SV on Television
ASD v. ITV and BBC (Page 2)
Contents:
"For Those Of You At Home, Here's The Dreaded Stinger..." (1987 - 1990)
With my sister having grown up and followed her brother to the same primary school, I was in the midst of further transition. This time, it involved me moving to a school 15 miles away from home. The one thing which remained more or less intact were my viewing habits. In fact, television became a greater interest.
My interest in current affairs and quiz shows deepened, much to the chagrin of my teachers, who were encouraging me to enjoy more imaginative programming, or read fiction books. At the age of seven, my vocabulary and spelling was sophisticated, though unable to gain meaning. It was thanks to documentaries and other factual programming I was able to pick up these words.
I would pick up the odd word or phrase which would stand out from the programme. Sometimes it would be used randomly, without thinking of the person. An inappropriate conversation opener would include "Have you checked your tax disc?" - which would be most confidential. I could recall a similar experience I had in 1988. This was triggered by a radio advert/public information feature I heard on Red Rose Radio.
Though my language skills improved at my new school, I was less forthcoming in sharing what I watched last night with my friends. In fact I got on better with the teaching staff (probably being loco parentis and seeing them as like surrogate relatives). Playtime comprised of playing on the climbing frame (albeit badly with the movements of a Thunderbirds puppet and avoiding the highest point) and talking to the teachers or dinnerladies.
This was the case with 'freeform' non-organised outdoor play. With improved cooperation in organised play, I was encouraged to join my local Cub Scout group (21st June 1988). My interest in television started to wane as language skills were enhanced.
However, they didn't wane completely between 1987 - 1990. I was still partial to the odd quiz show and documentary. I still couldn't understand imaginative storylines as fluently as I could with the pattern of a programme (Broadcaster's Ident - Opening Titles - Part One - Adverts - Part Two - End Credits - Production Company's Copyright Ident). The graphics were also the most fascinating part of the programme. Even now, I would wait for the credits and the copyright ident.
By 1990, I became fascinated by the adverts themselves. From learning how to speak through them, the production itself and the agencies became the focus.
Favourite Programmes (1987 - 1990):
- Watching (Comedy, Granada) - I loved the theme tune [What Does He See In Me?] sung by Emma Wray;
- That's Life (Consumer affairs programme, BBC One) - I was advised against watching this programme. Did it stop me? No! The spirit of Doc Cox still lives on;
- Thomas the Tank Engine (Children's programme, Britt Allcroft/HIT Entertainment);
- Your Mother Wouldn't Like It (Children's comedy programme, Central);
- Round The Bend (Children's programme, Hat Trick Productions) - a children's version of 'Spitting Image' featuring Doc Croc;
- Chucklevision (Children's comedy, BBC One) - who at the age of nine didn't laugh out loud to this double act? 'To me, to you...' better than Ant 'N' Dec any day;
- Washes Whiter (Documentary, BBC Two) - documentary of TV advertising with a wealth of adverts from 1955 - 1990;
- Lucky Ladders (Quiz Show, Anglia) - a good little word game presented by Lennie Bennett with the tacky 'Lennie's Losers' Ladders' booby prize;
- All Clued Up (Quiz Show, TVS) - "Now the lit letters in play are the ones for the puzzle...". I liked 'the dreaded Stinger' noise and solving the puzzles, presented by David 'Diddy' Hamilton.
Other Hobbies Are Available (1990 - 1994)
Everything else got in the way of television such as homework. In fact I thought 1990 - 1993 was a wilderness period and a useful conduit for live football fixtures. Language skills improved by 1990, which saw me leave my previous school in West Didsbury for the mainstream environment. Hardly any language came from television programmes, so conversation sounded normal.
Two things took over: computer games and football. The latter started as more football fixtures were televised, a boost to my Dad who relinquished his Manchester United season ticket before the suits took over. The other interest came with another addition to the household, a Commodore 64. Computer games dominated the playground, be it Sonic The Hedgehog or Sensible Soccer. I later had my own computer, learning the joys of BASIC programming and tape alignment woes with a ZX Spectrum.
Instead, language was picked up from computer magazines, though not so computer games themselves. Both interests went on to be more enduring than television.
A Whole New Ball Game (1994 - 1999)
Growing disenchanted with the turgid offerings of the main four channels (give or take the odd episode of 'Cracker', soaps and regional programmes), August 1994 saw us discover the wonderful world of satellite television. My television interest returned to the fore; I became interested in channel frequencies of the Astra 1A - 1C satellites, watching MTV in its European form, and a trade programme about the Astra satellites in Betzdorf, Luxembourg.
With the latter subject, I was able to recall excerpts from the programme and on odd occasions, take great interest in recalling them. I watched the programme several times.
By 1995, a tiny proportion of my conversations included strings of dialogue from television programmes, with the exception of quotes from favourite programmes (for reasons of entertainment). Before college, I would also watch the same shopping features where CDs were advertised - just for the musical snippets.
College saw me move towards to working with computers; as a result, the internet became a greater interest. I would waste non-lesson time on college computers using Netscape Navigator to find obscure football grounds.
With half my favourite programmes having finished for good, TV offered little fascination for me other than being a source of entertainment. My favourite idents had dwindled, ITV went corporate and my interest turned towards the music channels and (thanks to my sister) an interest in Nickelodeon's channel idents.
However, I found myself watching the archive channels such as UK Gold to watch older programmes.
