I’ve managed to watch some interesting television lately, despite the best efforts of our TV stations to fill their schedules with rubbish. First of all though, here are some things I am not watching:

House Husbands – looks awful
The X Factor – no explanation needed
Puberty Blues – not interested
Big Brother – seen one Big Brother seen them all
First Tuesday Book Club – Jennifer Byrne is a bit too smiley for me to cope with on a Tuesday evening. Sorry.
The News – any channel – it’s all too depressing.
The Gruen anything – A panel of smug, unfunny people….pass
The Chaser anything – I don’t find them funny….sorry…clearly I’m unAustralian
Randling – I have tried. I have watched the episodes with Anthony Morgan because he’s funny, but the actual show is a bit of a slow, tired fail – crochet merch excepted. There’s lot of good talented people who I am usually a fan of but watching people think out loud isn’t actually that interesting.
Q and A – despite the fact that I’m usually out on a Monday night there is no way that I will watch this contrived version of some kind of Jerry Springer yuckness. (You can take that comment as a comment too by the way). Putting people on a panel who don’t agree with each other in the hope that they will disagree in public isn’t really trying very hard is it?

That’s quite a long list isn’t it? Clearly, I’m quite harsh and judgemental. Here’s what I have been watching.

Call the Midwife – wonderful British drama based on a true story. I loved the first two episodes so much I downloaded the book and have finished it. Miranda Hart is fabulous as the clumsy, posh midwife who can’t ride a bicycle.

Doctor Who – no justification required. For all your Doctor Who needs go to Circulating Library.

Rockwiz – the best music quiz show on Australian television ever. Julia Zemiro is outstanding, the Rockwiz orchestra is fantastic, Brian Nankervis is a genius and the guests and audience panel people are fabulous. Highlights of this season which finished last night? Mary Wilson from the Supremes and the cover of The Weight last night.

Smash – yes it started promisingly enough but has turned into a soapy-opera about putting together a new musical in New York about Marilyn Monroe. Still I am persisting because I love watching rehearsals – real and fictional.

Gardening Australia – yes, they had a bad time after Peter Cundall left but with Costa and his giant beard in charge of things this is lovely viewing.

Repeats of Friends – I know. It’s hopeless really but anything is better than the news.