The recent death of telly jape merchant Jeremy Beadle got me thinking...
At the height of his television career, Beadle was attracting up to 15million viewers to Beadle's About. He was mainstream, and therefore not at all critically popular. But I liked the show, it was one of those shows that as a kid we watched. Even now, trash TV has a place and that place is Saturday teatime. It's either pre-pub fodder, or in my case nowadays, something to watch with Emily.
I settle down with my daughter to watch You've Been Framed, Harry Hill's TV Burp, Strictly Come Dancing, Dancing On Ice and whatever. Although I have to admit that Harry Hill does do 'YBF' better. Only because a show like that doesn't need a presenter, just a funny narrative. The same rule applies when comparing It'll Be Alright On The Night presented by Dennis Norden to TV'S Naughtiest Blunders narrated by Neil Morrissey.
When Harry Hill dies, it won't be the hilarious but much forgotten Channel Four show he did with Al Murray as 'Big Brother Alan', Bert Quock, and the man from the Joy Of Sex books that he's remembered for in Emily's eyes, but TV Burp. Family entertainment that doesn't rely on bad language and sex to get viewers.
Noel Edmunds is another case in point. House Party was a good show for it's time slot. If you get to see any of the really early ones, you'll see not only how funny it was, but how much of an influence Edmunds was on Ant and Dec (another Saturday show watched by me and Emily). The first time Noel did 'NTV' where the camera reversed into someone's living room we all wondered how it was done.
