To think prime time TV is now worse than 1982?

[AirOff]

I was thinking in general about TV programmes earlier and how they’ve changed over the years and then I’ve just decided to directly compare the same week -

Monday - Friday only

for BBC1 TV programming

for EXACTLY the same week - (in this case it was week commencing the first Monday in September) - for both

2025 and 1982 between the whole 3 hours from 7pm - 10pm

in 2025 what I found was - the first hour until 8pm is taken up every day by One Show and Eastenders (apart from no EE on Friday),
then for the whole 5 days there was only 1 drama in that 3 hour period and one sitcom. Just FYI, both the drama and sitcom in this case were British. Apart from that, there was reality stuff of a domestic practical nature on EVERY night - Sewing Bee and Masterchef - BORING!!!!!!!!!!!!
There was also Scam Interceptors and one reality dating type show.

Anyway, in 1982 - the picture was very different - far more sitcoms (British, overwhelmingly), British made dramas and entertainment programmes - Top of the Pops, It’s a Knockout, a Wildlife on One programme, and there was one American sitcom shown - Taxi. That’s the thing - we never have American sitcoms or dramas on prime time BBC1/ITV like we used to, do we? Also in 1982 was Points of View which I loved. Also ‘World’s Strongest Man’ - you’d never get that now, would you ?

The one constant in 1982 and 2025 is Panorama - 8pm - Mondays.

AIBU to think that in 2025 BBC1 has gone much more boring, and bland in the prime time slot? As if schedulers/TV execs can’t be arsed to bring more variety?

it seems that churning out One Show, Eastenders and these reality shows based on practical everyday stuff - cooking and sewing has taken the place of a much more varied, entertainment type program that may have required more effort to make

Anyone agree?

I want to go back to 1982 !

I haven't watched scheduled tv for years. Imo 'Prime Time' tv has always been largely shit, aside from the occasional decent series. 80s British sitcoms were largely dire, and tbh I don't see much difference between things like 'The World's Strongest Man' and the reality/competition type shows they have now (except for the more modern format/style). We only ever really watch series (comedy, drama, fantasy, sci fi) on Netflix or Prime.

YANBU - (well apart from a weird focus on British made stuff).

I barely watch any TV these days - with the exception of Strictly, Traitors and Michael McIntyre's Big Show there is almost nothing that 'airs' on standard TV that we watch week in, week out - and even then we will usually just watch on iPlayer at the weekend.

There are some comedy series we will binge when they come out on terrestrial TV, but that is it.

Even on streaming, there are only a handful of shows we watch - and again, tend to binge or watch as and when.

The kids and DH mostly use the tv for watching YouTube, I tend to doom scroll.

I do sometimes miss the buzz around certain TV programmes when millions used to tune in to watch something and then discuss it at work or school the next day.

These days you try to talk about something and inevitably someone will go..."Don't tell me, I haven't seen it yet"

Was This Morning on in 1982?

I know I shouldn't but I really miss Phil and Holly 😒😒

Phil and Holly
Alison and Dermott

would be lovely

I don’t watch TV, but I know that Radio has gone downhill too. I listen to the same recorded shows from the late 1990s and 2000s over and over. Haven’t turned on live radio in years.

The One Show is such drivel - I wonder who actually watches it?

I agree the 1982 schedule sounds more appealing, but I am guessing the BBC want to appeal to a young demographic, which I am not.

This is a wrong steer by the BBC if so.

Young people are streaming or out being young.

it’s the older generations that watch tv. I watch schedule tv. I don’t pay for Netflix or Apple TV etc. schedulers should be catering for us rather than a demographic that isn’t watching anyway.

Yes I miss the shared experience too. Which is why I love the tv threads on here.

I often wonder who watches The One Show. I’ve seen the odd minute here and there and it’s just awful. Ditto soaps.

We’re excited for the Traitors tonight, but it’s rare that we watch regular tv these days.

I really miss the variety you used to get on TV.
Paddles up and Kick Start showed fun sports that many of us could never access.

I'll get hung for saying this but Jim'll Fix it was actually quiet a good programme.

We pay for Netflix and Disney but I can never find anything. So end up with far too much time on here.

I'm a slightly later vintage than you OP but used to love the shared experience thing too- within my own family really. My wee brother and my dad and I used to love American stuff like Quantum Leap, Due South and the X files. Every week we'd pick our spots on the sofa or by the fire, turn on the telly in good time and enjoy. Listening to the opening credits theme music for those now brings back happy family memories for me.

Ah no - this morning wasn’t on in 1982 - think it started 1988

Don't tell me - we won't watch until the weekend 😜😂

Thank you 😭, I need to let it go 🙈

When I used to watch Points of View in the late 80s, people would always write in to complain about repeats every evening. I could never understand it, because I love watching stuff over and over again but I’m guessing that there wasn’t enough new content to fill the schedules so most evenings would feature a few repeats of old sitcoms etc? Most prime time BBC1 nowadays is new content, which is an improvement I suppose?

I miss TV shows where you can hear what's actually being said without subtitles, when actors could speak clearly and not mumble, where there wasn't overwhelming amounts of background music, the scenes are lit and focused properly, and the camera stayed focused on a face/scene for more than five seconds. The BBC is probably the worst offender for all of these, ITV fairs a bit better.

I dunno, for some reason I recently sat through most of a programme about Cannon & Ball who I believe were prime time entertainers around that time, even doing Christmas specials, and it looked utterly shit. Ditto re-runs of supposedly classic shows that are shown today; they might have seemed good back then but only compared to the other dreck that was dished up to an audience that didn't have much to choose from. Don't get me wrong I think most TV today - including prime time stuff - is pretty insipid, but telly from the past is always viewed through rose tinted glasses.

I don’t watch scheduled tv apart from Have I got news for you

everything on catch up/apps.

i think tv is about 10 times better since I was a kid, there is SO MANY incredible shows

This is partly why I don't own a TV, and object to having to fill in the BBC TV licensing declaration every two years so that they stop pestering me. Why isn't there an option to put, 'Never' for the question, 'When do you intend to start watching TV again?'

There used to be some good, regular documentaries which I enjoyed (yes, I like serious things and sound like a geek/nerd etc.). Now it seems geared towards dating shows, TOWIE-like things, and dramas (some are good), with the occasional documentary once in a blue moon.

I make do with some streaming services instead.

Oh yes. Just about every program is like this nowadays. I’m constantly rewinding or checking the subtitles. What do they teach at film school these days?!

Hmm... Older person can't hear the TV as well as when she was younger. Blames TV...

On a side note I think the plethora of viewing options whereby no one is forced to watch anything outside of their particular age group/interests, is helping foster a disconnection and intolerance of other viewpoints due to lack of any exposure to alternatives.

Man alive, panorama real investigative journalism programmes and I recognised this from a young age.

I don't watch TV. We don't have a TV licence and haven't for around 7 years.

Sure. In 1982 we had no choice it was all scheduled TV.

there is loads more good stuff now. But it’s all on subscription services.

the reason hounding feel well catered for is that it’s a business paid for by advertising and in the case of the BBC, license fees.

They care desperately trying to capture younger audiences otherwise they will Eve up obsolete as old people die off.

today’s young won’t start watching scheduled TV when they are old unless they are captured now

Ag I’ve finally found someone apart from me that actually DOESN’T subscribe to Netflix or Apple TV !