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 !

For a few years, BBC was the only TV channel, things change. Frankly today Netflix or Disney could nearly be considered "main TV".

I think it's on Netflix, but you get my point.

I voted YABU as the demographic of who watched prime tv has changed - watching live is not the norm anymore. There is a lot more choice including all the streaming options, which most people have at least 1 off.

So who is watching live? Mostly elderly, and so the shows reflect that.

I quite liked the early 70s when the Saint, Jason King, Mission Impossible, Randall and Hopkirk (deceased) and The Prisoner were on

Please take me back to a Thursday in 1982 (or 83). Top of the Pops and The Kids from Fame. It’s all downhill from then on!

One other thing that changed is 1982, people would all be watching the same TV so it was a dicussion point.
Did you see x last night, what do you think will happen next week?

I'm almost elderly, not quite, though some here would say I was, and don't watch live TV apart from Traitors tonight, I even watch Eastenders in the morning, I have all the streamers.

Yes I deffo get the point it’s just that my definition of ‘main’ channels are BBC1 snd ITV - I’m still living like it’s 1983

I started watching EE in the morning as well - but it’s not the same as 1985 EE is it?

Loved this aspect !! Remember we discussed things like Diff’rent Strokes etc!

I'm in my 40's and haven't watched "prime time" tv in many years, maybe 20 years. I only watch TV for about an hour a day during the week and always watch things I have recorded or stream from the iPlayer or elsewhere a particular show I am watching. At the weekends I watch movies in the evening either streaming or watch a DVD.

I agree prime time tv is rubbish now but it probably always was. I don't like strictly, ant and dec or talent shows and I didn't like Noel Edmonds and Blind Date back in the day. I do love the BBC, I love Radio 4 and don't mind paying my license fee although BBC 4 used to be great I still enjoy the archive media the show now. I prefer TV as it is now, what I want to see when I want to see it.

Get yourself set up with Plex and a media server and you can curate any TV you want!

Ahem
im not elderly
I watch and the scheduling is ridiculous.

Of course it’s aged. Attitudes have changed. Even watching classic films makes me cringe at some of the attitudes.

Which is fine. But schedulers should consider who is still watching and cater accordingly. Rather than chasing young people

Traitors though is good!

My parents and my DH's parents are also watching other channels and catch up services rather than prime time and they are in their 70's and 80's.

Be careful what you wish for...

Prime time tv is dreadful on the main Freeview channels, soaps and reality tv, but reality tv I guess is cheap to make as opposed to decent dramas etc and seems appeals to many , though personally can’t stand it, I’d include the vast majority of reality tv in that

Of course it was better then. More channels has unfortunately meant poorer quality.

Funny as I was going to start my own thread about this.

I was born in 1973 and was a real telly addict until around 10 years ago. I hardly watch any TV these days, it's all boring drivel.

I loved the days of regular fun TV - gameshows, sitcoms, interesting dramas and documentaries. I loved Friday nights on Ch4 when I was in my 20's, several hours of sitcoms and fun. I feel all the fun has gone. TV was invented to entertain. There is enough shit going on in the world as it is, who wants to watch endless Netflix dramas or documentaries about serial killers or complete strangers getting married.

I loved my younger years, sat with a big tub of snacks, the whole family in one room in front of the TV, laughing and being properly entertained.

The 1 show, strictly, traitors, this morning, the sat night music talent show where the judges turn around (so shite that i don't even know the name), talent shows, dancing on ice, call the midwife .. and a load of others .. are all utter shite. Who watches this stuff ???? I never Watch scheduled tv. Does anyone ??

Loved TV in the 80s. Some of my favourites;
Fawlty Towers
The Young ones
TOTP
Ask The Family
The Generation Game
Dallas
Dynasty
Tales of the unexpected
Hammer house of Horror

I watch schedule tv.
i like the weekly wait. I don’t like binge watching and if I do then I don’t enjoy it as much.

Love traitors, mags and strictly. Hunted too.

Race across the world.

Could not agree more. I can never see the point in spending thousands on a program or film that is so dark that you cannot see a thing. Do you think that the actors are really there or are they stand-ins to save money?

Good TV has got a lot better, but shit TV has got a lot more shitter. Bring back Eurotrash I say.