It was a poor week for television viewing. I think all networks are scheduling rubbish in preparation for saturation Olympics broadcasting for the next two weeks. Also I was out every night except Friday which made TV viewing a rare occurrence.
Sunday: The Einstein Factor
I love it when there’s a topic of which I have a passing knowledge. This week – Enid Blyton’s Malory Towers books. When I was about 8 I really wanted to change my name to Daphne or Gwendoline because of these books. (Maybe Enid Blyton is as evil as they say). Now that I am more mature I can understand why my parents found this hilarious.
Doctor Who: What I didn’t understand was why, when the Doctor set fire to the atmosphere, didn’t the buildings and everything else burn up as well. Minor scientific quibble I guess. Martha, it seems, is destined for another adventure. And yet another tantalising glimpse of Rose!
Wednesday: Freezing
Does the ABC think we’re all nitwits? (N.B. rhetorical question no answer required). There is a reason they schedule British comedies in between two of their higher rating and better quality programs (Spicks and Specks and The Hollowmen). It’s because, as was the case with Freezing, they’re a pleasant way to wile away half an hour while you’re waiting for the program you actually want to watch to begin. Sure, the cast was attractive and there were some mildly clever lines at the expense of the world of fame and celebrity, but really, this wasn’t “must-see TV” for me.
The Hollowmen
From now on it’s only citrus highlighters for me…and definitely no asterisks or bullet points. And, like The Hollowmen’s mysterious Prime Minister I have no problem with lowering standards, as long as nobody notices. Boom boom!
Thursday: QandA
Peter Garrett was curiously un-charismatic. And Bronwyn Bishop (somewhat scarily) the opposite. The half hour I caught Julian Morrow said nothing…what was the point here?
Friday: Olympics opening ceremony
It was too late for me…I went to bed…now waiting to see highlights! Because if there’s one thing we all love every four years it’s a monstrously overblown, symbolic and portentous opening ceremony that is not really suitable for watching on television.
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Reading this over I think i turned into miss crankypants by the end of the week…!
Daphne or Gwendoline? But Daphne was a weak-willed thief changed for the better by the bracing, upper-middle-class atmosphere of Malory Towers, while Gwendoline . . . poor Gwendoline. Just as she was finally getting better, after six years of tears, tantrums, and manipulation, Blyton had to pull out the worst punishment of all. I always felt a little sorry for Gwendoline, existing thereafter and forever on the scraps of condescension her old schoolfriends could spare.
Still, I can see why you wouldn’t want to call yourself Darrell.
I think at the age of 8 I found them exotic names…especially compared to Darrell or Sally (and let’s face it…Wendy!)and perhaps they were more interesting than the goody two shoes characters. anyway years later I inflicted the name Daphne on a cat…and she turned out to be the nastiest animal in the world…something in a name perhaps after all!
Wow! Imagine what would have happened if you’d called her Gwendoline!
yes good point…poor daphne (the cat) met with an unfortunate end so perhaps lucky that i didn’t go with gwendoline…could have been worse!
I gave the next cat a fine upstanding name “Harrison” (after Ford or George whichever) and he has a beautifully placid nature which doesn’t involve unprovoked biting and scratching at every opportunity…..