Carrie Doesn't Live Here Anymore are better, not to mention the one that is generally regarded as his seminal single - Wired For Sound.
Another thing which is hitting British TV hard is YouTube.
British broadcasters are in for a lot of trouble. Already under 25s watch more Netflix than all BBC TV output combined including the iPlayer. Broadcast TV is not something that interests young people who are glued to their tablets, phones, and laptops.
Interesting to compare the excellent Laura kuenssberg with the less than excellent Robert Peston who coveted the same political editor's job and on the surface seemed a more obvious choice.....
.....Never doubt Auntie knows best.
I can remember when you were reassuring us that “Auntie knew best”, and the “BBC would easily reinvent Top Gear without Jeremy Clarkson, he was just a buffoon, the format was the crucial thing, blah blah”
That prediction aged well, didn’t it? Is Top Gear even a thing any more?
They are shifting to specials - so I am quite reliably told - just because they are bored of the Top Gear live audience format. And the specials are more popular anyway.
One of the real joys of The Grand Tour is watching it in 4k/Ultra HD.
Visually it is stunning meanwhile the BBC still broadcast in normal HD.
The greatest joy is not having to watch it at all.
I watched a couple at the beginning, but it got pretty dull and formulaic quickly.
Maybe the foreigners like it, but it seems to have disappeared from UK consciousness.
It has
Netflix/Amazon are more dangerous to Sky. The BBC does have problems, but this is just the latest in a long line of things that were going to kill it.
Even BBC News is now unwatchable because of the horribly onside scoop-avoider Laura K. I barely watch the channel these days.
Me too. I basically stream Netflix and Prime, and buy the odd series from iTunes. That’s my TV.
It’s getting close to the point when I could quite legally say: I don’t use it. I’m not paying the fee. I don’t think older people realize how close the BBC’s model is to total collapse. Kids won’t pay for it.
And much as I like to diss the BBC sometimes, its demise would be very sad. But I don’t know what they can do.
The biggest strategic mistake the BBC made was conceding almost all the main sports to the other channels. Sport, as you imply upthread, is a gateway drug to other stuff. And it gets people watching live.
I have no idea if that will be its fate, but I honestly cannot remember the last time I watched something on the BBC. I'm aware they've had some mini series which were popular, but there's just so much more available elsewhere. I get most of my news from the BBC though.
Coincidentally the last thing I watched was Top Gear. But before that I think it might have been around Christmas that I last watched normal TV. I regularly go months between "turning the TV on".
Another thing which is hitting British TV hard is YouTube.
Indeed. I have a television. I have a laptop. I switch the laptop on and watch YouTube. I do not switch the television on any more. I'm genuinely thinking of taking it to the dump.
I can remember when you were reassuring us that “Auntie knew best”, and the “BBC would easily reinvent Top Gear without Jeremy Clarkson, he was just a buffoon, the format was the crucial thing, blah blah”
That prediction aged well, didn’t it? Is Top Gear even a thing any more?
Given that Clarkson didn’t do that well with Amazon, emulating Morecombe and Wise after they went to ITV, I don’t think the BBC lost anything much. Top Gear was tired. Amazon needed it more than the Beeb.
So you missed this bit tboost Sky.
It varies - is that true?
I thought the latest series was the best on Prime, and almost as good as the very best throughout the BBC era, and probably more consistent. And better to watch because higher production values.
They are shifting to specials - so I am quite reliably told - just because they are bored of the Top Gear live audience format. And the specials are more popular anyway.
One of the real joys of The Grand Tour is watching it in 4k/Ultra HD.
Visually it is stunning meanwhile the BBC still broadcast in normal HD.
The greatest joy is not having to watch it at all.
I watched a couple at the beginning, but it got pretty dull and formulaic quickly.
Maybe the foreigners like it, but it seems to have disappeared from UK consciousness.
It has boosted Prime subscribers across the worlds, in their squillions, so yes I think we can presume it has done well - and it has done exactly what Bezos intended.
Also the first season was crap. It gets much better.
There is a larger point here. Netflix, Prime and HBO have so much money, compared to the BBC, ITV, C4, they will now dominate in the British market, and they will buy up any successful British TV shows, for streaming. This is a real and present menace to British TV ongoing. I think the BBC are aware of it, hence the Britbox ideas, but I’m not sure the BBC’s plans will work.
I can - sadly - see the BBC basically dying within 10 years. If no one watches its shows because everyone is streaming Netflix, and Prime, then there will be no justification for the licence fee. Game over.
Another thing which is hitting British TV hard is YouTube.
The world's #1 (For now) Youtuber lives in Brighton
Sean - Sadiq delivered the Night Tube. Unlike Boris who kept saying he would deliver it, but failed because he couldn’t make a deal in a card room.
OK, fair play. The Night Tube. I’m not sure how much credit he can really take, it was long in the planning, but it happened on his watch so OK.
However, and for the same reasons, the very palpable rise in crime - the new nervousness across London - which you can actually sense, in places, has also happened on his watch. And I think that entirely outweighs a few trains after midnight. London is a nastier city under Khan. I still love it, but it has an edginess I haven’t known for decades.
That edginess and nastiness is a nationwide phenomenon. I felt it recently in Bristol, Nottingham, and Leicester.
The coarsening of British life is not just a London or internet thing.
Another thing which is hitting British TV hard is YouTube.
British broadcasters are in for a lot of trouble. Already under 25s watch more Netflix than all BBC TV output combined including the iPlayer. Broadcast TV is not something that interests young people who are glued to their tablets, phones, and laptops.
The Parliament channel is considering renewing Brexit for another season, but the scriptwriters are demanding more money.
LBC host Iain Dale says his favourite record is Cliff Richard's 'Miss You Nights'. (And people trust his opinions on stuff?)
That is so ridiculous that one suspects irony. I mean, it's not even Cliff's best song. Both Devil Woman and Carrie Doesn't Live Here Anymore are better, not to mention the one that is generally regarded as his seminal single - Wired For Sound.
To quote Rick from the Young Ones:
"We NEVER clean the toilet, Neil. That's what being a student is all about. No way, Harpic. No way, Dot. All that Blue Loo scene is for squares. One thing's for sure, Neil. When Cliff Richard wrote "Wired for Sound", no way was he sitting on a clean lavatory. He was living on the limit, just like me. Where the only place to put bleach is in your hair."
Sean - Sadiq delivered the Night Tube. Unlike Boris who kept saying he would deliver it, but failed because he couldn’t make a deal in a card room.
OK, fair play. The Night Tube. I’m not sure how much credit he can really take, it was long in the planning, but it happened on his watch so OK.
However, and for the same reasons, the very palpable rise in crime - the new nervousness across London - which you can actually sense, in places, has also happened on his watch. And I think that entirely outweighs a few trains after midnight. London is a nastier city under Khan. I still love it, but it has an edginess I haven’t known for decades.
That edginess and nastiness is a nationwide phenomenon. I felt it recently in Bristol, Nottingham, and Leicester.
The coarsening of British life is not just a London or internet thing.
Entirely subjective, but I agree.
I find regional cities much more ‘edgy’ than central London, which is largely a playground for the liberal, intelligent and wealthy.
LBC host Iain Dale says his favourite record is Cliff Richard's 'Miss You Nights'. (And people trust his opinions on stuff?)
That is so ridiculous that one suspects irony. I mean, it's not even Cliff's best song. Both Devil Woman and Carrie Doesn't Live Here Anymore are better, not to mention the one that is generally regarded as his seminal single - Wired For Sound.
Whilst it is a mistake to overlook his seminal work with Stock, Aitken & Waterman (I Just Don't Have The Heart), Wired For Sound being his best song might be the only thing people in this country can agree on in these difficult days.
Another thing which is hitting British TV hard is YouTube.
British broadcasters are in for a lot of trouble. Already under 25s watch more Netflix than all BBC TV output combined including the iPlayer. Broadcast TV is not something that interests young people who are glued to their tablets, phones, and laptops.
The Parliament channel is considering renewing Brexit for another season, but the scriptwriters are demanding more money.
Sean - Sadiq delivered the Night Tube. Unlike Boris who kept saying he would deliver it, but failed because he couldn’t make a deal in a card room.
OK, fair play. The Night Tube. I’m not sure how much credit he can really take, it was long in the planning, but it happened on his watch so OK.
However, and for the same reasons, the very palpable rise in crime - the new nervousness across London - which you can actually sense, in places, has also happened on his watch. And I think that entirely outweighs a few trains after midnight. London is a nastier city under Khan. I still love it, but it has an edginess I haven’t known for decades.
That edginess and nastiness is a nationwide phenomenon. I felt it recently in Bristol, Nottingham, and Leicester.
The coarsening of British life is not just a London or internet thing.
It is mainly because of mass immigration. Call me a fascist, but I’d say that is the main driver. It’s notable that the cities you cite have all seen huge immigration in the last decade or three.
And it’s not because migrants are horrible or evil, or any worse than the Brits, it’s more because SOME of them are horrible and evil because they come from terrible places - like Somalia - where violence was part of daily life. And you only need a few deranged and persistent offenders to ramp up crime. Plus a huge influx of foreigners breaks down the bonds of trust and familiarity which keep a society in order.
OT: Scottish Lib Dem bigwigs having a long meeting about whether to suspend David Steel, pending investigation of his remarks about knowledge of the Cyril Smith allegations.
Another thing which is hitting British TV hard is YouTube.
British broadcasters are in for a lot of trouble. Already under 25s watch more Netflix than all BBC TV output combined including the iPlayer. Broadcast TV is not something that interests young people who are glued to their tablets, phones, and laptops.
I had an old 60s TV in my bedroom - you had to hit it to keep the picture stable.
We had one TV in the early eighties and had jump on the spot a metre or so in front of it when it went on the blink. I recall its replacement dying on the night of the Lockerbie bombing. The picture got smaller and smaller, getting sucked into the centre of screen, then disappeared.
Sean - Sadiq delivered the Night Tube. Unlike Boris who kept saying he would deliver it, but failed because he couldn’t make a deal in a card room.
OK, fair play. The Night Tube. I’m not sure how much credit he can really take, it was long in the planning, but it happened on his watch so OK.
However, and for the same reasons, the very palpable rise in crime - the new nervousness across London - which you can actually sense, in places, has also happened on his watch. And I think that entirely outweighs a few trains after midnight. London is a nastier city under Khan. I still love it, but it has an edginess I haven’t known for decades.
That edginess and nastiness is a nationwide phenomenon. I felt it recently in Bristol, Nottingham, and Leicester.
The coarsening of British life is not just a London or internet thing.
Perhaps you and SeanT are merely getting old
Possibly so, but in Leicester the drug dealing and homelessness is pretty scary when out at night. Channel 4 has a programme on it in Manchester at 2100 tonight. While Brexit obsesses the political classes, some seriously disturbing things are developing to the fabric of our society.
Me too. I basically stream Netflix and Prime, and buy the odd series from iTunes. That’s my TV.
The other day I thought: what do I get from the BBC, what do I actually consume. I worked out it was Masterchef, and sometimes the news. And very occasionally a decent drama series, like Bodyguard. I never listen to the radio anymore, I stream Spotify or Amazon music if I want to hear new stuff.
It’s getting close to the point when I could quite legally say: I don’t use it. I’m not paying the fee. I don’t think older people realize how close the BBC’s model is to total collapse. Kids won’t pay for it.
And much as I like to diss the BBC sometimes, its demise would be very sad. But I don’t know what they can do.
There's some really great bbc stuff. They're slipping, but they do have programmes of merit. Moreover they don't tell you the same thing 12 times in the first 15 minutes and then twice per 10 minute break, before and after, which as we don't get the ads is a bit daft. Anything with Dan Snow is very bad.
The good stuff is hidden away on BBC4 in unattractive packaging. Diarmaid MacCulloch is an excellent example.
Another thing which is hitting British TV hard is YouTube.
Indeed. I have a television. I have a laptop. I switch the laptop on and watch YouTube. I do not switch the television on any more. I'm genuinely thinking of taking it to the dump.
Coincidentally the last thing I watched was Top Gear. But before that I think it might have been around Christmas that I last watched normal TV. I regularly go months between "turning the TV on".
Year before last my aerial cable was damaged, and I never got around to fixing it. Realised eventually I never watched the TV at all, and then cancelled my licence.
Prime+netflix is only £176/year total, and there's more there than I could ever watch.
Coincidentally the last thing I watched was Top Gear. But before that I think it might have been around Christmas that I last watched normal TV. I regularly go months between "turning the TV on".
Year before last my aerial cable was damaged, and I never got around to fixing it. Realised eventually I never watched the TV at all, and then cancelled my licence.
Prime+netflix is only £176/year total, and there's more there than I could ever watch.
Lots of non sports fans on tonight. If you like sport, you need proper telly, I spend worryingly large amounts of cash on cable so I have access to all football, rugby and cricket.
Coincidentally the last thing I watched was Top Gear. But before that I think it might have been around Christmas that I last watched normal TV. I regularly go months between "turning the TV on".
Year before last my aerial cable was damaged, and I never got around to fixing it. Realised eventually I never watched the TV at all, and then cancelled my licence.
Prime+netflix is only £176/year total, and there's more there than I could ever watch.
Me too. I basically stream Netflix and Prime, and buy the odd series from iTunes. That’s my TV.
The other day I thought: what do I get from the BBC, what do I actually consume. I worked out it was Masterchef, and sometimes the news. And very occasionally a decent drama series, like Bodyguard. I never listen to the radio anymore, I stream Spotify or Amazon music if I want to hear new stuff.
It’s getting close to the point when I could quite legally say: I don’t use it. I’m not paying the fee. I don’t think older people realize how close the BBC’s model is to total collapse. Kids won’t pay for it.
And much as I like to diss the BBC sometimes, its demise would be very sad. But I don’t know what they can do.
There's some really great bbc stuff. They're slipping, but they do have programmes of merit. Moreover they don't tell you the same thing 12 times in the first 15 minutes and then twice per 10 minute break, before and after, which as we don't get the ads is a bit daft. Anything with Dan Snow is very bad.
The good stuff is hidden away on BBC4 in unattractive packaging. Diarmaid MacCulloch is an excellent example.
Yep BBC4 is just about the only thing I watch bar strictly...
Coincidentally the last thing I watched was Top Gear. But before that I think it might have been around Christmas that I last watched normal TV. I regularly go months between "turning the TV on".
Year before last my aerial cable was damaged, and I never got around to fixing it. Realised eventually I never watched the TV at all, and then cancelled my licence.
Prime+netflix is only £176/year total, and there's more there than I could ever watch.
I think the consensus we can draw from today is that we haven’t a clue what’s happening to the country, Brexit, politics, parliament, the world - but a surprising number of people no longer use the BBC so it is doomed.
LBC host Iain Dale says his favourite record is Cliff Richard's 'Miss You Nights'. (And people trust his opinions on stuff?)
That is so ridiculous that one suspects irony. I mean, it's not even Cliff's best song. Both Devil Woman and Carrie Doesn't Live Here Anymore are better, not to mention the one that is generally regarded as his seminal single - Wired For Sound.
Come now, Move It is a genuine slice of British rock'n'roll, it was down hill after that. Not much to build a Rick Rubin produced relaunch on, thank god.
Living Doll has some of the creepiest lyrics going.
The biggest strategic mistake the BBC made was conceding almost all the main sports to the other channels. Sport, as you imply upthread, is a gateway drug to other stuff. And it gets people watching live.
And why should we be taxed to pay for sport on the BBC?
BBC should be a subscription service like Netflix. Get it if you want it, don't if you don't.
Sean - Sadiq delivered the Night Tube. Unlike Boris who kept saying he would deliver it, but failed because he couldn’t make a deal in a card room.
OK, fair play. The Night Tube. I’m not sure how much credit he can really take, it was long in the planning, but it happened on his watch so OK.
However, and for the same reasons, the very palpable rise in crime - the new nervousness across London - which you can actually sense, in places, has also happened on his watch. And I think that entirely outweighs a few trains after midnight. London is a nastier city under Khan. I still love it, but it has an edginess I haven’t known for decades.
That edginess and nastiness is a nationwide phenomenon. I felt it recently in Bristol, Nottingham, and Leicester.
The coarsening of British life is not just a London or internet thing.
Perhaps you and SeanT are merely getting old
Possibly so, but in Leicester the drug dealing and homelessness is pretty scary when out at night. Channel 4 has a programme on it in Manchester at 2100 tonight. While Brexit obsesses the political classes, some seriously disturbing things are developing to the fabric of our society.
Isn't that as aspect of the globalised vibrancy we're meant to get excited about ?
Got to take the rough with the smooth and be thankful that you can retreat to your affluent safe suburb.
France tidying up ahead of Brexit? Just received a speeding ticket for an offence near Rouen on August 30th nearly 6 months ago.
Mike, you old roue. You’re in your 70s. What are you doing, “speeding through Rouen”. An assignation?
I think he might have been done by the exact same camera that got me, there is a bridge where the limit heads down to 90 km/he if you are travelling down from Dieppe toward Rouen. I've received exactly the same ticket today. It's a bit which catches you out
The Strangeness continues. That poll was taken at one of the peaks of Tory clustershambling. Yet still they have a very healthy lead. Corbyn is a disaster.
How soon before McDonnell takes the old carthorse to the knackers yard?
Coincidentally the last thing I watched was Top Gear. But before that I think it might have been around Christmas that I last watched normal TV. I regularly go months between "turning the TV on".
Year before last my aerial cable was damaged, and I never got around to fixing it. Realised eventually I never watched the TV at all, and then cancelled my licence.
Prime+netflix is only £176/year total, and there's more there than I could ever watch.
Prime and Netflix are far greater value for money than the BBC. The BBC needs to evolve or die, either go commercial or subscription. If the BBC disappeared tomorrow it would barely affect my TV experiences.
Comments
And for odd political stances it is hard to top Tsipras in Greece telling his parliament that he disagreed with what he was asking them to do, that he thought it would not help, but that they must do it. Which worked, by the way. In fairness he was left with little choice
See also "Following the votes, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reiterated his support for a further referendum after earlier ordering his MPs not to vote for one."
Visually it is stunning meanwhile the BBC still broadcast in normal HD.
Sadly he will be very easily re-elected. The Tory hasn’t got a hope.
Some Tories tonight realized the motion was easily going to carry and could just show their Leave credentials even though over half of those still want to leave with a deal .
Last night the government whipped against that’s when you find out just how many won’t wear a no deal .
If the government went ahead and said the policy was to leave with no deal , there’d be a host of resignations from cabinet , resignations of the whip , and defections .
The government would be toast within days .
We shall see. I’m not popping the champagne (well I am, because the option money is very nice, but you know what I mean),
Maybe the foreigners like it, but it seems to have disappeared from UK consciousness.
In other news, the BBC are claiming that the 737Max will be grounded until at least May.
That's going to hurt Boeing and the airlines. And just when Boeing polled ahead of Airbus wrt orders for the first time in a few years ...
https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2019/01/10/boeing-pulls-ahead-of-rival-airbus-in-new-orders-infographic/
Your remaining choices appear to be Plaid, the DUP, the Monster Raving Loonies or start your own.
To be honest it was hard to disagree with that assessment.
He’s been an entirely passive spectator to it throughout, and totally irrelevant except politically.
He will be re-elected. Maybe he is no great shakes, but after the Brexit fiasco, the Tories are going to be toxic in London.
It has boosted Prime subscribers across the worlds, in their squillions, so yes I think we can presume it has done well - and it has done exactly what Bezos intended.
Also the first season was crap. It gets much better.
There is a larger point here. Netflix, Prime and HBO have so much money, compared to the BBC, ITV, C4, they will now dominate in the British market, and they will buy up any successful British TV shows, for streaming. This is a real and present menace to British TV ongoing. I think the BBC are aware of it, hence the Britbox ideas, but I’m not sure the BBC’s plans will work.
I can - sadly - see the BBC basically dying within 10 years. If no one watches its shows because everyone is streaming Netflix, and Prime, then there will be no justification for the licence fee. Game over.
It's not well known Boris took far more personal control for London affairs into the Mayor's office than Ken Livingstone ever did. Where I will criticise Sadiq is his unwillingness to surrender power from the Mayor's office back to the Boroughs or to the GLA.
Under Labour we lost our police station, fire service and ambulance. The nearest replacements were 25 miles away along a twisty road. And that wasn't in the Highlands or Snowdonia. It was in the Forest of Dean.
So I say again - you are short of options if that is your criteria.
Edit - btw, things are similar in Staffordshire as well.
However, and for the same reasons, the very palpable rise in crime - the new nervousness across London - which you can actually sense, in places, has also happened on his watch. And I think that entirely outweighs a few trains after midnight. London is a nastier city under Khan. I still love it, but it has an edginess I haven’t known for decades.
The coarsening of British life is not just a London or internet thing.
And the truth is, Prime TV is a bit second rate - which doesn’t matter much alongside the free shipping.
The other day I thought: what do I get from the BBC, what do I actually consume. I worked out it was Masterchef, and sometimes the news. And very occasionally a decent drama series, like Bodyguard. I never listen to the radio anymore, I stream Spotify or Amazon music if I want to hear new stuff.
It’s getting close to the point when I could quite legally say: I don’t use it. I’m not paying the fee. I don’t think older people realize how close the BBC’s model is to total collapse. Kids won’t pay for it.
And much as I like to diss the BBC sometimes, its demise would be very sad. But I don’t know what they can do.
"We NEVER clean the toilet, Neil. That's what being a student is all about. No way, Harpic. No way, Dot. All that Blue Loo scene is for squares. One thing's for sure, Neil. When Cliff Richard wrote "Wired for Sound", no way was he sitting on a clean lavatory. He was living on the limit, just like me. Where the only place to put bleach is in your hair."
speeding ticket for an offence near Rouen on August 30th nearly 6 months ago.
And it’s not because migrants are horrible or evil, or any worse than the Brits, it’s more because SOME of them are horrible and evil because they come from terrible places - like Somalia - where violence was part of daily life. And you only need a few deranged and persistent offenders to ramp up crime. Plus a huge influx of foreigners breaks down the bonds of trust and familiarity which keep a society in order.
Look at Japan. Zero immigration, zero crime.
Long overdue.
The good stuff is hidden away on BBC4 in unattractive packaging. Diarmaid MacCulloch is an excellent example.
Prime+netflix is only £176/year total, and there's more there than I could ever watch.
Living Doll has some of the creepiest lyrics going.
Which might have explained a certain trip to the Russian Embassy a couple of years back ...
Westminster voting intention:
CON: 39% (+1)
LAB: 34% (-1)
LDEM: 12% (-)
UKIP: 5% (-)
GRN: 4% (-1)
via @BMGResearch, 04 - 08 Mar
Chgs. w/ 08 Feb
BBC should be a subscription service like Netflix. Get it if you want it, don't if you don't.
Got to take the rough with the smooth and be thankful that you can retreat to your affluent safe suburb.
Then I noticed the fieldwork dates.
And I also remembered who's leading Labour...
How soon before McDonnell takes the old carthorse to the knackers yard?
Captain Salad's 'strategy' of endless calls for a GE underline how utterly lost the Labour party is.