Friday 17 July 2015

Commercial breaking


As far as architecture goes, 'The Arts' is the last thing to be considered and any 'art' which is glued onto the side of a new building just before the ribbon is cut, is only there because of a clause in the contract which states that 1% of the total costs must be spent on 'art'.

So the builders and architects reluctantly contact some crappy artist whose work would never be shown in galleries, let alone bought for a private collection, and then ask him/her for a back-hander for the privilege of creating the artwork at the last minute.

Of course, architects are all a bunch of frustrated artists to a man/woman, and it is a bit like the old adage, 'If you cannot do it, teach it'. Any truly artistic architect would never get a look-in in today's world of stitched-up contracts involving local government money and the profits of multi-national building companies. Soon it will be exactly the same situation with the BBC.

Just think what the BBC has done for the arts for the last 100 years. It is truly immeasurable, especially since that most of the early programs were live, and of the ones which were recorded, most have either disappeared or destroyed themselves.

Of course there has been a lot of rubbish broadcast amongst the gems, but it is not for a government of any persuasion to tell us which is good and which is bad. In anycase, if 'art is for everyone', then everyone should be given a chance, especially if the chance is provided with the aid of public funds.

It is true that many well-known film-makers began by producing TV and film adverts, but that was because it was the only way they could get a start in cinema, and the adverts had to be good in order to sell products. It was the only way they could get a track record and an airing.

Most traditional theatres are struggling and the actors get paid peanuts - there is not enough ice-cream sold in the intervals to make corporate sponsorship worthwhile, unless it is tax deductible.

Would we have seen anything like 'Sherlock' or 'Wolf Hall' and be able to watch every episode all the way through without commercial breaks if it had been funded by Coca Cola? I remember watching commercial TV when I was a kid, and everyone rushing out to put the kettle on or have a piss every 15 minutes. The National Grid reported surges in demand at regular intervals during the breaks, and power-cuts were often triggered by them during the Winter months. Every series which had adverts had to write the scripts arround them, so the standard of writing was horribly compromised. It takes a super-human writer to sustain at least 4 cliff-hangers per episode and keep it credible.

Why cannot the BBC be allowed to 'entertain' us? What is wrong with that?

I was talking to a postman friend last night, and I mentioned that Royal Mail was - finally - 100% privatised, and that I had noticed an immediate deterioration in the service already, due to a claim for damage in transit being totally ignored despite my paying for it to be insured.

"Has it?" he said, "I hadn't noticed. I knew it was going to happen so I stopped thinking about it."

14 comments:

  1. A sad comment on the state of affairs at the BBC Tom - but I do so agree with you on all the issues you raise.

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  2. When it comes to anything that really matters, those of you who I have not yet called cunts just cannot be bothered with stuff like this. A sad state of affairs indeed. I'm giving up this blogging lark. I might even get more work done without boring myself evenings and mornings as well. Maybe you are all watching TV?

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    1. Take no notice - I am just an egocentric old c.....

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  3. So sorry Tom ……. I've been out all day. Our son worked for the BBC for 10 years and he won two SONY Awards when he worked there so I don't have a bad word to say about the BBC. He is now freelance but they gave him a great foundation ……. and, lots of contacts !!
    Carry on blogging ….. I'd miss you. XXXX

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    1. 2 Sony awards? Well done! I now feel guilty about the above moan, but - you know me - I am so self-centred. I feel guilty now.

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  4. Your are quite happy to say all those wonderful and true things about the BBC 'Tom' but you avoid the license fee by watching recorded downloads that the rest of us have paid for.

    Like Brutus you re an hounorable man.

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    1. That's true. I have acknowledged that countless times here. That is the one and only reason you are able to make this unnecessary accusation, or hadn't you worked that out for yourself, 'Elegance'?

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    2. Ok, I admit it. I have been paying the license fee for years but just never wanted to admit to it. Happy?

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  5. Like I should be hanging on your every word? WTF

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    1. It's been a while since you came round here drunk just to insult me. Oh well.

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  7. Back to my old school chum Alan. I think his programme 'imagine' is the only exclusively arts related one on TV. His list of subjects is impressive. Even so, he has his detractors, mostly those who think they deserve to have been featured (not me).

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    1. I have to say I have never seen it. I don't (as 'Elegance' helpfully pointed out after several years of grappling with the concept) have a TV licence.

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