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Incredibly boring programs - Starting with Ben Fogle

275 replies

EllyRoff · 13/08/2025 21:07

BF lives in the Wild must be the most boring program ever made. Every episode is the same:

“We left the rat race to live in a cow shed in the middle of nowhere. We live on rain water and mouldy vegetables but we’re so happy”

Next minute the socially isolated kids are shown studying butterflies or some shit.

I just can’t stomach it, normally I can sit and watch anything but this just irritates me beyond belief, I have to leave the room whilst DH watches it. The only other thing that comes close is Jools Holland.

Anyone else have such a strong dislike of a particular program?

OP posts:
Cattenberg · 14/08/2025 17:43

pestowithwalnuts · 13/08/2025 21:26

Jools. Holland only seems to appear on TV at New Year.
I find him very cardboard-y

I've enjoyed some of the music on his New Year shows, but was a bit surprised by the lack of atmosphere and how laid back Jools was about timings as it got close to midnight.

I eventually found out that the show is pre-recorded. So, even Jools doesn't actually spend New Year's Eve at his own Hootenanny. The viewers are left to celebrate by themselves, while the celebrities are presumably living it up somewhere more exciting.

the80sweregreat · 14/08/2025 18:21

I was suspicious about Jools Holland on NYE for years as it did look a bit fake. Then I discovered it was pre recorded, which made sense as why would those people and celebs be there and not at home! lol
Some Christmas shows and specials are filmed in the summer.

laughingnow · 14/08/2025 18:42

I have found my people!

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 14/08/2025 18:48

the80sweregreat · 14/08/2025 18:21

I was suspicious about Jools Holland on NYE for years as it did look a bit fake. Then I discovered it was pre recorded, which made sense as why would those people and celebs be there and not at home! lol
Some Christmas shows and specials are filmed in the summer.

When it first started way back in the 80’s he was all over the media.

No one seems to know who he is anymore. Time for a refresh on this!

Serpentstooth · 14/08/2025 18:49

beachwalkx · 14/08/2025 13:58

There was one episode that made me laugh out loud
a guy had been arrested and was in the back of the police car and pipes up “but you never introduced yourself as police, how was I meant to know?”

police “did the blue flashing lights, the police car chasing you and the uniform not give it away?”

guy arrested “still should have said you were police. Maybe I’m blind and didn’t see the lights”

police “I’ll add that to the driving charges”

One of my tv favourites. Police stop a car "I smell cannabis, have to drug test you"
Driver, apparently unbothered, "oh it'll be positive, I smoke all day and I just picked up a new supply from my dealer last night".
"Just a quick swab sir and I can give you the result".
Reads result. "That's clear sir, no trace of drugs, you're free to go"
"WHAT?! That's not possible. I was smoking it this morning"
Struggling not to laugh "I believe you've been turned over sir. Good night"

Ilovemyshoes · 14/08/2025 19:20

ThePure · 13/08/2025 21:35

Mine is radio. I often have R4 on in the background and the only programme that I will actively rush to switch off is Any Answers. Lots of bigoted middle Englanders being given airtime for views that are at best twee and pointless (what ever will happen when the wind isn’t blowing?! John from Southend thinks he’s the only person ever to have spotted that issue with wind power. It must be because hes a retired engineer) and at worst racist.
Actually Feedback I switch off too for the same reason.

I agree, also Gardeners Question time, so smug!

TheCrasher · 14/08/2025 19:26

I like GQT.

TheeNotoriousPIG · 14/08/2025 20:17

Soaps and the news. They are both depressing, and usually a case of, "Who's been murdered this week?"

The kind of programmes that they put on in hospital waiting rooms, like Judge Rinder... the next time, I went prepared with a stack of books to pass the time while I waited...

Countryfile... I'm yet to find a farmer who enjoys it. It is usually deemed to be full of townies in wellies and waterproofs that wouldn't last five minutes on a farm! Also, Adam Henson always looks uncomfortable next to livestock. I much prefer Landward (the Scottish equivalent of Countryfile).

Through the Keyhole (is that horror still on?), Love Island and whatever else falls into that genre. I got told off for not paying attention to Big Brother and the one in the jungle during my English GCSE... we were supposed to be writing letters of persuasion to encourage people to go into these situations. You couldn't have paid me to go into any of them! I would rather gouge my eyes out with a fork.

David Attenborough. I'm just not that into Dave the dolphin. Sorry!

The Great British Bake-Off. It's like the judges are asking for diabetes, really!

Motor sports, tennis (I remember having to endure an entire afternoon watching Wimbledon at primary school...), football... and to be honest, most sports apart from perhaps ice-skating and gymnastics.

I struggle to concentrate on anything presented by a chap called David Wilson, because he waves his hands around too much. If they only filmed him from the shoulders up, it would be so much easier to concentrate!

Anything that my sibling watched obsessively and back-to-back for months on end, e.g. The Simpsons, Come Dine With Me, Friends, A Question of Sport, Top Gear, cookery programmes (that looks like a lot of effort, considering that it's all going to come out of the other end soon), anything featuring Jamie Oliver (I still hold him responsible for ruining school dinners, and you don't get that big by eating healthily) etc...

Despite my loathing of Top Gear, I found Jeremy Clarkson to be much more bearable on Clarkson's Farm, as he couldn't possibly come across as an insufferable know-it-all. I admit that I skipped most of the last series due to its focus on buying a pub, but I like the bits with livestock.

If Keir Starmer Met A Farmer went ahead, his smart suits wouldn't last five minutes on a farm, and an inquisitive calf would probably throttle him with his own tie (they're a bit like toddlers, as everything goes in their mouths). Given that he is not exactly popular, he might find himself in a slurry pit or being eaten by pigs. (That's not a death threat, Mr Starmer, but you're not exactly flavour of the month in the farming world, especially with a nickname like Starmer the Farmer Harmer).

Needless to say, I watch very little TV!

I like educational documentaries. Please make more of them!

Cattenberg · 14/08/2025 22:31

When I have tea with my parents on a Sunday, I have little choice but to watch Countryfile. The last episode was very relaxing - someone grinding flour in a restored windmill which was made into bread, then someone else dying wool different colours with plant dyes. Then someone else started gutting herrings and that wasn't so nice. Sod reality; give me gentle escapism.

ThePure · 15/08/2025 08:24

TheCrasher · 14/08/2025 11:01

@ThePure , I love Any Answers, especially when Anita Anand is doing it. I like that people think their opinion is so important.
There are quite a few R4 programmes I switch off, Down the Line being one of them.

I will admit that occasionally I have a little snigger at Anita pointing out the flaws in someone’s stupid dumb bigoted argument with her wide eyed faux innocent thing ‘OK Dave. That’s REALLY interesting. I just wonder though whether those clever scientists MAY have thought of some solutions to the wind not blowing all the time…I THINK I might have heard some mention of batteries being involved. I don’t know. Something to think about?’

I don’t know how she can do it. She deserves a medal. I cringe so hard when she has to put up with the racist xenophobic ones.

Feedback after they brought a Muslim family in on the Archers was a frothing sea of Islamophobia. I was ashamed that they broadcast that stuff.

faffadoodledo · 15/08/2025 08:52

I loathe GQT. Smug and twee.
I can't abide Anita Anand and her patronising 'mmmms' either. Just challenge the idiots! Yes I know she does, but I find the faux naive act a bit wearing.

MrsMoastyToasty · 15/08/2025 09:38

Test cricket- hours of tedium watching a group of blokes in a field.
Snooker- televised green table.
Golf- televised sky and grass.
Bowls - rolling balls along the grass.
Skiing -televised snowy hill with someone skidding down it.

x2boys · 15/08/2025 09:45

MrsMoastyToasty · 15/08/2025 09:38

Test cricket- hours of tedium watching a group of blokes in a field.
Snooker- televised green table.
Golf- televised sky and grass.
Bowls - rolling balls along the grass.
Skiing -televised snowy hill with someone skidding down it.

Yeah I'm not into sports either 🤣🤣🤣

Serpentstooth · 15/08/2025 12:28

This reply has been deleted

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

Strawberrydelight78 · 16/08/2025 22:26

Isittimeformynapyet · 13/08/2025 23:41

Anything with the repugnant Dominic Littlewood. I cannot fathom his appeal. He looks like a cross between a baby and a dildo and he's got a very ill-disciplined mouth. He's totally witless.

Oh god, I'm all riled up now.

I love Dominic Littlewood I find him quite funny. My most memorable programme I've seen him on was when he went to Battersea dog's home to find out how the dog's were all escaping overnight and eating loads of food. They set up CCTV in the kennels. Was a lovely clever mutt called Red who would let himself and girlfriend out then his doggy friends.😂😂😂

Strawberrydelight78 · 16/08/2025 22:29

Can't watch anything with Vannessa Feltz on.

Isittimeformynapyet · 16/08/2025 22:30

Strawberrydelight78 · 16/08/2025 22:26

I love Dominic Littlewood I find him quite funny. My most memorable programme I've seen him on was when he went to Battersea dog's home to find out how the dog's were all escaping overnight and eating loads of food. They set up CCTV in the kennels. Was a lovely clever mutt called Red who would let himself and girlfriend out then his doggy friends.😂😂😂

That just sounds like Dominic Littlewood "being around when something funny happened" rather than being funny himself.

Scarlettpixie · 16/08/2025 22:44

Duplicate post, sorry!

Scarlettpixie · 16/08/2025 22:45

I don’t keep watching things I find boring. Might watch a couple and then don’t give them anymore headspace. Certainly couldn’t really have a conversation about them. I like Ben Fogle although haven’t watched him for a couple of years. I guess it would be irritating of you OH watches something which makes your teeth itch. Can’t he just watch it on catch up when you are doing something else?

Serpentstooth · 16/08/2025 23:21

Strawberrydelight78 · 16/08/2025 22:26

I love Dominic Littlewood I find him quite funny. My most memorable programme I've seen him on was when he went to Battersea dog's home to find out how the dog's were all escaping overnight and eating loads of food. They set up CCTV in the kennels. Was a lovely clever mutt called Red who would let himself and girlfriend out then his doggy friends.😂😂😂

That dog was a Superstar. I wonder if he ever got re-homed? You'd have to padlock the fridge.

lazyarse123 · 16/08/2025 23:28

Isittimeformynapyet · 13/08/2025 23:41

Anything with the repugnant Dominic Littlewood. I cannot fathom his appeal. He looks like a cross between a baby and a dildo and he's got a very ill-disciplined mouth. He's totally witless.

Oh god, I'm all riled up now.

😂😂😂😂😂thanks for this it's so true.
I hate all reality shows. We actually like Repair shop.
Our tv had a thing pop up yesterday saying to take part in some survey about what we watch to improve viewing or some shite and to opt out press yellow button so dh pressed it.
The only thing they would discover is that we watch Repair Shop every day and Shed and Buried and I love a true crime show and how to commit murder.

Selfishshellfishies · 16/08/2025 23:34

Did anyone see the documentary on the father and son who created a steroid den in their shed/outhouse? I thought it was going to be a real in depth show, became confused that they clearly were free and taking an almost boastful approach. I found myself skipping so much because they just went on about how they met lots of people in various pubs, a step by step guide to other men how to set up a drug den, how much money they made and what they wasted it on, showed how little they thought it all through (wrapped the hard drugs from China in sweet wrappers while they had a sweet shop to launder the profits - didn't even consider how many kids they could have killed if they had made an error there) and just showed how very boring and thick they were. The only interesting bits were when they had a woman on explaining what it actually does to the body and mind and how it is an actual issue that kills a lot of men every year - let alone the mental health and violence issues the police and NHS now have to deal with as it has become so mainstream. Such a shame as it could have been a very interesting topic to deep delve into, esp with the rise in femicide and hospital/road/ general rising instances of violent rage.

RaraRachael · 16/08/2025 23:41

OH likes a programme where Gary Neville sits in some home cinema with a boring football player analysing some boring old football matches. It just goes on and on picking each move to pieces and discussing it.

Beyond tedious.

SadTimesInFife · 16/08/2025 23:49

Boring....the cheap version of Location, Location, Location or Place in the Sun or whatever it is which has dull people being shown crap property in horrible areas by a dull person and so on. Save your pennies and stay in a decent hotel!

Also hated QI with Stephen Fry as he was smutty, thought he was clever, and never stopped talking.

I have many negative thoughts about Supervet

SunlitUpland · 16/08/2025 23:54

SadTimesInFife · 16/08/2025 23:49

Boring....the cheap version of Location, Location, Location or Place in the Sun or whatever it is which has dull people being shown crap property in horrible areas by a dull person and so on. Save your pennies and stay in a decent hotel!

Also hated QI with Stephen Fry as he was smutty, thought he was clever, and never stopped talking.

I have many negative thoughts about Supervet

Why do those couples on A Place in the Sun always hold hands and look as if they’ve been taken hostage and driven around a lot of incredibly charmless properties against their will?