TV habits

My TV consumption has steadily declined over the years but I can hardly complain. I might be watching less but I’m watching quality stuff. When I think about what counted as good TV in my day, it’s frankly shocking. The highlight of Saturday night, 6pm was the ‘Generation Game’ and while old Brucies been on our screens about the same time for Strictly come Dancing, this programme scales new heights of intelligence, wit and good taste compared to GG with it’s wobbly stage set, stupid game challenges (I recall hooting at the challenge to put up a deck chair, but I was only about 9 at the time), and the conveyor belt with the ‘toaster, games set, cuddly toy’ etc. Whoever complains about telly today obviously didn’t grew up in the late 70s or has deeply repressed memories.

Quality TV can be summed up by HBO, from early George Clooney in scrubs in ER to the decidely dodgy but inspired Stringer Bell, in The Wire (I say Stringer deliberately since I’ve no desire for the actor, only the character. A bit like my Betty/Mad Men crush. Betty is totally amazing and fascinating but January Jones just doesn’t do it for me).The Wire: it’s enough to say that I came to feel, literally feel, like I was living in Baltimore. No TV programme has ever transported me quite like this. We were living in Copenhagen at the time while I was a visiting professor there, and watched till 1am each night. I swear I frequently woke up not knowing what city I was living in (this was, admittedly, not helped by having a new baby at the time, waking us up at ungodly hours, and with all manner of strange things to disorientate the brain first thing, not least it being sunny at 3am). Before that there was Six Feet Under and later Mad Men.

After a brief interlude with Misfits (what is it about UK dramas - we need 12 or 14 episodes, not 6!) it's now The Killing (when it's not Glee, which is, of course the very definition of fantastic). Not HBO (by co-incidence, a Danish drama). Sarah Lund pulls off fisherman jumpers like no one else and almost makes them sexy. And looks mean chewing nicotine replacement gum. It’s so moody I’m exhausted after the two episodes the Beeb screen on Saturdays. And before the Killing there was Wallander – and we’ve watched, and liked, all versions: we only recently discovered what we think was the first series (after being seduced by Kenneth Brannah’s version, then taking on board a rather sullen less interesting Danish guy for a while) and it’s the best. The others are decent substitutes.

I’m always on the hunt for new drama series. Dexter was far too dark and nauseating, I don’t do vampires so that rules out quite a few, and Boardwalk empire isn’t quite cutting it although I’m going to give it time. Suggestions are most welcome!