Oh lord no, big brother will be back in June

[Kimi]

Think I will sell my TV set

[wannaBe]

now there's a thought.

Ghastly, horrible programme fully of freaks.

[PussinJimmyChoos]

Oh no!!! I thought they weren't doing it this year? I farking hate it!!

[Kimi]

Photos of the "new look house" in the paper yesterday

[UnquietDad]

I gather they are putting "ASBO louts" in this year.

So how is this different?!

[ShowOfHands]

[UnquietDad]

It would be genuinely interesting if they put a wide selection of people in there and gave them stimulating tasks which were not designed to humiliate.

When it started out, I was about 30 - so was Davina and so were most of the contestants. There was a feeling that it was kind of being made by people like me, for people like me. Somewhere in the decade we reached the point where the contestants' demographic had dropped by about a decade, so that Davina is now more a "mum" figure to them - and I'm 8 years older and so I feel like a generation older than them.

The last bunch, from the little I saw of them, looked like a bunch of stupid, ill-informed, ill-educated KIDS. They do nothing but sunbathe and talk about "celebs".

[Kewcumber]

[UnquietDad]

Bring back "The Mole"

[binkleandflip]

So dont watch it

[Kewcumber]

don;t watch but its everywhere - all over E4, half of Channel, 4 every bloody newspaper. Not much news in the summer so they fill in with BB

[VictorianSqualor]

nail and head UQD.
They were all so different at the beginning, quite a few of them were professional, and dare I say it, intelligent people, now they're all wannabes.

[UnquietDad]

Yes, really object to the headlines - we are in for a summer of tabloids screaming at us AYESHA IN LESBO KISS WITH JAYDEEN and TARQUIN THUMPS MASHER. (While Burma and China suffer, the economy nosedives and our Government collapses.)

(I don't have any idea about the real contestants, by the way. I made those names up.)

[Gobbledigook]

Not on my telly it won't.

[binkleandflip]

The original winner - Craig Philips was actually lovely and genuine - shower of shoite since then tho

[Gobbledigook]

UQD - dh and I LOVED 'The Mole' - where the devil did it go? Top telly!

[UnquietDad]

Most importantly, the first lot had no idea if anyone was watching or would care. The whole "reality TV" thing hadn't really been invented and there was no concept of it being a launching-pad for a career.

In 2000, the idea of someone ordinary becoming "famous" off the back of a TV non-fiction show was a bit sad - the precedents were Maureen from "Driving School" and that Ray from the "Clampers" show.

[VictorianSqualor]

In 2008, the idea of someone ordinary becoming "famous" off the back of a TV non-fiction show is still a bit sad

[UnquietDad]

Oh, it is to us but not to THEM

[binkleandflip]

or Jeremy from Aeroflot

[UnquietDad]

I'd forgotten Jeremy...

[Kimi]

Even if I sell the TV it will be all over everywhere.

It is like poking bears with sticks, and the people they put in are just unbeleavable

[UnquietDad]

"Now I'm towing my car, there's a hole in the roof,
My possessions are causing me suspicion but there's no proof,
In the paper today, tales of war and of waste
But you turn right over to the TV page..."

[binkleandflip]

why are you quoting crowded house?

[UnquietDad]

Well, for the last two lines mainly.

[binkleandflip]

very profound