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Original poster

Don't like being preached at in TV shows

263 replies

NutellaEllaElla · 12/09/2021 19:09

Is it just me? Has it always been this way? There seems to be a moral to every story. Try not to judge my TV watching habits Grin but i'm thinking Grey's Anatomy, The Good Doctor, New Amsterdam. There's probably more i'm not thinking of right now. Was it always so heavy handed on social issues?

OP posts:
MeAndDebbieMcGee · 15/09/2021 14:46

I've stopped watching all Attenborough programmes.

I cannot fucking stand Attenborough these days. He just bangs on and on about how bad people are and how great it would be if they weren't around.

Be a bit of a bummer for your rating figures and the status you get from your badge from the queen though wouldn't it, sunshine?

Also, he's a total fucking toff. There's always a bit of 'oh no, the lower classes are BREEDING and their kids are all surviving these days' from that kind of guy.

randomlyLostInWales · 15/09/2021 14:47

Maybe it's just Simon Moffat? It kind of went to shit when he took over. But then he's the one who wrote "Blink" and introduced Carey Mulligan to the world. So he knows how to write and has some cracking ideas. Maybe not so good at doing anything else.

Chris Chibnall was made head writer and co-producer and I he's one I think who's been in charge for Jodie Whittaker's doctor though I think it was Steven Moffat for Peter Capaldi.

But there's clearly something going amiss with the writing though perhaps there more going on with it all than just the writing. DH thinks they're trying to make it more a children's show and less family entertainment - though I'm not sure writing for children needs the dumbing down that appears to have happened.

Driftingblue · 15/09/2021 14:49

Yes, this thread instantly made me think fi Dr Who as well. It always had morals included in the stories, it just wasn’t so heavy handed. The quality of writing simply deteriorated. An easy comparison is the Van Gogh vs Tesla episodes. They basically followed similar formulas, but one was amazing and the other felt like a school film-strip pulled out of the supply cabinet.

The writing for a female doctor is also completely wrong. When you are the smartest person in the room and you know it, it’s hard to set your arrogance aside. I know this really well because it’s how I live my life and it’s the kind of people I surround myself with. It does play out differently in men and women. The men are much more upfront with it while we women do temper it more, but that air of superiority is impossible to hide completely. It disappeared with this doctor and it made me so angry. I was so excited to see my personal version of a superhero be a woman and they turned her into a needy person who rarely displays her intelligence. Missy was still the Master when she was a woman. Even when she tried to be good it still felt like a continuation of the complicated motivations driving that individual.

LateDecemberBackInLowB12 · 15/09/2021 14:53

@Xenia

I am surprised I was deleted when I just calmly stated a few facts about some TV shows and also stated how firmly I am behind racial equality. Cancel culture.
You didn't calmly state facts, you were very racist, MNHQ were right to delete your post.

'Cancel culture' is the cry of people who just 'tell it like it is' then add an "I'm not racist though" somewhere along the way.

randomlyLostInWales · 15/09/2021 14:53

I have to admit I've gone off Attenborough in last few years as again it's very OTT preachy - it was always there but not so blatant which is a shame as I grew up on his programs.

(I do get it's bad but sometimes I just to to watch TV and relax).

MeAndDebbieMcGee · 15/09/2021 15:41

Oops yes Steven Moffat, not Simon Blush

It was a massive opportunity missed though. I think they really needed to get it right especially with all of the "can't have a female Who" blokes, and they completely fucked it up. And for no reason to do with Whittaker's range either. She'd already shown us she could do alluring in Venus, she'd already shown us she can do ballsy in Attack The Block, she'd already shown us she could do wounded and compromised in Broadchurch. But what we got was this weird asexual moralising head girl brisk one dimensional character that managed to piss everyone off.

lazylinguist · 15/09/2021 16:27

Yep I didn't like the Capaldi series either and I generally like Capaldi. It just wasn't fun any more somehow.

Xenia · 15/09/2021 16:32

Bit unfair to say I was "very racist" (which is defamation) when the post isn't there. I said a 1950s/60s story line where the main character was a black Northern Ireland leading footballer was part of this problem so many of us on here have seen. It made it hard to believe the story line. Even in 2021 NI is 0.2% black so surely it is not racist to say that a "Endeavour" having that lead character felt unlikely in NI all those years ago whereas in 2021 in London it would be likely. I just didn't want anyone w ho did not read my original post to think I was a racist person which would be so far from the truth!

lockdownmadnessdotcom · 15/09/2021 16:32

I immediately thought of Dr Who too. Banging you over the head with a sledgehammer about some sort of social issue, even to the extent of having a number to call fi you are affected by the issues in the programme afterwards. How about easy-going entertainment?

lockdownmadnessdotcom · 15/09/2021 16:35

As for Endeavour - well there was a lot wrong with that episode. I think Xenia's point is reasonable enough - it was a bit unrealistic for a NI player in the early 70s.

But also football players didn't make that sort of £££ in 1971 and definitely not playing for Oxford United!

Cutabove · 15/09/2021 16:38

@Xenia

Bit unfair to say I was "very racist" (which is defamation) when the post isn't there. I said a 1950s/60s story line where the main character was a black Northern Ireland leading footballer was part of this problem so many of us on here have seen. It made it hard to believe the story line. Even in 2021 NI is 0.2% black so surely it is not racist to say that a "Endeavour" having that lead character felt unlikely in NI all those years ago whereas in 2021 in London it would be likely. I just didn't want anyone w ho did not read my original post to think I was a racist person which would be so far from the truth!
You complained that there were too many black people of TV and compared it to North Korea. You complained that there wasn't enough depiction of black gangs and black people as villans.

It it wasn't racist, it wouldn't be deleted.

lockdownmadnessdotcom · 15/09/2021 16:38

Cancel culture' is the cry of people who just 'tell it like it is' then add an "I'm not racist though" somewhere along the way

no it isn't. Cancel culture is a thing and people get cancelled for stating the blindingly obvious, like men should not be taking part in womens' sport. I didn't see Xenia's original comment, but I get fed up with people saying that if you use expressions like cancel culture or woke you must be racist. People who say that are as bigoted as the racists, and actually if people were a little more tolerant of views they don't like, and aimed to debate them properly rather than just "cancelling" people, we might not have ended up with the mess that is Brexit.

SunIsBehindGreySky · 15/09/2021 16:56

I did read the deleted post and she was mostly observing who lives where and misrepresented of numbers of people in the UK regions. She also was sceptical if certain people would have been accurately represented in historical reinactments in the numbers and society positions. It's weird like gaslighting to rewrite history.

She was discussing a country that has a radio in every house and you can't turn the volume down or it off, I guess she would be better off comparing Hunger Games style interrupted propoghanda style broadcasting.

SunIsBehindGreySky · 15/09/2021 16:58

I remember when English people were always the villain in American films, I particularly like Alan Rickman in the Bruce Willis films.

Cutabove · 15/09/2021 17:06

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Cutabove · 15/09/2021 17:06

@lockdownmadnessdotcom

Cancel culture' is the cry of people who just 'tell it like it is' then add an "I'm not racist though" somewhere along the way

no it isn't. Cancel culture is a thing and people get cancelled for stating the blindingly obvious, like men should not be taking part in womens' sport. I didn't see Xenia's original comment, but I get fed up with people saying that if you use expressions like cancel culture or woke you must be racist. People who say that are as bigoted as the racists, and actually if people were a little more tolerant of views they don't like, and aimed to debate them properly rather than just "cancelling" people, we might not have ended up with the mess that is Brexit.

Anti-racists are just as bad as racists. Where have I heard that before?
Xenia · 15/09/2021 17:17

Well it wasn't racist but there we are.

The original post is the theme of the thread - that some programmes in the current seasons are giving us lectures, like the kind I had when on business addressing a conference in Iran where the whole thing started with a propaganda film. It is not unknown in the UK., the Arches on radio 4 was partly set up to make positive Government propaganda and present it to UK farmers. If we don't like TV shows we will switch them off here in the UK and programme makers will make something else but it certainly has been a big thing for many viewers this season and made some shows harder to enjoy.

Ancientcistern · 15/09/2021 17:24

Racists rarely admit to being so. But thankfully mumsnet disagrees with you.

Sagaz · 15/09/2021 17:28

@xenia i hate when mn do that, delete a post without understanding the discussion. It happens too often. The post is deleted purely because it was reported. The mod on duty thought 'i don't understand' and pressed delete.

LateDecemberBackInLowB12 · 15/09/2021 17:51

@Xenia

Bit unfair to say I was "very racist" (which is defamation) when the post isn't there. I said a 1950s/60s story line where the main character was a black Northern Ireland leading footballer was part of this problem so many of us on here have seen. It made it hard to believe the story line. Even in 2021 NI is 0.2% black so surely it is not racist to say that a "Endeavour" having that lead character felt unlikely in NI all those years ago whereas in 2021 in London it would be likely. I just didn't want anyone w ho did not read my original post to think I was a racist person which would be so far from the truth!
Oh,come on, you said a lot more than that, and you know it.

no it isn't. Cancel culture is a thing and people get cancelled for stating the blindingly obvious, like men should not be taking part in womens' sport

The trans debate really doesn't have to rear its head on every single thread Hmm

I also didn't report that post. I think it's very helpful for everyone when we can see the views of posters, then there's no room for wide eyed innocence and "I didn't say that though"

HereForThis · 15/09/2021 18:12

but I get fed up with people saying that if you use expressions like cancel culture or woke you must be racist.

What do you think when people say that if you use expressions like Karen, you must be a misogynist?

HereForThis · 15/09/2021 18:16

[quote Sagaz]@xenia i hate when mn do that, delete a post without understanding the discussion. It happens too often. The post is deleted purely because it was reported. The mod on duty thought 'i don't understand' and pressed delete.[/quote]
Oh goodness! So you're saying you're psychic and we have a thicko for a mod then? That's what you just basically said. MNHQ needs a revamp and training ASAP!

Annoyedanddissapointed · 15/09/2021 18:41

@SunIsBehindGreySky

I remember when English people were always the villain in American films, I particularly like Alan Rickman in the Bruce Willis films.
I think it's the posh accent. They were always rich, crazy, genious villains (Eloooooon).
Annoyedanddissapointed · 15/09/2021 18:43

@lockdownmadnessdotcom

I immediately thought of Dr Who too. Banging you over the head with a sledgehammer about some sort of social issue, even to the extent of having a number to call fi you are affected by the issues in the programme afterwards. How about easy-going entertainment?
Hollyoaks used to do that when I wantched them.

The thing is, Dr Who is worldwide, that issue will be absolutely missed by millions anyway

SunIsBehindGreySky · 15/09/2021 18:45

This could be interesting, as some woke share these views and some western views China don't.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9993849/Chinas-new-digital-crackdown-ensure-Marxist-internet-fight-bulling-fake-news.html